This article appeared in the May 11, 2012 Jewish Advocate.

Cutline:

Shulamis Yehudis Gutfreund (left) and Yanna Jats making hamentaschen at Brunch ‘n’ Learn event about Queen Esther.

Learning from heroines of past

Brunch at women’s yeshiva nourishes mind and body

By Susie Davidson

Special to the Advocate

Food, chatting, and learning. It’s an age-old, winning combination that Shulamis Yehudis Gutfreund takes upward and onward on the fourth Sunday of each month. For women, by women and about women, the Brunch ‘n’ Learn series pays tribute to Jewish heroines.

“It pays to know about them, because if we believe Jewish prophesy, we ourselves are the reincarnation of those women,” said Gutfreund.

The series is part of the Climbing the Mountain Women’s Yeshiva, which Gutfreund has spearheaded for a decade. Most events are held at her Brighton home, with the brunches occasionally co-sponsored and held at the nearby Shaloh House Jewish Day School. Gutfreund has taught at the Brighton school since 2002.

“We’ve had anywhere from a cozy group of seven, to events with about 40 women from every level of observance and non-observance,” said Gutfreund, who noted that the topics are equally varied. “They have ranged from highly practical classes on raising teenagers, to mystical classes like ‘The Mystery of the Mikvah’ to panel discussions offering Jewish women’s wisdom on marriage, parenting toddlers and dealing with difficult people.”

Gutfreund has lectured on Judaism around the country and, in Manhattan, edited a magazine for Jewish women and served as vice principal of a women’s college of Judaic studies. As a reporter for [start ital.]The Miami Herald[end ital.], she won national recognition for feature writing and investigative reporting.

The Jewish heroines series is held monthly, except June. Following a short presentation, the women talk about how the stories of the role models apply to their own lives.

“I began the group because I felt there was a need for a forum where Jewish women could share their wisdom about life and could learn about classic wisdom that’s been handed down from Jewish mothers to their daughters across the millennia,” Gutfreund said.

April’s session, “Women of the Desert and Tambourine Workshop,” concerned the women of the Exodus. “Jewish tradition teaches us that we got out of Egypt on the merits of these amazing women, and that again and again, they encouraged the men to not give up hope in Egypt,” Gutfreund said. “They breathed life into their families, encouraging everyone to believe in G-d’s promise that we would be redeemed from slavery and brought back to Israel.

“After the Exodus from Egypt, as those women wandered in the desert with their generation, their spiritual strength saved the nation repeatedly,” she added.

So how do tambourines fit into the picture? “The women of that generation were so confident in G-d’s kindness that they took tambourines with them when they left Egypt,” Gutfreund said. Having already seen G-d’s miracles, they expected to witness more and wanted to be ready to celebrate. The brunch participants danced with tambourines they fashioned themselves. Besides painting them, some women added personal messages of hope.

“I loved the dancing part of the event and using our tambourines as the women did so many years ago at the Sea of Reeds,” said Haviva Zeltzer of Brookline, a professional singer who is pursuing a degree at Berklee College of Music.

Zeltzer said she was impressed by the depth and relevance of the lessons. “I learned about certain universal qualities that all Jewish women possess – both from our past history and today as modern Jewish women,” she said.

Darcie Nicole of Allston, a blues singer who works in academic affairs at Berklee, said, “I came away from this event enlightened, enriched, and empowered, not to mention having made a beautiful tambourine.”

The menu featured Greek salad, unusual quiches, salmon and homemade muffins.

“The delicious food satiated our appetites and the wonderful Torah learning, which was very interactive, satiated our souls,” said Myriam Lukoff, a kindergarten teacher from Westborough. “I felt strengthened and united with the women present.”

“Women of the Desert” was the fourth in the brunch series, which has also included sessions on Miriam the prophetess and Queen Esther (and hamentaschen-making).

The next session, “Ruth – How a Penniless Convert Became the Mother of Royalty,” will include a blintz-making demonstration and be held May 20, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Gutfreund’s yeshiva is co-directed by Sara Rodkin, who heads Shaloh House’s Women’s Circle, and Shaina Rahmani, a former teacher of Judaic studies at various local schools.