The Women Were First

MELBOURNE, Australia [CHI] — Once again, Melbourne’s Women in Unity held another astoundingly successful event — its fifth since its establishment, in response to the Mumbai tragedy. The commitment to the unity of the Jewish people that originally galvanized its founders, Rebbetzins Riva Cohen, Sara Gutnick, and Miriam Telsner, set the tone for an evening that warmed almost two hundred women on one of the coldest wintery nights of the season. Promoted as a pre-Shavous gathering for women of all segments of Melbourne’s wider Jewish communities, the evening highlighted the theme of ‘the women were first’. The idea that it was the women who were approached first – even before the men at the giving of the Torah, was heard throughout the evening as a source of pride and a call to action.

Held in the Caulfield Shule Hall and chaired by Mrs. Vivienne Wenig, a longtime teacher of Beth Rivkah Ladies College and principal of Yavneh College, the varied audience represented members from every spectrum of Melbourne’s eclectic Jewish community. The program consisted of a mixture of heartfelt Tehillim lead by young Beth Rivkah and Adass Israel School students, divrei Torah from a variety of educators, and entertainment by The Women’s a Capella Singers, all of which was punctuated by a lively humorous raffling off of lovely prizes. Each and every individual woman strongly identified with the message from the Mumbai tragedy that still resonates today—to show Hashem and Klal Yisroel that we cannot forget, and that we have heard Hashem’s message that we are all one.

“It’s absolutely the most freezing night of the winter so far, and I almost didn’t have a babysitter, but I had to come tonight,” one woman told her friend as she greeted her,” the feeling of unity at these functions is just too special to miss.” Indeed, those familiar with Women in Unity events come expecting a most unique experience of sisterly bonding and warmth.

In her opening remarks chairwoman Mrs. Vivenne Wenig mentioned that this evening coincided with Yom Yerushalayim, pointing out the concept of unity that Yerushalyim encapsulates. Quoting from the Parsha, Mrs. Wenig explained how even though each tribe had their own locations, flags and symbols, we are still one Klal Yisroel. Hashem instructed Moshe to address the women first at Matan Torah. This points to women’s special mission and G-d given abilities as the transmitters of Torah.

Mrs. Miriam Cowen, Coordinator of the Beis Chaya Mushka Learning Program, founder of The Women’s Well, and active worker for community causes, spoke about the power of making choices. We look out onto the world and see multiplicity and differences and it is within the power of women to make the connections, to bring order to chaos, turning dissension into harmony. Hashem gave us the opportunity to become partners with Him, through choosing life, we create the co-existence of opposites, until the ultimate fusion of the infinite with the finite with the coming of Moshiach.

Well known educator Mrs. Miriam Althaus spoke about Ruth as the Mother of Royalty. She depicted the arduous journey of Ruth as one of tragedy, self sacrifice and ultimate triumph, rich with lessons for each of us in our own individual service to Hashem. Bringing Ruth’s story to life as a relevant inspiration in each of our own lives, Mrs. Althaus described how we can all learn from Ruth’s modesty and righteousness.

The entertainment highlight of the evening was a sparkling performance of two compositions by the Women’s a Capella Singers headed by Mrs. Ruth Amzalek.

Mrs. Toby Pollack, a Secondary school teacher, explained various customs of the upcoming Shavous festival. The question posed is why it seems that such an important event like the giving of the Torah is not celebrated with much more fanfare. The conclusion is that an event as profound as the Revelation at Sinai is not in need of external symbols. There is ultimately no adequate manner to celebrate something as awesome as the giving of the Torah, we have the Torah itself and the crucial point is to live it.

Rebbetzin Sara Gutnick, while thanking the participants, mentioned how the Mumbai tragedy was unfortunately the inspiration for the establishment of Women In Unity. Women, she said, who are called the Beis Yakov, have the ability to speak gently towards and about each other, using their ‘kol Yakov’. It is with this womanly gentleness that we can be the first to bring unity and harmony to our people. We may buy our meat at different kosher butchers, daven in different shules and send our children to different schools, but we are still one people with one heart, one soul, and one purpose.

Fortified with words of inspiration for the soul, delicious refreshments for the body, and the fun of friendship and regenerated connections, the participants went home with greater appreciation for the upcoming Shavous holiday and their own role as Jewish women. It has been said that Shabbos comes first in Australia and so will Moshiach, the descendant of Ruth. The fifth Women in Unity event, stressing that ” the women were first’, is a beacon of light spreading unity and harmony from down under to the rest of the world.