Chai Lines
International Northeast Region
Women's League
for Conservative Judaism
Networking to Engage, Enrich and Empower
Conservative Jewish Women
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August 9, 2019 Volume 3, Issue 27
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FROM THE REGION PRESIDENT--JOAN LOWENSTEIN
This week brings the final installment of our excerpts from Conference presentations with Noreen Kasman's piece on Social Awareness.
Noreen and the Beth David Sisterhood are hard at work on many projects that benefit a great many organizations. One of the projects Noreen outlines is Project Linus for the organization whose mission is to provide children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need tgifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans.
Whether it be making items for local, national or international organizations or cooking at a local food shelter, Noreen offers many and varied ideas. These are all outlined in Noreen's piece and I hope you click on the link below and enjoy reading it in its entirety.
Wishing you all a meaningful and peaceful, Shabbat!
L'Shalom
Joan
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SOCIAL AWARENESS--NOREEN KASMAN
"Social Awareness" used to be called "Service" or possibly "Tikun Olam", defined by Wikipedia as "(Hebrew:
תיקון
עולם, lit. 'repair of the world') is a concept in Judaism, interpreted in Orthodox Judaism as the prospect of overcoming all forms of idolatry, and by other Jewish denominations as an aspiration to behave and act constructively
and beneficially. The last definition most fits my "job; in today's world.
I grew up in small town Southern Ontario-Welland, to be exact. There were only 30 Jewish families so we interacted, for better or worse, with all of the community. My late father was active in shul life as well as the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews and my late mother was also busy with the shul and National Council of Jewish Women. I learned from the best.
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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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FROM WOMEN'S LEAGUE FOR
CONSERVATIVE
JUDAISM
Networking to engage,
enrich and empower
Conservative Jewish Women
"Jews and the Environment"
by
Corinne Hammerschlag
WLCJ Environment Chair
"When God created the first human beings, God led them around the Garden of Eden and said, "Look at my works!" See how beautiful they are...how excellent." For your sake, I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil it. (Ecclesiastes 7:13)
With our ignorance and greed, we are slowly destroying the earth and we are now responsible for repairing it.
"The earth is the LORD'S and the fullness thereof." - Psalm 24:1
Mankind is entrusted with the proper management of the world. We cannot stand aside and watch it being destroyed. The environmental implications are very strong for humans to realize that they do not have unrestricted freedom to misuse Creation. In the name of progress, water, air, land, and animals are being destroyed as a direct result of this carelessness.
So we, as Jews, as well as all humans, need to preserve our world.
Climate change is a huge problem, but we do not always fully understand the effects on a daily basis. We do not realize the effects of rising temperatures on ice caps, glaciers, and rising sea levels that cause shore erosion and deterioration of sea life from plankton to whales and sharks.
The rainforests are slowly being destroyed. We are not aware that extinction of certain plant and animal species can affect future medical benefits, or that the stored carbon released into the atmosphere or soil causes erosion, which damages the land.
On this Shabbat and each and every day, I hope that we continue to educate ourselves on this important issue, as well as do all we can to help the situation.
Women's League is proud to do its part to save the environment. For more information and resources on what you can do, check out the UN's page on Climate Change, as well as Greenfaith.
Important Update: The WLCJ App
Note: The outdated version of the WLCJ app has been removed from the itunes App Store. The correct one (pictured
LEFT, in purple) is under the name "
WLCJ Inc." Please download this version for Convention 2020 and all updates. The new icon will have a white background with the WL logo.
Please delete the version on the right (in blue) if you still have it on your phone/tablet.
Now you can easily connect to Women's League anytime and anywhere - right on your smart phone or tablet!
The Women's League App makes access to Women's League effortless.
Do you need Shabbat candle lighting times? Just tap the app and you can quickly find them for any city in the world.
Do you need to find information about a sisterhood? Just tap the app for a link to all Women's League affiliated sisterhoods.
