Home Online consulting My Madrichim Site information Contact us JewishPrograms.Org
International Women's Day

International Women's Day

During the first two decades of the Twentieth Century, many of the women’s rights activists in the social movements that gave rise to street protests, strikes and campaigns of every kind were Jewish.
This is no coincidence.
Despite an essentially patriarchal model, our tradition has assigned a clear central role to female protagonism in key moments in history.
Probably several of those whom we remember for their struggle culminating in the establishment of an International Women’s Day had read carefully that verse in which the Eternal One told Abraham—albeit over the latter’s protestations—"...in all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice" (Genesis 21:12).
Here we have an asmachta, i.e. a textual foundation that if nothing else is a good way of commemorating this day.

A Women’s Meeting


This program consists of two activities that take up the subject of women. At a first meeting a selection from classical rabbinical literature (from the first to the seventh century), a reading of excerpts from the Mishnah, Tosefta and Talmud is proposed; these contain references to women and their world in those times.

At a second meeting, the proposal is to compare these text selections with true but little known stories of women who in some way challenged the ideas prevalent during the times in which they lived (Gluckl Von Hameln and Ernestine Rose).

See Program

Do Women Count? When What Counts is Language…


Jewish tradition teaches that G_d created the world through his word. We, created in His image and likeness, design, structure, and modify the realities in which we find ourselves immersed by means of the social languages we use. In this context, the author invites us to submerge ourselves in some of the classic Jewish texts, with a special emphasis on their semantic structure for the purpose of showing the ways in which the relationship between our rituals and women’s’ roles in them are established. Discussed are opportunities in the norms, contextual impositions, and the responsibility of taking part and, consequently, acting.

By Rabbi Joshua Kullock.

See Article

The Rose Colored Life

This project consists of a series of activities by which the participants learn something of the life of Rosa Luxemburg as well as her ideas on feminism and politics.

See Program

Miriam and Other Female Heroes of Pesach for Young Children

Research tells us that young children do not find nearly enough positive female role models in the books they are read, on TV (even with the introduction of Dora) or in their daily lives. During Pesach, our children learn all about Moses and Pharaoh, but what do they learn about Miriam, Yocheved, Shifra, Puah, Bat Paroh or the Israelite women that were instrumental in helping to gain our freedom from Egypt? What do you know about these women? Learn about these women and why and HOW they should be part of your classroom’s curriculum of Pesach.

Maxine Segal Handelman

See Article

Women and Judaism, From Past to Present

This program consists of two activities through which we attempt to approach some questions that, from the perspective of Judaism and its sources, will make us more familiar with the role in society that Jewish woman have played throughout the ages. In the second proposal, we focus on the changes wrought by the French Revolution regarding the rights of man, and we compare these to women’s rights, specifically Jewish women.
We incorporate theoretical reading materials as well as worksheets intended for direct use by the student.

See Program

Matriarchs

Students in supplementary religious schools are accustomed to interpreting stories literally, as they do when they read stories and literature in their general studies settings. When we study Chumash with these students, we need to be prepared to answer their questions about their interpretations of Torah stories that on the surface present the heroes of our people in a negative light.

See Article

Mothers of Strength: An exploration of the Biblical, liturgical and modern idea of “A Jewish Mother”....

This program will explore, in four encounters, the role of Jewish women, by studying the four matriarchs, the meaning of names, "The Jewish Mother" portrayed in various media, and Jewish halacha pertaining to gender-specific roles. Discussion, writing, art, drama and debate will all be used to engage the participants in learning about Jewish views of women's roles, and self-discovery.

See Program

Vashti and Esther – The Whole Megilla for Young Children

Most preschool aged children are quite adept at saying no. So what might these children have to learn from Vashti, who said “no” to dancing at the king’s party? Should young children only learn from “brave little Esther,” or are there valuable lessons to be learned from both these women of Purim?
The article suggests addressing a few valuable lessons that these two women, the Purim heroines, incarnate.

See Article

Eshet chayil mi yimtsa


This project attempts to analyze the role of women in the history of the Jewish people by presenting a group of eight women: Miriam, Ruth, Deborah, Golda Meir, Esther, Henrietta Szold, Chaika Grossman, and Gracia Mendes.

See Program
Page 1 of 2Next