Torah Portion:  B'shalach;  Exodus 13:17-17:16

A few weeks ago, I let you know about the arrest of Nofrat Frankel, a Women of the Wall member who “dared” to wear her tallis at the Kotel, the Western Wall, in Jerusalem.  A few weeks later, Anat Hoffman, the director of the Israeli Religious Action Committee and an active member of Women at the Wall, was arrested, fingerprinted, and informed she was being investigated for committing a felony offense – disturbing the sensitivities of others at a national religious site.

Ms. Hoffman’s arrest has ramifications not just for Women of the Wall, but for us all.  As Rabbi Jill Maderer—a classmate of mine in seminary—wrote, “The soul of the Jewish State is at stake when the extremists keep women from wearing a tallit, holding a Torah scroll and even from praying out loud at the Kotel.”   This is precisely why the Reform Movement is organizing a national response to the ongoing harassment and arrests of these women pioneers.  You can sign a petition, share your opinion with Israeli leaders, and learn as much as you can about Women of the Wall and the efforts for religious equality in Israel.  To get started, go to www.urj/org//israel/wow.  I’ve signed the petition, and I hope you will too.

This Shabbat is Shabbat Shirah, the Shabbat of Song, named for the songs of the Israelites as they marched to freedom across the Red Sea.  May we, too, soon raise our voices in song—in celebration of the freedom of all Jews, men and women, liberal and traditional—as we pray in equality in our beloved homeland.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Annie