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In this edition:
- Message from Jofa
- Jofa and Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024:
Join Us in Spirit, if Not in Person
- Women's Voices
- Standing with Israel
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Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Shemot
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Message from Jofa
Friends,
This week, Jofa and Yeshivat Maharat have been putting the finishing touches on our joint Israel Solidarity Mission, taking place this coming week, and placing special focus on gender-based issues -- halakhic considerations and realities, violence against women, and women in the military.
Through impactful volunteering, substantive learning, meaningful visits, and powerful speakers, this intensive three-day experience will give participants a unique lens and opportunity to gain understanding, demonstrate support, and stand in solidarity at this difficult time. We look forward to sharing updates and reflections during and after the mission.
Meanwhile, please continue to use and share the resources and ways to help that we have compiled, along with women's voices and divrei Torah, in this email, on our website, and in our social feeds, to keep up our efforts to support our people and find comfort and understanding amidst this difficult time.
Shabbat Shalom and Besorot Tovot.
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Jofa and Yeshivat Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024 -- You Can Still Join Us in Spirit: Traveling to Israel now, to visit with Israelis, hear their stories, and do chesed on the ground, is a powerful way to meet this moment. We are so proud to have a robust group of women and men joining our Israel mission, which will include visiting, volunteering, and learning, supporting women, evacuees, female soldiers, and all of Am Yisrael at this critical time. We look forward to bringing much-needed chizuk and showing our support to our Israeli friends and family. We will report back in this weekly email, and in our social feeds, sharing pictures, stories, and firsthand accounts from the mission.
If you aren't joining the mission in Israel, but would still like to do something to participate, please consider sponsoring a BBQ dinner that we will be hosting for chayalot at an IDF base, on Tuesday, January 9. See graphic above for more information; click here to sponsor.
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Please mark your calendars and watch for info and registration to be shared soon for Jofa and JOFA Australia's next Op-Ed Writing Workshop, sponsored by Yeshivat Maharat, on Tuesdays, February 13 and 20, 2024.
Here we share more women's voices and perspectives, posted and published in the past week:
| We must remain persistent in our efforts and our advocacy on behalf of Israel and our people. Here, we continue sharing, updating, and expanding ways to stay up to date, active, and engaged with what is happening in Israel and how we can help -- particularly with respect to raising the voices and stories of how women are impacted, what they are doing, and what we can do to support them. We hope that each week you will find something that speaks to you, and helps you stay connected, via specific things that you can do for Am Yisrael -- in Israel, around the world, and in your own home and community. | |
Fight Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism: In the public sphere, and particularly on college campuses, antisemitism and anti-Zionism are central to the challenges we are facing. Here are resources to learn more and advocate on these vital issues:
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Advocate: Although the U.S. Congress is still on holiday recess, U.S. aid to Israel remains a vital and imminent issue and advocacy remains critical. We must continue making our pro-Israel voices heard, and making it clear to our elected officials that we stand steadfast with our ally Israel against Hamas terrorism:
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Keep Attention on the Hostages and Their Families: Visit listentomoms.net, a U.S.-based initiative uniting diverse mothers to share their stories and advocate for the release of hostages being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. See and share powerful videos; email the United Nations and members of Congress; learn about the captives, and more. Each of these hostages -- including young children -- is dearly loved and cherished by their families. Innate human compassion drives us to care deeply about their safety and well-being.
Through the Hostages and Missing Families Forum's BringThemHomeNow website, you can also contact your elected officials and purchase wristbands, to help raise international awareness and support this volunteer-driven effort to return all of the innocent civilian hostages back home to their families and loved ones.
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Find Meaning in Rituals: Actions like baking challah with friends, family, or community, are tangible ways to connect. Use this Kosher.com guide to plan a challah bake for Israel. Think of people you know who have lone soldiers or loved ones in Israel that they are concerned about. Bake together, bring them challahs for Shabbat, invite them to your table. Give each other strength, and remind each other that we are all in this together, and here to lift each other up. Read this beautiful account of just one example of the communal challah bakes taking place each week around the world.
You can also print these special candle lighting prayers to join Jewish women around the world in finding extra purpose and meaning in lighting Shabbat candles, and reciting special prayers for the captives, the injured, the IDF, our families, and the entire Jewish nation.
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Stay Informed: It is still as vital as ever to arm ourselves with reputable sources, to stay informed of news, developments, and analyses, so we can keep advocating and reinforcing our message effectively. Here are some suggested sources that include coverage, analysis, and firsthand accounts:
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Help Meet Needs on the Ground: Although the needs are significant, we can also make a meaningful difference -- by volunteering, collecting, raising funds, visiting, or donating directly, toward supplies, meals, counseling, caregiving, evacuee families, IDF support, and much more.
Consult the Jewish Funders Network's extensive listing of trusted agencies and nonprofits in the U.S. and Israel, including this section on women's organizations, as well as this JFN Guide: Women in War: Grantmaking with a Gender Lens.
Consider contributing to the numerous organizations and fundraising efforts throughout Israel and around the world, that are delivering an incredible array of goods and services -- including your community's Jewish Federation, as well as the following suggestions:
We also highlight organizations that specialize in helping women and girls, including these:
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Keep Reaching Out: Everyone in Israel is both connected to, and deeply affected by, what is happening. Anyone you know in Israel, or anyone in the diaspora with family and/or friends in Israel, or loved ones serving in the IDF, will appreciate you reaching out and checking in. It is meaningful just to make the effort, even if you aren't sure what to say, or feel there are no adequate words. Just express that you care, and that they are not alone. What is happening weighs heavily on our hearts and minds, and reaching out helps us share and ease that burden. A call, email, or message can make a real difference; a gesture of kindness can go such a long way.
Here are a few mental health and wellness resources that can help you or those you care about:
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Talk with the Kids in Your Life: Discussing with children of all ages what is happening in Israel is delicate and challenging for parents, caregivers, educators, spiritual leaders, youth leaders, and more. We continue sharing and adding to our list of resources to help navigate this:
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Come Together: Communities keep coming up with new ways to gather meaningfully -- over Shabbat and throughout the week; at shuls, schools, and JCCs; making care packages for IDF soldiers; knitting kippot or tying tzitzit; organizing multifaith programs; hearing speakers share stories from Israel; setting empty Shabbat tables, or setting aside seats for the hostages, in shul or at your home Shabbat table, and more.
Every Shabbat can be Israel Shabbat, by incorporating Tehillim, prayers, and melodies for Israel, including: the Prayer for the State of Israel, Prayer for Tzahal, Prayer for the Safe Return of Hostages. Include in your tefillot the names of soldiers and hostages; some shuls pass around lists of names so that all are said aloud.
Say your own personal prayers or Tehillim; insert your own prayers during tefillah. Take a moment to thank G-d for protecting and watching over us, and those who safeguard our homeland, and all who are in harm's way. Now more than ever, tefillah can bring strength and comfort.
Organizing a melaveh malkah, kumsitz, or Israeli music concert can also be helpful ways to connect, share, and channel our feelings. Try this Spotify playlist too: Music to Give You Comfort and Strength.
| Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Shemot | |
Jews around the world are reading and studying Parshat Shemot this week. Here are a few divrei Torah by women on this week's parsha:
| Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach | |
