An unexpected sisterhood

The power of Jewish women

AN UNEXPECTED SISTERHOOD

Talk about the law of unintended consequences. In a lifetime of women who viewed me as the enemy, so few female friends among the women who can’t understand that there are more than enough men to go around, at about age 49 I found my sisters.

I look back through my calls and text messages. As things get hard, as male friends disappear, when I see hateful posters going up in my neighborhood, who do I reach out to?

EKB, Rivka, JLJ, AB, AG, SFS, EJZ, SL, the record is clear.

From my first Jewish best friend in high school (I did throw my geometry book at her but we were kids, okay?) to my friend AB who called me to talk through whether or not she and her Israeli David should attend her Yale reunion… to my new Zionist Jewish lioness friends in Philly… my new sisters are the ones I lean on.

This is new to me. I’ve spilled plenty of tears, wine and electronic ink on Jewish men. Jewish women are not new to me, but recognizing our ability to carry each other is.

I knew it before. I flash back to the moment when EJZ and I sang songs from old musicals after a high school boyfriend dumped me. I remember when I came home crying after a college boyfriend dumped me and SFS and I went to the convenience store and got giant Diet Cokes in the middle of the night.

Jewish women have a sense of solidarity. Even now, as my courage falters and I am afraid to take the next step, I know I can count on my sisters.

So here I go.