CHAI LINES
The Newsletter of the International Northeast Region
Women's League for Conservative Judaism
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SISTERS JOURNEYING TOGETHER
Serving Conservative Jewish Women
in New York State, Ontario, and Quebec
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From Our Region Region President
Joan Lowenstein
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Sometimes I just cannot look away. I liken it to driving by a car accident. You can’t help but look. I am drawn to all of the news, the local news, the local County Executive’s Press briefings, the State Governor’s Press Briefings and the White House Press briefings. These are anxious times for us all. Are our families safe and healthy? Our friends? Our fellow congregants? Sometimes I am very anxious. And yet, do we really have that much to complain about? I had it put in to perspective for me recently.
I would like to share a story that was relayed to me recently. A friend was chatting with a Holocaust survivor who said that while this is a difficult time we are living in; we really have so much to be thankful for. In comparison to what they went through during the war, we have many news outlets from which to learn what is going on in the world. During the Holocaust, they had no real way of knowing what was going on. She continued that during the Holocaust they didn’t know who to trust, they had to be suspicious and wary all the time, of everyone. We are not in that position and we are not in a position of being hunted. We can communicate with our friends and loved ones by phone, via Facetime, Zoom and Skype where we not only hear each other’s voices, but see each other’s faces. In comparison to what a Holocaust survivor had to endure, she relayed, we really have little or nothing to complain about. As uncomfortable, isolated, bored and angry we may feel, we should count our blessings, reassure one another, see each other and hear each other’s voices.
I know that most of you are not complaining and are probably doing everything you can to help others. That is what we do. However, this story touched me and put things in perspective for me so I thought I would share it with all of you.
As you all know by now, another victim of this terrible virus is our 2020 Convention in July which now has been converted to a virtual convention. Please be sure to get this information out to your Sisterhood members and watch for more information coming soon as to the details for our virtual convention. On the bright side, now everyone can attend Convention 2020 at no cost!
What has been filling your days while you are at home? Do you receive the weekly email from WLCJ “WL This Week”? It has been jam packed with information regarding online classes and sessions not only from Womens League but from other organizations as well. If you don’t receive it, please let me know! Just a taste of what has been offered: Daily virtual Minyan for Psalm study and Kaddish recitation, Mishnah Berakhot Chapter Seven with Rabbi Gesa S Ederberg, Study with Naomi Graetz The Necessity of Writing Contemporary Midrash, A Virtual Poetry Workshop with WLCJ’s Sarah Stern, Challah Baking Demonstration by Tom Sudow of Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, Jewish Hollywood by Dan Kimmel, Cantor’s Assembly presentations and a link to our very own Lois Silverman’s presentation “Jewish Women in Film Part I”. And that is just the tip of the iceberg!
I wish for all of you above all else good health for you and your loved ones, and of course, a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat.
Joan
INRPresident@wlcj.org
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Dear Friends,
Earlier this week there was an emergency meeting of the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism’s Board of Directors. The board has voted unanimously to change Convention 2020 in Schaumburg, Illinois, to a virtual convention on Sunday, July 12, 2020.
The WLCJ bylaws state that an election of officers must take place at a Convention. However, in light of the challenges and uncertainties facing our members and our world with the Covid-19 virus, it was felt that it may not be safe and people will not be ready to congregate at an in-person event. Hence, the virtual Convention.
This decision was not taken lightly. We are now preparing a schedule for the day, which will include the election and installation of WLCJ's new administration, as stated in our bylaws. We will be sending out updates on the virtual convention in the coming weeks.
Please also know that anyone who has registered will get a full refund. All details will be announced shortly.
We hope to see you virtually on July 12, 2020, if not before.
Sincerely,
Margie
Margie Miller
International President
Women's League for Conservative Judaism
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Shabbat Message:
April 17, 2020
By
Sandy Berenbaum
Executive Committee Member, Co-Chair, Installation Production; Consultant Training, Training Services Team/Team Leader, Co-Chair, Installation Production; Consultant Training
Memories, Celebrations and Journeys
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April has always been a significant and noteworthy month for me, here are just a few reasons why.
