Molly Samuels Bat Mitzvah Speech
Hi my name is Molly Samuels and today I am going to talk about the importance of Jewish women in Judaism.
In traditional Judaism, a lot of things that women do are different to men, however both men and women are considered equal.
In some ways, the responsibilities of women are more important than men’s.
There are some amazing women in the Torah including women who showed leadership, took risks, were incredibly brave, and some were the original feminists.
Some of the women I admire in the Torah are Sarah, Esther, Miriam and Ruth.
I am also very lucky to come from two lines of strong women. My great grandmothers, Vera, May, Rachel, and Tesa all came from different backgrounds and all had strong Jewish values.
Some were lucky to be here in Australia during the war, and some had very hard times to deal with and I am grateful to be here today because of their strength and resilience.
My grandmothers Eva and Fay also play a very important part in my life. They have passed down important lessons and knowledge to me as well as important traditions.
The thing I love most about my grandmothers is having shabbat dinner with them, eating their amazing food and I love lighting the Shabbat candles with them. They both show so much interest in my life and give me unconditional love.
Mondays and Wednesdays are some of my favourite days because I get to go back to my Nanna’s houses for dinner.
As many of you know my mum is Gina and she is a great influence on my life. She teaches me so many important lessons about working hard, being resilient and always staying connected to Judaism.
She also teaches me about the importance of family, how family always comes first but it’s also important to surround myself with incredible friends who make me feel good and who really enjoy life.
So as you can see I have many important female influences in my life who shape me and direct me into becoming a strong, connected Jewish woman which is what having a bat-mitzvah is all about.
I’d like thank Menucha for running this program and teaching me so much about becoming a Jewish woman.