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Jennifer Friedman

Women And Peace In The Middle East

 

This may sound like an idealistic diatribe against the men of the world, after all I am a rock solid feminist, but I only want to improve the condition of the world like most people. Words, after all, can say a lot.  In the book of Psalms it says, “Who is wise? He who learns from all people, as it is said: ‘From all those who taught me I gained understanding’.

Of course this is true for all human beings; that we as women can learn from men, but men too can learn from us women. Being that there is still no female president of the United States irks me, yes, but I totally understand that maybe the world is not ready for it. Maybe if the world gets in a worse state, if that is even possible, women will rise to power as is supposed to happen in the end of days when ‘the moon will be as powerful as the sun’.

Today though, Moshiach is not revealed or maybe not even here and we need help to bring peace. Women like Golda Meir have braved their way into leadership roles and we need them more than ever. I’m not talking about women with agendas or crazies, because G-d knows there are enough of those people in the world. What I am talking about, is the positive qualities that women possess, such as compassion, closeness to the Divine, empathy, and an inner strength.

We need to learn from the qualities that women possess and the world needs to stop seeing women as weak and a thing to dominate. Too many countries still see women as the weaker sex and it is demeaning for all of society. What I am saying is men are not so different than women; after all we have a bit of both sexes in us! Men should use their femininity and stop trying to control and abuse others with ego, and women need to start using their masculinity, not going with the status quo and we need to use our reserves of inner strength for the good. When you look around after all, who are the majority of fighters in the world and who are the abusers, rapists, murderers? Not mainly women, I’ll tell you that much.

Besides all the Jews moving to the moon or finding an island to build the third temple on, maybe what we need is just to see ourselves as a microcosm for peace (a quality that women possess) and use this to save the world. Maybe we all need therapy and instead of Obama- care, we should institute good psycho-therapists to help us change ourselves so that we can change the world. Simple as that.

About the Author
Jennifer is from the East Coast of America and now resides in Los Angeles. She is a mother, freelance writer, editor, craniosacral therapist and lover of Israel, Judaism, and nature.