Momentum

In Jerusalem, from around the world hundreds of women celebrate together

Sharon A

In Jerusalem, Israel, at this time of year, the weather becomes an annual topic for discussion.

When will it rain?

When will the winter weather arrive?

We had a partial answer beginning on Thursday night when the atmosphere cooled. Thunder and lightning announced the stormy weather. After intermittent deluges over Shabbat, the warmer weather is to return, for at least a week.

A week ago, the sun was setting into the clouds over the Judean Hills when I arrived at Neve Ilan for a very special event.

Nearly 800 Jewish women from around the world filled Kedma Hall on Sunday night for a gala celebration, titled “A Mother’s Heart: The Heart of a Nation.”

Momentum, formerly JWRP (so glad they rebranded, I could never get those letters straight), welcomed women from around the world to join Israeli women for a special evening event.

The hall was ready for an elaborate dinner celebration. But this was no simple mazel tov meal.

Opening speakers set the tone, with Racheli Fraenkel, Mehereta Baruch-Ron, and Batsheva Moshe sharing their inspiring personal life stories.

Momentum presented its inaugural award winners, Cheryl Wise, Pamela Claman, Tzahit Levi, Estela Goldberg, and Natalie Ciner, for their outstanding dedication over the years.

The hundreds of women included mothers of injured soldiers and women on their first trip to Israel.

From Guatemala and Ecuador, Singapore, LA, Atlanta, GA, and more, they joined in song as one.

One of the most emotional moments was when the mothers of freed hostages were on the stage.

They were awarded recognition by Momentum and cheered on by the other women in the room

Momentum founder Lori Palatnik had much to be proud of, and yes, a few men attended also.

Women who came from Maryland smiled and posed for a photo.

Women from Israel held up a flag as they appreciated the women on the stage.

The largest groups were from the US, and the enthusiasm was not muted as they came together.

(Yes, the flag was turned and correctly shown a second later.)

Momentum leaders state that a meaningful immersive experience can be difficult to translate into daily life. However, life is a journey. This was one fabulous conclusion for the recent mission trips.

Will the women return soon with their families to further explore the beauty of the Jerusalem streets?

Next year in Jerusalem has long been a statement, and hopefully for more, it will be a reality.

New year, new beginnings in Jerusalem

Sharon A


Before sharing what is happening on the Jerusalem streets, one must first acknowledge the shocking and dramatic photos from California of the raging fires and destruction of entire neighborhoods.

Tens of thousands of Israelis have been evacuated from their homes for over a year. In northern Israel, destruction by Hezbollah rockets is starting to be cleared and regrowth is expected.

Hopefully, all will find some respite as their worlds were turned upside down and homes destroyed.

In Jerusalem, the streets are lined with construction projects as buildings continue to rise.

Construction cranes also surround a future sports field.

The newly opened, long-anticipated tunnels to Gush Etzion make driving to and from Jerusalem, a pleasure. Unless it’s rush hour then you need patience. It will be a while before the roads are finished with those extra lanes necessary because of all the traffic.

But this week I traveled to the other side of Jerusalem, and up into the hills at Neve Ilan for a conference.

Momentum Fellowship was holding its first conference for women in Israel and Hebrew.

Lori Palatnik started Momentum fifteen years ago to bring Jewish mothers to experience Israel. It has grown internationally to involve tens of thousands of women. Now Momentum has come to Israel.

The views were spectacular as the sun was setting,

and after sunset, from the deck area outside the hotel.

On a clear day, you can see not quite forever, but almost to the sea.

However, most of the time we were inside meeting, networking, and listening to impressive speakers.

Rabbanit Adina Bar-Shalom, the daughter of former Chief Rabbi Rishon LeZion Ovadya Yosef z”l, has led impressive initiatives in Haredi education. This diverse group of Israeli women listened as she spoke about the Haredi draft issue. Many did not agree with her but were respectful, they did not interrupt her.

Shelley Shem Tov, mother of hostage Omer Shem Tov, was not originally on the program. She has actively spoken out for her son’s release for well over a year.

You could hear a pin drop when she was speaking. Then as she tried to leave the hall, all the women in the room rose singing in one large circle, surrounding her, united and showing her support.

The hostages’ faces were on display for the three days of the conference, ending on Thursday afternoon.

Friday was the 10th of Tevet, which the Chief Rabbinate of Israel chose as a “General Kaddish Day” for the relatives of victims of the Holocaust and others, whose yahrzeit, the anniversary of their death, is unknown.

Interesting timing, one of the women brought these memorial candles from her organization to memorialize victims of the Nazis – so the world would know their names.

Oh it was an Israeli event, so the lyrics of the songs were displayed on the wall – Israeli style.

Thanks to Adi and Nathalie for this unique opportunity to participate in this inspirational conference.

While online connections are great, there is nothing like in-person meetings.

Now I need to keep up with all the fantastic ladies I met.

Stay tuned for what’s next!

Am Yisrael Chai!