This month we celebrate Passover, the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in ancient Egypt, and the Israelites journey to the promised land of Israel. I remember my family seders as a child waiting for the part in the seder when we open the door for Elijah, and the new traditions we started with my family. My grandchildren dressing up as Pharaoh, Moses, Miriam, Tziporah and Yocheved and the adults dressing as the plagues. My son Daniel was also born on Passover.
This month we observe Yom Hasho’ah Vehagev’urah – Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day, Yom Ha’zikaron – Israel Memorial Day and Yom Ha’atsma’ut – Israel Independence Day.
My mother’s family suffered through pogroms, starvation, and hid in ditches during the war. Most of my father’s family perished during World War ll. My father was a prisoner in a slave labor camp in Kommi SSR, Siberia for three years, 1940 – 1943. He was a kamasha macher (shoemaker). This trade saved his life, he made boots for Nazi officers. My father told me how the commandant of the camp had ordered him to measure his feet and make the commandants boots. My father took exact measurements and began the process of making the boots. A short while later the commandant came back and ordered my father to measure his feet again. The commandant compared the first measurements to the last, they were exact. My father was told if the measurements were off by a fraction he would have been shot on the spot. On a recent visit to the Jewish Heritage Museum in New York I saw a pair of the boots, similar to what my father made on display; it was very chilling to see.
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My family traveled on many harsh journeys. From Siberia, (where he met and married my mother), my parents, grandmother, aunt and uncle traveled to Kiev, Golozchino, Russia, Waldenburg (Germany/Poland), onto Lower Silesia to Austria, to Ulm then onto the American sector in Pocking (Bavaria, Germany) where I was born in a United Nations Relief Agency hospital located in a small Displaced Persons Camp. From there to a larger Displaced Persons camp in Fritzlar by Kassel for the next two and a half years. Our next journey was to Bremen, Germany where we embarked the USS Marine Flasher on March 26, 1949. This ship was designated as a troop transport ship, it carried approximately 4,000 passengers in steerage. We arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on April 5, 1949 en route to New York City. I grew up in Brooklyn, met my husband Dave and married, moved to the Philadelphia area where we made our home and raised our family.
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Author Linda Wingate writes, “The hardest thing about the road not taken is that you will never know where it might lead you.” I hope that the journeys you take in life will bring success and prosperity, the memories you share bring happiness and comfort, and these uncertain days bring good health to you and your families.
Shabbat Shalom,
Sandy Berenbaum
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Several Prayers in a Time of Coronavirus
Prayer by Rabbi Guy Austrian
Harachaman, Compassionate One, You are "rofeh chol basar umafli la’asot," healer of bodies, who does wondrous deeds.
The wondrous bodies that You have made for us now feel more fragile. The openings by which we perceive Your world now feel more vulnerable.
We are anxious and frightened by the uncertainty of what is to come. We love the lives we lead, and we fear what disruption may come. We love our friends, families, and neighbors, our children and our elders, and we fear what illness may come.
We pray for healing, of body and of spirit, speedy and complete, for all those who are ill from the coronavirus, both far from us and close to home.
Strengthen the hands of our caregivers. Give of Your healing powers to our medical personnel and mental health professionals. Give of Your wisdom to our decision makers and public health officials.
Strengthen our hearts to confront this challenge. Give us of Your discipline, that we may not yield to panic and dread, but may protect ourselves with appropriate precaution and calm determination. Give us of Your compassion, that we may not yield to prejudice or bigotry, but may reach out to our neighbors with kindness and solidarity.
We are grateful for our bodies and the life You have given us. We are grateful for our communities and congregations who see us and support us. We are grateful for those who are working to protect us. We are grateful for Your love and Your sheltering presence. We know we are not alone.
Prayer by Rabbi Joseph R. Black
Our God, and God of all people:
God of the rich and God of the poor;
God of the healthy, and God of the afflicted;
God of those with healthcare, and God of the uninsured;
God of the hoarder, and God of the helper;
God of those who have no God.
We are acutely aware of the gnawing unease that has been inspired by a global pandemic. Everywhere we look, we see apprehension and uncertainty unleashed all around us. The impact of this illness is very real. Its presence is felt every time we wash our hands, clear our throats or flinch in response to someone coughing behind us.
A virus cannot be seen by the human eye – and yet it makes its presence known in the empty classrooms and cancelled events that increasingly are becoming the norm around our city, state, nation and throughout the world.
It inspires fear as we await news of its arrival in our midst. We struggle to avoid contact with our faces and abandon all gestures of human touch that, just last month were expressions of friendship and affection.
We have heard stories of how the virus has brought out the worst in some of us. We have hoarded vital supplies and taken advantage of shortages to gouge our fellow citizens on the secondary market. We have taken solace in the fact that it is projected to most severely impact the most vulnerable in our midst: the aged and indisposed; the compromised and infirm;
We have watched in horror as racists have targeted Asian and other ethnic communities, using our fears to reinforce their hideous agendas.
But along with the ugliness, we also have seen simple beauty:
Outpourings of caring and concern;
Communities coming together to ensure that the frailest among us will be safe and secure;
Doctors, nurses and healthcare workers who have labored in dangerous conditions in order to care for their patients;
Researchers and students who valiantly search for cures and vaccines to stem the tide of infection.
The Psalmist wrote: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Eternal? Who may stand in God’s holy place? Those with clean hands and a pure heart."
(Psalm 24:3-4)
We pray that, as we wash our hands (for 20 seconds – no less…) we also might strive to find You, O God – in our hearts our hopes and our homes.
Eternal One: Bless all who come to this sacred place. Keep them healthy. Give them strength to find ways to safeguard our State and protect the lives and livelihoods of every one of its citizens.
We pray for healing of those who are affected. We pray that those who are healthy will remain so. We pray that this crisis will end and that lives and livelihoods will be spared.
And let us say: Amen.
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Mi Sheberach Sung by Eryka Velazquez
Lyrics by Craig Taubman
Those who join us at our daily Psalm Study and Kaddish know that our format includes a short study of a psalm, the singing of the Mi Sheberach Prayer and the recitation of Kaddish.
We have had many members lead us in the mi sheberach and have heard several different versions and melodies.
On April 1st we were all moved by Erika's beautiful singing of Craig Taubman's version. To listen and see the lyrics click
HERE
See below to register for pre-Convention session with Eryka
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Daily Virtual Minyan via Zoom for Psalm Study
and Kaddish Recitation
As it has become the new reality that people are not physically allowed to gather in large groups, and many cannot attend Services to say Kaddish. We do not want you to be feel alone, and want our sisters throughout the world to know that although we may not physically be together, we can come together virtually.
WLCJ has created an avenue for our WLCJ Sisters, to read and study a Psalm every day, and say Kaddish.
Starting on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 1 pm EDT, we will have a Zoom Meeting for us to come together, to read and study a Psalm and say Kaddish. We will do this every day, but on Shabbat, and holidays. (If this need continues into Passover.)
This is a situation of Sha'at HaDichak, a pressing time, where things are different, and so as Mara D'atra of WLCJ, I am saying that since we cannot all be part of a physical minyan of ten, ten coming together via zoom will be a minyan. Since we are in different time zones, we will not have a full Service, but rather read and study a chapter from the Book of Psalms, and then say Kaddish. The chapter will be on your screen, as well as Kaddish - we just need ten together on the zoom.
The following is the call in information for each day, starting Sunday, March 15, 2020, at 1 pm EDT, and will continue every day, but Shabbat, and the holy days of holidays - if we need to continue through Passover.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 630 830 287
Password: 875936
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,630830287# US (New York)
+16699006833,,630830287# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
+972 55 330 1762 Israel
+972 3 978 6688 Israel
One does not have to pre-register, just call in.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Margie Miller WLCJ President
Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields
WLCJ Executive Director
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Mishnah Berakhot, Chapter Seven
with Rabbi Gesa S. Ederberg
Sunday, April 19, 2020, at 1 p.m., EST.
