"The Bible’s Wonder Women: From the Daughters of Egypt to the Daughters of Zelophehad"

with Judy Klitsner 

From the heroic “daughters” of Egypt to the fearless daughters of Zelophehad, a series of biblical women stand up to all figures and symbols of power. In this sweeping textual exploration, we will contrast the stories of the Bible’s courageous women with the lamentable story of the scouts. We will note the unique leadership qualities ascribed to the Bible’s women and will then consider applications of these portrayals to today’s realities.

This shiur is dedicated to the memory of Susi Bradfield z'l. After the shiur, Tanya White will share some memories of her great-aunt. 

Judy Klitsner is a senior educator at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. A disciple of the great Torah teacher Nehama Leibowitz, she lectures internationally, bringing an accessible, text-based teaching style to her broad and diverse audiences. Judy is the author of the award-winning book Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other. She is the founding board chair of Sacred Spaces, an organization that seeks to address abuses of power in Jewish institutions.

Susi Bradfield (née Neuwirth) came to England from Berlin on the Kindertransport in 1939 with her sister Paula Racker (z'l). They were among the very few children from the Kindertransport who would be reunited with their whole family before the war broke out.

Susi started working with her father and then her sister. Together with her husband Freddy (z'l), Susi was a devoted and energetic supporter of many charities. She served as Fundraising Director of WIZO UK for many years and was instrumental in setting up many important projects in Israel. She became a trustee of WIZO UK and a Board Member of World WIZO. In her autobiography But Some Became Stars, she wrote: 'I felt very keenly that I had been spared for a purpose. If you are singled out to live, then you have obligations to the living.' Susi fulfilled these obligations with great gusto, even through her years of failing health. 

In addition to her work at WIZO, she was involved in many Jewish schools, mikvas, old age homes and care facilities in the UK and Israel. She was a firm believer in the value of Jewish education, especially for women, and in 1999 her family established the LSJS Susi Bradfield Women Educators' programme in honour of her 70th birthday. Susi passed away in May 2007, survived by her children Michael and Cheryl and four grandchildren. 

Wonder Woman image by ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay