Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project by Lisa Milton

On Nov. 24th I was privileged to embark on a trip to Israel joining a group of 12 wonderful women from our community led by Dr. Cirelle Rosenblatt and Deborah Levy Barnett. Made possible by the Schara Tzedeck Synagogue in partnership with the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP), this 8-day tour was the experience of a lifetime! Our
Vancouver delegation stood proudly among 400 women from 12 countries. The trip was, in essence, a Birthright for mothers.

After meeting up in Tel Aviv at Ben Gurion Airport we travelled North to Tiberias and Tzfat, then down to Jerusalem, Masada, the Dead Sea and Eretz Bereshit. Our days were filled with new friendships, meaningful lectures, beautiful tours led by knowledgeable tour-guides and, of course, good food! We sang, we danced, we laughed and we cried. Standing at the Kotel as a group, all from different countries around the globe, but all with the common bond of being Jewish mothers, was a powerful and inspiring experience. The sense of unity was infectious – positive and strong.

JWRP’s founding director, Lori Palatnik said it best when comparing the trip to Birthright:
“If you impact a 22 year old boy, you impact a 22 year old boy. If you impact the mother, you can impact the whole family. If you want to have Jewish communities rise, a community lives and dies by where the mothers are.”

And so our group has returned from this journey – Inspired, empowered and unified.

Written by Lisa Milton

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