Gesa Ederberg’s status as the first woman rabbi to serve in Berlin since the Holocaust has helped her reinvigorate the German community that once represented the cutting edge of liberal Judaism. Born a Lutheran, Ederberg first visited Israel at age thirteen and slowly fell in love with Judaism. She studied religion in Germany and Israel before converting to Judaism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in 1995. After returning to Berlin, she taught Hebrew school and organized an alternative minyan at the prestigious Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue, slowly taking on more of a leadership role in the community that has been the center of Berlin’s liberal Jewish community for 150 years. Ederberg then entered rabbinical school at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, earning her ordination in 2003, and in 2007, she returned to the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue as their new rabbi. Working to create local networks for liberal rabbis, she was a founding member of the General Rabbinic Conference of the Central Council of Jews in Germany and, in 2006, she helped found the European Rabbinical Assembly of Masorti/Conservative Rabbis. As of 2016, she continues to serve as their executive vice president and treasurer.
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Study With Naomi Graetz
Monday April 20th 2:00PM Eastern
The Necessity of Writing Contemporary Midrash: The Case of Elisheva
Aaron Was Silent Upon Hearing of His Sons' Death by Fire; But Was His Wife Elisheva Also Silent About the Death of Her Sons?
Naomi Graetz taught English at Ben Gurion University of the Negev for 35 years. She is the author of Unlocking the Garden: A Feminist Jewish Look at the Bible, Midrash and God (Piscataway NJ: Gorgias Press, 2005), The Rabbi’s Wife Plays at Murder (Beersheva: Shiluv Press, 2004), S/He Created Them: Feminist Retellings of Biblical Stories (Professional Press, 1993; second edition Gorgias Press, 2003), and Silence is Deadly: Judaism Confronts Wifebeating (Jason Aronson, 1998). She has recently completed a new manuscript, Forty Years of Being a Feminist Jew (2018) which is available on her website.
Topic: Study With Naomi Graetz
Time: Apr 20, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98329355754?pwd=ZHIwQW1KSDB1QXBCdnpYYW5FQXc4QT09
Meeting ID: 983 2935 5754
Password: 865070
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,98329355754# US (New York)
+13126266799,,98329355754# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 587 328 1099 Canada
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
+1 438 809 7799 Canada
+972 3 978 6688 Israel
+972 55 330 1762 Israel
Meeting ID: 983 2935 5754
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abkdqsxzJq
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What Makes a Poem?
Write Poetry in National Poetry Month
WLCJ's Sarah Stern Offers Virtual Poetry Workshop
April 23 and 30, 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT
Sarah Stern
Director of Communications and Marketing for Women's League
Become inspired with other poets and poetry lovers in an encouraging and lively two-part workshop with Sarah Stern on Thursday, April 23 and 30 at 2:00 p.m., EDT. As April is National Poetry Month, it is a great time to write a poem. All are welcome. Please see zoom instructions below.
In this two-part poetry workshop, participants will have the chance to read and discuss contemporary poets and poems and then will receive writing exercises to prompt new poems. In the second class, which happens to be
Poem in the Your Pocket Day
, participants will have the chance to share and discuss their own work. Beginning, emerging, and seasoned poets are encouraged to attend. Bring your writing to the next level in a supportive community!
Sarah has worked in communications and public relations at universities, think tanks, and cultural centers in New York City. She graduated from Barnard College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She is the author of three poetry collections, the latest We Have Been Lucky in the Midst of Misfortune, and a recipient of two Pushcart Prize nominations. She is also on the faculty of the New York Writers Workshop.
Join Zoom Meeting:
Topic: Poetry Workshop
Time: Apr 23, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92603767256?pwd=WjJDQWcwY2FrZCs2aTFOUnhXTjMzUT09
Meeting ID: 926 0376 7256
Password: 610872
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,92603767256# US (New York)
+13126266799,,92603767256# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
+1 438 809 7799 Canada
+1 587 328 1099 Canada
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
+972 3 978 6688 Israel
+972 55 330 1762 Israel
Meeting ID: 926 0376 7256
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abkdqsxzJq
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Still Accepting Jewels In The Crown Application
There's still time to send in your forms!!
We thank all Sisterhoods who already sent in their Jewels In The Crown applications. The cover letter and application may be found under section 05A of the password protected area on the website.
Need help with login? Need quick blank application?
Contact Razel rkessler@wlcj.org 212-870-1263.
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Two Pre-Convention Workshops For You
Convention starts NOW!
Eat, Drink, Pray.
Thursday, May 7th 8:00 - 9:00PM Eastern Time
Study the who, what, where, when and why of Birkat HaMazon.
