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From the Region President |
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“A superb conference which moved seamlessly between live and recorded elements.”
“Jewish Women & the Law could be a full-day symposium. Much too short! Excellent.”
“Overall a very good conference - diverse, interesting, spiritual, emotional & fun”
“Excellent conference...all speakers were impressive”
I couldn’t have said it better myself! These were just a few of the comments we received following our INR Virtual Spring Conference that was held on April 25, 2021. Yasher Kochech to our Conference Committee Co-Chairs Linda Steinhorn and Iris (Rusty) Zackheim and the entire Conference Committee. And of course, we could not have done any of this without the guidance of our wonderful Conference Consultant, Barbara Ezring. I am so proud of what we have all built B’Yachad – Together!
For me, I laughed, I cried (a lot – both happy and sad tears) and I just so enjoyed “being with” all of the many women in our wonderful region: Women who have become my “mothers and sisters” over these many years. We also met some new people who we welcome and look forward to getting to know better.
Based on the evaluations that are being received, it appears that two of the sessions that were too short were Jewish Women and the Law and Greetings from Israel. Our program committee is already hard at work planning an expanded program with our Israeli Kehillot for a more extended program hopefully this coming fall, and we will see if we can fit in something more with our esteemed women of the Law sometime in the not too distant future. And of course, we all kvell that the now internationally famous Lois Silverman hails from INR – and perhaps she will provide another film or TV program for Women’s League in the not too distant future. But in the meantime, you can see any of her past programs on Jew’s in TV Comedy here.
If you were unable to attend Conference but would like to see the videos of the sessions, the speeches, and the installation, or if you for any reason would like to see them again, including, of course, Lois' session on Jewish Women in Film, you can access them on our region website here.
And while we have completed Conference for this year, we are far from finished. We have another fun region program coming up on June 15th. See the flyer below. Hope to see you then!
I wish, above all else, good health for you and your loved ones, a very happy Mother’s Day and of course, a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat.
Joan Lowenstein
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INR SPRING CONFERENCE 2021 |
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Revisit Conference 2021 via videos. Videos are available on the WLCJ website's Members Only Section.
- Log in
- Click on Download WLCJ Member Materials
- Click on Regions
- Click on International Northeast
- Click on desired video and download.
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Julia Mayer Bio
Julia Mayer builds trust with interesting people so that she can ask the question and tell the stories other people don’t.
Fred Terna, a 97 year old Holocaust survivor and renowned artist, has lived one of the most fascinating stories Julia has heard. In “Painting Resilience: The Life and Art of Fred Terna ,” she vividly captures his time in the camps, his recovery after, his challenging relationship with his first wife Stella, and his discovery of what it means to live in safety and comfort for more than 35 years with his wife Rebecca Shiffman and their son Daniel Terna.
Julia’s first book, the young adult novel Eyes in the Mirror, was published in 2011 by Sourcebooks.
Julia is Director of Development for Year Up, a nonprofit that provides workforce development for disadvantaged young adults. She has a Masters in Management from Harvard University, a BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Boston University, and is a graduate of Bard High School Early College. An avid swimmer and kayaker, she lives is Boston MA with her husband.
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From the Region Torah Fund Chair |
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From the Region Torah Fund Chair |
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I am still ‘kvelling’ about the wonderful INR Conference we had this past April 25th. Kol Hakavod to everyone who planned, participated and presented at our amazing virtual event.
In my Torah Fund seesion I highlighted the Zacharias Frankel College in Pottsdam, Germany – the newest seminary to join our Conservative/Masorti family of seminaries.
Now I’d like to present the personal journey of one of its students – Irene Muzas Calpe – a young woman, born in Spain to non-Jewish parents but who ends up studying to be a rabbi at the Zacharias Frankel College.
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When you give to Torah Fund, you help empower students like Irene to achieve their goals when they study at one of our five Conservative/Masorti institutes of higher education around the world. B’Yachad/Together our contributions to Torah Fund further the important work of our students and programs and help ensure the future of the Jewish people.
Please give today! Thank you for your generosity.
Important Date Reminder
The current campaign year will end June 30. Have YOU given your annual Torah Fund donation this year? Were you inspired to give more? There’s still time. IF you are in the US you can easily donate online any time before June 30th. However, we recognize that many of our donors - both Americans and Canadians - prefer writing a check. To be sure that mailed contributions are received in the Torah Fund office by June 30, we suggest you forward your checks to your Sisterhood Torah Fund Chair by May 11 so that the Torah Fund office can receive all checks by May 19. Checks take much longer to process than online contributions.
Feel free to reach out to me at marilyncohen18@bell.net if you have questions about any aspect of the Torah Fund campaign at your Sisterhood.
