WRJ Mid Atlantic Candle July, 2025 Issue

The Candle - July, 2025

Hello Carol,

President's Message
North Carolina Civil Rights Kallah - September 13 - 14 - Save the Date
Tovanot
Mid-Atlantic District Innovations and Engagement Microgrants
More from the District and Beyond

President's Message

Last week, forty women from the WRJ Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic District arrived at Camp Harlam, a WRJ camp nestled in the Poconos Mountains of Pennsylvania. While the practice of our two districts coming together at a camp retreat is not new, this year’s gathering was different. This was our chance to meet, work, experience, and play together in person before we gather at our convention in Wilmington, Delaware, on April 30, 2026, and become the Eastern District. Being together in this safe space of camp, watching children play, learn, and respect one another, we all found great joy in the moment. But in those same moments, other parents in Texas, who were looking for a similar experience for their own children, are grieving. Another tragedy set in motion by climate change. There is no denying that increasingly severe weather events are occurring more frequently.

I believe that most, if not all of us, want to do something to mitigate climate change. But as an issue, climate change is huge, global, and multi-faceted, and to the average person, overwhelming. For that reason, on June 5, WRJ launched its newest social justice Initiative: Climate Change. Our Task Force is focused on bringing WRJ members a guide to navigate climate change similar to the one created on behalf of the WRJ Says Stop Campaign for Sexual Harassment and Abuse. We hope to provide opportunities to inspire you to action from advocacy initiatives to providing you resources on accountability, educational backgrounders, and replicable programs to do in your community or on your own. We hope to bring you a “Program in a Box” this coming fall, and we are expanding our opportunities by collaborating with climate change organizations such as Adamah, Dayenu, and Interfaith Power and Light.

During our time at camp together, we devoted a programming slot to show our commitment to the new WRJ climate change initiative. In addition to providing a brief background, we led a discussion and provided materials to demonstrate composting as one way individuals can take action to reduce food waste and beautify our gardens. We even decorated 5-gallon buckets with lids to get each of us started.

Click here for more information about composting from the US Environmental Protection Agency

Click here for a printable list of what to compost.

That brings me to a question I am often asked. Why WRJ? With so many issues of great importance that we are currently working on and other organizations focusing on the climate change crisis, why us? Why now?

Simple –

Because we are Jewish. According to, Yale Climate Connections, “Judaism is founded on the basis of an agrarian society,” as evidenced by many of our holidays are agricultural celebrations. In Genesis, humans are put into the Garden of Eden to take responsibility for the Earth’s protection, its well-being. Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, a professor at the Center for Jewish Studies at Arizona State University said, “the concept is founded on the conviction that the way humans till the Earth relates to moral integrity; lose their moral compass, and humans will harm the Earth, themselves, and their society.” And…

Because we are women, non-binary or gender fluid.. It is now widely accepted that climate change is not gender neutral. The same societal inequalities that effect women and marginalized communities across various sectors are exacerbated by climate change:

Greater risk of displacement
Greater vulnerability - food scarcity and reduced access to jobs, housing, medical care, and other resources, which can lead to prostitution, underage marriage, and sex trafficking
Greater exposure to gender violence
Greater risk of Injury and death during a natural disaster
Greater impact on health, especially maternal health

Gender bias also excludes women from decision-making roles, including incorporating their unique perspectives into climate policies, strategies, and financing options. This is ironic. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, “As workers, farmers, consumers, producers and household managers, women are key agents of change in implementing climate resilient pathways. Better integration of women and marginalized groups into decision-making at all levels would help improve climate mitigation and adaptation policies.” Working towards gender neutrality in climate change will break down barriers of inequality across all sectors. We bring this gendered lens to the table to help ensure all of our voices are heard.

As we begin a new fiscal year, I hope you will consider integrating climate change programming in your planning. Every effort counts. Stay tuned. There is more to come.

In Sisterhood,

Andrea

WRJ Atlantic & Mid-Atlantic Pocono Mountain Retreat

July 12 - 14, 2025

11 women from the Mid-Atlantic District traveled to Camp Harlam to spend quality time with our Atlantic District Sisters. Pictured from left to right: Bernice Porrazzo, Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab, Sarah Kittinger, HarrietAnn Litwin, Andrea Stillman, Helene Waranch, Josie Hertz-Ackerman, and Marcia Bornfriend. Not pictured: Miriam Sandler, Rita Brickman, and Laura Harrison.

Karen Goldberg, WRJ Vice President of Member Services traveled all the way from California to attend.

One of the activities was creating compost buckets with lids.

