Chag Sameach Tu B'Shevat from the WRJ Midwest District!
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MIDWEST
DISTRICT M'KESHER
מְקֶשֶׁר
February 2020 | Shevat 5780
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A Message from Michelle Scheinkopf
WRJ Midwest District President
Greetings!
In a few days we will be celebrating Tu B’Shevat. This holiday is also known as
Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot, which means the New Year of the Trees. In Israel, the holiday is celebrated as an ecological awareness day and the custom is to plant trees. Many of our congregations have special programming near Tu B’Shevat. Maybe your sisterhood/women’s group participates with a Tu B’Shevat Seder or tree planting campaign for Israel.
When my children were young and attended religious school, I remember vividly my congregation’s Tu B’Shevat festivities. A seder was held with platters of delicious fruits and nuts associated with the Land of Israel. After the meal, families were given soil and flower seeds to sow into pots to take home. I still remember watching Elizabeth and Bryan carefully take each seed and gently press it into the soil. Their stewardship of these tiny plants before they could be planted in the ground and the ideals they learned from Tu B’Shevat generated their understanding of the importance of taking care of the environment. To this day, one of my family’s favorite destinations is the Chicago Botanic Garden. The Garden and all of nature takes care of us humans spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, and socially. We must make sure we take care of it.
Tu B’Shevat reminds Jews of our connection to the earth and our role as caretakers to the environment. On Tu B’Shevat and throughout the year, take time to focus your attention on the countless environmental concerns we hear about every day. We must understand that what impacts the environment will inevitably have an impact on us, and how we react to environmental changes will undoubtedly continue to impact the environment.
Marilyn Glazer, WRJ Midwest District Advocacy Chair, shares with us where the Reform Jewish Movement stands on environmental issues. It is time for us all to take action and take care of our environment.
L'Shalom,
Michelle Scheinkopf
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Critical Issues – Reform Judaism's Stand on
the Environment
by: Marilyn Glazer, WRJ Midwest District Advocacy Chair
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Editor’s note: In light of recent rollbacks of environmental policy, I thought it was important for us to know where the Jewish Reform Movement stands on environmental issues. Below is an edited version of a longer article on the RAC’s website. For the full article go to
https://rac.org/climate-justice
As Reform Jews, we have an obligation to the earth and all of its inhabitants. Our Jewish texts and tradition teach us a dual responsibility to “till and tend” (Genesis 2:15) the earth and to “love your fellow as yourself” (Leviticus 19:17-18). It is this tradition that leads us to see climate change as more than just an environmental issue. Climate change is an ethical, political, public health, and – above all – a social justice issue. Climate justice is about the real human-felt impacts of a changing environment and the urgency that places on us to act.
Introduction to Climate Justice
Working towards climate justice means addressing climate change at the intersections of the racial, social, and economic disparities that it perpetuates. All humans rely on the environment for their livelihood. And, we recognize that addressing climate change is deeply interconnected with our vision of a more just world. Climate change causes droughts, diseases, extreme weather, famine, and air and water contamination. Both in the United States and abroad, the effects of climate change disproportionately impact disadvantaged and vulnerable communities.
This is evidenced by the disparity in exposure to toxins, rates of diseases caused by climate change, and destruction left in the wake of extreme weather. Six million Americans live within three miles of a coal power plant. Coal power plants are more heavily concentrated in low-income and communities of color. Because of this
disproportionate exposure
, African American and Latino children are more likely than white children to be
poisoned by lead and to have asthma
. African American communities also have disproportionately high rates of asthma and
cancer
clusters
. Internationally, the effects of climate change are most significant for developing countries that lack the means for proper preparation and emergency response. For example, Haiti’s crops and agriculture were devastated by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, which took the lives of over 1,000 people. This is due – in large part – to a
lack of preparedness and poverty
.
International Climate Action
: While the United States is home to only 5% of the world’s population, we contribute about
16% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
. The practices of the United States and other developed nations put an undue burden onto developing countries. As a developed nation and one of the top two emitters of greenhouse gases, the United States has a unique responsibility to be a world leader on climate action. For this reason, we must be vigorous in our support for international climate actions such as the Paris Agreement, the Green Climate Fund, and actions to protect the Arctic.
Note: you can write the EPA and the White House to express your opinion on this important issue.
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WRJ has announced that its 2019 Choice Grant will be awarded to the Leo Baeck Education Center for its work in Arab-Jewish summer day camps. In addition to being a fun-filled experience, these unique summer programs build trust and confidence between Christian, Muslim, and Jewish children in Haifa, Israel, who have few opportunities to be together, get to know one another, and share positive experiences. This grant is being made through WRJ's YES Fund. Learn more about the
Leo Baeck Education Center Summer Program.
