CHAI LINES

The Newsletter of the International Northeast Region

March 15, 2024 - 5 Adar II 5784

If you are viewing Chai Lines on your smartphone,

consider a landscape orientation for easier viewing.


Visit our Website

Welcome!


As members of a WLCJ affiliated sisterhood or as a WLCJ Individual Member, you also belong to the International Northeast Region (INR) of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism and we are happy to be able to send you our bi-weekly region newsletter we call “Chai Lines”! Please read and enjoy!

From our Region President

Dear Friends,

 

This week’s Parashat Pekudei, describes the meticulous records kept by Moshe, of all the work and materials used in the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). “Eile pekudei hamishkan…” These are the records of the Tabernacle” (Exodus 38:1). The parsha also lists, in detail, all donations of gold, silver, precious gems, copper, fine linens etc. donated by the Israelites. When the Mishkan is completed, Moshe and the Israelites celebrate by anointing Aaron and his sons as priests, lighting the menorah, and offering special sacrifices to God. A holy cloud hovers over the sanctuary, indicating God’s presence inside, but when the cloud lifts the Israelites follow it as a sign that God is with them throughout their journey in the wilderness.

 

One might ask why there were such long, detailed lists of inventories and what could their significance be? The rabbinical commentators suggest that the details and lists served a very important function. Moshe carefully records each and every charitable gift. Afterwards he checks his list against those made by his master craftsman Bezalel and Oholiab his assistant. This attention to detail of what was given and how it was used, is a matter of accountability. For Moshe, the rabbis suggest, accountability by public officials of what they collect and how they use it is a moral responsibility. Public officials must be beyond reproach.

 

Furthermore, Moshe’s leadership highlights the importance of transparency and integrity in governance. As he meticulously records the contributions and expenditures for the Tabernacle, Moshe sets a precedent for openness and honesty in leadership. His actions emphasize the significance of accountability to both the people he leads and to God.

 

Today, the lessons from Parashat Pekudei continue to resonate in our understanding of effective leadership. Just as Moshe exemplified responsibility and accountability in his leadership role, today’s leaders can draw inspiration from his example. Whether one is a leader in politics, business, one’s community, synagogue, or sisterhood, we can all understand the importance of integrity, transparency, and accountability in all that we do.

 

As we reflect on the lessons of Parashat Pekudei, may we strive to emulate Moshe and his qualities of responsible leadership in our own lives.

 

Shabbat Shalom

Marilyn


Marilyn Cohen

Region President

INRPresident21@wlcj.org

REGION MATTERS:


Our INR Spring Conference, May 5th & 6th in Toronto, is shaping up to be an amazing event. Our Conference Committee has planned Conference to appeal to women in all ages and stages, interests, and passions.


  • We have a traditional Shacharit Service as well as a sensitive and spiritual Healing Service led by spiritual leader Aviva Chernick, artist in residence at Beth Tzedec Synagogue’s ‘Centre for Spiritual Well-Being’.
  • Rabbi Jenniffer Gorman will speak to us about the differences and similarities between CJPAC (Canada) and AIPAC (US) and the value of getting people engaged politically in these troubling times.
  • Kathy Kacer, a well-known young people’s author on Holocaust subjects will help us commemorate Yom HaShoah.
  • We are especially excited that Ellin Bessner will be a featured speaker. Ellen produces and hosts the CJN Daily News Podcast of the Canadian Jewish News. She will be speaking personally about her journey as a female, Jewish journalist and how her focus has changed since October 7th.



PLEASE JOIN US ON SUNDAY, MAY 5th AND MONDAY MAY 6th IN TORONTO.

Earlybird Deadline: March 20th - Final Deadline: April 19th

Hotel Deadline: April 5th


Simply PRINT the REGISTRATION FORM in the flyer below and MAIL it, with your payment, to the appropriate person on the form. Please send me an email at inrpresident21@wlcj.org once you have mailed your form so that we can track registration numbers.

 

CONSULTING SERVICES

 

MARCH 20th – 8:00 PM

Register for the Women’s League Consulting Services Workshop on 

Wednesday, March 20.  This program will spotlight building your best Sisterhood Affiliate.  Scroll down to read which topics will be included and then click the link to register.


