This is an archive of prayers composed for, or relevant to, International Women’s Day (Hebrew: יוֹם הַנָּשִׁים הַבֵּין־לְאֻמִּי, Yom ha-Nashim ha-Ben Leumi). International Women’s Day is a global civic day celebrated annually on March 8 to celebrate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women. It is also a focal point in the women’s rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. Spurred on by the universal female suffrage movement that had begun in New Zealand, International Women’s Day originated from labor movements in North America and Europe during the early 20th century. The earliest version was purportedly a “Women’s Day” organized by the Socialist Party of America in New York City February 28, 1909. This inspired German delegates at the 1910 International Socialist Women’s Conference to propose “a special Women’s Day” be organized annually, albeit with no set date; the following year saw the first demonstrations and commemorations of International Women’s Day across Europe. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917 (the beginning of the February Revolution), International Women’s Day was made a national holiday on March 8; it was subsequently celebrated on that date by the socialist movement and communist countries. The holiday was associated with far-left movements and governments until its adoption by the global feminist movement in the late 1960s. International Women’s Day became a mainstream global holiday following its adoption by the United Nations in 1977. ☞ If you have composed a prayer for International Women’s Day, please share it. Filter resources by Collaborator Name Filter resources by Tag Filter resources by Category Filter resources by Language Filter resources by Date Range
From the Morning Blessings (Birkhot ha-Shaḥar) of the Seder tefilot be-targum le-Shuʾadit [סדר תפילות בתרגום לשואדית], a translation of the Siddur into Judaeo-Provençal dating from the 14th-15th century providing the following blessing for women. . . .
“Gebet einer Handelsfrau (Prayer for a merchant woman)” was first published in Pereẓ (Peter) Beer’s Gebetbuch für gebildete Frauenzimmer mosaischer Religion (1815), as teḥinah №40 on p. 129-132 where it was rendered in Judeo-German. The German rendering transcribed above follows that of Henry Frank’s 1839 edition on p. 110-112. . . .
“Gebet eines Menschen der sich durch den Handel nährt” was translated/adapted by Yehoshua Heshil Miro and published in his anthology of teḥinot, בית יעקב (Beit Yaaqov) Allgemeines Gebetbuch für gebildete Frauen mosaischer Religion. It first appears in the 1829 edition, תחנות Teḥinot ein Gebetbuch für gebildete Frauenzimmer mosaischer Religion as teḥinah №63 on pp. 90-91. In the 1835 edition, it appears as teḥinah №65 on pp. 113-114. In the 1842 edition, it appears as teḥinah №68 on pp. 118-119. The prayer is thematically closely related to the Birkat haMazon. . . .
“Andachtsübung einer Mutter” was translated/adapted by Yehoshua Heshil Miro and published in his anthology of teḥinot, בית יעקב (Beit Yaaqov) Allgemeines Gebetbuch für gebildete Frauen mosaischer Religion. It first appears in the 1829 edition, תחנות Teḥinot ein Gebetbuch für gebildete Frauenzimmer mosaischer Religion as teḥinah №73 on pp. 107-110. In the 1835 edition, it appears as teḥinah №74 on pp. 130-133. In the 1842 edition, it appears as teḥinah №77 on pp.135-138. . . .
“On Ending Apprenticeship and Beginning Paid Work” was written by Lilian Helen Montagu and published in Prayers for Jewish Working Girls (1895), pp. 22-23. . . .
I find it important to remind myself, when there is an opportunity to do so in Jewish liturgy, that there are six matriarchs of the children of Israel recognized together as the “shesh imahot” in rabbinic sources: Sarah, Rivqah, Leah, Raḥel, Bilhah, and Zilpah. This is important to me because it is important to recognize that while the Jewish people are famously endogamous, we must also remain open, honest, and respectful of our ancestors who connected to our people through exogamous relationships. . . .
This prayer for International Women’s Day by Rabbi Lior Bar-Ami was first published on their Facebook page, 8 March 2024. . . .
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