For US Women’s Shabbat 2026, the Borehamwood & Elstree Synagogue community has come together to celebrate the Jewish women who shape our world. Inside, you will find a collection of personal reflections on heroines past and present – from the global stage to the Shabbat table.
May these stories of resilience, faith, and leadership inspire us all.
Link 2025 is dedicated to Rabbi Alan Plancey MBE z”l and Rebbetzin Miriam Plancey z”l through whose tireless efforts and dedication, BES became and remains the incredible community that it is today.
Thoughts from women of BES and beyond – US Women’s Shabbat 2025
Inspiring Stories, post 7th October connected to the weekly Torah reading.
Inspiring Stories, post 7th October connected to the weekly Torah reading.
It was the late Rabbi Lord Sacks z’l who pointed out that storytelling has always been central to the Jewish tradition and the institution of storytelling is a fundamental religious duty, recalling and re-enacting the events of the Exodus every year.
On Pesach, we do not simply retell a story. We see ourselves as being the ones redeemed at this very moment. We tell the story because it is our story.
In this booklet, we have recorded the remarkable stories of a range of people, each with their own unique story. We will read, in their own unedited words, what life has been like for them.
US Women’s Shabbat 2023
In this week’s Torah portion and Haftarah we read about some of our strongest female leaders: Miriam, Devorah and Yael. We are privileged that a few of our community’s own strong, female leaders agreed to share some of their journeys and inspirations with us in this booklet. Let’s read, absorb and celebrate these achievements.
