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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LIKE OUR PAGE ON FACEBOOK |
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Refuah Sh’lemah
To Fran Caine
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From Our Region President
Joan Lowenstein
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Dear Friends,
This week we spotlight our guest columnist, Region Torah Fund Vice President, Marilyn Cohen. Marilyn reports on our regions success with the Chesed Torah Fund Campaign and she provides us with some very important information as we go forward with the B’Yachad Campaign. We are so fortunate to have Marilyn in our region as she is as dedicated as they come. Thank you for all of your hard work Marilyn and I hope you all enjoy her wonderful article.
I also want to bring your attention to our next Region program. An evening with Nina Segalowitz. Nina is a “60’s Scoop” child, an Indigenous woman from Montreal, Canada who was taken from her birth parents in the Northwest Territories of Canada and given to an adoptive family who was unaware that she had been taken from her birth parents unwillingly. She was raised by a Jewish father and a Filipino mother. Please see the flyer below for more information. I hope you will join us on October 20th to hear her fascinating story. Please RSVP to Adele Weinstein at adelew@rogers.com by Thursday October 15, 2020.
I wish, above all else, good health for you and your loved ones, and of course, a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat.
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Marilyn Cohen
INR Region Torah Fund VP
B'Yachad,
the 2020-2021 Torah Fund Campaign
Is Underway
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Todah rabah to the members of Sisterhoods and synagogues of the INR Region who donated to the 2019-2020 Torah Fund Campaign. For our Chesed campaign, we actually EXCEEDED our goal! This is an amazing accomplishment since during the last quarter of the campaign we dealt with postponements and cancellations of spring events as well as early deadlines for receipt of checks. I am delighted to report that 11 of our 13 INR Sisterhoods reached or exceeded their Torah Fund Goal! Ya’asher Kochachem! B’Yachad, together, we will have another successful Torah Fund campaign this coming year.
Digital materials* for our B’Yachad campaign are available to download. The website can be accessed directly at www.jtsa.edu/torahfund
Scroll down to “Find Torah Fund Resources.”
Materials that are available include: --TheTorah Fund B’Yachad Campaign Guide 2020-2021: with Guidance Tips for Online Giving and Programming During the Pandemic and Beyond.
- PIN Order Form
- Picture of B’YACHAD PIN
- Volunteer Data Form
- Transmittal Form
- Legacy Society Forms
- Spaces materials
- Pledge Cards – Canadian & US
- Women’s League Brochure
*Because the JTS building & Torah Fund office are currently closed, no printed materials are available. We are encouraging you to download any materials you need from the website and print them as needed.
Are you continuing as your Sisterhood’s Torah Chair?
It is requested that each Sisterhood fill out and email their Volunteer Data Form each year even if there are no changes from the previous year. Please send it to the Torah Fund office c/o Meg Morrison memorrison@jtsa.edu
A Pin Order Form needs to be filled out to order pins**. No one will automatically receive them. Please order pins based on the past year’s donations. As a reminder, the pin is a gift with a minimum donation of $180. Checks should be made out to “Torah Fund” instead of your individual Sisterhood.
**Please, continue to wear your Chesed Torah Fund pin. Due to
the global health crisis, manufacturing of the pins was delayed. Consequently, shipping of the pins is delayed. At this time, because JTS and the Torah Fund office are closed, we cannot tell you when the pin orders will be sent to you. We will keep you informed about the future shipment of this year’s Torah Fund pins.
Please invite me to your upcoming Sisterhood Torah Fund programs as I would be delighted to speak to your members about the annual Torah Fund campaign as well as the special projects, and the five seminaries that we support. See you on Zoom.
Click HERE to read the lastest issue of the Torah Fund Campaign newsletter,"Chadashot."
Only US Torah Fund donations may be made directly ONLINE - Click HERE
but be sure to include your own Sisterhood, City & State
Canadian Torah Fund donations must be made out to and sent to
The Jewish Theological Society
3845 Bathurst St. Ste 310
Toronto, ON M3H 3N2
However, I encourage you to give all your Torah Fund donations through your sisterhood’s Torah Fund Chair.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Shabbat shalom.
Marilyn Cohen
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The International Northeast Region
of
Women’s League for Conservative Judaism
Presents
An Evening with Nina Segalowitz
Tuesday October 20, 2020 at 7:00 pm
According to Wikipedia, “The Sixties Scoop refers to a practice that occurred in Canada of taking, or "scooping up," Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement in foster homes or adoption. Despite the reference to one decade, the Sixties Scoop began in the late 1950s and persisted into the 1980s. It is estimated that a total of 20,000 aboriginal children were taken from their families and fostered or adopted out to primarily white middle-class families as part of the Sixties Scoop. [to learn about the Sixties Scoop, click here.
