Women Transcending Boundaries met at Congregation Beth Sholom–Chevra Shas in Jamesville, a Conservative synagogue, hosted by Jeanette Powell.
Learning about Judaism—Jeanette Powell
Jeanette led a tour of the synagogue and explained Jewish practices. New terms we learned:
• Tallit: the prayer shawl worn for worship by both men and women. The tallit reminds people that during prayer, they should separate themselves from the outside world; the fringe in the corners of the tallit is a reminder of the Ten Commandments.
• Kippa: the prayer cap worn by men (and some women) as a sign of respect.
• Holy Ark: holds the Torah scrolls. The scrolls are hand lettered, written in Hebrew, and they must be kept in perfect condition in order to be used. Each scroll includes the entire Torah.
• Ner Tamid: the eternal light. The ner tamid reminds us of God’s eternal presence.
• Siddur and Chumash: The Siddur, or prayer book, is printed in both Hebrew and English; it is used during the worship service, which itself is conducted partly in Hebrew and partly in English. The Chumash includes the Torah and commentaries; it too is printed in both Hebrew and English, allowing the congregation to follow the Torah reader during this part of the worship service. Even though part of the service is in Hebrew, one can quite easily follow along in English.
Jeanette explained that the rabbi is the teacher of the congregation but does not run the congregation in the same way that many Christian pastors run their churches. Congregation Beth Sholom–Chevra Shas is run by its members through a board of trustees. During the Torah portion of the worship service, the rabbi shares his interpretation of the reading and invites discussion from the congregation. Congregation members may offer differing points of view and different perspectives on the reading. Jeanette notes this is quite different from the tradition in most churches, where the pastor delivers a sermon that is not commented upon during the service.
Congregation Beth Sholom–Chevra Shas is in the Conservative tradition (as are Temple Beth El and Temple Adath Yeshurun in the area). A more generally observant branch of Judaism is the Orthodox tradition (Young Israel Shaarei Torah), and the more liberal branch is the Reform movement (Temple Society of Concord). There is another branch, the Reconstructionist movement, but no temple from that affiliation is in Syracuse.
Jeanette explained that women at Congregation Beth Sholom–Chevra Shas are allowed to read from the Torah; often lead the service and act as hazzan, or cantor; and are very involved in running the synagogue. The current congregation president is a woman. Any WTB member is welcome to attend the prayer service on Fridays at 6:15 p.m. (8 p.m. on First Friday). Saturday services are from 9:30 a.m. until noon, and Sunday prayer is from 9:30 to 10 a.m.
Learning about the Hajj—Beatrice Muhammad
Beatrice and her husband recently returned from the hajj. She shared posters, pictures and memories. Participation in the hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, expected of all Muslims who have the money and health to go on this spiritual pilgrimage. Prior to the hajj, Beatrice visited Medina, where Muhammad (the founder of Islam and a descendant of Ishmael) is buried.
At the hajj Beatrice was among 3 million people from all around the world. “I didn’t want to come back,” she said. The hajj takes place in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) at the site where Muslims believe Ibrahim was asked to sacrifice his son and where he built the first house of worship to God. Men wear a simple garment consisting of two pieces of white cloth fashioned to cover their body; in this way, they all look the same, regardless of their station in life. Women may wear a similar outfit, although they also have the option of wearing regular clothing, provided their attire fits loosely and covers their whole body. As part of the hajj, Muslims participate in many activities and ceremonies, such as walking back and forth in a certain place seven times to simulate Hagar searching for water for her child. On one of the days, all 3 million pilgrims were together on one mountain, symbolizing the Day of Judgment when all will stand before God.
Civil Liberties
For about 20 minutes at the end of the meeting, the group discussed concerns about civil liberties.
• More than 1300 Muslims are being detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service; in some cases, families do not know where their loved ones are being held. The New York Times and the Detroit Free Press reported on April 3, 2002, that a judge has ruled that Rabih Haddad (of Ann Arbor, Michigan), founder of the Islamic charity Global Relief Foundation (and an acquaintance of Danya), must receive an open immigration hearing despite the Justice Department’s request to keep it closed.
• Not enough people are speaking out about these detainees or about other civil liberties issues. We need to educate ourselves and speak out.
• Some women believe there is a real possibility of the United States using a nuclear bomb.
• Many discussions on civil liberties and peace issues are being held in metro Syracuse, but few people attend.
• Some expressed interest in working on peace issues with existing groups, while others liked the opportunity for this new women-only group to take a stand.
• Some women are most interested in service projects; some want to be active politically; some want to do both.
Organizations of Interest
The Syracuse Peace Council describes itself as “a comprehensive grassroots social justice organization … . SPC educates, agitates and organizes around issues of war and war culture, military conscription, nuclear power and weapons, criminal justice, prisons, police abuse, the death penalty, hate groups, gender and gender oppression, racism and the support of traditional indigenous peoples.”
Peace Action of Central New York describes itself as “a non-profit grassroots organization working to fulfill a vision of a world free from oppression and the threat of war, where resources are directed to human and environmental needs.”
The Fellowship of Congregations comprises nine congregations (Jewish, Christian and Muslim) on Syracuse’s East Side working together to better the neighborhood through the Near Eastside Community Organization. Its fellowship events bring together the members of the various congregations to learn about each other’s faiths and discuss issues of concern.