Ruth and the Quiet Strength of Women
Every year at Shavuot, we read the Book of Ruth. It is a gentle story in many ways. There are no dramatic miracles, no great battles, no kings on thrones. Instead, we meet ordinary people navigating grief, uncertainty, displacement, and survival.
And at the centre of it all is a woman.
Ruth was not born into the people of Israel. She was an outsider. A widow. Vulnerable in every sense of the word. Yet through her loyalty, kindness, and quiet courage, she became part of the very foundation of Jewish history, the ancestor of King David himself.
I often think about how remarkable that is.
The future of the Jewish people was shaped not through power, but through compassion, courage, and the steadfast devotion of women.
There is something deeply moving about the fact that Ruth’s greatness was not loud. She did not lead armies or stand before crowds. She showed up for someone she loved. She chose loyalty when it would have been easier to walk away. She created belonging through acts of care and dignity.
To me, that is one of the most important messages of Shavuot.
So much of what sustains Jewish life happens quietly. It happens in homes, in communities, in classrooms, around Shabbat tables, in moments of support between women, in the way we uplift one another during difficult times. These acts may seem small individually, but together they build continuity.
This is also the heart of WIZO.
Every day, through education, welfare programmes, youth development, and support for women and families, WIZO helps create the conditions for people not only to survive, but to feel seen, valued, and connected. We know that strong communities are not built only through institutions or policies, but through compassion and human care.
Ruth teaches us that belonging can change history.
At a time when so many people feel isolated or uncertain, her story reminds us of the importance of opening doors wider, extending kindness further, and recognising the quiet resilience that exists within so many women.
Shavuot is the festival of receiving Torah, but perhaps it is also a reminder to receive one another, with empathy, with generosity, and with responsibility.
As women, as leaders, and as a community, may we continue to build a Jewish future rooted not only in tradition, but in kindness. May we honour the legacy of Ruth by creating spaces where people feel they belong, where families are supported, and where compassion remains one of our greatest strengths.
Chag Shavuot Sameach.
With love,
Shelley Trope-Friedman
President, WIZO South Africa