Nina Segalowitz, born Anne-Marie Thrasher in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada was one of those children. She was raised by a white Jewish father and a Filipino mother in Montreal. In 2010 Nina told the Guardian: “My adoptive father comes from a Polish Jewish family and that's why I have a surname like Segalowitz. My adoptive mother is from the Philippines. I grew up learning Hebrew at the synagogue and Tagalog at the Catholic church my Filipino relatives went to. Visiting the Jewish quarter of Montreal, Outremont, where I grew up, brings back so many memories of cycling in the park, coming back from cello lessons and stopping by at the corner Jewish bakery with my adoptive father to buy hallah bread. I love hallah bread. I even learnt how to make it.” [to read full article, click here]
Nina graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Human Sciences, a DEP in Accounting and a DEP in Social Work. She sits on the Boards of Directors for the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal and The Legacy of Hope Foundation. She is a proud mother of three.
Nina has dedicated her career to working with victims of violence, and is currently a cultural consultant for the Canadian Armed Forces, the Montreal Police Force, and Universities and schools.
Nina is a multi-talented artist. She is an accomplished throat singer, drummer and cellist. Nina has performed all over the world including a performance with musician Bobby McFerrin.
Zoom information will be provided when you RSVP
To RSVP contact Adele Weinstein at adelew@rogers.com
Please RSVP by Thursday October 15, 2020
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From Women's League for Conservative Judaism |
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Shabbat Message: August 22, 2020
By Debbi Kaner Goldich,
International President
A MEMBER IS A MEMBER IS A MEMBER
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom… Women’s League members are using Zoom technology at an incredibly fast pace. We have six accounts and almost every Region and Sisterhood has an account. As evidenced by Convention 2020 in Zoomburg, we have brought Women’s League programming right to your living room via Zoom. Our members are signing up for events, programs, and meetings at rates we have not seen in years due to the ease of Zoom. If you have been away for a while, we are always happy to welcome you all back. If you are new and want to participate in our programming, we are equally excited to have you.
All of our programs, are only open to members except our Psalm study service where we provide an opportunity for Mourner’s Kaddish, which is open to everyone. Convention brought us many new members because they knew they had to join in order to attend this incredible event.
So how does one join Women’s League if they do not live near an affiliated sisterhood, or if they do not belong to a Synagogue or they may want to attend a few learning opportunities but not regular programming? All one has to do is become an Individual Member! What does that mean? Individual membership is open to everyone who identifies as a woman and is at least eighteen years old.
Through the Individual Membership program, women can be a part of the largest synagogue-based Jewish women’s organization and, also be a part of making a difference in our communities and in our world through all the rights afforded to any member.
Individual Membership makes a woman an active and vital link in the Women’s League network and provides her with access to all educational and support programs on the International and Region level. Membership is valid from June to June and costs $36. The Senior rate for women over 75 years of age is $25 and the Student and Military rate is $18. The membership dues also comes with a gift of the Calendar Diary.
Do you know someone who would like to be part of Women’s League? Would you like to gift it to a woman who used to be a member and is not anymore? Would you like to mention it to your friend who moved away or your mother who gave up her synagogue membership? Go to the Women’s League website (www.wlcj.org) and click on the JOIN button.
Keep up with all our exciting programming events and when your unaffiliated friends and relatives want to join, tell them they can! Share the information and let them know we are waiting for them! All they have to do is click on the JOIN button!
Remember, A member is a member is member.
Shabbat Shalom,
Debbi
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CONVENTION HIGHLIGHT
Please check wlcj.org under NEWS in the coming days for recordings of CONVENTION 2020 sessions and past programs.
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Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Executive Director
Weekly Words of Torah - Torah Study Together -
Parashat Shoftim 5780 (Shabbat, 8/22/2020) - Social Justice
The Torah Fund theme for 5781 (2020-2021) is B'Yachad which means, “Together.”
Our Weekly Words of Torah (WWOT) will now present ideas, thoughts and topics, to encourage people to together study and discuss the Weekly Torah Portion.
- Commandment to appoint judges and peace officers - Tzedek tzedek tirdof - “Justice, justice you shall pursue.” (Deuteronomy 16:20).
- What causes have you sought justice for in your lifetime? Do you feel these causes need to be re-examined? Do you want to participate in these issues once again, or have they been resolved?
- What issues need justice today? What are you doing about it?
- How do you converse with those who have differing opinions about social justice issues? How do you navigate agreeing to disagree respectfully?
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Join, Edna Schrank, in a three-part all in the
same day challah Zoom class, on
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2020.
