* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
This week I went to visit Neve Tirtza Prison for Women to teach about the Torah portion. The women requested, “Speak to us about turning crisis into growth.”
How do you speak about growth to those who have committed crimes and have been isolated from society? We discussed different characters in the Torah who were able to overcome personal tragedy. But I was more interested in hearing about what they were doing. As it turns out, they have been very busy since last Simchat Torah.
Women who were allowed to leave the prison have volunteered in agriculture. Other prisoners created works of art and wrote letters to bereaved families and to hostage families who were deeply moved by these thoughtful gestures. Many women also participated in the recitation of Tehillim and other prayers, mentioning the names of specific wounded soldiers and hostages.
Perhaps the greatest lesson, I told them, is that you are also part of our story. I didn’t need to come here to inform you about what is happening outside; you are already making an impact there. You have demonstrated how each person, even in the most difficult of circumstances, can find a way to make a difference.
Prison warden, Vered Refaeli, went onstage at the conclusion of our gathering and shared the following words, “Do you know why this place is called Neve Tirtza? The word “neve” refers to an oasis in the heart of the desert, a place of hope in the middle of the wilderness. And Tirtza, the daughter of Tzelafchad, was one of the most righteous and optimistic women in the Torah. The word “Tirtza” is related to the word,“reetza”- running—being in a state of perpetual motion, making strides, and advancing steadily. And, indeed, most of the female prisoners are being rehabilitated and will not be returning here— a much larger percentage than their male counterparts. For these women, their prison experience has not determined their fate but has provided them with an opportunity for personal growth and fulfillment. This is truly an “Oasis of Tirtza”—of hope for a better future.
I told Vered that I had never heard such a beautiful explanation and such a fitting one for this week when Tirtza herself plays an active role in our Torah portion of “Pinchas.”