Marilyn



Marilyn Cohen

Region President

INRPresident21@wlcj.org

Region Conference

Region Affiliate Programs

Beth David Women - Toronto

From our Torah Fund Vice President

Announcing

Our 2023-2024



Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba’Zeh

Campaign


All the people of Israel are responsible for one another

I recently placed an online order for some clothing items from a favorite retailer. Each item came in its own plastic bag. The items were on sale. I had a coupon. I spent enough to earn free shipping. My mother would be proud of my frugality – a habit she tried to instill in me. After sorting what to keep and what to return to a local store, I had a pile of plastic bags. Before throwing it away, I tied each bag into a knot or two. It’s a habit from when my children were babies and a habit I held onto when my grandchildren were young. As the youngest of them all just turned 14 last month and they all live in other states, it might be silly to keep tying knots, but it’s a habit. I have another habit. Each year I make a donation to Torah Fund in an amount to merit receiving a pin. It’s a good habit to have.

 

This year’s campaign is Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba’Zeh. All Israel is responsible for one another. When we each do our best, donating what we can, be it a large gift or a small one, together, we can make Conservative/Masorti Judaism strong. Your generosity is very much appreciated. We will announce the new theme for fiscal year 2024-2025 at INR’s Spring Conference. Coming to Conference is another good habit to establish. Join me? Remember to wear your Torah Fund pin!

 

As we give each year to support the students at our five institutions of higher learning, we give more than dollars. Each gift is a message to the students that thousands of women stand behind them in their quests to become rabbis, cantors, scholars, and educators, thereby offering emotional support to them in these difficult times. We make a difference.

 

Remember, in the United States, checks are to be made payable to Torah Fund. In Canada, cheques are made payable to the Jewish Theological Society.

 

Online giving is available in both countries, as well.

In the U.S.: Donate to Torah Fund (jtsa.edu)

In Canada, you must start with the ecard platform, purchase an ecard for $5, and then you may add an additional amount. Here’s the link: https://torahfundecards.jtsa.edu/canadian/

 

Torah Fund cards are available for all occasions. There are new e-cards on the Torah Fund website. Their purchase is credited to your own affiliate and applied toward goals. To purchase Toah Fund ecards, in the US, please use this link: https://torahfundecards.jtsa.edu/

Again, in Canada, use this link: https://torahfundecards.jtsa.edu/canadian/

Remember to use the link from your country, not the recipient’s country.

Paper cards are available from your local Torah Fund Chair.

 

Consider joining the Torah Fund Legacy Society.  As with donations to the current campaign, all bequests, large and small, are welcome. Beyond our lifetimes, we can make a difference in the Conservative/Masorti movement. More information can be found at: Torah Fund Legacy Society - Jewish Theological Seminary (jtsa.edu)

 

And let’s not forget about the special campaign called Spaces. We are oh so very close to reaching the goal of $200,000.00. If you’ve already made your gift to the is Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba’Zeh campaign, would you consider a bit more to Creating New Spaces, which will equally fund two important projects: A “Women’s League Study Space” in the new undergraduate residence hall at The Jewish Theological Seminary, and a special course of training for rabbinical students at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, entitled “Women’s League Institute on Gender Bias and Harassment.”

 

Always, your support is appreciated. Thank you. Merci, Todah Rabah.

 

Am Yisrael Chai,

Linda Boxer

INR Torah Fund VP

INRTorahFund@gmail.com

From Women's League:

This week at Women's League:

WL Jews in Performing Arts

Monday

March 18, 2024

3:00 pm ET




Before Camelot—Jews and the Musicals of the 1950s

 

The 1950s was a time of challenges for the American film industry. The musical helped save the industry, and many Jews were part of the creation of these wonderful films.

This course will investigate the great movie musical of the 1950s created by Jewish composers, lyrists, directors, and producers. Using film clips and discussions, the legacy of these great American movies will be explored.


This course will be comprised of three stand-alone sessions (Class 1 was presented Jan 22 and Class 2 was presented Feb 19):


Registration is open to WL members, in North America, you must log in to register for each class session. If you need assistance, please contact the office (405) 870-1260.

Class Three: The Jewish Producers, Directors, and Composers Behind Kiss Me Kate, High Society, Anything Goes, Kismet, and Summer Stock

REGISTER 

Registration is open to International Sisters, outside of North America, you must register for one or all three sessions through here:

Registration for International Sisters, outside of North America

Lois Silverman

lsilverman@wlcj.org

WL Consulting Services Workshop

Thursday

March 20, 2024

8:00pm ET


Sandy Blumenthal

Consulting Services Chair

sblumenthal@wlcj.org

Spotlight on building your best Sisterhood Affiliate.


