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Dear Friends,

My husband, Bob, and I recently returned from a two-week tour of Jewish Morocco. The tour was led by Dr. Seymour Epstein, a well-known Jewish educator in Toronto who we all call ‘Epi’, and Rafi Elmaleh, the undisputed, top tour guide of Jewish Morocco. On the one hand, it was depressing to see how this vibrant community of almost 400,000 Jews before 1948 has dwindled to only about 2,000 in the whole country today. The Jewish Community in the major urban centres remains, however, active, and vibrant with synagogues filled to overflowing on Shabbat, albeit with many Jewish tourists. There are even Kosher restaurants in Marrakesh and Casablanca. Here we were in a Muslim country and what impressed us was the level of tolerance one felt directed toward its Jewish community. The much beloved King, Mohamed VI, has as one of his principal advisors, a member of the Jewish community - Mr. Andre Azoulay - who met with us and offered greetings. A proud example of this tolerance we were told, was the response that King Mohamed V gave to the French Vichy government that ruled Morocco during World War II. They had demanded the King deliver its Jews for transport to concentration camps, but the King’s response was, “We have no Jews, we only have Moroccans” and no Jews were sent to the camps.

Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating way back to Roman times. Jews were in Morocco for at least 2000 years, well before the Muslims. There was also a huge influx of Spanish Jews fleeing the inquisition in 1492. The earliest Jews integrated with the indigenous peoples of the Atlas Mountains called the Berbers and lived peacefully side by side for generations. Our group visited a Berber village and was invited into a home where we participated in an elaborate tea ceremony. Their homes are still made out of mud but were clean and airy.

We visited all the major urban centres: Rabat the capital, Fez, Marrakesh & Casablanca. The latter is where the largest percentage of Jews live. For Shabbat, in both Marrakesh and Casablanca, our group was hosted for both Friday night dinner and Saturday lunch in private Jewish homes where delicious, kosher, traditional Moroccan food was served in abundance. The synagogues we attended were packed with worshipers (even in the women’s section) and they used a chanting nusach I was not familiar with but found fascinating to listen to. Although the Friday night service is lengthy, (the whole congregation chants Shir Hashirim/Song of Songs in unison), the musical experience was melodic and transforming. Here we were on the other side of the world ushering in our Shabbat in such a meaningful way. At the end of Shabbat, our group assembled on our hotel terrace, under the stars for a communal Havdalah ceremony.

As an aside, seven of the 23 of us contracted Covid - thankfully all relatively mild cases - and we isolated ourselves from the tour for about 5 days. But since Epi was one of those affected, he took us on a private tour of Jewish gems in Casablanca where he had lived for 8 years while working for the Joint Distribution Committee. We were fortunate to visit a French Alliance school that once accommodated over 1000 Jewish children. Today, unfortunately, there are about 400 children in attendance but only 20 of those are Jewish.

.

This was truly a Jewish-oriented trip. Every city had its Jewish quarter called the Melach. That was because the early kings allocated to the Jews the exclusive trade in salt (melach in Hebrew & Arabic). They were protective of their Jewish citizens and therefore the Jewish quarter or Melach was always located right next to the king's palace.  

 The current king is actively engaged in restoring these areas, renaming the streets back to their original Hebrew names, refurbishing synagogues, and Jewish cemeteries, and renovating dilapidated houses. 

The question we often asked was - if the Jews and Muslims got along so well why did they leave Morocco? There are various answers: Those pious Jews living in the mountains who, for centuries prayed to return to Jerusalem, moved en masse to Israel in 1948 when the State of Israel was born. Others, in the cities, felt more and more vulnerable as conflicts between Arab countries and Israel increased over the years. 

Many moved to Israel, but others moved to France, Quebec, the US, and other countries.

Whether the restoration of Jewish landmarks is an attempt to bring back Moroccan Jews or increase Jewish tourism, is another topic for discussion. We did meet Moroccan Jews on various tours like ours visiting the homeland of their parents. For sure, Jewish tourists like myself are intrigued by the history and current attempt to re-establish some essence of what was a thriving and vibrant Jewish community. However, it will never return to its past glory. What we hope for the future, given the current king’s pro-Jewish attitude, is to establish a modern Jewish presence in Morocco, along with the current tolerance policy, devoid of antisemitism. 

