To my dear Kotel sisters, on Rosh Chodesh Kislev, 5774,
Although I cannot be with you to celebrate our 25th anniversary, I send out this prayer and my love to you:
May the Holy One who blessed our ancestors Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivkah, Yaakov and Leah, Rachael, Bilhah and Zilpah, bless all of the Nashot Hakotel and our supporters with strength, courage, perseverance and divine grace. In the merit of our ancestors who sang out to God with their full beings in a strong voice, Miriam, Channah, Devorah, Serach bat Asher, the Shulamite and the women who came out to greet King David, in the name of Michal, Bruriah and Rashi’s daughters, in the memory of our Bubbies, many of whom were kept behind the mechitzah and out of cheders and yeshivot and colleges, and in humble recognition of our sisters in repressive religious regimes around the world today who are not free to sing out and to worship God in joy, may all women be free to worship God, each in her own way, because the time for silencing women is over! “Shiru l’Adonai shir chadash!”, sing out to God a new song!
Amen, may it be so.
Rabbi Sue Mauer Morningstar, Ashland, OR
Amen, sisters.
Amen!