Many with hair still wet, many with eyes half closed, all jetlagged, we made our way to a 6:30 women’s tefillah each morning. A few in talitot, one in tefillin and the rest unadorned, we prayed together led by the beautiful and powerful voice of Ronnie Becher.
What an extraordinary way to begin our day. Then off to a sumptuous buffet breakfast where each morning a woman scholar engaged us in a text study about Jerusalem. There was Avital Hochstein who taught Gittin 55, the story of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zackai’s abandonment of Jerusalem during a siege and the ways in which his decisions at that time are relevant today. Rachel Berkovits “bravely” taught Berakhot 61b, laws about keeping Jerusalem central in your daily activities. And Rachel Klein led a study of Tehillim 122, in which the psalmist enjoins us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
Then off and running we went to visit institutions of women’s learning, to Hadassah hospital to see the many wounded in bomb attacks, to cheer soldiers at a checkpoint, to pack boxes for soldiers and much, much more!!!!
Boker Tov–Good Morning!!!