Halevai, if only this were to be true for other Arab countries as well.

Shabbat Shalom,

Marilyn

DID YOU KNOW? 

November 29th is significant in two ways:

1.  This coming Tuesday, November 29th is “Giving Tuesday”. This is a global movement of generosity, created in 2012, as a simple way of encouraging people to give and do good deeds. As members of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism (WLCJ), we have been given the opportunity to support either our Masorti Women’s Day of Study in Israel &/or Torah Fund’s Creating New Spaces project. I’m sure you will be bombarded by many organizations asking for your support but please consider our Women’s League projects as well. See our newsletter for further details. 

2.  November 29, in 1947 was an historic day for the Jewish People. On that day, the United Nations General Assembly voted on Resolution 181, adopting a plan to partition the British Mandate into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Jews accepted this vote, but the Arabs did not, and it led to Israel’s War of Independence. Some communities around the world are commemorating this date with celebrations and re-enactments of that famous vote that so many of us have witnessed in movies or documentaries. In Toronto, the event will take place at Beth Tzedec Synagogue and is sponsored by MERCAZ-Canada, the Canadian Foundation for Masorti Judaism and Beth Tzedec, with support from CZF, FJMC and WLCJ. See below for the flyer and go to the MERCAZ -Canada website for the Zoom link at: www.mercaz.ca

Shabbat Shalom,

Marilyn Cohen

Region President

inrpresident21@wlcj.org



Can you Read? Type? Copy and paste? Do you download and save photos of your children & grandchildren? Do you email? Zoom? Then it is really that simple... If you have these basic skills, you can easily learn the rest! The programs that we use to publish the newsletter are not difficult to learn and we are here to train you and help as you learn! If you are interested and want to learn more please contact Marilyn Cohen at INRPresident21@wlcj.org.

Our 2022-2023 Chazak v'Ematz Campaign

Be Strong and Courageous

Suddenly, we are at the end of November! If you will need a tax receipt for 2022 for your Torah Fund or Spaces donation, please submit your checks as soon as possible. The Torah Fund Office would like all checks for 2022 submitted by December 1, 2022. Receipts for online giving are generated immediately. Torah Fund Chairs: Please submit all checks promptly! (Checks received later will be processed as quickly as possible, but receipts may be delayed.)

Wow! Our Chazak v’Ematz general campaign, as of November 14, 2022, has generated $456,425.00. Thank you to all who have donated. Each and every dollar makes a difference in the lives of our students at our five schools. Remember, gifts of all sizes are appreciated. Learn more about our schools: Torah Fund - Jewish Theological Seminary (jtsa.edu)

Do you support a charity on Giving Tuesday, November 29th? Consider a gift to Torah Fund’s Creating New Spaces Campaign which supports the physical and educational needs of our students in meaningful ways and is ongoing until we reach our goal of $200,000. So far, we have raised $132,553.00! Funds raised will benefit both the Women’s League Study Space at The Jewish Theological Seminary and the Women’s League Institute on Gender Bias & Harassment at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. Donations will be shared equally between the two schools.

Consider sending Torah Fund cards to acknowledge times of joy and sorrow. Paper cards are available from your local Torah Fund Chair. 

In the US, order ecards at: Torah Fund eCards – Send an eCard to a loved one. (jtsa.edu)

In Canada, order ecards at: Canadian eCards – Torah Fund eCards (jtsa.edu)

Thank you for all you do in support of Torah Fund.

Questions? Comments? Contact Me!

Linda Boxer

INR Torah Fund VP

INRTorahFund@gmail.com

May your feast be plentiful and your blessings abundant. Women's League for Conservative Judaism wishes a Happy Thanksgiving to all our sisters and their loved ones!

All of the #GivingTuesday Campaign will go to the “MASORTI WOMEN’S DAYS OF STUDY”.

#GIVINGTUESDAY Facebook Fundraiser

Help us spread the word in social media! Please click on the button below to share our WLCJ GivingTuesday Facebook Fundraiser. Together we are louder and heard even further if you help us share our fundraiser page. Let’s exceed what we raised last year on Facebook! Click on the button below.

Women of the Wall: Rosh Chodesh

Kislev - Friday, November 25 

@ 12 AM ET

Join Women of the Wall for Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Friday November 25! Our hard-won freedoms are under attack, but we will not give up on our right to pray. Praying with Women of the Wall means using your voice to advocate for equality and pluralism at our holiest site, creating a brighter future for all. See you there!