Do you need programming ideas? Are you looking for membership documents? Do you need to order materials? Are you looking for conference information? Do you want to see photos from Women's League events? Just tap the app and you'll find it all!
iPhone/iPad - How to get the WLCJ app:
Go to the App Store
Click the magnifying glass icon
Type "Women's League for Conservative Judaism" or "WLCJ" in the search box at the top
Click on the app called "WLCJ Inc." (NOT "Women's League for Conservative Judaism," which is the outdated version of the app)
Click the GET button
Put in your password or thumbprint
After it installs, click OPEN
Android/Google Play - How to get the WLCJ app:
Go to the apps on your phone
Click on the PLAY STORE
Enter WLCJ in the search box on the top right
In the results: Click on the app called "WLCJ Inc." (NOT "Women's League for Conservative Judaism," which is the outdated version of the app)
Click the INSTALL button.
After it installs, open the WLCJ app
For all devices: You will need to go to the Member Log in button to use Member Pages and Resources. Be sure to allow push notifications so that we can send you important and timely information.
And stay tuned for important updates for Convention 2020!
Support the Har Zion Sisterhood Gift Shop!
Did you know that Har Zion's Landau Gift Shop in Penn Valley, PA is the first Women's League sisterhood gift shop to go online? Visit them at harziontemple.org/giftshop.
"We offer a wide variety of Judaica, giftware, children's items, hostess gifts, cookie and candy trays, and towers." Free Gift Wrapping and Gift Certificates are available. Questions? Call (610) 667-2968. Your purchases support Har Zion Sisterhood, Har Zion Temple, and the many wonderful programs they offer."
Landau Gift Box Hours:
Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sunday 9:45 a.m.-1 p.m. (when school is in session)
Mishnah Berakhot: Chapter Three
With Rabbi Pamela Barmash
Looking for ways to immerse yourself in Jewish study and text? Women's League for Conservative Judaism has just started a new program to enhance, enrich, and engage our Conservative Jewish Women in the 21st Century:
Listen, Pray, Think: A Journey through Mishnah Berakhot,
an 18-month study of the entire Tractate
Masechet
, of
Mishnah Berakhot.
This course will consist of ten live Zoom videoconferencing sessions taught by female scholars and rabbis, which will be recorded and posted on the Women's League website. Materials will also be available on our WLCJ website prior to each session for individual study,
b'chavruta
study with a partner, or as a group study with your Sisterhood.
The next session will be
Mishnah Berakhot, Chapter Three: Who's Obligated? Who's Exempt? with Rabbi Pamela Barmash - Thursday, Sept 19, 2019, 8:00 p.m., EST.
Rabbi Pamela Barmash, Ph.D.
No previous study will be needed to join the Zoom calls, just prior registration. Call-in information will be sent upon registering - Please refrain from joining the call until a half hour before the session.
This program is open to registered Women's League members only.
Not a member yet? Become an Individual Member here!
Make sure to register for all individual sessions in order to take the full course.
Applications are now open for the Convention 2020 Jewels in the Crown Awards!
Sisterhoods who met the criteria of a wide range of activities - those developed and sponsored by Women's League as well as home-grown programs and initiatives - have been acknowledged as the glittering jewels in the Women's League crown. Women's League will honor these exceptional programs with the Jewels in the Crown Awards at Convention 2020.
Women's League Reads - Video Now Available!
Weekly Words of Torah goes PC
(Parashah and Chesed)
Parashat Devarim /Shabbat Chazon 5779
This Shabbat, we begin the book of Deuteronomy, Sefer Devarim, with Parashat Devarim. In this week's Torah reading, before Moses' passing, Moses repeated the Torah, and we read another rendition of Moses' hardships. Moses reviewed the history and deeds of the children of Israel, B'nai Yisrael. Moses reprimanded the children of Israel for their past sins. As any good teacher knows, students learn through repetition, and so Moses, as the ultimate teacher of the children of Israel, repeats some of the commandments to the children of Israel. In addition, we read once again, the story of spies' mission, as well as a discussion about the crossing of the border of Moav.