Shabbat Shalom,
Marilyn
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Click HERE to donate online to Torah Fund (Americans only)
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Click HERE to send a Torah Fund E-Card (Americans only)
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Makom B’Yachad - A Journey
By Debbie Lempert, Virtual Tefillot Co-Chair
One moment I was agreeing to be a Tefilah co-chair for the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism’s International Convention and before I knew it, I was on Zoom every day at noon for Makom B’Yachad.
It all began at a minyan in Debbi Goldich‘s hotel room at our last Region Conference in suburban Chicago. She needed to say Kaddish and was looking for 9 dedicated women to join her. I dragged myself out of bed and showed up in pajamas at 6:45am. Several months later she called asking if I would be a Tefilah co-chair for the 2020 convention in Schaumburg, Illinois with Toby Holtzman. This position seemed scary but I agreed. Just as our planning was gaining momentum, COVID-19 abruptly forced us to hold our convention in Zoomburg. Instead of planning for multiple services, I was now helping to plan and lead one short service. Not long after, Debbi reached out to see if I would be willing to co-chair a Virtual Tefilah. We had Women’s League sisters who needed to say Kaddish for loved ones at a time when most synagogues were shuttered. I agreed to chair this group with my new friend Toby Holtzman.
My new role was a big time commitment, and did I really want to spend 30 minutes every day learning some form of Torah? Assured that I could attend when I had time, I agreed. This program developed into the very popular Makom B’Yachad. Together we have led Hallel and created holiday programming including songs, poetry, games and even a Zoom play.
Fast forward one year. What we thought would be a temporary program has now become a mainstay in so many people’s lives. I find myself scurrying to my computer almost every day so that I can visit with these women, some of whom were once names in emails or zoom boxes are now my friends. I love discussing important issues, celebrating Simchas and supporting each other while mourning loved ones. I now look forward to learning something new each day. What started as a group of women coming together to say Kaddish and thwart off loneliness has become a group of sisters who deeply care about each other. We’ve become even closer after the loss of our matriarch Audrey Madans. I could not have predicted that I would have friends around the country and throughout Canada who I look forward to being with and learning from each day. I can’t wait to see them at future conferences and conventions or visit them when my husband and I travel. I look forward to hugging each and every one of my new sisters.
Shabbat Shalom,
Debbie Lempert
Virtual Tefillot Co-Chair
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Resolution for Racial Justice |
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The Resolutions and Public Policy Committee composed the following Resolution for Racial Justice (2021). This resolution was passed by the WLCJ Executive Comm. and is being offered to our membership for comments. The Resolutions Committee will review all comments and make changes, as the committee may deem useful and appropriate. Then this resolution will be offered to the WLCJ Board of Directors for final vote. If passed by the Board of Directors, this resolution becomes an official position of WLCJ. Our hope is that our Sisterhoods will develop programming and projects inspired by this resolution.
Resolutions have been a part of the work of Women’s League for over 70 years. We are proud of the positions we have taken, as we have added the collective voice of thousands of Conservative Jewish women to the call for justice, freedom and tikkun olam. The WLCJ website contains the entire archive of our resolutions.
Please take a moment to read our Resolution for Racial Justice below and send your comments through Google Forms/Survey, also below.
Thank you,
Marlene Oslick and Karen Cuker
Committee Co-Chairs
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WL Reads - Sunday, May 23rd @ 3:30 PM ET
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A Tribute to Ricki Herling z"l
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Monday-Friday 12PM Noon ET; 11AM CT; 9AM PT; 10AM MT
Meeting ID: 630 830 287
Password: 875936
Dial by your location:
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York);
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose);
+1 647 558 0588 Canada
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Want to sing, teach, help with technology, and more during Daily Psalm Study, Pirkei Avot, and Kaddish?
All are welcome. We have many available spots to fill.
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Programming Idea of the Week |
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With many of us longing to travel, especially to Israel, perhaps your Sisterhood would like to schedule a Zoom talk with Eitan Morell. Eitan was born in Binghamton, NY but went to Israel to study for a year after high school in Yeshivat Shaalvim. He then served in the IDF as a tank gunner. Following his service in the army, Eitan studied Middle Eastern and Jewish History at Bar Ilan University, eventually becoming a licensed tour guide. Eitan lives in Talmon with his wife and six children. Whether you have been to Israel many times or never before, Eitan creates unique touring experiences for everyone!
Tour idea #1: The Story and Origins of the Song “Jerusalem of Gold”
Written a few weeks before the Six Day War, this beautiful song has entered the pantheon of great songs about Jerusalem and is loved by Jews throughout the world. In this song, Naomi Shemer relates Jerusalem to many concepts and issues which appear in Talmudic and other historical sources throughout the generations. The song, which captures a fleeting moment in the history of Jerusalem, also gives us a sense of the eternity of the city. In this tour we will see the Old City of Jerusalem through the prism of this song. The streets of Jerusalem will give us a deeper understanding of this famous song but more importantly - this song will give us a deeper understanding of Jerusalem.
