The Hidden Heroines: Reclaiming Women's Narratives in the Passover Story

The story of Passover, with its dramatic tale of Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt, has been told for thousands of years. However, the traditional narrative often emphasizes Moses and Aaron's leadership while overlooking the crucial roles played by the women. In truth, it's women who made the Exodus possible. These hidden heroines deserve recognition for their courage, wisdom, and faith that fundamentally shaped our story of liberation.

The Forgotten Heroines

Yocheved: The Mother Who Dared to Hope

At the heart of the Exodus story is an act of maternal courage. Yocheved, Moses' mother, faced an impossible choice when Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew baby boys should be killed. Rather than surrender to despair, she crafted a waterproof basket, placed her infant son inside, and set him afloat on the Nile River—a desperate but inspired act of resistance. Without her ingenuity and bravery, there would be no Moses to lead the Israelites to freedom.

Miriam: The Prophetess and Guardian

Miriam, Moses' sister, demonstrates remarkable courage and quick thinking as she watches over her brother's basket from a distance. When Pharaoh's daughter discovers Moses, it is Miriam who approaches and suggests a Hebrew wet nurse—bringing Moses' own mother back into his life. Later, after crossing the Red Sea, Miriam leads the women in song and dance with tambourines, earning her the title of prophetess. Her foresight (bringing tambourines from Egypt in anticipation of celebration) represents profound faith during uncertainty.

Batya (Pharaoh's Daughter): Compassion Across Divides

Perhaps the most unexpected heroine is Batya, Pharaoh's daughter, who discovers Moses in the Nile. Despite recognizing him as a Hebrew child—and knowing her father's decree—she chooses compassion over compliance. By adopting Moses and raising him as her own, she directly undermines Pharaoh's genocidal policy. Her moral courage demonstrates how individual choices can challenge unjust systems from within.

Shifra and Puah: The Defiant Midwives

The Hebrew midwives Shifra and Puah engage in perhaps the first recorded act of civil disobedience when they refuse to follow Pharaoh's orders to kill Hebrew baby boys. When questioned, they cleverly claim that Hebrew women give birth too quickly for them to arrive in time. Their moral courage not only saved Moses' life but saved countless other lives and demonstrates that resistance to tyranny can take many forms.

Reclaiming Women's Narratives at Your Seder

This year, spend time honoring these women who led to our freedom. Here are some meaningful ways to honor these heroines during your own Passover celebration:

1. Include Miriam's Cup

Alongside Elijah's cup, place Miriam's cup filled with water on your Seder table. This symbolizes Miriam's Well, which according to tradition followed the Israelites through the desert, providing life-sustaining water. The water represents renewal, redemption, and the life-giving power traditionally associated with women.

2. Add Their Stories to Your Haggadah Reading

Supplement traditional readings with passages about these women, like this one. Search Recustom.com for the women of Passover for ideas, or create your own special readings on our platform that highlight their contributions and invite reflection on courage and resistance. You can also use our Women's Seder to weave the theme of feminism throughout your evening.

3. Reimagine The Four Children as The Four Daughters

Consider discussing The Four Daughters alongside or instead of the traditional Four Sons. What questions might they ask? How might their perspectives differ? 

4. Use Tambourines in Celebration

Honor Miriam's celebratory leadership by bringing tambourines to your Seder. During songs like "Miriam's Song" or "Dayenu," invite guests to join in percussion, remembering how Miriam led women in dance after crossing the Red Sea.

5. Ask New Questions

Add questions to your Seder that invite reflection on marginalized perspectives:

• Whose voices are missing from the stories we tell?
• How do different forms of courage and leadership appear throughout the Exodus?
• How might the Exodus story change when told from women's perspectives?

The women of Passover remind us that liberation requires many forms of courage—from the defiance of unjust laws to the protection of the vulnerable to the imagination that envisions a better future. By including their stories in our Passover celebrations, we not only honor historical truth but also enrich our understanding of what freedom means and how it is achieved.

This Passover, as we recite "In every generation, each person must see themselves as if they personally left Egypt," consider how these women's examples might inspire our own actions in pursuing justice and freedom today.