It was a rare event in the year – a triple Torah week. And it was a first at Stanmore – a women’s hallel to mark Rosh Chodesh Adar. The stars had aligned.
And as Maayan Shoshana Landau shared with us, the stars aligning, the zodiac and astrology are part of a Jewish tradition called “mazal” or “mazalot”, meaning destiny. Shoshana shared many beautiful and impactful thoughts and ideas with the women who attended – around Rosh Chodesh as a specifically women’s holiday, around the month of Adar, and around Purim. Her engaging and down-to-earth style allowed all in the Beit Midrash to connect with her.
But it was the Hallel that took centre stage. Ten women each led one of the Tehillim (psalms). For many of these women, it was the first time they had led prayers, stood at the bimah, raised their beautiful voices above the group. Each chose her own tunes for the rest of us to follow. And follow we did; we stood close and sang with sincerity, with kavanah, with an authentic presence that is hard to replicate from a ladies’ gallery.
The women left the hallel service and returned to shul to daven Mussaf with smiles – uplifted by the words of Rebbetzen Shoshana, by the tunes of hallel, by the voices of their friends, by the sense of empowerment and deep connection that each one of us felt. It was a beautiful start to what we hope will be a beautiful month of Adar.
Jacqui Rudolph