Tour idea #2: A Connecticut Yankee in King David’s Court: Americans in Jerusalem
Throughout the 19th century and into the 20th. many famous Americans visited Eretz Yisrael. Americans such as Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Herman Melville and Mark Twain all frequented Jerusalem. Others, less well known, made important contributions toward achieving an independent Jewish state. In this tour the focus will be on these Americans in Jerusalem.
This tour will introduce you to fascinating stories which took place in Jerusalem. We will "meet" the first American Consul in Jerusalem and learn of his conversion to Judaism, be shocked by the American Consul whose murder remains unsolved till today and learn of the connection between Jerusalem and the battle of Bunker Hill. Our discussion will conclude with Americans who played crucial roles in the defense of Jerusalem in 1948.
For more information check out: Eitanmorelltours.com (Fees range from $150 - $400 depending on the size of your Sisterhood).
Thank you to Pixie Cohn, Programming Chair at Austin WLCJ Chapter at Congregation Agudas Achim Sisterhood, for sharing these programming ideas with me.
Submitted by Grace Schessler
WLCJ Programming Chair
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Parashat Behar-Bechukotai
May 8, 2021
Can you see more positives than negatives?
We have a double header this Shabbat - a double Torah Reading of Parashat Behar - Bechukotai, and with that we conclude the book of Leviticus, Sefer Vayikra. Parashat Bechukotai, known for its threats and curses, opens with a list of blessings! We are taught by The Rabbis of the Talmud, that one should conclude any section of study on a positive note. Commentators through the ages thus ask - why do the curses overwhelm the blessings and emphasis is given to the negative over the positive? Indeed, the greater part of the text - 30 verses worth, is concerned with curses, while a smaller part - 13 verses - address the theme of blessings. The blessings were stated in a general fashion while the curses are given in detail so as to deter and intimidate those who hear them. Often it is more frequent for people to hear complaints in many environments, rather than compliments. People seem to enjoy searching for something negative to say, often ignoring - or even denying - any positive acts or accomplishment. We have the misguided tendency to dwell on the negative, to allow the bad to greatly outweigh the good, even when there is a lot more good in the world than we think. Our Sages remind us in the Midrash, Rabbinic Legend, called Bamidbar Rabbi, (9.31): Divinity is found in placing goodness over calamity and retribution. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, there could be a great deal to complain about. However, I truly hope you can find more positives than negatives that have resulted from these past months. What new skills have you learned? What are some new friendships that have begun, because of new pandemic activities, like our Makom B’Yachad? What friendships have been nurtured, because you cannot run from place to place? Let’s see the past months more positive than negative!
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Upcoming May-June Calendar Events &
WL Groups to Join
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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.
Interested? Contact Ellie Kremer,
Israel Committee Chair
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Join the WLCJNet
WLCJNet is the Sisterhood without Walls. This is a site where each member of Women’s League can share ideas, exchange opinions, and get suggestions. We share stimulating ideas for programs, fundraising ideas, and ways to grow our membership. We may need some suggestions for holiday recipes or places where we or family members can stay while traveling. We share information we learn in our Jewish community. We grow together and learn from each other. The WLCJNet is open every day except Shabbat and Jewish holidays. We welcome new members.
To join the WLCJNet, please send an email to Sherry Lynn Rubin at slrubin@wlcj.org.
Please send your name, name of sisterhood, location of sisterhood, and email address, and you will be added to the WLCJNet.
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Rosh Chodesh Healing Circle
Monday, May 13th
@ 6:30 PM EST
To view the flyer, click HERE.
Email Sue Gurland at
suegboca@gmail.com
for Zoom Link
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Posting the WL Week on any Social Media? |
We would like to advise our WL members to refrain from posting exact Zoom links for our events on Social Media. It takes great care and hard work to provide these amazing programs specifically for our members. If you know of anyone who is not a member but would like to join a program, please refer them to join WLCJ, and take advantage of all we have to offer! |
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The Rabbinical Assembly is excited to present the Conservative/Masorti Tikkun Leil Shavuot from May 16th at 12:00 PM – May 17th at 12:00 PM EDT in partnership with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ), the Cantors Assembly (CA), the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs (FJMC), Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, and the Women's League for Conservative Judaism. Click here to view the full list of supporting organizations.
Access to the experience is FREE for all, regardless of synagogue affiliation or organizational participation. We are excited to announce that we have just released our full schedule of the learning, available here! The link to the live event is: https://tinyurl.com/CMTikkun.
We encourage you (if you haven't already) to register here for Tikkun Leil Shavuot scheduling updates, and to share this registration page with your communities.
We're counting (up) the days until we gather as a community for 24 hours of Torah!
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You can now purchase your WLCJ Calendar Diary 2021-2022,
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Women's League for Conservative Judaism |
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