“That’s what makes it exciting, a whole assortment — a buffet — of different people from throughout the city,” said Carin Pittleman about the women representing a wide spectrum of religious observance and age gathered last Sunday for the first Milwaukee Conference for Jewish Women.
The over 150 Jewish women attending the event, held at the Wyndham Milwaukee Center, said they were drawn for a variety of reasons.
Judy Eglash, Barbara Bensman and Ellen Stern heard about the conference at a Hadassah meeting. “I love the topics and I think it’s a great idea to bring all these diverse women together. Other conferences have focused on just one group,” said Bensman.
Stern agreed that it was a “fantastic idea” and remarked on how beautifully organized the conference was.
The first ever Milwaukee event was hosted by the Milwaukee Kollel Center for Jewish Studies and co-sponsored by six diverse community organizations: The Coalition for Jewish Learning, the education program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation; Hadassah; the Kollel; the federation’s Women’s Division; The National Council of Jewish Women-Milwaukee section; and Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee.
That coming together of women from across the Jewish community was a powerful aspect of the day for many women.
Becky Kuhn, a self-described “neo-Jewish” (newly reconnected to her Judaism) agnostic, came because she is “happy to meet other Jewish women” and “enjoys women’s energy.” A social worker interested in community, she said, “It’s nice to feel part of a community.”
That resonated with Lil Teplinsky, who said that she attended the conference to “be out in the world.” Having given up working when her husband became ill, she felt she wanted to do something new.
In her keynote speech, author and Jewish educator Lori Palatnik, spoke on the topic of her new book, “Gossip Anyone?”
Lashon hara, evil speech, she said, is considered by the Torah to be more serious than all of the three transgressions — murder, sexual immorality and idolatry — that we must die rather than commit.
“Every time you speak badly about someone, three people are killed,” Palatnik said, describing how gossip harms the person being spoken about, the person speaking and, most guilty of all, the person listening.
She offered some practical advice for tshuvah, or return, “clearing your slate and returning to the good person you know you are.” Palatnik recommended a four-step process which she called SRVP: Stop making the mistake, feel regret, verbalize to the person you talked about — ask their forgiveness — and plan ways that you can avoid the trap of gossip in situations where it might arise.
“When you stop [yourself from gossiping], it’s so empowering,” Palatnik said in conclusion. “Nobody’s applauding, but you know what you did and God knows what you did and, ladies, the angels are dancing in heaven.”
“I have studied a lot about lashon hara,” said participant Patricia Ostrow afterward, “but I learned something [today]. The speaker was charismatic.”
Other workshop topics fell under the categories of women’s health, creativity/self fulfillment, relationships, Jewish thought and tools for living.
In a wrap-up session at the end of the day, Palatnik connected the conference with the holiday of Shavuot, marked May 26-27, which celebrates Jews receiving the Torah.
“The only thing we all have in common in this room is that we all share the same Torah; we are the people of the book.
“All of us are sitting together in this room because our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers lived to be Jews, and some of them died to be Jews. We are all part of one incredible chain.”
“It’s our responsibility as Jewish women to pick it up and polish it and make it strong. Read it [Torah], learn it, pass it on to your daughter and granddaughter.”
After the closing event, one participant, who preferred not to be named, said, “I guess you’re never too old to learn. It’s been a wonderful day. I was thinking of not coming but all the speakers are just wonderful.”
Her only regret was “too many sweets.”
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