Ben-Gurion Day in the USA - Wednesday, November 30 

@ 12 PM ET

Each year on November 30th, Israel celebrates the man who laid the foundation of the Modern State of Israel.

Learn about Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel’s most innovative institution of higher learning and research, and how Americans for Ben-Gurion University is helping fulfill David Ben-Gurion’s vision for Israel’s Negev region.

Experience our first-ever stateside celebration at 12 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Personal Conversations 

Thursday, December 1 @ 1 PM ET

Topic: Eager to Travel Again? Learn What’s New in Jewish Heritage Travel, Come Back to Israel, or Explore the World.

Presenters: Iris Hami and Rebecca Stern, with Gil Travel Group (with offices in Philadelphia, New York and Tel Aviv).

Do you dream of finally returning to Israel with your family, or are you looking for a fresh travel itinerary to see Israel with a group? How about adding a leg to Dubai? Perhaps Spain and Portugal are calling to you? Or Prague, Berlin, Venice, Buenos Aires, or Mumbai?...

Women of the Wall Presents "Sacred Feminism" -Tuesday, December 6 @ 12 PM ET

Makom B'Yachad is moving their regular time to 11:00 AM ET on Tuesday, 

December 6th, to accommodate our members to be able to attend the following program:

Women’s League and the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) are jointly sponsoring a Women of the Wall (WOW) program on Tuesday, December 6 at 12:00 PM EST. This is our second joint program with WRJ sponsoring WOW. Alieza Saltzberg, an educator at Rothberg International School at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, will be speaking with WOW about “Sacred Feminism”, which explores how Jewish women may have been deliberately left out of Halacha’s evolution. Sacred Feminism grew out of the need and desire for women to participate in organized Judaism. Our work with WOW falls under World Community Engagement which is run by Illene Rubin. Please see the flyer below to register.

Sustainability - Thursday, 

December 8 @ 8 PM ET

Sustainability Program: Conserving our Oceans, Lakes, and Rivers in a Changing World

Join us on zoom to learn with Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, marine ecologist and world-renowned shark researcher, and raise awareness about the deep Jewish connection to water and reinforce the urgent moral imperative of water conservation.

Sichot Beyn Achayot: MiDor L'Dor / Conversations between Sisters Series - Sunday, December 11 @ 12:00 PM ET

Sunday 12.11.22 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm ET

Workshop 3 - MiDor L’Dor: Taking the 100-Year Journey from Bat Mitzvah to Egalitarianism

How did the first bat mitzvah lead to the expanded roles for Jewish women, both in the synagogue and the community? We will explore how things have changed in the last 100 years and ponder what the next 100 may bring.

Speakers: 

Prof. Alice Shalvi, Founder of Women's Rights Movement in Israel and Israel Prize recipient for her contribution to education

Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, JTS Chancellor and Irving Lehrman Research Professor of American Jewish History

Saralee Schrell-Fox, Educator and Chazzanit, Jerusalem

Rabba Dikla Druckman-Sherzer, Fuchsberg Jewish Center, Jerusalem

Avner Moriah

WLCJ FUNDRAISER

Thank you to Grace Schessler, WLCJ Vice President and Program Chair, for planning our amazing program with Avner Moriah! If you missed the program, you can watch the recording here:

This is a WLCJ FUNDRAISER and we thank Avner Moriah for contributing a percentage of all sales to WLCJ.

Please go to his website:

 http://avnermoriahprints.com/ and take a look at his beautiful collection. Discount code is valid until December 31st, 2022.

20% DISCOUNT CODE: WL2022

Watch Avner Moriah at JTS Women's League Pavillion video below (click on the image):

Hanukkah Lighting and 

Paint & Sip - 

Thursday, December 22

@ 7 PM ET

Join Women's League for our Annual Hanukkah Lighting! Followed by Paint and Sip with Nikki Fuchs Sausen. 

Registration for Hanukkah Lighting is FREE.

Participation for the Paint Night:

US Kit Pricing = $45.00

Canada Kit Pricing = $52.00

Kit fees cover: Canvas, Paints, Brushes, Apron and Shipping

Cut-off date to purchase Kits:

USA Orders: December 12th

Canadian Orders: December 8th

Estimated Delivery Schedules:

USA Orders: USPS Priority Mail and are delivered within 2-3 business days

Canadian Orders: Deliveries are delivered within 4-7 business days.

