Miriam Levy Turner worked her fingers to the bone removing posters proclaiming "Death to Israel" on the streets of Geneva.
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It was 2014 and Operation Protective Edge – one of Israel's many conflicts with Gaza – was causing a wave of anti-Israel sentiment across Europe.
Even though Turner was born in Israel and grew up in a kibbutz, she was not your typical pro-Israel advocate. Her connection to Israel was sporadic at best and her life in Geneva was a fully assimilated one. After leaving Israel at age 22, she became enmeshed in Swiss life, enrolled her three children in secular schools, and married a non-Jew.
But seeing posters encouraging death in her home triggered an anger within her that she didn't know she had.
But instead of staying angry, Turner decided to be proactive about her family's future. "I saw myself staring at my children's future 10, 20 years down the line. How can I tell them to not marry a Jew when I did the same? How can I tell them to keep the mitzvot when I don't bother to do so? How can I tell them to be proud of being Israeli when I left the country in my youth?"
That line of thinking encouraged her to enroll in the Momentum Year-Long Journey, an immersive experience that kicks off with an eight-day trip to Israel. Afterward, the organization sticks with each woman throughout the year and guides them to be meaningful contributors to their local Jewish community.
Last month, Momentum brought 100 women from France, Belgium, and Switzerland to Israel after working with The Jewish Agency for Israel on a pilot trip for 20 French-speaking women last year. Participants of that experience proceeded to recruit women in their communities for this year's trip, which marks Momentum's first full cohort of French speakers in Momentum's history.
Momentum, a global movement that helps women deeply connect to their Jewish values and to the State of Israel, prides itself on partnering with a wide-ranging array of national, local, and international organizations who helped make this trip possible. As such, the organization worked again with The Jewish Agency and diverse local organizations, such as Shofar, an online educational resource, and Roche, a network of Jewish businesswomen and community organizations across France.
Momentum is a particularly enriching experience for the unaffiliated who are introduced to the many ways that Judaism can enhance their lives and amplify their own connections to their children, husbands, and community.
That was certainly the case for Diane Evard of Cannes, France. Evard, who only embraced Jewish customs for the High Holy Days, was mostly cut off from the Jewish community and came because her sister-in-law encouraged her to do so.
"We tell them they're Jewish even though their father isn't," Evard, who also married a non-Jew, explained. "I wanted Momentum to teach me how to explain what Judaism is and how they can feel more connected to their religion."
Along the way, though, Evard experienced a magical byproduct of the Momentum experience – an immersive experience with other women who, up until a few days prior, were complete strangers.
"I thought I was the only one like me – alone, a Jew surrounded by non-Jews. Turns out there are a lot of us and this yearning to give our children something to hold onto in terms of spirituality is a common goal. We all wanted to feel like we were part of something."
For some other women, embarking on the Momentum journey was one of the few times they were able to do something for themselves in a very long time.
Sophie BeEnsamoun of Marseille spends her days as a custodian at a local hospital – literally cleaning up after the sick. When she comes home, she takes care of her niece since her brother is sick. She rarely, if ever, takes care of herself.
Coming on the Momentum trip was the first time she was able to breathe a sigh of relief and know what it feels like to have other people looking out for her.
"Momentum did a big mitzvah by bringing me and other women like me," she said. "I've never been to the Kotel. I never observed an entire Shabbat where I chose to put my phone away and spent quality time with a community. I never knew there was such solidarity in the Jewish community."
Bensamoun is open about the fact that she's had a difficult life riddled with emotional and financial challenges. Being part of the Momentum community acted like a balm to her soul she didn't even know she needed.
And when she speaks about her time walking through Jerusalem or the mystical city of Tzfat with other women who also have challenges of their own but put them aside to focus on self-improvement and foster a community, it doesn't take long for her to burst into tears.
But while these women knew they were Jewish but didn't have the knowledge to properly tap into it, for Elizabeth Marciano of Shofar, France, her Judaism came as a surprise later in life.
She was already an adult when a family member revealed to her a secret: Her mother was Jewish, which meant she was too.
Her father, a Catholic, belonged to an antisemitic family who didn't want Marciano's mother's status as a Jew out in the open. So, it was hidden for decades until the truth came out when she turned 18 and her parents divorced.
She decided to explore Judaism on her own to make up for the years it was shrouded in secrecy. While on Momentum, she's learned so much and frequently sent messages to her grown boys telling them of the treasure trove of knowledge she was exposed to on the trip.
"I think this trip changed my mind for the future. I want to come back to Israel and get closer to religion, help my children get more connected to Israel, and teach them. I hope we all can do more now," she said.
It's a sentiment many of the women shared as they returned back home. Some even with a new Jewish name that they selected for themselves at Eretz Beresheet overlooking the Judean Desert.
Evard chose to be called Amitsa Yehudit (brave Jew). She picked it out from a book of baby names she has kept since she had her daughter many years ago.
"There were many other women who didn't have a Jewish name," she said. "It felt empowering to choose something for ourselves. It's like we were starting anew. We're so much more than what our parents dictated for us at birth. Being able to choose our future and have agency over our lives is so exciting."
And, most of all, with Momentum, these women are now able to choose exactly what kind of Jews they want to be.
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