Persephone
04-03-2011, 03:53 AM
As you may already know, we're Jewish and the holyday of Passover is coming up soon. Many congregational ladies groups have a Women's Seder to kick off the season and I recently attended my first one!
I wore a soft blousy purple top, black skirt, and strappy black 3-1/2" heels (actually 4-1/2" with a 1" platform).
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/sandylewiscares/WomensSeder.jpg
I have a very high acceptance within the group, so many women came by to say "Hi" before the ceremony began. There were about 70 women present, all seated around a single large table setup.
One of my friends, I'll call her Lisa, invited me to sit with her and her cousin. Lisa is someone who has completely and unconditionally accepted me from the beginning. She is actually one of my son's former teachers.
The woman who sat on my other side is also a friend, both from the lady's auxiliary and from my women's social group.
The Seder began with a traditional candle lighting ceremony and prayer. We were asked to bring our own candlesticks and, at my spouse's suggestion, I brought my Mother's candlesticks which had been my Grandmother's before that. I'm very sure it is the first time I've ever used them. Lighting them in public and saying the traditional women's prayer with a large group of other women was a very moving moment.
We went through the ceremony with some modifications to reflect women's interests and ideas. We looked at the related Bible stories from the women's perspective. It is fascinating to note how much of the story, drawn from Exodus, pivots on the roles that women played.
Lisa is a ball of energy, particularly when music is involved. So at one point, as we were singing a particularly energetic song about how Miriam (Moses and Aaron's sister) led the women in joyous dancing after the people miraculously crossed the sea she jumped up, pulled me out of my seat, gathered a few others and we all ended up in a swirling women's circle dance in the center of the room! I can't even begin to describe how I felt!
We concluded the service by standing up in pairs and small groups holding prayer shawls high in the air over ourselves as we recited a concluding prayer. There were some women who remained seated because of age or infirmity and several of us maneuvered around so that we covered them with the prayer shawls as well. It was a beautiful and moving moment.
As we broke up to go to our homes, there were hugs all around and I floated out on a cloud of happiness.
Hugs,
Persephone.
I wore a soft blousy purple top, black skirt, and strappy black 3-1/2" heels (actually 4-1/2" with a 1" platform).
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y53/sandylewiscares/WomensSeder.jpg
I have a very high acceptance within the group, so many women came by to say "Hi" before the ceremony began. There were about 70 women present, all seated around a single large table setup.
One of my friends, I'll call her Lisa, invited me to sit with her and her cousin. Lisa is someone who has completely and unconditionally accepted me from the beginning. She is actually one of my son's former teachers.
The woman who sat on my other side is also a friend, both from the lady's auxiliary and from my women's social group.
The Seder began with a traditional candle lighting ceremony and prayer. We were asked to bring our own candlesticks and, at my spouse's suggestion, I brought my Mother's candlesticks which had been my Grandmother's before that. I'm very sure it is the first time I've ever used them. Lighting them in public and saying the traditional women's prayer with a large group of other women was a very moving moment.
We went through the ceremony with some modifications to reflect women's interests and ideas. We looked at the related Bible stories from the women's perspective. It is fascinating to note how much of the story, drawn from Exodus, pivots on the roles that women played.
Lisa is a ball of energy, particularly when music is involved. So at one point, as we were singing a particularly energetic song about how Miriam (Moses and Aaron's sister) led the women in joyous dancing after the people miraculously crossed the sea she jumped up, pulled me out of my seat, gathered a few others and we all ended up in a swirling women's circle dance in the center of the room! I can't even begin to describe how I felt!
We concluded the service by standing up in pairs and small groups holding prayer shawls high in the air over ourselves as we recited a concluding prayer. There were some women who remained seated because of age or infirmity and several of us maneuvered around so that we covered them with the prayer shawls as well. It was a beautiful and moving moment.
As we broke up to go to our homes, there were hugs all around and I floated out on a cloud of happiness.
Hugs,
Persephone.