Weekly Words of Torah

Parashat Toldot - November 26, 2022

Parents playing favorites is something that many try to avoid, but sometimes does happen. Sometimes one child is more similar to a parent, and that can either cause a greater affinity one to the other, or they may be so similar, that they irritate each other, and cause more tension. In this week’s Torah reading, Parashat Toldot  we see the negative consequences of Rebecca and Isaac playing favorites to their children Jacob and Esau. Perhaps Esau’s being a hunter, and perhaps brazen mannerism made Rebecca think too much of her brother Laban, and perhaps since Jacob was more a timid character, who liked to sit by the tent, was too similar to Isaac himself. And thus, we see that the parents favored the child who was less like their own sibling and their own personality. Who do you see yourself drawn to – people you are similar to a family member, or someone not like you or another member of your family? Let’s all keep an open mind when entering into friendships and relationships, and as you do it remember – Chazak v’Ematz – Be Strong and Courageous!

Programming Idea of the Week

November 22-23, 2022

Are you ready to celebrate Sigd with your community?

With the Jewish Agency for Israel's Sigd-in-a-Box digital toolkit, you’ll be fully prepared to join Jewish communities everywhere in celebrating the Jewish holiday of Sigd on November 22-23.

Sigd is a day of fasting, purification and renewal, and is a holiday that’s been preserved by Ethiopian Jews for centuries, centering on the idea of accepting the Torah and yearning for Israel and Jerusalem. 

The Jewish Agency’s wide range of Sigd materials provides you with everything you need to bring this important holiday to life: a crash course presentation with a companion script, recipes, music, a video with personal stories, bookable speakers and more! 

VISIT THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR ISRAEL'S SIGD PAGE TODAY, peruse our resources and download the toolkit so you can host a Sigd celebration in your community this November!

Makom B'Yachad

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday

12PM ET; 11AM CT; 9AM PT; 10AM MT

Join Zoom Meeting: 

https://zoom.us/j/630830287

Meeting ID: 630 830 287

Password: 875936

Important Time Change:

Tuesday, December 6 - Makom B'Yachad meets at 11AM ET, so we can all join Women of the Wall presents "Sacred Feminism" program at 12 Noon ET.

Special Program during Makom B'Yachad:

Friday, December 23 - Hanukkah

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

Jewels in the Crown Returns to Convention 2023

Jewels in the Crown is an opportunity for your Sisterhood to be honored for exceptional programming and participation.

See below for information and application.

*NEW* more options to fill out the application.

Application online version was created on Google Forms as an alternative.

Application and supporting materials must be submitted to Women’s League by

March 2, 2023.

For more information email: jewel@wlcj.org

WLCJ 5783 Calendar Diaries in Pocket & Planner Sizes

Calendar Diaries are available in TWO SIZES. 

Pocket Size: 4x6in. 

Planner Size: 8.5x11in.

Both available to ORDER NOW.

PrezNet

Join the WL PrezNet

Toby Maser

PrezNet Moderator

Project Stock the Shelves

Your contribution will help reduce food insecurity among our neighbors

If you’ve been shopping recently, you can’t help but notice how much the cost of food has gone up. Please consider contributing a Kosher item to your pantry collection this month.

Debbie Bettan

Social Justice Project Chair

dbettan@wlcj.org

Karen Block

Social Justice Co-Chair

kblock@wlcj.org

Ardis Wexler

Social Justice Co-Chair

judgeardis@aol.com

The cost for the weekly questions email and hard-cover book is currently $99. For more information and to receive a $10 discount click below:

Women's League for Conservative Judaism gets a donation by using the link.

Cory Schneider

Archives Chair & Consultant

Past International President

Administrator, Torah Fund Legacy Society

cschneider@wlcj.org

WLCJ App

We brought back the WLCJ App.

It's available for download on all devices (iPhone/iPad/Google Play/Android).

WLCJ Website

The Women's League website now is available in all languages.

Visit our website: www.wlcj.org

Dear Merle & Susan,

So many thanks for inviting me to meet with your wonderful group! Women's League is more than impressive—what a lovely, warm, and wise group of women. I truly enjoyed meeting everyone. Getting to spend time with the two of you was the cherry on the sundae—what a treat!

