Chai Lines
International Northeast Region
Women's League
for Conservative Judaism
Networking to Engage, Enrich and Empower
Conservative Jewish Women
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March 15, 2019 Volume 3, Issue 20
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INR GOOD NEWS
Beth David, Toronto, is holding its Sisterhood Shabbat on March 30. WLCJ's International President Margie Miller is the guest
Drashanit, A special kiddush will follow services. All are invited to attend.
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Beth Tikvah Women (BTW), Toronto, recently held a thought-
provoking and emotional program.
In February, the book club enjoyed a presentation by the 91-year-old author, Elly Gotz. Elly is the author of the acclaimed book Flights of Spirit. This book was recently part of the Holocaust Education Week. This amazing author's presentation explained his life experiences during the holocaust.
Looking around the room, the book club members were wiping away their tears as Elly talked about how he was separated from his family and how he managed to survived the death camps. Not only survive, but Elly married, started a family and enjoyed a new life.
Elly's presentation which included a detailed slideshow, made us feel like we were living with him in the dreadful bunkers.
A question and answer period and a book signing ended this magnificent program.
Adele Weinstein,
Pres. Beth Tikvah Women, and Elly Gotz
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MORE GOOD NEWS WANTED
Toot your own horn.
Tell us what is going on in your Sisterhood.
Tell us what is successful in your Sisterhood.
Email Lois Silverman, Chai Line editor, at
and she'll share your news.
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GUEST EDITORIAL FROM LOIS SILVERMAN, INR COMMUNICATION SECRETARY
As we in the Silverman household prepare our US Income Tax return, I think of how we all complain about paying our taxes: local, school, county, state, and Federal. Yes, we all would love to pay less!
Then I stop to think about the services we receive for our tax dollars and the services that help others.
So I repost one of my favorite readings.
SHABBAT SHALOM
LOIS
TAX US WITH DREAMS
by Rabbi Julius J. Nodel
IMPLANT within the hearts of all who are entrusted with the guardianship of cities a constant awareness of the human values at state.
CLEAR the slums of prejudice from our hearts.
ILLUMINE the dark alleys of our indifference.
RENEW in us those places in our thinking which are too often willing to try anything new as long as it has been done before.
TAX us with dreams that are capable of fulfillment.
REAPPORTION our hearts so that there will be no under-representation of You in our lives.
BEAUTIFY our vision so that we do not abuse the natural blessing of Your Creation.
REMOVE the litter of ignorance and greed from the people we serve.
HELP us to restore the dilapidated ideals of civic and national pride which are necessary for our growth.
And PAVE the streets of our intentions with righteousness.
For we know, dear God, there is no greater blight in our cities than fear; no greater crime wave than the flood of despair; and no greater delinquency than the mischief of inertia.
--Rabbi Julius J. Nodel
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ANNOUNCING WLCJ'S JEWELS IN THE CROWN AWARDS
The Women's League for Conservative Judaism's
Jewels in the Crown Award
was established ten years ago, in 2009, in order to recognize our sisterhoods who have demonstrated excellence in education, cultural programming, and social action, and who exhibit a strong Women's League identity. There were more than 215 total sisterhood recipients at the 2014 and 2017 Women's League Conventions. These sisterhoods offered hundreds of interesting and successful programs that reflected a wide diversity of subjects, issues, social action projects, celebrations, and personal enrichment activities. Learn more about the program at
http://wlcj.org/2014/07/jewels-in-the-crown-awards/
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Now is the time to start collecting your programs to be submitted for Jewels in the Crown Awards for the 2020 Women's League Convention. Please appoint a sisterhood member to be responsible for completing and submitting the application to us. We will be looking at your programs from September 2017 until June 30, 2020.
Download the 2020 Jewels in the Crown application here!
Each Sisterhood must be current with their 2019 and 2020 per capita, and must participate in Torah Fund in order to be eligible to participate in Jewels in the Crown.
Become a shining jewel in the Women's League crown! Please share this letter with your current executive committee and feel free to contact us with any questions.
B'shalom,
Meryl Balaban (mbalaban@wlcj.org)
Madeleine Gimbel (maddy_gimbel@yahoo.com)
Convention 2020 Jewels in the Crown Co-Chairs
Margie Miller (mmiller@wlcj.org)
WLCJ President
Sisters Journeying Together
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FROM WOMEN'S LEAGUE FOR
CONSERVATIVE
JUDAISM
Networking to engage,
enrich and empower
Conservative Jewish Women
FROM THE PRESIDENT OF WOMEN'S LEAGUE
With an impending deadline, our Executive Committee voted to sign onto a letter that was formulated by the Rabbinical Assembly having to do with anti-Semitic comments made by a new Congresswoman.
We have always been extremely careful not to become a political voice. But this particular incident goes beyond party lines, as many other incidents have in recent years. We as a society cannot allow for any of us to be hurt by mean-spirited rhetoric.
Below is the letter that I wanted to share with all of you. Perhaps this Shabbat you and your family can have a conversation about how much "words matter."
Shabbat Shalom,
Margie Miller
Statement Denouncing Congresswoman Omar's Anti-Semitic Words
Words matter. The Torah teaches that God created the world through words. We remember as much in the daily prayers, "Praised is the One who spoke and the world came to be." The responsibility rests with the words we choose whether we build or destroy worlds. And how we respond to the words of others matter.
Words matter everywhere in the ongoing work of creation. A week does not go by when we don't hear from Jewish kids in local public schools who are bullied for being Jewish or about a political or religious leader who spews hate. Living with the trauma of anti-Semitism is part of our complicated reality. How we talk about that, without being offensive, is a struggle we navigate even within the Jewish community.