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Reproductive Health & Rights Campaign
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You can make a difference in the lives of all women locally, statewide, and nationally by opening the links below and becoming more aware and empowered to further the cause of WRJ's Reproductive Justice Campaign:
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World Zionist Congress Elections
January 21-March 11, 2020
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The World Zionist Congress is a representative body of the world’s Jewish people that meets in Jerusalem every five years. It exerts ideological influence on Israeli society and the global Jewish agenda and allocates financial and other resources to various organizations – including the Reform Movement. You can help mobilize voters in your community.
READ MORE to find out how
.
WRJ has created a
YouTube video
to help us be ambassadors to get out the vote for ARZA and the Progressive Movement at the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections.
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The WRJ Incubator Grants initiative was launched in 2015 as a way to inspire and enable “outside the box” programs and provide new ideas for all
WRJ sisterhoods
.
Applications are now open for the 2019-2020 Incubator Grants
.
WRJ is allocating Incubator grants of $500-$2,500 to WRJ sisterhoods/women’s groups to fund unique and creative programs that promote one or more of the WRJ 3 Ss: Sisterhood, Spirituality, and Social Good. WRJ is looking specifically for programs that encourage Tikkun Olam, promote Reform Jewish values, create caring communities, and/or cultivate spiritual or personal growth in its participants. Sisterhoods/women's groups must be in good standing with both WRJ and with their districts. For more information, please read the
2019-2020 Incubator Grant FAQs
.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2020, or until funds are depleted.
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Fried Women’s Conference
Early Bird Registration ends on February 26, 2020!
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The
WRJ Fried Women’s Conference (FWC)
2020 will take place in Phoenix, Arizona, at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass Hotel, which will host both programming and nightly accommodations. FWC begins on Thursday, April 30, at 5:30 pm and runs through Sunday, May 3, at 12:00 pm.
Please note that some special programs begin earlier or later.
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Click the link to watch this webinar on Youtube!
(Yammer access required)
(Yammer access required)
Click the link to watch these webinars on Yammer!
Click the link to watch this webinar on YouTube!
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WRJ Midwest is on Instagram and Facebook! Check us out!!
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Sisterhood/Women's Group News
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Need help publicizing your next event?
Please send a pdf flyer to your
Area Director
and we will try to include it.
Materials must be received by the 15th
of the month.
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Did your sisterhood/women's group have a recent event that you would like to share with other women from our district? If so, please send pictures with a sentence or two about the event to Michelle Scheinkopf
mscheinkopf@gmail.com,
and it will appear in the next M'Kesher.
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Women of Mount Zion Temple, St Paul, MN:
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Temple Chai, Long Grove, IL:
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Click the WRJ Midwest District Convention 2020 logo to the left
to view the full convention Save the Date flyer
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A gift to the Midwest District is a wonderful way to recognize, remember, or honor the special people in your life: your sisterhood/women's group board, your president, your district leaders, your mother, daughter, sister, friends, and other family members. You can even honor your clergy! Make a gift to WRJ Midwest District to say “thank you,” “happy birthday,” or congratulations,” or to send get well wishes or condolences. An acknowledgement will be emailed to each person whose email address
is provided.
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Yom Huledet Sameach
(Happy Birthday!)
to our Midwest District Board Members and Alumnae
February:
March:
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Speedy recovery to Co-Sisterhood President from Mt. Zion Temple in St. Paul, MN, Peggy Kipp as she heals from knee replacement surgery. Well wishes may be sent to Peggy at 2273 Wagon Wheel Court, Mendota Heights, MN 55120 or at
pegk56@comcast.net
.
Positive thoughts and energy being sent to Carol Teplis, Midwest District Fundraising Chair, as she undergoes treatment for
multiple myeloma. Well wishes may be sent to Carol after February 11 at
Froedtert Hospital, 9200 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53226. Emails to:
sisterhoodcarol@gmail.com.
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As you are putting together your newsletters & e-blasts, please use these forms:
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(Thi
s is WRJ's Leadership form)
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Having a WRJ speaker available for sisterhood services, installations, or to just help facilitate or conduct workshops is really easy to do. Just fill out this
form
and let us know what you are looking for. Do you know someone who has an area of expertise she might be willing to share? We are looking to expand our Speaker's Bureau, and we can only do that with the help of each of you. We look forward to your requests and wonderful ideas from each and every one of you.
Thanks!
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Contact: Ashley Burbul, M'Kesher Editor
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WRJ strengthens the voice of women worldwide and empowers them to create caring communities, nurture congregations, cultivate personal and spiritual growth, and advocate for and promote progressive Jewish values.
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