Rabbi Helene Kornsgold, Director of Congregational Education
Temple Israel, Charlotte, NC
Study the the who, what, where, when and why of Birkat HaMazon.
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Convention Starts NOW!
How to lead Birkat HaMazon.
Thursday, May 14th 8:00 - 9:00PM Eastern Time
The women who participate will be invited to lead Birkat HaMazon at the convention and will share a shehecheyanu moment there.
Eryka Velazquez, cantorial intern at South Huntington Jewish Center in Long Island.
Eryka Velazquez utilizes the power of prayer and song to connect present-day Jews with ancient Jewish traditions. She is a passionate singer, and music has always played a major role in her life. Currently in her fifth year of studies at the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and the Davidson School of Education, Eryka deepens her knowledge of Jewish education every day. In her future positions of leadership, she looks forward to blending the beautiful Jewish traditions of our past with contemporary practices of Judaism. Eryka most recently spent a second summer at Camp Ramah Wisconsin as a Yahadut teacher, Shira staff and B'nai Mitzvah Program Director.
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Convention Social Action Project update
If you would like to purchase a no-sew blanket kit to create a warm blanket or donate a kit to enable THE ARK to assist those in need please
Click HERE
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BQLI Region Invites all WLCJ members and friends to our annual
Helen Cytryn Study Day
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 / 5 Iyar 5780
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT
Our Theme
CHESED
Acts of Lovingkindness within Our Communities
Featuring
Not Simply Our Mother’s Chesed:
The Models of Our Matriarchs Reimagined for Today
Rabbi Eric Cytryn, Beth El Temple, Harrisburg, PA
The Chesed Boomerang: “What Goes Around Comes Around”
Rabbi Ian Jacknis, South Huntington Jewish Center
Weekly Words of Torah Goes PC: Parashah and Chesed
Rabbi Ellen Wolintz-Fields, WLCJ Executive Director
The Impact of Chesed within Our Shul Community
Laura Brodsky & Linda Liederman, Hollis Hills Bayside Jewish Center
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 963 947 277
Password: 469297 - Please Do Not Post Password on Social Media
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,963947277# US (New York)
+13126266799,,963947277# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 963 947 277
Thank you for your voluntary donation in support of the Torah Fund Campaign,
Women’s League’s dedicated philanthropy which supports scholarships and programming at five Conservative/Masorti institutes of higher Jewish learning around the world. Because this will be a virtual program, our Region will not be able to fundraise through raffles and Torah Fund merchandise.
Your donation will be most appreciated, and credited towards your Sisterhood’s Torah Fund goal!
Click here
to donate to the annual Torah Fund Campaign
Click here
to donate to the Torah Fund Special Project “Spaces”
Questions? Contact Barbara Kaplan, BQLI Region Torah Fund VP, barbkrd63@gmail.com
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Women's League Reads Author Interview
Jun 2, 2020 08:00 PM Eastern Time
Convention presenter Goldie Goldbloom
will discuss her novel
ON DIVISION
Goldie Goldbloom’s first novel, The Paperbark Shoe, was given the AWP Novel Award, the Independent Publishers’ Novel of the Year, and was recently placed on the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read list. Her work has been shortlisted for the Australian Literary Society’s Gold Medal and the Aurealis Prize for Fantasy Fiction, and her writing has appeared in venues such as NPR, Ploughshares, The Kenyon Review and Le Monde. She is the grateful recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Brown Foundation, the City of Chicago, the Elizabeth George Foundation, Ragdale, Yaddo, Northwestern University and many other organizations. Her most recent novel, On Division, was chosen to be the One Bay, One Book selection for San Francisco for 2020. She is chassidic, the mother of eight children, and grew up in Australia. She teaches in the creative writing program at Northwestern University.
Topic: Author Goldie Goldbloom
Time: Jun 2, 2020 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/475511878?pwd=dEJGWFZOTEVvUG05c2hOK1U0S2dJZz09
Meeting ID: 475 511 878
Password: 453669
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,475511878# US (New York)
+13126266799,,475511878# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
+1 647 374 4685 Canada
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
+1 778 907 2071 Canada
+1 438 809 7799 Canada
+1 587 328 1099 Canada
+972 3 978 6688 Israel
+972 55 330 1762 Israel
Meeting ID: 475 511 878
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abkdqsxzJq
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Missed It??
