Vote
Today I voted for a woman
I voted for my grandmother
Who worked in a chocolate factory
And taught me how to paint
I voted for my great grandmother
Who labored in a sweat shop
I voted for Eve
Who was punished with pain for
Destroying paradise
I voted for Rebecca
Who had a mind of her own
I voted for Leah
Who was never well-liked
But is the mother of a nation
I voted for Miriam
Who opened her mouth at times
She shouldn’t have
And suffered
I voted for Deborah and Yael
Who fought our wars
And won
I voted for Batsheva
Whose beauty was exploited
I voted for Anne Frank
Who was murdered
I voted for myself
Because I have a sense of where I am
And where I am going
I voted for tomorrow
I voted for my mothers
So one day I could tell my daughters
That I voted.
Rebecca Keren Eisenstadt is a performer, producer, and private Jewish educator. www.rebeccakeren.com