Click here for more information and/or to REGISTER for FREE class.
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THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 10TH
ON ZOOM,
8:00-9:15 PM ET
Registration Required
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Personal Conversations is a Women's League educational program that dives into current issues of concern to Jewish women.
Keep Family Relationships Emotionally and Spiritually Healthy during COVID-19 and in an Election Year.
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A discussion with Rabbi Naomi Kalish and Psychologist Alison P. Block, Ph.D. Moderated by Vivian Leber.
On the eve of the 19th anniversary of 9-11, Rabbi Kalish will begin the evening with a D’var Torah in memory of those taken from us too soon.
Whether you are socially distancing or nesting together 24/7 during the pandemic, family relationships are under heightened stress. The intersection of COVID-19 and fraught election-year politics may sabotage conversations within the family. Moreover, coping strategies that we’ve always relied upon for navigating relationships may be ineffective in this new context. So how might we accommodate our differences, repair relationships, communicate better, care for
others, and care for ourselves during this crisis?
On August 17, Women’s League held a related Health & Wellness program, with Psychotherapist Ruth Rosenblum, which advised how women might employ their inner resources to manage their well-being, despite the pandemic. With its focus on interpersonal relationships, this September 10 th discussion will complete your resiliency toolkit.
Rabbi Naomi Kalish is the Harold and Carole Wolfe Director of the Center for Pastoral Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She also has taught Spirituality and Healthcare to students in diverse healthcare educational programs.
Dr. Alison P. Block, Ph.D., is director of the Health Psychology Center in Oceanport, N.J., and Director of the Psychosocial curriculum at Monmouth Medical Center (N.J.) Department of Medicine.
Click here to REGISTER for FREE session.
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Sisters Journeying Together |
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CONTINUE THE LOVE,
We are continuing to collect fleece blankets and t-shirt shopping bags for The ARK as our Social Action Project for Convention 2020. Your fleece blankets will be distributed to The ARK clients during Chanukah. The ARK distributes hundreds of blankets and t-short shopping bags. Your work will be very much appreciated. Please send your fleece blankets and t-shirt bags so that they arrive prior to Thanksgiving. This will allow enough time for organizing the distribution. If you have any questions or have already completed fleece blankets and/or t-shirt shopping bags, please contact Edna Schrank eschrank@wlcj.org or 847-651-2231. Please ask Edna on where to send them. If you need the directions, please click on the appropriate link:
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DAILY PSALM STUDY & KADDISH
Monday - Friday 12 PM Noon ET
11 AM CT; 9 AM PT; 10 AM MT
Dial by your location
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 630 830 287
Password: 875936
+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
Women's League is looking for help with the Daily Psalm Study. We'd love to have more women involved in all roles, including singing, teaching, technology help and more. If interested, click on the Sign Up Genius link. Please note that you will need to make an account, which is very simple. You will also receive an email reminder from Sign Up Genius a day or two before your volunteer date.
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Antisemitism and Violent Hatred on Facebook "Needs To Stop"
The Jewish Appeal to Facebook on Charlottesville Anniversary
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Become a member of, or renew your membership to MercazThe new membership year begins July 1, 2020.
There are two ways you can become a supporter of Mercaz:
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WLCJ American Mothers of Olim GoogleGroup
WLCJ Has googlegroups that benefit many of our communities.
There is a group for sisterhood presidents, for judaica shop chairs, and Women's League Reads.
A lesser known group is for American Mothers of Olim (Children who have made aliyah to Israel). With more people staying in place and travel being put on hold, there has been renewed interest in this group. Women's League members are invited to participate.
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Love WLCJ!
Follow WLCJ on her Social Media Sites
If you aren't already following Women's League for Conservative Judaism on all her social media sites, now is the time to do so. It's a great way to keep in touch with the latest news and events. Here are WLCJ's links, including LinkedIn, which has recently been added to the website homepage. Click on the icon to go to the social media site.
Stay tuned over the next months for quick tips on how to help maximize WLCJ's impact on all her social media sites.
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Stay tuned over the next months for quick tips on how to help maximize WLCJ's impact on all her social media sites. |
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*Make sure you're getting the most out of Zoom.
If you haven't already done so, update your Zoom version 5.0 in order to access all Zoom programming. To update, visit the Zoom download center and press the big blue "Download" button. The update should take place automatically. A video to help video.
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September 12, 2020 from 8:30 PM Eastern through 12:00 AM PT
Bringing in the High Holiday Season
from East to West
Please click here to
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Calendar Diary Now Available |
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To purchase your WLCJ Calendar Diary 2020-2021, please CLICK HERE.
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