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Ester Golan, Carmen Farrugia, Siham Halabi, Aida Shibli, Elana Rozenman
On December 30, 2004, all the Women's Interfaith Encounter groups from all over the country were invited to a Women's Retreat -- a study day on the topic of “Women's Leadership” in the Beduin Tent in Kfar Shibli. The study theme was "Women's Leadership" from the point of view of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the Druze religion and the program included planning for the future. The meeting was sponsored by a generous donation from the Choromundo Choir in Canada.
Sixty Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and Druze women gathered together and studied and learned from each other, eat delicious Beduin food together, sat in small groups and shared their personal experiences, and made plans for the coming year. We're grateful to supporters from California who've already donated money to enable us to have a religious pilgrimage as our first large event of the year. We feel blessed by all of our successes during the past three years and motivated to find the funds and energy to expand and deepen our work with interfaith women throughout Israel.
Below is a full report of the day with information about the teachings and discussions. It was prepared by Ester Golan, Carmen Farrugia, Siham Halabi, Aida Shibli, Elana Rozenman.
It was a beautiful day and the bus from Jerusalem after picking up some of the women on French Hill drove down towards the Dead Sea bypassing Jericho and through the Jordan Valley, turning off near Bet Shean towards Afula . We soon passed Nai'n , the place mentioned in the Bible where Jesus performed one of his miracles. It is the village that Rabcha , mother of Lina, one of the founding members of the women's group in Jerusalem, comes from. Within minutes we arrived at the huge Beduin Tent at the entrance of the village of Shibli.
Ester remembers the Shibli Tribe from 60 years ago, when she was among the founding members of Kibbutz Dovrat, when all members of the tribe were still living in tents at the foot of Mount Tabor, next to the village of Daburia, tending to their flocks of sheep. Mount Tabor, being the Christian site of the Transfiguration of Jesus had tourists wanting to reach the summit, who were in need of the service of the Shibli Tribe, who provided donkeys for a ride up to the top.
At the entrance of the tent that her father had put up for visitors, we were warmly received by Aida, who took charge for the rest of the day. Soon members Women's Interfaith Encounter groups from various other parts of the country joined us. We were called to order, and the presentations on Women's Leadership began.
JEWISH: Dina Yehuda from Mitzpe Netufa said how difficult it was for her to choose from among the many women in the Hebrew Bible who took leadership into their own hands. Whether to talk about Sara, Rebecca, Lea, Rachel, or about Deborah who fought the battle in this very place we are in just now, but no, she decided to share with us the story of two non-Jewish women in the Bible, the story of two Egyptian midwifes: Shifra and Pua. (Exodus 1:15) The Pharoah of Egypt spoke to them and said: “16. “When you do office to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools; and if it be a son than you shall kill him; but if it be a daughter than she shall live. 17. But the midwives feared God and did not do as the King commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.18. And the King called for the midwifes, and said unto them; Why have ye done this thing and have saved the men children alive? 19. And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women: for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. 20. Therefore God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.”
Dina pointed out how when women, non-Jewish and Jewish women cooperate and take the lead, disaster can be prevented.
Dina, also brought the story of the daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27:1-11) who had no sons but only daughters who turned to Moses to grant them the inheritance. And the Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren of their father. And the daughters got their share in the Land of Gilead.
MUSLIM: Abir Habashe, from Kfar Iksal brought three examples of Muslim women who demonstrated leadership:
The first one was Khadija bint Khowaiiled who was the first women who joined Islam and she was the first wife of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him). Hadija was a very famous merchant which was very unusual at that time. She fell in love with the Prophet for his qualities. She was twenty years older and she asked him to marry her! When she died, the Prophet called that year the grief year because he had lost both her and his uncle.
The second example was Aisha bint Abi Bakr who was one of the most beloved wives of the Prophet. She was well known by her sharp mind and open mind. She used to sit and discuss and argue political subjects with the Prophet. He used to listen to her a lot and she was allowed to give religious judgments for the first time. He said -- Take half of your religion from Aisha.
The last one was Alkansaa who was a very famous poet who used to encourage people to join Islam. Although Alkansa lost her three children at one time, she never lost hope and kept going in her life and giving. She was not only a great leader among Muslim women but a very respected poet.
DRUZE: In the absence of the Druze teacher, there was a spontaneous and interesting rendering on the subject of women's leadership presented by two Druze women from Daliat Hacarmel - Hediya Hasson and Anune Nasrudin. They told the story of a Druze woman, Shachwama, living 500 years ago who wanted to study and so she dressed and lived like a man. They also spoke about current leadership among Druze women who are going to university and becoming professionals.
CHRISTIAN: Carmella Farrugia spontaneously spoke about women leaders and empowered women from the Christian perspective in the absence of the Christian teacher. She shared with us:
Since we Christians share the same Hebrew Bible for our sources, we too share the same women leaders as our Jewish counterparts. Therefore, I did not see it necessary to go back to our great women already related to so beautifully by the Jewish speaker.
I'd rather build on that and see how in the New Testament, a daughter of Israel: Mary, a woman of great faith, a woman of peace, whose radical “Yes” transformed the world of the time. Mary, the mother of Jesus held an open stance toward God, toward life, enabling her to face the challenges of her courageous “Yes” to God. She was able to live with mystery. As a devout Jew, Mary listened to God's voice, discerning God's will for her. Her openness, love for God and courage to endure misunderstanding led this young woman to take a great risk and change the course of human history. Her strength came from the core of her being.
During Church history we can count a number of women who because they were full of faith, and convinced from within were able in their time to stand to the current of their time and effect a change. Thus we can number among them: Teresa of Avila, who lived during the 16th Century. She was a mystic and a great reformer.
Another woman of great value was Catherine of Siena. She lived during the 14th century and had a many sided personality. She had a great personal charm. She was ever radiantly happy and full of practical wisdom no less than the highest spiritual insight. All her contemporaries bear witness to her extraordinary charm which prevailed over the continual to which she was subjected. She began to gather disciples round her, both men and women who formed a wonderful spiritual fellowship, united to her by the bonds of mystical love During a mystical experience she heard a divine command to leave her cell and enter the public life of the world.
Then we broke up into four small groups for further discussion and future planning. Randa, the Christian coordinator for the North of the country, who comes from Turan, asked me to join her group. We took turns to introduce ourselves. Hedia, from Daliat Hacarmel told us proudly, that now that her children have grown up and left home she finally found the time to further her own education, which she could not do when she was young. Rabcha from Jerusalem would like us to get more involved in politics. Among several suggestions for the future was mentioned the importance of visiting each other in our homes, to cement the getting to know about each other. Only too soon time was up and we enjoyed a authentic Beduin food, prepared by the mother of Aida. Aida put on music started to dance and everybody joined in.
We formed a circle and gathered around the beautiful Peace Patchwork Quilt and admired the creation, worked on jointly by women of all faiths under the guidance of several artists including Anastasia.
Elana said a few words in appreciation of the wonderful opportunity to have been able to meet each other and learn from each other and thanked the Shibli family for their hosting. Before we made our way to our busses, there was a lot of hugging and well wishing. On the way home through Vadi Ara, a beautiful sight of all the lit up places along the route, we dropped off the women who live in Kafar Kara and arrived safely home in Jerusalem.
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