The bravery of Momentum’s modern Esthers

By Julia Umansky Director of Gift Planning and EITC

When we think of the story of Purim, we immediately think of Queen Esther and her role in saving the Jewish people of Persia from persecution and annihilation. She was a strong woman who kept her Jewish identify a secret until it was the right time to use her influence over the king for the good of her people.

But how do we bring the story of Purim, and Esther, into modern-day Judaism, where many of us would rather wear our Judaism proudly from the get-go and not hide our religious affiliation and culture? To me, it’s less about grandiose acts of honor and rather about the simple ways we show our Judaism and our pride.

When I think of modernday strong Jewish women, I think of a specific group that I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the past year. In July 2022, I had the honor of leading this group of local Jewish moms on a partnership trip with Momentum Unlimited.

The first act of bravery for these moms? Leaving their young children at home while they explored a foreign country, many for the first time, for 10 days. I was constantly impressed by the tenacity and resilience of these women, especially when we found ourselves at the top of Mount Masada at 5 in the afternoon (if you’ve ever been in the desert at this time, you know this is an act of bravery all its own).

But it’s been through our monthly post-trip meetings that I have been able to see the true strength of these women and how they are each modern-day Esthers. Raising Jewish children, working full-time jobs, taking active roles in our community and advocating for the Jewish community are all simple acts of bravery that these mothers do on a daily basis.

As we all convened at our friend Lynn’s house to bake hamantaschen cookies ahead of Purim, I was reminded again how Jewish bravery can take a different form now than it did in Esther’s day. Each of these women is devoted to her Jewish identity, whether or not it is something she was raised with. And each of these women advocates for Jewish rights, visibility and community involvement. In a time when antisemitism seems to be on the rise, the simple act of leading a Jewish life, and doing so unabashedly, is a real act of bravery. While our hamantaschen cookies may not have been picture-perfect, the evening itself was, and I have the ladies in our group to thank for that.

So, if you’re looking to find modern-day inspira- tion for olden-day bravery, look no further than the strong Jewish women in our community who keep things moving on a daily basis. Or try to make a hundred hamantaschen cookies with one oven as the buttery dough keeps trying to melt. Just my opinion? Delicious and inspirational nonetheless.