This Shabbat, the Shabbat before Tisha B'av, which will begin on Saturday night after sundown, is called Shabbat Chazon, the Shabbat of vision, named for the first word of the Haftarah, from the first chapter of Isaiah. The word Chazon means vision or prophecy. This Haftarah is always read the third Shabbat after the fast of Shevah Asar B'Tammuz, and right before Tisha B'av. Parts of the haftarah are chanted in Eichah, Lamentations Trope, melody. Isaiah begins the Haftarah by condemning the people of Judah and Jerusalem for their bad behavior. Isaiah reminds them that God is like a father to the children of Israel, and the people should respect God and show their gratitude to God for all God has done for them. However, instead, the children of Israel rebel and are punished for their sins. Isaiah tells the people that God is no longer interested in the sacrifices people bring, and they will not receive any rewards for the sacrifices brought, because of their lack of social justice. Isaiah tells them they need to change their behavior. The Haftarah states (Isaiah 1:17), "Learn to do good, devote yourselves to justice, aid the wronged, uphold the rights of the orphan, defend the cause of the widow" (1:17). In the conclusion of the Haftarah, Isaiah laments the downfall of Judah and Jerusalem, the destitution of Zion, and the injustice that is rampant. But Isaiah promises that God's anger will be abated, and there is a hint of hope for the future: "Zion shall be saved in the judgment, her repentant ones, in the retribution" (1:27).
Thank You for Your Contributions!
The following have donated recently to Women's League and its many initiatives.
Donate here
, or send checks to Women's League made out to
"Women's League for Conservative Judaism."
Please indicate the name of the program you are donating to in the memo line of the check (i.e. "Masorti").
Masorti WL Days of Study
International Northeast Region
Save the Date!
WLCJ Convention 2020
Sisters Journeying Together
Sunday, July 12 - Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Hyatt Regency Schaumburg in Schaumburg, Illinois
(Suburban Chicago)
We look forward to seeing you there!
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FROM THE TORAH FUND V.P. -- MARILYN COHEN
"
Atid" (future) was the theme for the Torah Fund campaign that just ended on June 30, 2019. The design of the
Atid pin proved to be very popular and helped increase donations. The Torah Fund office is processing all the donations they received before June 30, from the 13 Regions, for the 5779 campaign. Thank you to all our donors in the International Northeast Region (INR).
The new theme of the 2019-2020 Torah Fund Campaign is Chesed, symbolizing the heart of kindness. The word can also be translated as "lovingkindness," to convey the deep love that motivates Jewish acts of kindness, done without thought of reward. Rabbinic tradition makes chesed one of the three central pillars of Jewish life, as Shimon HaTzaddik taught. "The world rests on three things: on Torah, on service of God, and on deeds of kindness." (Pirkei Avot 1:2)
Al haTorah, V'al Ha'Avodah, v'al G'milut Chasadim.
The 5780 Torah Fund pin depicts a heart surrounded by three circles, each one larger than the next. This symbolizes the heart of kindness in ever-widening realms of generosity: from family, to community, to the larger world. Or from North America, to Israel, to the entire world. Or from Sisterhood, to Region, to our international Women's League for Conservative Judaism.
Suggestions to Torah Fund and other event planning officers:
- Know your synagogue's deadlines for submitting TF materials/articles.
- Include a picture of the Chesed pin in your materials.
- Have tzedakah boxes at all meetings, especially your opening event.
- Have a display board with all Torah Fund cards on it at each meeting.
- Donate the remaining 5779 pins to a nursing home... or use them in a craft project.
- Check dates of Region events before setting your dates, to avoid conflicts.
- Put a Torah Fund program/event on your 5780 calendar.
- Invite the Region President and me to attend!
I am looking forward to another great year working with so many wonderful volunteers who are dedicated to Torah Fund. Please feel free to contact me at any time.
Marilyn Cohen, Torah Fund VP
International Northeast Region
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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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