I am in Moscow for a family celebration, Thousands of miles away from the boiling scene of events in our holy land.
So what did we have this week?
No. I don't intend to go into all the events from the Rapaz document to the arrest of a third far-left activist. I intend to address the women's events of the week.
1. Otniel. On Sunday, a mother of two was brutally murdered. Dafna Meir became another name on the growing list of victims of terrorism. I found myself pondering the question of when Jewish women became an easy and convenient target for terrorists.
2. Stuck. The next day, Michal Froman - a pregnant Jewish woman - was stabbed by another terrorist. Luckily, her name did not join those who are no longer with us. She was "only" injured... but she too is a victim of terror.
3. Media. The media posted pictures of the two women. Under Dafna's picture it said 'Mother of six'. Under Michal's picture it said 'Pregnant woman', and above all the question hovered, "Have our women become targets for your heroes?" Heroes too. Children are terrorists and murderers.
4. On Monday, fifteen influential Haredi women gathered at Rebbetzin Adina Bar-Shalom's college. The gathering sought to examine how to raise awareness of hereditary cancer among the Haredi public. Among the participants were Professor Efrat Lahad, director of the Institute of Medical Genetics at Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center, and Ms. Miri Ziv, CEO of the Israel Cancer Association. Certainly a welcome step that could save the lives and bodies of many Haredi women.
5. On Tuesday, on my show on the radio, 'Kol Hai,' Naomi Pearl was a guest and spoke about the program for training female Haredi leadership that she coordinates. It was fascinating to hear that the name of the men's program is "Public Envoys" and the name of the women's program is "Women of Courage." Who will find a woman of courage?
6. Wednesday marks the passing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson. It was the Rebbe who founded the educational institutions for girls, 'Beit Rivkah', named after his righteous grandmother, the wife of the Rebbe, Maharash of Lubavitcher. These institutions were established with the understanding that in the present era (more than seventy years ago), girls and young women must study Torah in order to ensure the educational future of the next generation. Now I am in Moscow, where I find hundreds of Jewish girls who seek to know and learn about their origins, and are excited by the "discovery" that we women are sisters.
7. On Thursday, the day after the Lubavitcher Rebbe began his presidency, I remember the first organization he founded as a rabbi. It was the Chabad Women's and Girls' Organization. The Rebbe recognized even then what was to come in the world, and the organization, founded on the foundations of Halacha, was destined to bring about a real revolution in the Jewish world.
8. Friday I prepare for "Song Shabbat" and remember the singing of the prophetess Miriam, the hundreds of thousands of women who brought drums out of Egypt with them, knowing clearly that God, the Almighty, would perform miracles for them and that they would have to sing a song - a song of redemption.
9. On Holy Shabbat, after we finish reading the Torah, we will listen to "The Song of Deborah." The powerful song of the judge who went out at the head of the people's army to war. "Until I arose, I am Deborah, I arose as a mother in Israel"... Yes. Sometimes you have to go to war...
10. Every day and its women. Holy women. Strong women. Caring women. Jewish women about whom it is said, "By the power of righteous women our fathers were redeemed from Egypt," and by their power even Nigel was redeemed immediately and completely in the true and complete redemption that is not followed by exile.
• The author is the owner ""My choice"", event host, lecturer and radio broadcaster. For comments: [email protected]
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