Highlighting Area 5
Area Director - Sarah Jacobs
Temple B'nai Shalom, Fairfax Station, VA
Holly Plotnick, President
Temple B’nai Shalom Sisterhood was established in 1988. We currently have 56 members including two past District Presidents and the current District President, Marilyn Morrison. All three women currently serve on the TBS Sisterhood board. In addition, we have had countless District Board members.
Our mission is: The Women of Temple B’nai Shalom is dedicated to engaging women by cultivating personal and spiritual growth, advocating for and promoting progressive Jewish values, and creating a caring community, through service and support.
Beth El Congregation, Harrisonburg, VA
Sherri Alt, President
Beth El Congregation was established in 1859. Every woman who is a member of the congregation is considered a member of Sisterhood. They currently have 27 paid members representing almost 40% of the congregation. They support their congregation by supplying the oneg Shabbats, arranging the community Pesach seder, supplying the kitchen with many necessities, and running the gift shop. They carry out a number of community service activities including their support for First Step, a shelter for women and their children who are victims of Domestic violence.
Temple Israel, Charleston, WV
Millie Snyder, President
Temple Israel currently has 62 members and a very rich history. In 1874, one year after Virginia Street Temple was organized, our very dedicated women organized the Ladies Hebrew Benevolent Society with a focus on charity at home and away. In 1984, our generous Ladies donated a Ten Commandments stained glass window to the Temple. It now illuminates our foyer at Temple Israel.
By 1914 we were fifty members strong and were led by Mrs. Ben Baer when we joined the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods. Our name was changed to the Virginia Street Temple Sisterhood at that time. During the 1920s the Jewish Braille Institute was supported by our resourceful women and continued into the 1950-60s when tape recordings were made to help the blind. In 1928 the Cradle Roll program was in place for preschoolers, a program that touched many lives and created many memories. From 1982 until 2000, Cradle Roll was again providing Jewish education and holiday parties for preschoolers and their parents.
During the Second World War, a Sewing Circle was organized to make garments for various charitable organizations, to knit sweaters and gloves for servicemen, and roll bandages with the Red Cross. In 1943, sales of our FIRST cookbook, “What’s Cooking,” purchased a Red Cross Bloodmobile for Cairo, Egypt which displayed the name of the energetic and charitable Women of the Virginia Street Temple Sisterhood, Charleston, WV USA.
From 1945 to the present we can boast of having our name placed on an honor roll for Uniongrams and the YES Fund. In 1950 the first Interfaith luncheon in the Kanawha Valley was held at our Temple with 250 in attendance. The year 2017 marked the 67th anniversary of the interfaith luncheon with no years missed. The 1950s were also busy. We started our first Holland bulb sale and 2021 marks our 67th year of selling bulbs to our community. In the mid-fifties, two institutes on Judaism were sponsored by our Sisterhood focusing on racial injustice and prejudice
In 1960 our congregation moved into our present building and with that move, we once again changed our name. We became the Temple Israel Sisterhood. We provided funds for the new Ark as well as pledges for the new kitchen, the Sisterhood lounge, and the library. We are very proud of Or Ami awards during the 1970s for organizing a volunteer Citizens Recycling Center that operated for sixteen years and for presenting a Jewish Holiday exhibit at the local children’s museum. In the 1990s our bold members sold 5,255 “House Pins” earning $21,020 for the benefit of the Sojourner’s Shelter playground.
Our Sisterhood continues its support and contributions to Temple life by sponsoring the High Holy Days reception with the Temple Board, and by providing a delicious Break-the-Fast after Yom Kippur services. We have an outreach program for our college youth, a floral fund that provides floral arrangements for Shabbat services and the High Holy Days, and the Helen F. Thalheimer Care Committee that reaches out to those in time of need and is named after a Temple Israel Sisterhood member. We are also active in our community through our work with our Sisterhood’s Critical Issues/ Social Advocacy Committee, the Kanawha Valley Interfaith Council, Manna Meal, and the Sojourners Shelter. Proceeds from the sale of our cookbook, “Kitchen Mavens’ Recipes” were used to refurbish our Sisterhood Lounge. In the last few years, we have organized a monthly book club, Leora May Book Club, named in memory of another special Sisterhood member. The Temple Israel Sisterhood has also sponsored Shabbat Covered Dish Dinners on the first Friday of every month which become a well-attended event at our Temple.
During the pandemic, we have provided Zoom links to our online Board and General Membership meetings We have encouraged our members to check mailings and our Temple website for updates throughout the year. The Temple Israel Sisterhood remains a strong and vibrant organization. Join us and become part of this rich history!