Chai Lines
International Northeast Region
Women's League
for Conservative Judaism

Networking to Engage, Enrich and Empower
Conservative Jewish Women 
January 26, 2018                                                           Volume 2, Issue 71 
SAVE THE DATE FOR SPRING CONFERENCE 2018 save
 
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  
CO-CHAIRS: Marcia Nabut and Ruth Shapiro
 
Questions?
Contact Marcia Nabut at 585-271-4189 or mnabut@rochester.rr.com
 
FR OM THE REGION PRESIDENTprez   
 
I enjoy going to our synagogue's Saturday morning Shabbat services, and I relish the peaceful and spiritual time it affords me. I also enjoy the Kiddush following services where I get the chance to be with my shul friends. We eat a little and schmooze a lot. I like to refer to them as my synagogue family.

Over the years my "family" of friends has increased to include my International Northeast Region (INR) and Women's League friends whom I initially came to know during my journey towards becoming President of our Region.

Until just a few years ago, both our Region and WL were somewhat of a mystery to me. Now as I near the end of my term as president, I find myself reflecting on the last three years.

At the beginning of my journey, I did not know what to expect when I accepted the role of president, but I soon recognized that I had probably bitten off much more than I could chew. Leadership can be very demanding, and I will be the first to admit that I have not always been up to the challenge. Nevertheless, I am grateful to have been president for this term.

I am the proud president of an amazing group of women who I look up to, who inspire me, and who both push me to my limits as well as save me from the edge. I am grateful to be a "sister" to all of you. I am a woman who is honoured to be a member of an organization whose history, culture, values and tradition I respect.  
And as I near the end my term, I would like each and every one of you to think about taking a leadership role in the INR. There are many positions to fill. I have learned from my experiences and I would be happy to help you through a challenging, yet rewarding journey. There will be questions and issues for which I will not have answers but I will connect you with the capable women who will have them. With your talent, skill, vision and commitment we can move forward.
L'dor v'dor!
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Eleanor
514-458-6204  

FROM THE REGION EDUCATION VP, LOIS SILVERMANeducation 
   
During these cold days, I've been watching more television than I should. Of course as a teacher of media, I could call it "research."

Among the things that bother me--and there are many--are the advertisements for suffering animals. I respect people who love animals and understand that love. What I am bothered by is that these same people often overlook the suffering of the children in their communities and that the first anti-cruelty laws in North America were enacted on behalf of animals and not children.  

In 1874, a young girl known only as "Mary Ellen," was found tied to a bed like an animal, neglected and brutally beaten by her foster parents. At the time animals were protected by law from inhumane treatment, but children weren't. A small group of concerned citizens in New York City came together in 1875 to become the first organized child protective institution in the country--The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

After Mary Ellen told her story in court, her foster mother was prosecuted for assault and battery. Mary Ellen was placed into a new home in upstate New York and grew up a normal child. She married. had two daughters, and  adopted a third. Her daughters reported that Mary Ellen was always reluctant to speak of her past, but she did show them the scars of burns on her arms and the scissors scar was always noticeable on her face. It was her pride and joy to be able to provide her own daughters with a happy childhood in contrast to her own. Mary Ellen died in 1956, at the age of 92.

In 2018, we have seen 13 children of one family who suffered extreme abuse. We know about these children because the severity of their abuse unfortunately makes good news. And yet very day more than 3 children die in the United States from abuse and neglect, and their stories do. How could we who are grandmothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and concerned women sit and do nothing?

I offer this prayer from the Children's Defense Fund by Marian Wright Edelmann.

O God, forgive and transform our rich nation where small babies die of cold quite legally.
 
O God, forgive and transform our rich nation where small children suffer from hunger quite legally.
 
O God, forgive and transform our rich nation where toddlers and school children die from guns sold quite legally.
 
O God, forgive and transform our rich nation that lets children be the poorest group of citizens quite legally.
 
O God, forgive and transform our rich nation that lets the rich continue to get more at the expense of the poor quite legally.
 
O God, forgive and transform our rich and powerful nation which thinks security rests in missiles and bombs rather than in mothers and in babies.
 
O God, forgive and transform our rich nation for not giving You sufficient thanks by giving to others their daily bread.
 
O God, help us never to confuse what is quite legal with what is just and right in Your sight.
 
