Leaving the cemetery that day, I wondered if we were unique in our squeamish discomfort with the hymn. There were a great deal of things to celebrate about my grandmother, but her housekeeping and cooking where not at the top of the list. The reading just did not seem to sum up the true worth and meaning of Grandmother, and so when the words began flowing we all avoided eye contact at the risk of laughing out loud. My family, like many Jewish families, does our best processing through humor. When my grandmother passed away, the hymn was recited at her funeral. I’ve had a few personal experiences with the traditional hymn, all of which have given me cause to stop and think.
A husband traditionally sung the hymn to his wife, with the words “her husband's heart relies on her and he shall lack no fortune,” speaking to the importance of having a capable wife to care for the household. The poem speaks of a woman of valor as one who is strong and righteous-and also capable of keeping a good, Jewish household. Woman of Valor, or Eishet Chayil in Hebrew, is a hymn that rounds out the book of Proverbs. To understand how we define women of valor we must first take a look back at where the phrase originated. But, valor hasn’t always held this connotation in traditional Jewish Biblical literature. The word itself, valor, can be defined as personal bravery-when I think of valor I think of someone who not only speaks, but also acts with a just intent, who is able to keep the needs of others in perspective to her own needs, and is dedicated to improving the world in both small and large ways.
The exhibit has me thinking-about the concept of valor, about the traditional hymn, and about whom we might tag as contemporary Women of Valor. The exhibit introduces itself explaining, “ Women of Valor recognizes and highlights the lives and accomplishments of sixteen trailblazing Jewish women, each of whom had the courage and conviction to overcome the social, cultural, and religious barriers she faced in creating a more just and equitable world.”
JWA has an enlightening poster series dedicated to 16 women tagged as Women of Valor.