Chai Lines
International Northeast Region Women's League for Conservative Judaism
Networking to Engage, Enrich and Empower
Conservative Jewish Women
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February 8, 2018 Volume 2, Issue 72
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IN THIS ISSUE
Click on name of article to go to that article.
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SAVE THE DATE FOR SPRING CONFERENCE 2018
INR SPRING CONFERENCE "PORTRAIT OF SISTERHOOD"
WHEN: April 29 and 30, 2018
WHERE: Temple Beth El, Rochester, New York
WHO: All Sisterhood Members from IN Region
WHY: Time to Meet and Learn from Each Other
WOMEN'S LEAGUE CONSULTANT:
Michele Garber
CO-CHAIRS:
Marcia Nabut and Ruth Shapiro
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MEET THE CONFERENCE CONSULTANT
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FR
OM THE REGION NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHAIR
We in the International Northeast Region are looking for people for the next administration.
Do you know of someone with leadership skills?
Are you interested in moving to a region position yourself?
These are the positions we need to fill:
- 4 Vice Presidents
Membership VP
Sisterhood Support VP (formerly known as Area VP)
Torah Fund VP
Program/Education V
P
- Treasurer
One in Canada
One in the United States
- Administrative Secretary (Takes minutes)
- Communications Secretary (Oversee bulletin, manage social media, written communications)
All positions are for 3 year terms and assistance is available for anyone who would like a position but is not sure how to handle it.
Send all communication to Linda Steinhorn, Nominating Committee Chair
oralin330@aol.com
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FROM THE REGION PRESIDENT
Dorothy Tonchin is the Montreal Area Torah Fund Chair of Women's League, a long-time member of Shaare Zedek Congregation, and an active member of her Sisterhood. She has lead the women's Rosh Chodesh services numerous times at her synagogue. She has a beautiful voice, and it is truly a joy to listen to her
daven. However, in her
shul, adult women cannot lead the congregation in prayer nor are they counted in a
minyan or honoured with
aliyot.
Just like the famous movie character, our Dorothy had a dream:
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow,
Why, oh why, can't I?
As Dorothy was approaching a milestone birthday, she hoped to have the honour of chanting a haftarah in celebration of her special day. When she first proposed the idea, she was met with strong resistance. Dorothy, however, persisted. Although there were other synagogue she could go to, her dream was to stand on the bimah of her synagogue, in front of her congregation, her family and friends, and chant the haftarah.
On January 22, 2018, Dorothy celebrated her 80th birthday. On Shabbat, the 18 day of Shevat, 5778, Dorothy became the first woman in the history of her synagogue to be called to the Torah as the maftir aliyah and given the honour of chanting the haftarah for Parashat Yitro. It was a beautiful and inspiring morning.
Yasher Kocheich
, Dorothy! 'Till 120, healthy, happy years!
Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.
Join us at INR Conference 2018. Reserve your hotel room and send in your meal payment. I am looking forward to seeing you all in Rochester, NY.*
Shabbat Shalom,
Eleanor
514-458-6204
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FROM THE REGION EDUCATION VP, LOIS SILVERMAN
I've been part of Women's League for many years, and I remember great leaders and teacher who shaped me as well as generations of WLCJ women.
A few of these memorable women are: Selma Weintraub, Evelyn Auerbach, Evelyn Seelig, Audrey Citak, Edya Arzt, Florence Belfer, Babe Greenhouse, Shirley Trossman, and Ruth Mendelsohn.
We owe a great deal to these women and all our mothers who came before us. Because of their trials and struggles, their reaching forward and upward, and their commitment to pass on what they learned and achieved, we have an impetus to help us overcome new trials and struggles we may face as we reach higher and higher.
Here is a short poem called "legacy" by
Rupi Kaur that echoes my feelings and honors our leaders and our teachers.
i stand
on the sacrifices
of a million women before me
thinking
what can i do
to make this mountain taller
so the women after me
can see farther
- legacy rupi kaur
Shabbat Shalom
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FROM WOMEN'S LEAGUE FOR CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM
Networking to engage,
enrich and empower
Conservative Jewish women
Shabbat Message:
"Kol Ishah: A Woman's Voice"
In my travels over the past four Shabbatot, I have heard a woman's voice. I have heard hundreds of women's voices. Kol Ishah: NOT the prohibition of praying or studying in the presence of women, but celebrating the Woman's Voice.
