Beth El Synagogue will hold its third annual Women’s Shabbat Saturday. Women will lead the entire service.
By: Michael Arges
"It’s a way for the women to really show their stuff," Beth El Synagogue’s Rabbi Jay Kornsgold said of the synagogue’s third annual Women’s Shabbat.
"They have a chance to shine," said Rabbi Laurie Dinerstein-Kurs, a Beth El member who will provide the explanations of the Scripture at the Shabbat.
"The entire service is led by the women of the congregation," Rabbi Kornsgold explained. "They do everything from reading the Tora, to leading the service, to talking about the Torah portions."
The service will be at the usual Saturday worship time, 9 a.m., on March 3.
Women are regularly providing leadership in all aspects of Sabbath services at Beth El, Rabbi Kornsgold explained. But the Women’s Shabbat is a time to give them special encouragement.
Rabbi Dinerstein-Kurs will talk about the importance of God being present in the everyday lives of people. The Scripture assigned for that Sabbath is the description of the tabernacle, the tent sanctuary built by the Hebrews as they wandered in the desert before entering the Promised Land.
Rabbi Dinerstein-Kurs noted that when God commanded this sanctuary to be built, he described it in minute detail, including specific dimensions, colors, patterns and materials.
"It’s kind of awesome that these minute details could be included," the rabbi said. "My feeling is that this is a sign that everything that we do and everything that we have can be made holy."
Everything can be part of a ladder by which individuals can become more holy, Rabbi Dinerstein-Kurs explained. She is a chaplain for several local health providers.
"We’re a part of the Conservative movement in Judaism, in which women are supposed to take a more equal role in prayer in the synagogue," noted Trudi Perlman, the organizer and founder of Women’s Shabbat. Women in Conservative Judaism have gradually advanced toward greater equality over the last 20 years, she added, though not every Conservative congregation has the same degree of openness on this issue as Beth El.
"The nice thing about this event is that we’re engaging women who may not have done certain parts of the service, and are now doing it," Ms. Perlman added.
"The most important thing is always the Torah reading that’s a very difficult skill," Ms. Perlman noted. Torah readers are Laura Brandspiegel, Wendy Rotella, Beth Brenman, Leslie Kornsgold and Rita Cohen. Jerri Blitzer is the reader of the Haftorah, the second Scripture reading.
In a way, the women’s event parallel’s the men’s club annual Shabbat, Ms. Perlman said. "I wanted to do something that was equal to a men’s club Shabbat, but I wanted to include all the women past Bat Mitsva age (13), and not only just Sisterhood members."