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- INR Conference 2021
- Mazal Tov
- From the Region President
- In Our Region
- From Women's League
- From Women's League's Programs
- Torah Fund
- Upcoming Calendar Events
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INR SPRING CONFERENCE 2021 |
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Corinne Hammerschlag on the birth of her grandson, Max Evan Hammerschlag born to Adam and Samantha Hammerschlag on April 1, 2021 |
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From the Region President |
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If you have not registered for the INR Virtual Spring Conference by now, this is truly your last chance! Conference is this Sunday, April 25, beginning promptly at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and you are not going to want to miss it!
We have all the usual conference happenings: beginning with Shacharit and Torah Study, followed by greetings from our Women’s League Executive Director, Rabbi Ellen Wolintz-Fields, and International President Debbi Goldich, and a Keynote address from our Conference Consultant, Barbara Ezring. And of course, we will discharge our current region board and install our incoming board. I still can’t believe that three years have come and gone. But I will elaborate on that during my State of the Region speech on Sunday.
And, we have some great programming as well. I am particularly looking forward to hearing the panel discussion “Deborah’s Daughters – Jewish Women and the Law” with Judith Katzenelson Brownstein, Lindy Korn, and Lisa Bloch Rodwin. I have read their “Bio’s” and they are all most intriguing women! Once you register, you will receive their Bio’s as well. We will also get to meet our contacts from our twinned Kehillot in Israel and learn a bit about them. And in the afternoon, we will have our own Lois Silverman present “Women in Film”! Do you realize how lucky we are to have Lois? Her WLCJ virtual programs regularly get well over 300 attendees! And she has been doing them for our region for uh – I don’t know? decades? A lot longer than I have been around – that is certain. And we finish off with a musical program you won’t want to miss, with folk singer Bonnie Abrams.
If you register before Shabbat, I will send you the link either before Shabbat or first thing Sunday morning. Stop by for a few programs or stay for the whole day. And yes, there are breaks and a lunch built into the program. I am very much looking forward to “seeing” all of you on Sunday!
I wish, above all else, good health for you and your loved ones, and of course, a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat.
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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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HAPPY EARTH DAY
By Corinne Hammerschlag,
Environment Education
The Midrash says that when God first created 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 and destroy my world, for if you do there will be no one else to repair it.”
With our own ignorance and greed, we are slowly destroying the earth and as Jews, we are commanded to restore it. As we celebrate Earth Day this year on April 22, we all need to be aware of the environment. The Earth Day theme globally for 2021 is RESTORE OUR EARTH.
The environment is our support system. The state of our environment is influenced by our behavior. Covid has a direct impact in this regard. Masks and gloves tossed carelessly on the ground are polluting the earth by littering and the microfibers from these products circulate in the air. Because people have been ordering more online, the amount of waste going into landfills has reached dangerous levels.
The Jewish belief is that every living thing has a right to exist and should be preserved. Interestingly, because of Covid there are more fish in the oceans due to differences in human demand. For the first time, the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy is clear because fewer people are touring and less waste is polluting the water. Marine debris, specifically plastic bags and water bottles, choke and kill marine animals. While important in modern life, industrial growth is a huge producer of air pollution. Because of Covid, production declined as more people stayed home and as a result, air quality improved.
With Earth Day here again, it is an opportunity for us, as humans and as Jews, to sharpen our awareness of what we can all do on a daily basis to preserve the earth for future generations.
The heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth God gave over to man (Psalm 115:16)
L’dor va dor
Corinne
Corinne Hammerschlag, Environment Education
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Programming Idea of the Week |
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Calendar Planning Made Easy...
Step-by-Step Guide!
There are many things Sisterhoods must consider as they begin calendar planning for the year ahead. So, this week, instead of sharing an idea of what to plan, I’ve created a guide to help you do the actual planning!
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Know when all the Jewish Holidays (Major, Minor and Modern) are. Click here for a printable version of the upcoming year, Sept 2021- June 2022.
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Know when all the Secular and National holidays are. Although we may not celebrate or recognize some of these, synagogues may be closed out of respect to its staff and public-school schedules. Click here for a printable version.
- Be mindful of the WLCJ Calendar of Events as well as your Region’s and synagogue’s calendars to avoid any possible conflicts.
- Create an outline, organized by month, to continuing planning. For example, many Sisterhoods resume programming in September. As you can see on the Jewish Holidays attachment, the High Holidays, specifically Rosh Hashana, coincide with Labor Day this year. Some Sisterhoods will, therefore, choose to plan a Welcome Back event for October, subsequent to Simchat Torah while others may seek to plan a Sisterhood Sukkot program with the hope that we’ll be able to be together in person, yet outside.
- Decide how many programs your Sisterhood would like to plan. Do you want to have an event every month? Every other month? Do you have a monthly Book Club or Rosh Hodesh group and, if so, are these planned in addition to special programming?
- Think about what kinds of programming you like to offer. Do you want to plan a big fundraiser this year? Would your Sisterhood like more holiday-based or spiritual programming? Make a list that may include a Paid-Up Membership Program, a Torah Fund event, a craft night, a cooking or baking night, a Sisterhood Shabbat, a game night, etc.