In each synagogue, Women's League (or Sisterhood) Shabbats have been held to acknowledge and honor the women of sisterhood. Woman after woman ascended to the Bimah, taking part in this annual celebration, in reverence to the vast contributions of the congregation's women.
Perhaps the most touching thing I saw all month was not the confidence and proficiency each woman possessed (which, by the way, was amazing), but the spirit of "sisterhood" when one participant struggled with her Torah reading. A lovely novice to Judaism, she volunteered to read Torah. I'm sure she was nervous. I give her credit. I have never read Torah. Until three years ago, I belonged to a non-egalitarian synagogue where it was not an option. When she completed her reading, she was a little embarrassed and apologetic. Her "sisters" would have none of that. They encouraged her, praised her efforts, and reinforced that prayer and words come from the heart; indeed, God knew her spirit. They lifted her up. Just like in that week's Parsha Beshalach, when Moses' arms grew weary, others did not take over for him. Hur and Aaron stood on each side of Moses and helped him lift his arms.
Lifting up the spirt of this member is what sisterhood is all about. We raise our voices for many things, but the soft voices of compassion and empathy are what we do best.
Shabbat Shalom, Margie Miller WLCJ President
Ramah Sports Academy is Registering for 2018!
Attn: Athletes! Register now for the inaugural
Ramah Sports Academy, opening in June 2018! Grants are available for first-time campers at
www.onehappycamper.org, and Women's League
has $250 awards for tuition available for interested sisterhoods! Contact eslutsky@wlcj.org for more information on how your sisterhood can offer these awards or hold an info session for prospective campers. Three two-week sessions are available for athletes at all skill levels, with 2-day breaks for campers who enroll in more than one session.
Train on top-level collegiate athletic fields and facilities that include gymnasiums, an indoor pool, fitness and conditioning facilities, and a variety of additional recreational programmatic resources. Campers in grades 4-11 will live in a dormitory designated exclusively for RSA in a beautiful, wooded, private area of the campus, and can choose an individual focus from baseball, basketball, tennis, swimming, and soccer. Learn more about Ramah Sports Academy here.
Stay Connected...Join our online chat groups!
PREZNET - A discussion group for sisterhood Presidents
WLCJNet - A discussion group for members
American Mothers of Israeli Olim - A discussion group for those with friends and family living in Israel
Judaica Shop - A discussion group for Women's League Judaica shop managers
Women's League Reads
WL Reads' new featured book is
The Weight of Ink, and an Interview with
author Rachel Kadish is planned for
Monday, February 26, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. EDT. WL Reads members may listen to the live Interview by phone or by Weblink (to be posted).
By popular request, we are giving WL Reads members more time between announcement and interview dates, especially because it's a long book. The historical novel has received rave reviews for its stellar prose and portrayal of two intellectual women, one a Jewish history scholar from our time, and one a scribe and self-educated Sephardic Jew in 17th-century London. Each woman, with poise and passion, must face soul-piercing internal conflicts and external enemies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
RACHEL KADISH is the award-winning author of the novels
From a Sealed Room and
Tolstoy Lied: A Love Story, and the novella "I Was Here." Her work has appeared on NPR and in the New York
Times online.
To become a WL Reads member, write to Lois Silverman, WLCJ Internet Services Chair, at lsilverman@wlcj.org with your Sisterhood's name and town, and your name and e-mail address.
The next
free WLCJ's Distance Workshop is
"Membership - Our Finest Asset"
on
Thursday, February 15, at 8:30 p.m.
Eastern time.
Register for it
here
and read more about upcoming Distance Workshops here.
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FROM THE TORAH FUND VICE PRESIDENT
MARILYN COHEN
Contact me with any questions concerning the Torah Fund Campaign 2017-2018:
Marilyn Cohen
VP Torah Fund - International Northeast Region
416-5
18-1860
Check out the New Torah Fund Guide and all the other materials to run a great campaign!
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FROM ACROSS THE REGION TORAH FUND PROGRAMS TO KVELL AND SHARE
The Best Torah Fund Programs in Our Region
This space is being reserved for Torah Fund programs that have worked for YOUR sisterhood. Please send Lois Silverman at
lsilverman@wlcj.org a summary of what you have done to support Torah Fund. It just might inspire other sisterhoods to do similar events.
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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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