Every Women's League Sisterhood Affiliate has its own personality, style, number of members, ways of doing things and perhaps even organizational structure. This workshop will spotlight a variety of frameworks to consider in light of your Sisterhood Affiliate's unique situation to help you invigorate and strengthen it. 


We will be covering the following topics for our workshop on March 20th:


  • How nominating committees can help build your Sisterhood Affiliate
  • Why be a Sisterhood Affiliate member
  • Where to look for members
  • Possible Sisterhood Affiliate structures
  • Delegation
  • Team Building
REGISTER

WL Keruv: Making the B’Mitzvah Rite Feel Right

Interfaith Families Celebrate

Thursday

March 28, 2024

7:30pm ET


Thirteen Years. Now what?


How will you include all members of my interfaith family in the bar/bat/b’mitzvah ritual?


In this interfaith inclusion program, we explore ways to bring full loving, celebratory acceptance to all families embarking on their child’s Jewish ritual.

REGISTER

Ariana Burrows

ariana_b@verizon.net

WL Keruv Co-Chair

 

Ellie Kremer

Tel. (610) 724-6612

WL Keruv Co-Chair

Learn from our speakers about ways to promote interfaith ritual inclusion

Dr. Keren R. McGinity, USCJ’s Interfaith Specialist

Raba Kaya Stern-Kaufman,

Temple Israel,

Portsmouth, NH

Barbara Glickman, Executive Director at Ohev Shalom of Bucks County

WL Health & Wellness: A fireside chat with

Dr. Rochelle Walensky


Thursday

April 25, 2024

8:00pm ET


Join us as we have a conversation with Dr. Rochelle Walensky, former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She will share her own personal journey into public health, what it was like to get “the call,” what were some of the hardest days/things, lessons learned, morale of the agency, preparedness for the next pandemic, and more.

REGISTER

Debbie Bettan

Health and Wellness Chair

dbettan@wlcj.org

Demand Justice #EndTheSilence

Petition to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres


Dear Secretary-General Guterres,


On October 7, Hamas terrorists raped and mutilated countless women and girls in Israel, using premeditated mass sexual violence and torture as a weapon of terror. 


Women were shot in their vaginas and breasts. Girls were found dead, stripped naked, genitals mutilated and covered with blood and semen.


Rape should never be sanctioned as an act of war. Not anywhere. Not again.

These heinous acts are war crimes and crimes against humanity. I am writing to ask you to help end the silence around Hamas’ use of rape as a weapon of war on October 7 and demand justice and accountability. I urge you to ensure that the United Nations conducts a thorough, independent, unbiased investigation and pursues vigorous prosecution for these war crimes. 

SIGN THE PETITION

Women’s League Partnership

Women’s League has now become a partner with our program. Each time someone comes to weave as a referral from Women’s League, we have the opportunity to share this incredible experience with them (and Women’s League also receives a referral fee). Whether you come to weave yourself or have our volunteers weave the item after you have designed it, you will take enormous pride and joy and satisfaction in your performance of hiddur mitzvah. It will be a seminal moment in your life. 

Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?


Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"

Shabbat Message by Cory Schneider

Weekly Words of Torah

Rabbi Margie Cella

mcella@wlcj.org

WLCJ Educator

For the past 80-plus years, the Torah Fund Campaign of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, the dedicated philanthropy of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, has been supporting scholarships and programs in the worldwide Conservative/Masorti institutes of higher Jewish learning, The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, Schechter Institutes of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, 

Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires, and Zacharias Frankel College in Potsdam.

 

The 2023-2024 / 5784 Torah Fund General Campaign is Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba’Zeh, All the people of Israel are responsible for one another. Arevut, responsibility, will be visible on our new, silver heart-shaped charm which can be worn as a pendant or pin. 



Read More Weekly Words of Torah

The WWOT, the Weekly Words of Torah, each week through the end of June 2024, will delve into the idea of arevut, responsibility. 



Parashat Pekudei

Exodus 38:21-40:38 

March 16, 2024


In this last parashah of the book of Shemot we find a full inventory of the materials required to make the Mishkan, Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priestly garments for Aaron and his sons. Under the direction of Bezalel and Oholiab, the people of Israel did the work of creating all the furnishings and vestments according to God’s detailed instructions. The finished components were then brought to Moses, who blessed them for their labors. Now, God instructed Moses to erect the tabernacle and to anoint Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. Afterwards, the completed tent was guarded by a pillar of cloud by day and fire at night, that only moved from that spot when the people had to move to a new location.


