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| Photograph by Ali Brauda |
...I have been able to do what many Jewish women in the
world still cannot do: hold the Torah, our sacred scripture, in my arms. In the
majority of Orthodox communities, women are not permitted to hold the Torah and
they cannot be ordained as Rabbis--at least not yet.
While making
the film "Today I Am A Rabbi," I had a profound and
stirring experience. I was documenting three women, all in their 50's, who became the
first graduates of the Academy for Jewish Religion (AJR) in Los Angeles.
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| The author with Torah on Mt.Sinai |
The film I made was a
conscious ode to women spiritual leaders everywhere, but it also was dedicated
specifically to Jewish women who aspire to get closer to the Torah and become
full partners in celebrating Judaism alongside of Jewish men. The
poem, however, was not about equality of men and women in religious life.
Instead it reflected my personal realization at how challenging it can
be--even as I was clinging to the physical Torah in my arms--to embody and
integrate Jewish wisdom into my life. One's commitment to that embodiment
becomes a daily decision, at times a welcome one and at times too heavy to bear
. . . until the next moment when we may get to experience the "sweet
lightness of being."
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| Photography by Lars Vandergoor
I HOLD YOU, TORAH
by Ruth Broyde Sharone
Nestled in my eager arms,
your soft velvet robe against
my cheek,
your short legs supported in
my lap,
like my own babies, not so
long ago,
I sense the longing we all
have felt
my sisters and I,
our mothers and grandmothers
and their mothers before them,
to hold you, Torah
to know you, Torah
to feel your wisdom as close
as our breath.
You are our locus, Torah, our
history and our future.
You are our desert guide,
our North Star in the
moonless sky.
Your yellow wizened skin
bares the evidence of Ha-Shem,
the holy words that formed us
and brought us to this day.
Your elegant script ascends
and descends, in chapter and verse,
carrying us on eagle wings
to our refuge and our salvation.
Your melody is the
bittersweet music of our ancestors,
curse and blessing,
drum and flute,
despair and jubilation,
harp and tambor.
I hold you, Torah
I know you, Torah
I feel your wisdom as close
as my breath
As I bask in your strength,
hoping this intimate moment
will never end,
slowly I become aware of a
rising discomfort.
How much effort it takes to
hold you tight, Torah,
to support your insistent
wooden legs,
now heavy in my lap.
I try to find a place of
ease.
It is no use.
You have become a burden.
How long must I hold you so
tight, Torah?
How long must I support you
to make sure you will not
fall?
My delight has become dismay,
my joy an ordeal.
Is there no time to rest from
this yoke?
No respite? No relief?
How difficult it has become
To hold you, Torah
To know you, Torah,
To feel your wisdom as close
as my breath.
My arms ache
My shoulders sag
I am weary from the effort.
I want to release you and not
feel guilt.
I shift my legs back and
forth
to ease the pressure I feel.
But there is no easy place I
can find
without feeling your demands.
Why did I take on this task,
Torah?
Why did I commit to this
responsibility?
How could I have foreseen the
difficulties
To hold you, Torah
To know you, Torah
To feel your wisdom as close
as my breath.
And then, just as slowly,
Without warning,
I watch my discomfort slide
away.
My tired arms feel new
strength
as they encircle you and
draw you even closer to my
heart.
My lap accommodates the
pressure
of your powerful legs
For they have found the
perfect resting place.
The softness of your blue
velvet robe
comforts my cheek
I hear the melody of your
scripture
in my innermost ear.
I taste your love for all of
us
on my lips
and in the meditations of my
heart.
I hold you, Torah
I know you, Torah
I feel your wisdom as close
as my breath.
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Ruth BroydeSharone is an international inspirational speaker, filmmaker and freelance journalist passionate about generating grassroots interfaith work and teaching peace-building. Highly active in interfaith dialogue she lectures around the world from the UN in Geneva to churches, mosques and college campuses presenting her award winning film “God and Allah Need To Talk”. Broyde Sharone received a gold medal for her contribution to “cultural education,” from Fete D’Excellence, an international organization that recognizes the promotion of justice and peace globally. Her book MINEFIELDS & MIRACLES: Why God and Allah Need to Talk, is a captivating interfaith memoir (May, 2012.) She currently serves as a correspondent for the interfaith monthly e-zine, The Interfaith Observer. Formerly a Partner Cities Associate for the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Ruth is Co-Chair for the Committee for the Parliament in LA where she recently spearheaded a popular city-wide event called "Seeds of Peace," to bring together 16 diverse communities to share and demonstrate meditative and contemplative practices. Her love of poetry and songwriting began when she was 18 years old. Even though film and prose are her primary forms of communication, she turns to song and verse "when nothing else will quite do," she says. You may e-mail her at rabsharone@gmail.com.
~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please send your offering to catherine@secretyoga.com Please include a short bio about the author and photograph. (If you pick to submit a poem by an other other than yourself, please include a little introduction telling us how and why the poem speaks to you.) I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~
This poem struck an inspiring chord in my heart, to feel the passion and connection she expresses for her Torah. Thank-you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comment.
ReplyDeleteIt is sometimes a challenge to remain devoted and faithful even when I know how much I cherish my religion and the source of my inspiration. That's why it is important to re-commit and re-dedicate ourselves.
Warmly
Ruth
rabsharone@gmail.com