Help us to stand together and vote to make America just and right for all Your children.
--Marian Wright Edelman 
 
Shabbat Shalom

LOIS
FROM WOMEN'S LEAGUE FOR CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM WLCJ fromWL
 

Networking to engage, 
enrich and empower
Conservative Jewish women 
  
 
   
 

"Finding My Balance"
Shabbat Message by Gaye Altman
 
In 1984, I enrolled in a Master's of Social Work program at Yeshiva University as a part- time student. One of our requirements was to study Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik and his perspective on "The Lonely Man of Faith." Our focus was on the dual nature of man and his analysis of Adam I and Adam II. In the first Genesis account, Adam I is commanded to dominate the earth. In the second account, Adam is placed in the Garden of Eden in a close relationship to God. Adam I is described as a technologically sophisticated, utilitarian secular figure; while Adam II is represented as a more spiritual creature in touch with the Divine. It is during this struggle that we each search for a balance between our lay daily living and our spiritual self.

My family has been a member of Bet Torah in Mt. Kisco, NY since 1980. I immediately connected with Sisterhood and began my Jewish journey with women searching for educational, spiritual, cultural, and social opportunities and experiences to share. We provided multifaceted programs and support for our members, the synagogue, the community, and Israel. I learned that we were part of Westchester/Rockland, later The Hudson Valley Branch, and now MetroNorth Region. Our Shalach Manot program originated with the help of Yorktown Jewish Center. Most importantly, we at Bet Torah were and remain part of Women's League. It is through the supportive members and materials provided by Women's League that we are a thriving, successful Sisterhood. Whether by mail, the Internet, Constant Contact, Facebook, or telephone, any information needed is available. Personally, my go-to is WLCJ.org or telephone. Women's League provides the nourishment needed to sustain our Sisterhood members.

After my graduation in 1988, with my Masters and certification in hand, I held two  professional  positions: the first working with adolescent girls age 13-17 years; the second supporting families and children at a Children's Rehabilitation Center. When accepting these positions, I emphasized that I would not work on Saturday, as Shabbat and services were most important for me. During my studies and after, my family and Sisterhood often pitched in to help me find my balance.

Today, although retired,  I remain an active Sisterhood member. My Jewish journey, my struggle for balance between secular and spiritual self, continues with the love and support of family, friends, Sisterhood, and Women's League.

Shabbat Shalom,
Gaye Altman, President
MetroNorth Region
   

United Nations Global Outreach on January 27
On January 27, The United Nations observes an International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Read more about this initiative and access a full list of worldwide events here.


Support Women's League with One Click!
 
WLCJ has joined Amazon Prime!

Initiate your shopping session through our website, and Amazon will rebate a percentage of the sale back to Women's League. Click on the Amazon logo on the top left corner of our webpage (near the Facebook icon), and click on the Amazon shopping cart on the next page - then repeat the process for each individual purchase.
 

$100 for 100 Years...Continue the Legacy
 
 
2018 -- the culmination of our first 100 years -- promises to be a huge year! In looking ahead to our many centennial celebrations, we invite you to join us in ensuring the future of Women's League for Conservative Judaism:  
$100 for 100 Years.
 
We invite all members and Sisterhoods to support the next 100 years of Women's League by contributing a minimum of $100 to the $100 for 100 Years Campaign. Donors will receive a Women's League kippah as a thank you gift.  
 
With your participation, Women's League will continue to provide innovative programs, personalized leadership development, direct sisterhood support, and accessible resources to benefit all members of our dynamic network.
 
All donations can be sent to: 
Women's League 
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 820 
New York, NY 10115  
 
Donate:
online at bit.ly/support-wl,  
by sending a check to the Women's League office,  
or by calling Razel Kessler at 212.870.1260, ext. 1263, and providing your credit card information over the phone.  
 
We thank you in advance for your generosity!
 

 
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.  
FROM THE REGION BOOK CHAIRBOOKS

The Invisible Bridge
is a novel by Julie Orringer. It is the story of the Levi family in Hungary before, during, and after World War II.

At times it is a difficult to read because of the degradation imposed by the Nazis and their influence forcing Hungary after resisting to send Jews to concentration camps.

The novel begins as a tempestuous love story that evolves from the story of ironic friendships begun in the classes of the Ecole Special d'Architecture of Paris to tale of the merciless hardships of family separation. Survival is Andras Levi's key theme throughout the book.

I definitely recommend this novel as an ongoing read during these frigid winter nights.

Ruth Borsky
FROM THE TORAH FUND VICE PRESIDENT
MARILYN COHEN

 
Contact me with any questions:
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!
   
FROM ACROSS THE REGIONkvell
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.
 
NEED HELP? help
HELP IS AVAILABLE ON THE WLCJ WEBSITE.

Programs, membership ideas, education material, and more available at wlcj.org

 
INR OF WLCJ | ltsilverman@gmail.com  | Website Click here