Susan Markowitz

WHY WL? – From Mid-Atlantic Region

My parent’s were founders of a Conservative shul in the once heavily Jewish populated area in Northeast Philadelphia. My mother was proud that I would be attending religious school, something that only her brother did in preparation for his Bar Mitzvah.

This small congregation grew out of a house and a large building was built on a busy street. The congregation was concerned because a Dunkin’ Donuts was also under construction with a shared parking lot. The community convinced the owners that this would become the only kosher certified Dunkin’ Donuts in Philadelphia.

My family’s life centered around this shul. My mother served as Sisterhood President and my father served as president of their active Men’s Club as well as the shul’s president twice. I attended religious school two afternoons per week as well as on Sundays and celebrated my Bat Mitzvah by leading an erev Shabbat service. I was to recite the kiddush after Shabbat services, but it was February and there was a blizzard….

After completing the shul’s school, I learned at the Julius H. Greenstone Hebrew High school where students from the now several Conservative shuls in Northeast Philadelphia sent their continuing students. My Jewish education continued at Simon Gratz College’s Conservative Normal School Program where I was trained to be a religious school teacher. During my college years, I worked as a teacher at various shuls throughout the Philadelphia area.

I loved Conservative Judaism. It was home, it was where I belonged and it was comfortable. I was proud to be part of a movement that would grow and adapt to changes in the modern world around me. I was raised by a strong woman, supported by a modern thinking man, who was always pro-egalitarian and felt strongly that our movement should not forget our halachic practices, while being more inclusive of women.

I grew up a few blocks from Amy Eilberg, the Conservative/Masorti Movement’s first ordained woman rabbi. It was not an easy process for her and I feel certain that our sisters in Women’ League were advocating for this to occur. It was our Sisterhood women who had a major part in convincing the patriarchal rabbinate that finally led the way to our female clergy and leadership.

While pursuing a career and raising a child, I stood on the sidelines of my shul’s Sisterhood for many years. I hesitated when asked to become part of the Board of Directors and was reminded by a friend of my mother that “it was in my blood”. This helped me realize that my mother and her sisters paved the way for me to read torah, wear a tallit, and participate in all rituals some Jewish women can only get a glimpse of through a mechitzah.

Although Women’s League has assisted with the many changes in the Conservative Movement, we may have lost some of the fire that my mother and her sisters had! I wish that I would have become more involved sooner continuing their fight.

Why choose Women’s League is the question? Because, as a woman living in a world that has seen so much change in my life time, I need to step up and continue the traditions that our mothers worked so hard to achieve. Especially now, with the increase in anti-semitism and war, we need our sisters more than ever to lean on to uphold our hard earned rights as Jewish women. As a cohesive organization, we can retain our status and support each other. It is our obligation to encourage Jewish women throughout the world to join us.

Susan Markowitz
Region President, MAR – Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, Richboro, PA