I hope you both have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving. 

Warmest,

Randy

Missed out on the program?

Click on the video image below to watch the recording of WL Reads with Randy Sue Meyers

Jewish Delis and Spiritual Nourishment; The Case of Spinoza; Heschel on Prophecy; and More

Just Added! Mayim Bialik: Being Jewish in Hollywood

Schechter's Ongoing Hybrid and Zoom Courses

New Digital Torah Fund eCards Available NOW:

Send a greeting with ecards and support Torah Fund! Make your gift more meaningful by using our ecards for every occasion!

Dear Torah Fund Leadership Team,

During this 80th anniversary year for Torah Fund, all $80+ donations will be reported and recognized by the Torah Fund office. Please share with us any 80th anniversary events happening in your Region or sisterhood. Also, we would appreciate it if you would forward any invitations, flyers or articles to us so we can share the updates.

Margie and Rita

Co-chairs of the Torah Fund’s 80th anniversary

Margie Miller              Rita Wertlieb

Mmiller@wlcj.org     Rwertlieb@wlcj.org

WOW Merchandise

All prices include regular shipping (with tracking, 2-4 weeks). Express shipping costs an extra $20 per item.

2023 Holocaust Remembrance

Eva Wachsmann (being held second from the left) was born in Kosice Mesto, in the former Czechoslovakia on 22 March 1930. Here she is pictured with her family at the family home. Eva was nine years old when the Second World War began. She did not survive the Holocaust. She was murdered by the Nazis in the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi concentration and death camp. Credit: Yad Vashem Archives, Hall of Names

Calendar of Events at United Nations Headquarters January | February

10 January – 23 February 2023

Exhibition “After the End of the World: Displaced Persons and Displaced Persons Camps”

Europe emerged from the Second World War utterly broken, with millions of refugees scattered across many countries. The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was created to resettle those displaced by the mayhem of the war and the Holocaust. The fragments from the past illuminate the work of UNRRA administrators, and chart how, in the aftermath of catastrophic loss, Holocaust survivors navigated their new lives in displaced persons camps. The exhibition is sourced with artefacts and documents from the archives of the United Nations and the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, and draws upon the expertise of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity at the Graduate Center—CUNY. The exhibition was created by the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme and Professor Debórah Dwork, together with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research Archives, the United Nations Archives and Records Management Services, and with generous support of Stockton University.

Opening event: Tuesday, 24 January 2023, 11:00 a.m. EST, Visitors Lobby, United Nations Headquarters

Registration will open soon...                                        Read more, click here.

The Nefesh B’Nefesh JNF 2022-2023 Ma'alot Grant Program

Go to this LINK for the Ma'alot Grant information. It has details about the application plus a special offer from Rabbi Paul Freedman. He will be delighted to call you if you wish more information.

Is your synagogue considering a Mission to Israel in 2022 or 2023?

Our colleague, Rabbi Paul Freedman (nina_f@netvision.net.il) can offer resources including offers from Masorti Movement, Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center, and Nefesh B’Nefesh with its new Campus (located in the Kiryat Leumi, next to the Jerusalem Supreme Court). Some suggestions translate into budgetary reductions for your Mission especially with the NBN Campus.

New format for our EMagazine - Today’s Israel

Our EMagazine Today’s Israel, has a new format with fewer articles and an emphasis on photos. In this first issue there are three examples describing what Rabbi Paul’s partners, Nefesh B’Nefesh, Masorti and JNF are doing. Without their support, none of the above would be possible. We need your input with suggestions for future issues. Here is the Link. 

Don’t miss this new website – ExploringJudaism.org – where people like you can share personal and meaningful Jewish wisdom and reflection in addition to insight on practical living through the lens of Conservative/Masorti Judaism.

ExploringJudaism.org is a digital home for the Torah of Conservative/Masorti Judaism. While the name of this stream of Judaism was born well over a century ago, in the contemporary world Conservative Judaism is expressed through connection, community, and the creation of meaning.  This lens on Judaism is rooted in the idea that Judaism grows with us, that we’re guided by process, and that there is beauty in the balance.

Click on the button to visit website for summer events:

INR of Women's League for Conservative Judaism