The Torah of Rochelle Zell
Miriam’s Leadership Model Ma’ayan Noy, RZJHS 2020
Now that Purim is over, the next major holiday to look forward to is Pesach; a celebration of the deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery. A story of bondage to freedom. The essential mitzvah of Pesach is that b’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et atzmo keilu hu yatza mimitzrayim — in every generation a person must view themself as if he exited Egypt. As a Jew who is invested in intersectional feminism, a form of feminism that aims to include all women and recognize that race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, and class all influence how much and in what ways people are oppressed, I can’t help but view this quote from the perspective of marginalized people striving for equality throughout the generations. The message of remembrance urges us to think about the dichotomy of surviving hardship countless times, and rejoicing in our freedom,
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while still actively overcoming oppression and reaching for the promised land. The commandment reminds us of how far we have come in our struggle towards equality, while also looking ahead at all that is left to accomplish in our modern world. Last year in Bible, while studying the Genesis narrative, we read Dr. Judy Klitsner’s interpretation of The Garden of Eden, entitled, “The Three Faces of Woman.” She describes woman’s narrative of the struggle to regain equality. In Genesis One, man and woman are created with equal love in the eyes of God, and are equally addressed by God. In Genesis Two, God only addresses man, and woman is regarded as man’s “helper.” Therefore, woman acts in defiance of her reduced status and eats from the fruit of knowledge in hopes of reclaiming her “Godlike” status. See Noy, next page
