Excerpts from the Speech of The Hon. Ms Aliza Lavie
It is wonderful to be here and to be among the opening speakers today. It is a privilege for me and my colleagues, thank you. I am here before you as an educator, champion for women’s rights, parliamentarian, grandmother, mother and above all a woman. It is women from time immemorial that have initiated phenomenal change as to how we should lead our lives in society and how we should be organised. It is women who have cherished culture and tradition and it is women who have passed these traditions from breath to breath. Suffice to say that here in this beautiful Ashram we are truly privileged to hear each other’s stories and experiences, to talk to women from all over the world and to learn from each other.
Women have the flexibility to achieve real change in our society and to form a new path following life changing events. One such event happened to me after meeting a woman who had lost her child and parent in a terrorist attack. Her tragedy shook me to such an extent that I fought to find a meaning in my prayers and in my everyday life as an orthodox Jew. These led me to research on this subject and ultimately write this homage to women. It is a collection of spiritual prayers written by women, for women who I would like to present to you today in thanks and appreciation for this wonderful event.
I am proud to be a part of the democratic parliament in Israel where we have the largest proportion of women represented in the history. We have 27 women in the parliament and in many key positions in Israel in government, in the national banking system, in hospitals as Nobel Prize winners and more. But perhaps the most important part of my life at this juncture is that of being the Director of the Committee for equalities for women where we are working very hard to prove the rights of women in every sphere of life. We fight to improve equality in every sector of society to eradicate the abuse of women, trafficking of women, education and in the work place.
Today is Friday and according to the Jewish ritual, candles are lit to signal the start of Sabbath, the day of rest, when no light may be struck and no work may be done. According to the Kabbalah, it is the very act of lighting the candle that is specially given to women to remind us of the very act of creation. In all faiths there is a special relationship between prayer and light. This evening we would like to invite you women from all faiths and religions to be united in lighting the candles to usher in the hour of Sabbath, a time to be aware of our closeness as fellow women.
