The latest news from the Int'l NE Region and WLCJ

CHAI LINES

The Newsletter of the International Northeast Region

June 11, 2021 - 1 Tamuz 5781

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From the Region President

I would like to introduce myself with this, my first message as your new President of the International Northeast Region (INR) of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism. My name is Marilyn Cohen and I am excited and honoured to have been elected to this position. This week I, along with twelve other region presidents, completed three very full days of training, facilitated by our amazing Women’s League leaders. Led by Debbi Kaner Goldich our indefatigable International President, along with her Executive Committee and International Women’s League Board members, we attended Zoom sessions covering every topic a region president needs to know. Needless to say, my head is still swimming! It’s going to take a while to get the hang of doing this job but with the help of my Executive Committee and Region Board, I’m sure we will succeed.

I thought I should begin by telling you a bit about myself. I was born in Toronto and have lived here all my life. My parents were ardent Zionists and sent me & my three sisters to Jewish Day Schools to learn Hebrew. They were not religious but knowing the language, history, and culture of our people was important to them. As I mentioned in my installation speech, it wasn’t until I became involved in USY and Camp Ramah that I learned what it meant to be a proud, Conservative Jewish woman. So, it was only natural that when I was a new mother and new member of my Conservative synagogue, I immediately joined its sisterhood. Conventions in USY were a must and it wasn’t long before I attended Women’s League conventions as well.

Seeing our Women’s League leaders read Torah, lead Shacharit services, give sermons, chair plenary sessions, and present amazing programs was life-altering for me. They inspired me to learn to chant Haftarah and Torah, to lead Shacharit services for women at my spring conferences, to be active in my sisterhood and eventually become its president, and to generally be a loyal and active member of my synagogue, Beth Tikvah.

I came to the working world relatively late and my first job was as the Alumni Coordinator at my daughters’ high school – Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto (CHAT). I next became the Executive Director of MERCAZ-CANADA and the Canadian Foundation for Masorti Judaism. In this position, I learned so much about our Masorti kehillot in Israel and how our memberships in MERCAZ benefit these congregations through our association with the Jewish Agency for Israel. I even had the opportunity to be a delegate at the World Zionist Organization’s Elections in Israel and I roomed with our current International President Debbi Kaner Goldich, who was a Women’s League delegate for MERCAZ USA at the time.

My subsequent retirement did not mean I had nothing to do. On the contrary. I think I became more active than I had ever been. I became President of my Beth Tikvah Choir and continued with my modern dance classes with a teacher I’ve been going to since 1976. I discovered a love of tap dancing and Israeli folk dancing that I still do every Monday night on zoom (when I’m not on a zoom meeting). I took up golfing with a vengeance as I didn’t want to be a ‘golf widow’ and now I can finally hold my own on the course. Gardening is also a passion I share with my husband and this time of year we are very busy with both of our gardens at home and at our cottage. In my spare time, I also tend to the garden at my shul. In between all this, I was active in my own sisterhood of Beth Tikvah Women and on the Region Board as Torah Fund Vice President. This was a labour of love as I have been a staunch supporter of Torah Fund since I first joined sisterhood. I was so proud of my daughter, Debbie, who received her Masters of Jewish Education from the Davidson School of Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, which is one of the five Conservative seminaries supported by Torah Fund. You can’t imagine the feeling I had when my husband and I visited her in New York and entered the Goldsmith Residence Hall that my Torah Fund dollars had helped to build. Debbie is currently a Vice Principal at Associated Hebrew Day School in Toronto.

I am so proud to be working with my fantastic Executive Committee and Board who have pledged to help me in supporting all our affiliates/sisterhoods* in our region to be the best they can be. Our job is to help our affiliates engage their members with great programming, Torah Fund support, and personal contact when needed. I will be reaching out to all our INR affiliates over the summer but in the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns or just want to chat, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom,

Marilyn Cohen

inrpresident21@wlcj.org

*NOTE: Women’s League is now using the term “AFFILIATES” rather than Sisterhoods. Many of our groups do not use the word ‘sisterhood’ anymore as it can have old-world connotations. We are all affiliates of our synagogues and Women’s League. It is not wrong to use ‘Sisterhood’ but ‘Affiliate’ is the preferred term.

ATTENTION!!

TRAINING SESSIONS FOR INR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, BOARD AND AFFILIATE PRESIDENTS, OR CONTACT PERSONS:

Women’s League International Consultants, Barbara Ezring and Sandy Blumenthal, will be conducting TRAINING SESSIONS for:

INR Executive Committee and Board – JULY 7, 2021 7:30 PM
INR Affiliate/Sisterhood Presidents & Contact People – JULY 14, 2021 @ 7:30 PM

Please make every effort to attend these meetings. They have been developed especially for you and we will be disseminating new directives and creative ideas to enhance your sisterhood/affiliate and all its programs. Take advantage of all Women’s League has to offer and enjoy the journey.