The centerpiece of the tabernacle was the ark and its precious contents, and God’s presence there was manifested by the presence of a cloud. The dedication of the Mishkan culminated with Moses blessing the assembled nation.


Unfortunately, we know today that the Mishkan, along with the sacred ark, has been lost to history. Today the Divine presence is manifested here on earth when we commit ourselves to working together to bring God’s peace into our world. Each of us is called upon to do our part, making a place for the presence of the Shechinah within our soul.


Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba’Zeh - All the people of Israel are responsible for one another.

Makom B'Yachad

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday

9:00 am PT

10:00 am MT

11:00 am CT

12:00 pm ET

A virtual service for our WLCJ Sisters to recite Mishaberach, the Prayer for Healing, recite the Psalm of the Day, study and recite Kaddish together.


Join Zoom Meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/630830287

Meeting ID: 630 830 287

Password: 875936

A virtual background is available for Makom Yachad! 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Want to sing, teach, help with technology, and more during Daily Psalm Study, and Kaddish?

SIGN UP

Prayer for Comfort - composed by Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields

VIEW PRAYER



Programming Ideas

LEARN MORE



Jill Tomar

jill.tomar@gmail.com

WL Programming Co-Chair

 


Toby Maser

tmaser@wlcj.org

WL Programming Co-Chair

WL Consulting Services

Download Flyer

Sandy Blumenthal

Consulting Services Chair

sblumenthal@wlcj.org


Anise Parnes

Consulting Services

Vice Chair

aparnes@wlcj.org

Mothers of Olim

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism sponsors Mothers of Olim, a group founded prior to the emergence of Zoom. Initially the members helped each other ship packages to their children who had made Aliyah, immigrated to Israel. With the dawn of Covid and Zoom, Mothers of Olim became a lifeline to women around the globe when we weren’t permitted to visit... continue reading



Renee Seal

BubbyRenee18@aol.com

Mothers of Olim Chair

WLCJ Inclusion

Our ongoing WLCJ Inclusion Committee is looking to expand. The purpose of our committee is to make our members aware of the great strides in Inclusion in our Sisterhood affiliates and synagogues. Our Women’s League Inclusion Committee is working towards expanding the culture of our synagogues to create an environment that makes all of us, no matter our unique identities and needs, feel welcomed and embraced in our Jewish community. We work to initiate programs with and support programs for the Inclusion committees in your synagogue/Sisterhood affiliate to make all underserved communities feel seen and encourage improvement of Inclusion practices and policies. If this interests you, please contact Karen Winer.



Karen Winer

karen.winer@comcast.net

Inclusion Co-Chair

 

Vicki Isman

vicki.isman@gmail.com

Inclusion Co-Chair

Resources found on our website

War in Israel Find more Israel-related resources on our website

Daughters of Yisrael | Streaming Now - a song for WLCJ by Rabbi Aviva Shira Funke

WLCJ App | Available for download

WLCJ-FJMC Inclusion Initiative | Learn more

Kolot BiK’dushah | Learn categories and guidelines

WL Mothers of Olim | Learn more and who to contact

WLCJ Convention 2023Learn more and view photos

WLCJ PrezNet Learn more and who to contact

WLCJ 5784 Calendar DiariesClearance Sale

Keshet | Learn more about the equality project for LGBTQ in Jewish life

Women of the Wall Support WOW by purchasing a tallit

Rabbinical Assembly | Visit the website exploringjudaism.org

Mental Health Mishloach Manot | Learn more

Published Shabbat messages | Learn more

From the Seminaries We Support

Schechter Institutes | Community Learning

Jewish Theological Seminary | Events & Learning

American Jewish University | Online Jewish Learning

Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano | Learn more

Zacharias Frankel College Learn more

Torah Fund

Learn more about Creating New Spaces Campaign: We Need YOU to Make It Happen!

Download The Torah Fund Campaign Flyer

Give to Torah Fund

Legacy Society | Learn more

Download the Torah Fund Ecards Flyer

Purchase Torah Fund Ecards | for USA members

Purchase Torah Fund Ecards | for Canadian members

Chadashot | News from Torah Fund

Additional Opportunities

Hillel International Scholarships for Jewish Students | Learn more

Nefesh B'Nefesh | Learn more

Reshet Ramah Poland Journey | Learn more

Announcing the new Yuval Yisrael summer program for teens | Learn more

Women's Study Group with author, Naomi Graetz | Learn more

MERCAZ USA | Give

Women's League Google Groups Learn more

Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

INR of Women's League for Conservative Judaism