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In this edition:
- Message from Jofa
- Jofa and Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024:
Attend In Person or In Spirit
- The War's Impact on Women in Israel
- Women's Voices
- Keeping Vigil for Israel
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Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Vayigash
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Message from Jofa
Friends,
This week, as we put the final touches on plans for the joint Jofa/Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission taking place in just a few weeks, January 8-10, we are focusing in particular on the impact of the war in Israel on women -- from all walks of life, ages and stages, in countless roles and experiences.
We highlight this week's compelling virtual Hadassah Foundation program in which Jofa and several other organizations partnered, The War's Impact on Women in Israel: Responding to Emergency Needs and Speaking Up on Gender-Based Violence. Widespread interest and participation in this program was a heartening and hopeful moment for all who care about women in Israel.
Please also take a few moments to watch and share the brief, but incredibly moving and powerful, video recordings of Iris Haim, mother of Yotam, a hostage killed accidentally in Gaza.
We continue sharing resources and ways to help, along with women's voices and divrei Torah, as we have since October 7 -- in this email, on our website, and in our social media posts. Please use and share these resources, to help keep each other and all of Am Yisrael strong and resilient through this continuing difficult time.
Besorot Tovot Yeshuot V'nechamot
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Last Call to Register for Jofa and Yeshivat Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024: 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. Please consider joining the Jofa and Yeshivat Maharat Solidarity Mission to Israel, taking place in just a few weeks -- from midday Monday, January 8, through Wednesday evening, January 10, 2024. The mission will include on-the-ground visiting, volunteering, and learning initiatives, supporting women, evacuees, female soldiers, and all of Am Yisrael at this critical time. Help us bring chizuk to our Israeli friends and family!
The mission is open to women and men of all religious backgrounds. Additional details and registration information available at jofa.org/israel-mission. Please contact us at [email protected] with any further questions. We hope that you will consider joining our robust group for this impactful and inspiring way to show your support and solidarity.
|  | Join the Israel Mission in Spirit: If you can't join 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 in the Negev, on Tuesday, January 9. See graphic above for more information; click here to sponsor. |  | |
The War's Impact on Women in Israel: Responding to Emergency Needs and Speaking Up on Gender-Based Violence: The Hadassah Foundation, together with Jofa and numerous organizational partners, presented a virtual program on the immediate needs of women and girls in Israel, and the ways organizations and communities are working together to provide emergency support.
The compelling and informative discussion was moderated by Hadassah Foundation Director Stephanie Blumenkranz, with featured speakers including: Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, Head of the Civil Commission of Oct. 7 Crimes By Hamas Against Women and Children, and Chair of the Institute for Gender and Sustainability Studies; Tal Hochman, Director of Policy and Government Relations at Israel Women's Network, and Shirin Abu Amar Alkrinawi, Attorney at Itach Ma'aki: Women Lawyers for Social Justice.
You can view the one-hour program recording here. Click here to read Haaretz's profile of Dr. Elkayam-Levy. Watch for additional resources to be shared next week from the participating organizations.
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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 during the past week:
| We will continue to share, update, and expand ideas for staying 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, through tangible efforts that you can make for Am Yisrael -- in Israel, around the world, and in your own home and community. | |
Fighting Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism: In the public sphere, and particularly on college campuses, antisemitism and anti-Zionism have been central to the challenges we are facing. Here are some resources for learning more and advocating on these vital issues:
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Advocating: Keep calling, writing, and emailing, to urge America’s leaders to stand with Israel! We must continue making our pro-Israel voices heard, by making it clear to our elected officials that we stand steadfast with our ally Israel against Hamas terrorism:
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Spreading Awareness of 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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Connecting Through Rituals: Hands-on rituals like baking challah and lighting Shabbat candles, with friends, family, or community, are tangible ways to connect. 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.
You can print these special candle lighting prayers to join with Jewish women around the world in finding redoubled 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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Staying Informed: It remains vital 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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Helping Meet the Needs: The needs on the ground in Israel remain significant, but we can each help in so many important ways -- from volunteering and raising funds, to donating directly toward supplies, meals, trauma counseling, caregiving, evacuee families, IDF support, and much more.
We can each support these needs by contributing to the numerous organizations and fundraising efforts throughout Israel and around the world, that are delivering an incredible array of direct and specific 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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Reaching Out: Everyone in Israel is deeply affected by what is happening. Anyone you are connected with in Israel, or anyone in the diaspora who has family and/or friends in Israel, or has loved ones serving in the IDF, will appreciate you reaching out and checking in. Even when there are no adequate words, it is still important to make the effort to express that you care and that they are not alone. We are all touched personally by what is happening, and it weighs heavily on our hearts and minds. A phone call, email, or message can mean a lot; a small kindness can make such a difference.
Here are a few mental health and wellness resources that can help you or those you care about:
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Talking with the Kids in Your Life: Discussing with children of all ages what is happening in Israel is delicate and challenging for families, caregivers, educators, spiritual leaders, youth leaders, and more. We continue to share and add to our list of resources to help navigate this:
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Coming Together for Inspiration, Unity, Prayer, Learning, Music: Week after week, communities continue to think of new meaningful ways to gather -- over Shabbat and throughout the week; at shuls, schools, and JCCs; sending messages and packages to IDF soldiers; creating multifaith programs; playing Israeli music; hearing speakers share their stories from Israel; setting public empty Shabbat tables, setting aside seats in shul, or at your own table at home for the hostages.
Every Shabbat can be Israel Shabbat at your shul, with 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.
Say your own personal prayers; 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 who are in harm's way. Now more than ever, tefillah can offer us strength and comfort.
Organizing a melaveh malkah, kumsitz, or concert of Israeli music, 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 Vayigash | |
Jews around the world are reading and studying Parshat Vayigash this week. Here are a few divrei Torah by women on this week's parsha:
| Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach | |
