Celebrating Rosh Hodesh

Hanukkah is the holiday of lights and heroes. It is quite appropriate to talk about our heroines on a day traditionally dedicated to women – Rosh Hodesh. To celebrate it we remembered and learned about over thirty great Jewish women, who are a source of inspiration to us today.

 

Among them were some well-known names, like Henrietta Szold, Hannah Arendt, Sarah Bernhard or Emma Goldman. There were also women famous in their fields: science, medicine, physics or astronomy, like Helen Brooke Taussig, Hertha Ayrton or Fay Ajzenberg. We learned about a big number of social activists and politicians, like Shulamit Aloni, Rosa Luxemburg, Bella Abzug and Ernestine Rose, among others. We learned about women passionate about art, like Molly Picon, Annie Leibowitz or Nelly Leonie Sachs.

 

Among them we encountered an illiterate Israeli immigrant fighting for the right to education and the advancement of women, partisans giving up their lives for others, scientists struggling with sexism and anti-Semitism, doctors saving lives under dire circumstances, activists fighting for equality and workers’ rights, educators, actresses, physicists, writers, politicians, mothers, daughters… heroines.

 

Our students noticed a lot of common traits among them: they were dedicated, strong, involved, winsome, independent, wise, tenacious, perseverant, creative, accepting, influential, and full of determination and passion.

 

We asked the students to imagine what the message would be from the heroines to us today. Here is some of what they said:

 

• “Fight for truth.”
• “Make a difference.”
• “Work with others who share your vision.”
• “Let us grow stronger each day.”
• “Always do what you can to help.”
• “Sometimes you have to break the rules.”
• “Be passionate.”
• “Fight for equality and justice.”
• “Women can do anything if they try.”
• “Don’t let your gender limit you.”
• “Don’t shy away from your passions and helping others express theirs.”
• “You can’t stop women from talking.” and
• “Stay true to your religion, culture and education.”

 May these words inspire all of us!

  

~Rochel Joanna Czopnik

Judaic Studies Instructor