W.O.W.: Unity Without Uniformity

By Andrea Gamlin

W.O.W.! You see us on Facebook, you read about us in the Charlotte Jewish News, and you may have even attended our events. But, who is W.O.W.?

Charlotte Women of Wisdom (hence the W.O.W.) has a mission and goals, like other groups. Our mission and tagline is to “Ignite Jewish souls one woman at a time.” We want to empower, connect, and inspire Jewish women throughout the city by offering social and educational opportunities to understand our important roles. If it makes us stronger Jewish women, we’re on it! We are a nonprofit group comprised up of Jewish women from all (or no) Jewish congregations in and around our city. As a nonprofit, we sometimes struggle, but are never deterred by this struggle, to raise needed funds for our main (but not only) cause: providing tools, including an Israel experience, for Jewish women to grow. Our investment in Jewish women connects to our belief that women have the power to make ourselves, our families, and our communities better through Jewish values.

We are a member of Momentum, a worldwide organization with the mission “To empower women to change the world through Jewish values that transform ourselves, our families, and our communities.”

The MOMentum (get it? MOM!) Year-Long Journey empowers women to connect to Jewish values, engage with Israel, take action, and foster unity without uniformity. At its core, the Year-Long Journey includes an all-expense (except for flight) paid educational and usually life-altering trip to Israel.

Two years ago, I was interviewed and accepted for this trip with eight other Charlotte-area women, six of whom I’d never met before. My sisters (as we now call each other) and I are extended family. We come from different places Jewishly, but we push each other to be better Jewish women and learn more about our common heritage. We shared our trip and our journey (literally and figuratively) with women from Orlando, Houston, Canada, Australia, Russia, and many other places around the globe. The Year-Long Journey continues after our Israel trip with monthly gatherings of learning opportunities and social events within our communities. We’d love to have you join us — and if you would (or you know of someone who would) like to take the Year-Long Journey with Momentum as a Charlotte representative, let me know!

Last month, Charlotte W.O.W. held our Book Club meeting on “Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality and a Deeper Connection to Life — In Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There”) by Sarah Hurwitz. Ms. Hurwitz is a political speechwriter and attorney who began her Jewish inquiry in earnest just a few years ago at 36 years old. One of the many takeaways Ms. Hurwitz learned early was just how much her vision of Judaism was different from her newly found vision: “It turned out that Judaism had deep wisdom to offer me — teachings that helped me be kinder and more honest, challenged my lazy and self-righteous assumptions about religion, and led me to view the values of modern secular society with a more skeptical eye.” Her book title ends with the following phrase, “After Finally Choosing to Look There” and tells readers that while it was there all the time, she made the choice to put her vision in check. That’s what we do; we choose to look — and learn about — our gift of Judaism.

Our next book club meeting is on June 1, and we will discuss “The Choice: Embrace the Impossible,” by Dr. Edith Eva Egar. Before that, on May 11, we’ll have a Shavuot & Jerusalem Unification Event called “Spring into Health with Tracy.” Tracy Farrell, a certified functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, has degrees in human nutrition and functional diagnostics. She will be sharing some easy and fun salad recipes and five principles of health, which we can incorporate into our busy lives. She will also be answering questions about nutrition — so think about your burning questions and bring them to this event!

Please go to W.O.W.’s website at https://charlottewomenofwisdom.com/ for more information about W.O.W. and about our events. W.O.W. is a nondenominational group for Jewish women to engage, learn, and connect. No synagogue affiliation is necessary. We have more fun, enlightening, educational, and interesting events coming up in 2021 and look forward to your participation!