Sacred Space/Secret Space: Women of Temple Sinai Shabbat Service
"They shall spread a blue cloth over the altar of gold and cover it with a covering of dolphin skin . . . take all the service vessels . . . and cover them with a covering of dolphin skin. . . shall remove the ashes from the copper altar and spread a purple cloth..." (Numbers 1:1-4:20)
One of the most exciting ritual events of the WTS year is coming in May: the Sisterhood Shabbat service. This year about seventeen women will be experiencing the exhilaration of being part of this creative process, some for the first time. As participants in the service, these women will be writing and reading their own interpretations of the prayers. And as a community of worshipers we will all be hearing prayers said in a new way that perhaps speaks more personally to our own experiences. For many the WTS service will also serve as a reminder ofour long history of inspiring and visionary women leaders at Sinai, especially the women who made such a tradition possible. Indeed, this tradition goes all the way back to Leona Chester, the first woman to envision a creative Sisterhood Shabbat service at Sinai. We thank her, and the many who came after her, for sparking this journey. We also invite you all to join us in prayer andsong, as we celebrate the diverse voices of the women in our community as explore our sacred space/secret space on May14, 2010 in the Temple Sinai Sanctuary.