- Change things up a bit. Does your Sisterhood always plan a Woman’s Seder? Perhaps this year you’d like to host a TuBiShvat Seder instead. But, if you know that your members look forward to rolling Hamantaschen every year, plan it! Maybe this year your Sisterhood can invite/teach the Religious School students in an earlier session, too.
- When you are selecting days and times, be sure to vary the days of the week, nights and Sundays, to be fair and accommodating to all members.
- Always select a 1st choice date as well as a 2nd so that you have a backup planned if your first preference is already booked by WLCJ, your Region, Synagogue, or even your desired Speaker or Facilitator.
- Once you have your outline completed by type of program by month, you can go back to the beginning to specify the actual program you’d like to plan. Meaning, if you’ve designated March for your Craft Program, consider offering a wire-beaded, pen painted Miriam’s Cup for the upcoming Passover Holiday. However, if December is your Craft Program, you might want to create a Chanukah-themed mosaic tray.
- Does your Synagogue issue a summer bulletin? Find out the deadline for submissions and try to have your Calendar of Events ready to submit in time. Note: While it’s fabulous to have all programs selected and booked by this time, it’s also fine to share just the date, time, and type of event with a “more details to follow” note. Getting your members to Save-the-Dates is what’s most important.
- Suggestion: you might want to include a line on your Sisterhood Membership form asking what type of programs they might be interested in seeing offered. Also, you might want to ask if they have any special passion or talent they would be willing to bring to the Sisterhood as a program.
For creative programming ideas within each category, consult the WL website HERE or contact me at gschessler@wlcj.org
Submitted by Grace Schessler, WLCJ Programming Chair
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Minyan Ahavah - Friday, April 30 @ 4:45 PM ET |
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Minyan Ahavah reaches out to people with memory loss and their caregivers. The next virtual Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming the Sabbath) service on Friday afternoon, April 30, at 5 pm. Cantor Josh and Rabbi Judith Hauptman will lead the service.
You can log in at 5 pm, or even better, at 4:45 pm for a schmooze. A really nice way to begin the Sabbath is with a bit of chat with others. So join early! Zoom link is below.
Want to bring a friend or relative to the Kabbalat Shabbat service? Please do! Just forward them the link.
Here’s a way for you to participate in the service: you will be asked to hold up a vase, with or without flowers. Spring is here. Trees are in bloom. Let’s note the change in seasons. You will be asked to say a few words about your vase.
During the Mi Sheberach prayer for healing, you will be able to type in the names of the people for whom you are wishing a speedy recovery. The names will be read aloud.
Also, during the mourner’s Kaddish, the Jewish memorial prayer, you can type in the names of relatives or friends whom you are memorializing.
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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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Parashat Acharei Mot - Kedoshim, April 24, 2021 - Speaking Kindly
This Shabbat we read the double portion of Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, and next week is Parashat Emor. The three readings together mean, after death (acharei mot), holiness (kedoshim) and speak (emor). This is a message and lesson for all of us - after one dies, only nice words should be used to talk about the deceased. Unfortunately, we have seen much death this past year with COVID. What nice things can you say about loved ones who have passed over the past year? Let us always try to think and speak kind and holy words, kedoshim, about all who we come in contact with, and may we take the lesson of these three Torah
portions to teach us to especially speak kindly of
the deceased.
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How to Live Forever - Tues., April 27--7:30 PM ET |
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How to Live Forever...
If we were asked the question, “What can you do with that one memory or that one significant time period in your life that continues to take residence in your head and seems to inform your reactions to every other situation”, we might laugh and readily reply, “Time to see a therapist!” But for memoirists, oral historians, autobiographers, biographers and writers, in general, who see themselves as proponents of this particular genre of literature, the answer is much simpler—“Write about the memory or the time period, and describe the experience in great detail. And then, when you are done describing everything, figure out what you learned from what you wrote and share the lesson with those whom you hold dear: your significant other, your children, your grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends, and others who are important in your life.
As part of this new impetus to tell our own stories and affirm our personal truths through multi-media presentations, the Education Committee of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, in partnership with the Archives Committee has designed a new initiative, “How to Live Forever” that helps members of the organization to create a compelling visual and written legacy for those who come after them.
Session 1 in February, under the teaching and careful guidance of Archives Chair and Past International President Cory Schneider, introduced this kind of genre and identified numerous ways for creating interesting and visually attractive products we can share with future generations.
The journey continues with two different sessions: Session 2—“Writing My Legacy and Finding My Voice!” and Session 3—“How Do I Make it Sound the Way I Want?” at 7:30 p.m. on April 20 and 27, respectively. Education Committee Co-Chair, Ellen Kaner Bresnick will present varied ways in which we can make sense of our lives through the act of writing down our stories. At the same time, we will learn how our life experiences can be unexpected and transformative as we experiment with different writing techniques that can help to enhance those legacy albums, scrapbooks, and other documents that we are leaving for those we love.
Join us on both of those evenings. Each evening requires a separate registration, and you will learn different techniques in each session. Save these two dates, and be part of the energy that this new and continuing initiative is generating. Plan to attend both evenings. You will not be disappointed!
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Stay Connected with WLCJ Groups |
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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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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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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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Tell us about YOUR Sisterhood
event coming up!
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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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