In Our Region

From the Region Torah Fund Chair

I am honored and proud to have been asked to be the next Torah Fund Vice President for the International Northeast Region of Women’s League – and, truth be told, a bit nervous. Marilyn Cohen, our new president and outgoing Torah Fund VP, was amazing in this role. I hope I can live up to the standards she set. B’Yachad, together, all of us will move forward and do our very best.

Our 2020-2021 Torah Fund B’Yachad Campaign is winding down. It supports scholarships and programming at 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, Germany.

Torah Fund’s fiscal year ends on June 30^th. Can you help us make all our goals with an additional donation? Help strengthen Jewish education and ensure the vibrancy of the Jewish people for decades to come, with your gift to Torah Fund.

US residents may contribute online: Donate to Torah Fund (jtsa.edu) Checks given to your affiliate’s chair will not arrive in time for this year’s campaign, so please use this ON-LINE option for donating.

For our Canadian supporters: Please make your check payable to Jewish Theological Society and mail to 100 Elder Street, North York, Ontario, M3H 5G7, to arrive no later than June 15^th to allow time for processing. A Canadian tax receipt will be issued and sent to you.

Thank you for your contribution.

We’ve been told that any back ordered pins and cards should be shipped in time for the High Holidays. E-cards at $5 each are also available. Click HERE to send a Torah Fund E-Card.

All gifts, large and small, whatever the amount, are appreciated. I look forward to working with all of you. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Linda Boxer

Torah Fund Vice President

INRTorahFund@gmail.com

From Women's League

Schechter Institute: National Women’s Masorti Study Day - Sunday, June 13th @ 11:30 AM ET - 2:30 PM ET

To view program, click HERE

To register for Zoom Study Day, click HERE

Bat Mitzvah Classes this Fall 2021

"The Education Committee is trying to determine if there is enough interest in starting a second Bat Mitzvah class in September of 2021. If you are interested in participating in this new cohort, please respond by Thursday, June 10 in an e-mail to Julia Loeb (jloeb@wlcj.org) and Ellen Kaner Bresnick (ebresnick@wlcj.org). In that e-mail , please tell us why you are interested now rather than when people first signed up and what you hope to gain from the experience."

Email Julia & Ellen

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Neve Hanna's Path to Peace Program

Established in 2004, Neve Hannah's Path to Peace is a multi-faith initiative that provides programming Jewish, Muslim and Christian children. Neve Hannah has won multiple awards, including the Golden Dove of Peace, acknowledging their efforts to create and foster peaceful coexistence.

With the generous help of its supporters, Neve Hannah has done an exceptional job in meeting these children's physical, mental, educational and emotional needs while teaching them tolerance and acceptance.

Click HERE to read more and learn how you can contribute to the ongoing success of this exceptional program.

Makom B'Yachad

Monday-Friday

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

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://zoom.us/j/630830287

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;

+972 55 330 1762 Israel;

+972 3 978 6688 Israel or

find your local number:

https://zoom.us/u/abkdqsxzJq

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.

Programming Idea of the Week

Let Jewish Majorca take you on a (virtual) journey through time and space as we learn about Jewish stories from all corners of the world.

Jewish Majorca was born as a project to learn about the taboo topic of Jewish, Converso and Chueta heritage of the island. They are a group of diverse and passionate history buffs – some originally from the island and other “foreigners” who now call Majorca home. Though they come from different backgrounds, some Jewish and some non, they all share the same idea: that they can fight ignorance and intolerance through learning about the past. They believe there is a need to share the unknown stories about the Mallorquin Jews and their inspiring resistance and perseverance through traumatic times.

Jewish Majorca’s intention is not to be just another guided tour but to create a space where we can learn together, share and connect their personal stories all while participating in an experience of continuous discovery. To learn about their live Zoom Tours, click here.

Are you looking to explore Jewish communities around the world? Jewish Majorca invites you to get on their Hot Air Zoom Balloon to meet exceptional guides and Jewish community members who live around the world and will tell you first-hand the history and current activities of their communities. To learn about their Hot Air Zoom Balloon Tours, click here.

Note: Prices range from $18 for an individual ticket to board the balloon to $300 or more, depending on the tour.

Grace Schessler

WLCJ Programming Chair

gschessler@wlcj.org

NEW! WL Calendar Diary 2021-22: Coming Soon

Available to Pre-Order

_____________________________

You can now purchase your WLCJ Calendar Diary 2021-2022, please click on the link below or email Razel: rkessler@wlcj.org

Order Online

Weekly Words of Torah

Parashat Korach, June 12, 2021 - Consequences for Rebellion

In Parashat Korach, we read about Korach and his followers attempt to overthrow Moses and Aaron. Korach and his followers seem to be jealous that Moses and Aaron were chosen as the leaders. As a punishment for the rebellion, the ground swallowed up Korach and his followers. Do you think this was an appropriate punishment for this rebellion? What do you think the punishment should have been? What do you think the punishment, repercussions, and consequences should be for modern day rebellions?