WRJ Voices: Tetzavah

While digging deep into our Torah portion for this week, Tetzavah, I found an abundance of text that relates beautifully to our mission of WRJ.

In this Parashah, it states God commands “you shall command his sons of Israel to use pure olive oil for kindling the light of the lamps. Aaron shall set up this light to burn continuously in the sanctuary. It will serve as a light for God for all generations.”

It is explained that the oil represents the spiritual potential in every Jew. We, as members and leaders of WRJ, are the lights for our movement. As the “lights,” we are called upon to teach and do great work. We aspire to follow in the footsteps of the women who took this movement to new levels. At every turn, we fight the good fight for what is righteous. We are stronger together, and the oil from this passage grows stronger with every passing moment. As Reform Jewish women, there is so much work to be done. When we are together, we light up a room with our voices. We sing, we dance, and we pray. Mostly, we give back, and that, by far, is the most important.

Growing up in an active Reform Jewish family, I witnessed the light of our people. As a child, our rabbi, Dr. James Wax, instilled in every Temple Israel child the meaning of giving back. His passion for civil rights was an inspiration to me. Before Dr. King was assassinated, Rabbi Wax marched with the sanitation workers during their historical strike. They were fighting for decent pay and better working conditions. We, as Jews, must take this responsibility as Rabbi Wax and so many others have done. It is our commitment to being a Jew. It’s a profound mitzvah.

Because I grew up in a very Reform home, we only attended services on the High Holy Days and very occasionally a Shabbat service. Through WRJ, however, I have become an active member of our synagogue and sisterhood. WRJ has certainly had a spiritual impact on me. As I’ve gotten older, my temple has become my happy place.

While attending WRJ conferences, I’ve met the most dynamic women. They are shining their lights throughout our periodically broken and dark world.

I chair a committee of volunteers who help those in need in our temple. Each volunteer on this committee and our sisterhood is a shining bright light. We are called upon in our relationship to do as God asks. It reminds us that we carry that divine spark within us all. We are God’s holy people here on earth. Our sanctuary and robes are tangible methods of creating holiness, but holiness can also be in our ordinary lives. We don’t need Aaron’s breastplate or diadem to be caring or compassionate. We already have that capacity. The question becomes: can we allow ourselves to tap into our own nature and be curious enough to provide it room to grow?

This is not just a story of the past. We are Jewish women who serve as Moses sharing our light in all we do to make a better world for many, many generations to come. As we end our week in reflection and look forward to another, may we remember this text and be the light of this ever-changing world.

Amen and Shabbat Shalom.

Debbie Jackson is a WRJ Board Member, Senior Area Director for the Southwest District, and past president of Temple Israel Sisterhood in Memphis, Tennessee.