Just want to watch again?
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Lois Silverman
Jewish Women In Film Part 1
April 1st Program is now on our website
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Calling all Sisterhood Presidents, both new and experienced!
Our Sisterhood Presidents' Zoom calls will help you navigate a path through the world of Women’s League.
Our Zoom calls are designed for you to discover the essence of Convention and why so many of us are so excited to be spending three days with like-minded Jewish women from all over North America. Just think…you have the chance to meet other Sisterhood Presidents from the comfort of your home before Convention, so you will have new friends waiting for you when you get to Chicago. This is also YOUR opportunity to let us know what tools you feel you need so that you can return to your sisterhoods feeling energized and confident. We aim to please!
Registration is now open for the following Sisterhood Presidents' Zoom session:
Convention Starts NOW! You Found It Where? Wed., April 22, 8pm Eastern
Register HERE
Click
here
for recording of the first session held Wednesday, January 8, 2020,
Convention Starts NOW - I Did Not Know That!
Click
here
for recording of the second session held Thursday, March 5, 2020
Convention Starts NOW! We have a website?
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Cross Movement Events All Times EDT Unless Specified
4/19 8:30PM
Jewish Hollywood by Dan Kimmel
4/20 7:30PM
My Journey into Jewish Genealogy or, How I Created a Family Tree of 2,500 People by Mike Mills
4/23 1:00PM
Knowing Your Why? - A TED Talk presentation and discussion by Bob Braitman
Cantors Assembly
4/21 SongSwap: Shavuot, Yizkor with special guest Julia Andelman
No need to be a cantor or musician. Everyone is welcome...all the time.
We always meet for a live, in-person webinar on the first Wednesday of each month at 12 Noon EST. You can also find us on iTunes, Google Play and YouTube. To learn more or to listen and watch previous episodes, visit our archives.
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Act Now: Protect the Most Vulnerable From the Impacts of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc, disrupting lives and fueling anxiety. As Congress responds, we must remind our elected leaders of their responsibility to act swiftly, with care and compassion, as they address the pandemic and its economic repercussions.
The President recently signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. This was a crucial step, but it did not go far enough. Right now, the Senate is preparing to vote on expanding emergency funding. It is vital that this next bill do more to protect those who need assistance most.
Congress should follow these principles in any legislation that addresses the COVID-19 crisis:
- Ensure accessible and affordable testing and treatment for the Coronavirus, regardless of income, location, disability, or immigration status.
- Ensure that all can take sick leave and care for family members without risking their jobs or their paychecks.
- Ensure low-income workers and individuals who are economically at risk have the assistance they need to put food on the table and provide for their families.
- Give special care and attention to individuals at increased risk of infection, including individuals in prison, immigrants and children in detention, in long-term care facilities, and those who are homeless.
- Economic stimulus measures should focus first on low-income and vulnerable communities. Such policies also have the strongest economic impact. Any bailouts and emergency assistance for major industries and businesses must be paired with comparable assistance for economically at-risk workers and vulnerable individuals.
Time is of the essence. Contact your members and urge them to act quickly in protecting our most vulnerable.
Send a letter to your Representatives and Senators today!
Click here
to take action!
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Your opportunity to enjoy recent Zooms
Cantor Leon Sher and Hazzan Aliza Pomerantz-Boro sing his composition, Heal Us Now (each from their own home) at a special visit to our daily 1pm Psalm Study and Kaddish, Friday, March 27th
Listen
Their earlier performance of this piece with the choir from Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ
Listen
Personal Conversation: Neshama,
with Rabbi Jaymee Alpert
Tefillin with Anne Lapidus Lerner
Mishnah with Rabbi Chaya Rowen Brown
How To Put On Tefillin with Janet Kirschner
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Women's League Calendar Diary 2020-2021 Order Now
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We are pleased to share with you the following information on a publication jointly published by the Schechter Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute at Brandeis University and Indiana University Press.
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For subscription information click
HERE.
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From the Region Torah Fund Chair--
Marilyn Cohen
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