The words of our leaders matter. Representative Ilhan Omar's words matter. She is a United States Congresswoman. Her words hurt, and they are wrong. They amplify anti-Semitic stereotypes that have no place in the kind of world we have a responsibility to build. The impact of her words land painfully on Jewish people at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise. We denounce Congresswoman Omar's statements and strongly urge her to use her words to build a world of kindness and tolerance.
Words matter when Congresswoman Omar faces death threats, and her name is inexcusably linked to the 9/11 attacks.
Our words matter.
We name anti-Semitism where we see it. We lift up efforts, especially between the Jewish people and communities of faith everywhere to build a more just, compassionate and equitable world. The work of creation does not always bear fruit. But if something is to grow at all, we know it takes the willingness to engage beyond the headlines of a moment.
Words matter. Just as we, as proud Jewish leaders in the United States of America and throughout North America and the World commit ourselves to making a positive difference. We demand our leaders do the same by refraining from false, hurtful and insensitive remarks concerning Israel and the Jewish People.
Rabbinical Assembly
Cantors Assembly
Jewish Educators Assembly
The Jewish Theological Seminary
Masorti Foundation
Masorti Olami
Mercaz Olami
MERCAZ-Canada & Canadian Foundation for Masorti Judaism
MERCAZ USA
Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano
The Schechter Institutes, Inc.
Women's League for Conservative Judaism
Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies
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"Mishkan Project - A Blueprint for Life"
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields,WLCJ Executive Director
Have you ever thought - What concepts compose my blueprint for life? I have drawn my blueprint for life from lessons learned from reading the Torah portions we just completed about the Mishkan/Tabernacle project, the moveable Temple used by the children of Israel while they wandered in the desert.
What was the purpose of the Mishkan? The head of the construction project - God - gave that reason: V'asu Lee Mikdash V'Shachanti B'Tocham - "Make for me a Sanctuary so that I - God - Shall dwell amongst you." God did not need a specific place to dwell. After all - God dwells wherever we let God in. If we go back to Parashat Bereshit - we are told that we are all created b'tzelem elohim - in God's image. Wherever we meet our fellow person, that is God's dwelling place, for each of us is created in God's image. Therefore, each of us is like God; and each one of our homes is a mishkan, a tabernacle, or, perhaps, a mikdash, a sanctuary (like Janet Kirschner wrote a few weeks ago.) If we each saw each other as God-like - wouldn't we talk nicer to each other, and behave and interact much nicer, calmer, more respectful and more tolerant, if we saw each other as created in the image of God, and that God needs to dwell with us? Let's use this concept as a blueprint for life!
The mishkan project had the entire community participating in its construction, and all helped in some way in its production. Furthermore, each person, no matter what their means, contributed equally. So, too, in our blueprint in life - every person has a purpose, and we should treat each person nicely, warmly, kindly, and equally. Every individual in our community is important and vital to the whole!
Next part of the blueprint for life: No one can work 24/7. We all need recharge our batteries, and we all need to rest and rejuvenate. Even the holy work of building the mishkan needed to cease for the day of rest, for Shabbat. Therefore, today, the 49 prohibitions we have that are not allowed to be done on Shabbat are the forms of work for the construction of the mishkan that were not to be done on Shabbat. Shabbat is a sign of the unique relationship between God, the Creator, and the Jewish people. Even the building of the Mishkan, an earthly home for the Divine presence of God did not take precedence over Shabbat. In the fast and complicated pace of life, we are in danger of losing the heart and essence of the day or rest - to unplug from our weekday lives and focus on those we care most about - friends and family, and spending time with them. Our relationships are the most vital things in life, and we cannot conclude that "the ends justify the means." We must stop even the work on the Mishkan to enjoy Shabbat, our day of rest, and spend time with the ones we love.
The final aspect of the blueprint of the Mishkan that guides my life is the focus on Israel in my life, because, after all, that is where the children of Israel were journeying to - the land of Israel. I love Israel, with all its bureaucracy, and controversy, and often troublesome policies. Like a family member we do not always agree with, and may quarrel with, so, too, it is with the state of Israel. Put that aside - being in Israel is magical and there is no place like Israel! So, my blueprint for life - like the children of Israel heading to Israel with their Mishkan, for me, is not necessarily, to live there, at this point in my life, but to visit as often as I can, and to do as much as I can, to better the relationship between the Diaspora and Israel, and to improve the narrative that people tell about the State of Israel.
And how did the children know when to start and stop their travels with the Mishkan? When the cloud lifted, they knew it was time to journey on; and, when the cloud settled, they would rest and make camp. Isn't that so much like life? We often have dark clouds in our life - and it seems like we are stagnant, and do not know where to go or what to do. We have all had times in our lives when it seems that there is such an ominous dark cloud in our life that we might not want to get out of bed, or even eat. These feelings seem to hang over us. But know that, just like the children of Israel, who were travelling in the desert with the Mishkan, the cloud will lift - and we will be able to travel along in life again. Gam Zeh Ya'avor - this too shall pass. Things will get better - and we will somehow figure out what the next steps will be in our life, and we will be able to once again move ourselves - for we are a mikdash, a sanctuary - created in God's image, watched over by God as well. The cloud will pass, and we just have to wait for the messages, to know when to move ahead - and to take that journey - for ourselves. May we all have good health, happiness and success in that journey: Know that your Women's League sisters are here for you always, no matter where your journey in life may take you.
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NEED HELP?
HELP IS AVAILABLE ON THE WLCJ WEBSITE.
Programs, membership ideas, education material, and more available at wlcj.org
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