This Shabbat will celebrate women’s voices in the community

The centrality of women in the community will be the focus for United Synagogue shuls this Shabbat with a series of in-person and virtual events.

Shuls will host female speakers including Holocaust survivors, Rebbetzens and a leading health worker, with the movement hoping to “amplify” their voices to mark ‘Shabbat Shira’.

The United Synagogue will broadcasting a Women’s Kabbalat Shabbat on its video channel, with similar services also taking place across at least 10 other London communities.

Held on 14-15 January with the theme ‘Hearing Women’s Voices’, events include a talk by therapeutic radiographer, Amy Dodd, at Kingston United Synagogue, a series of events at Edgware shul, including a virtual session with Rabbanit Shani Taragin and a youth learning event, as well as a havdallah ceremony at Potters Bar & Brookmans Park United Synagogue, with Rebbetzen, Shosh Hill.

Barnet United Synagogue member and Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich will speak on Friday night about her experiences and rebuilding her life, while a new learning programme by Mill Hill United Synagogue for women will be launching, and will run for 9 weeks.

Spearheaded by Naomi Cohen, the United Synagogue’s Communities Development Manager, she said the initiative’s aim is “to amplify women’s voices in our communities. Many communities’ programmes regularly feature in-person and online female speakers and this is a further opportunity to invite women to speak in person or online to speak and teach the whole community over Shabbat. We are passionate about increasing women’s engagement in their communities and in their synagogues.

“We believe that education is a really important way to empower women and enable them to contribute in as wide a way as possible. We are particularly excited about the online Kabbalat Shabbat and look forward to women joining us from across the country.”