GREENSBORO FALL KALLAH

September 13th and 14th

WRJ Mid-Atlantic invites you to the Fall Kallah in Greensboro, NC, on September 13th and 14th. The weekend will be filled with enjoying time with your WRJ sisters, plus a Civil Rights/Social Justice focus that features a guided tour of the International Civil Rights Museum, location of the famous Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in, and a social action project.

The cost of the event is $99. This includes the cost of dinner on Saturday, breakfast goodies for Sunday morning, and lunch on Sunday.

Click here to register for the event.

We will be staying at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Greensboro (304 N. Greene St.) selected for its proximity to both the museum and the Greene Street location of Temple Emanuel. The cost per night is $199. For those who plan to come down on Friday, our block of rooms includes the option of staying for two nights.

Click here to register for the hotel

The cost of museum admission, and security and support services at Temple Emanuel will be covered by a generous grant from WRJ.

Tovanot: A Dual-Narrative Approach to Understanding Jewish and

Palestinian Connections to their Homeland

On June 29, approximately 35 participants took part in a special two-hour Tovanot seminar hosted by TSWRJ (Temple Sinai Women of Reform Judaism) in Washington, DC. Attendees included TSWRJ members, other Temple Sinai congregants, and members from neighboring Sisterhoods.

Tovanot, created and presented by Dr. Ruti Kadish, uses a dual-narrative approach to deepen understanding of Israel’s historical and political landscape while fostering empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians. Rejecting binary thinking and zero-sum assumptions, the program encourages participants to engage with multiple perspectives—Israeli Jews, Palestinian citizens of Israel, and Palestinians—while recognizing both Israel’s significance to Jews and Palestinian connections to their homeland.

Dr. Kadish brought the material to life with engaging examples from her own experiences as an Israeli, along with a wide range of first-source materials reflecting diverse voices and perspectives. The session was highly interactive, combining individual reflection with small-group discussions and activities that encouraged honest and thoughtful dialogue around this often emotional and complex topic.

This program was made possible through funding from the first-ever Innovation and Engagement Grant, a new micro-grant program administered by the WRJ Mid-Atlantic District. To meet the grant’s accessibility goals, Dr. Kadish thoughtfully condensed her original 14-hour curriculum into a two-hour format, making it possible to reach a broader audience.

TSWRJ was especially pleased that Andrea Stillman was able to attend and witness firsthand the positive impact the discussion had on participants.

As part of the innovation process, TSWRJ gathered participant feedback following the session. Survey responses made it clear: participants reacted overwhelmingly positively to the program, and while they appreciated the condensed format, most felt that an additional hour—with the same curriculum—would enhance the learning experience and allow for deeper discussion. Dr. Kadish agrees that extending the session by an hour would better support the program’s goals and participant engagement and allow for richer discussion and deeper learning.

Now that this condensed and thoughtfully developed version of Tovanot is complete, it is available for other congregations and Sisterhoods in our district—and beyond—to bring this meaningful and timely program to their communities. For more information, please contact Dr. Ruti Kadish at ruti@moedcommunity.org.

TSWRJ is deeply grateful for the support that allowed us to bring this important and meaningful program to our community!

Mid-Atlantic District Innovation & Engagement Grants

Do you have an innovative program that will have a meaningful impact? or,
Do you have a program that engages in the areas of sisterhood/community building, spirituality, or personal enrichment and growth? or,
Are you preparing a Social justice or advocacy program that includes WRJ resolutions and high-priority issues? or,
Are you preparing a program that will provide outreach to other groups?

The Mid-Atlantic Innovation and Engagement Grant is a rolling grant that will fund new social justice and engagement programs in an amount between $250-$750 and can be combined with other funding opportunities. Applications are being accepted now for Summer/Fall 2025 programs.

We are excited to announce that the first Innovation and Engagement Grant was awarded to the Temple Sinai Women of Reform Judaism for their Tovanot Program. on Sunday, June 29, from 10 am to noon. Tovanot uses a dual-narrative approach to deepen understanding of Israel’s historical and political landscape while fostering empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians. Rejecting binary thinking and zero-sum assumptions, it encourages participants to engage with multiple perspectives—Israeli Jews, Palestinian citizens of Israel, and Palestinians—while recognizing Israel’s significance in the region.

For more information, see the article below.

Click here for the application and criteria explanation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marilyn Morrison at marilynmorrison1990@gmail.com or 703-989-7960.

EVERYONE CAN COUNT THEIR BLESSINGS

Now more than ever, the Mid-Atlantic District believes in the importance of helping others, especially women and their children. Your support to the MAD General Fund will provide youth camp scholarships, meeting registration subsidies to leaders within our district, innovation & engagement grants to sisterhoods, and support for Area Days events.

Click here for more information.

Outstanding opportunities you don’t want to miss!

Thursday, October 9; Understanding Microaggressions; 7:30 pm, details to follow