|
|
Networking to engage, enrich and empower
Conservative Jewish Women.
Parsha - Pekudei
March 9, 2019
2nd of Adar II
5779
|
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
"Chillin' with Tefillin - Recap!"
Thank you to all who planned and also attended our 2/24 MAR Open Board Meeting at Har Zion Temple in Penn Valley. We enjoyed a lovely brunch, a MAR update from myself and the Executive Committee, and a fascinating talk on
tefillin
from Rabbi Wolintz-Fields, WLCJ Executive Director, followed by breakout sessions. A busy and stimulating morning was enjoyed by all! Take a look at some pictures, and then enjoy a guest column from Beth Chernoff, MAR Comunications Team Lead.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calling all Sisterhoods - Support our Masorti Sisters in Israel by sending in a donation to the Masorti Women’s Day of Study. We are working toward 100% participation from all our Sisterhoods.
Faith
☀ Friendship ☀ Food ☀
Fun
Shabbat Shalom,
Lori Snow
President, Mid-Atlantic Region
|
|
SHABBAT MESSAGE:
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY....GOLDEN MEMORIES
by Beth Ellen Chernoff
MAR Communications Team Lead
Last November, I attended a conference sponsored by the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society, on the topic of Crypto-Jews in the Southeastern United States. You may know Crypto-Jews as
anusim
(“forced ones”), or
conversos
, or Marranos, and perhaps you’ve heard about their communities in New Mexico - but the Historical Society’s mission is to document such cases in the
southeast
. These Sephardic descendants are just beginning to find their voice and Jewish roots, made even more difficult by a culture whose defining aspect is secrecy. WL Reads has also shed light on this population by selecting
Gateway to the Moon
, with author Mary Morris set to be interviewed on April 8.
Among Crypto-Jews, Queen Esther has always been a source of inspiration for the way she retained her true Jewish identity, while integrating into the surrounding society. So revered was she among many Cryptos that Purim was reinvented as the
Festival of Santa Esterica
, with women fasting, lighting devotional candles, and cooking a banquet together. It was an occasion of mother/daughter bonding, with daughters being taught special family recipes that adhered to the remembered laws of Kashrut. But it was, of necessity, private and home-based.
This year Purim falls on March 21 – the exact date I became a Bat Mitzvah 50 years ago. The Shabbat prior, I will be called to the Torah to chant from
Vayikra
– something not permitted to me back in 1969. Among WL women this might not be such an unusual occurrence, but what is unique is that this will take place in the same congregation (Temple Sinai, Dresher, PA) as my Bat Mitzvah, and where I have maintained membership. In this building, my brother’s Confirmation class picture hangs on the wall, as does mine. The
gabbai
and I go back to our junior choir roots, and Hebrew School carpool days. And no doubt someone in attendance will relate to me a story about my parents, who entered into
kiddushin
in 1949 – also at Temple Sinai.
I will be remembering Queen Esther with extra gratitude this year – not only for the crucial role she played in ensuring the continuation of Judaism in the Persian provinces (“from India even unto Ethiopia”), but also for the hope and strength she brought to so many in their darkest hours. And I will be grateful to be able to celebrate and share my milestone with my own community -
proudly and publicly!
This is exactly the kind of reveling, I believe, that Esther would wish for all of us this Purim.
|
|
A NOTE OF THANKS FROM DEBBIE ZIMMERMAN
Vice President of Membership and Sisterhood Support
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE MID-ATLANTIC REGION!
Five more Sisterhoods paid their Per Capita dues. These payments helped us reach our goal of 100% participation! Per Capita dues enable Women’s League to provide its affiliated Sisterhoods with valuable training, programming, and resource materials that benefit Sisterhoods and individual members, their families, and our communities. You truly have made a difference! Thank you for all that you do for WLCJ.
Paid Up MAR Sisterhoods
Adath Israel, Lawrenceville, NJ
Adath Israel, Merion Station, PA
Adath Jeshurun, Elkins Park, PA
B’Nai Jacob, Phoenixville, PA
Beth El, Allentown, PA
Beth El, East Windsor, NJ
Beth Israel, Lebanon, PA
Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County
Beth Sholom, Elkins Park, PA
Beth Tikvah/Bnai Jeshuran, Erdenheim, PA
Beth Zion-Beth Israel, Philadelphia, PA
Congregation Beth El, Yardley, PA
Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ
Congregation Beth Tikvah, Marlton, NJ
Congregation Brothers of Israel, Newtown, PA
Germantown Jewish Centre, Philadelphia, PA
Har Zion Temple, Penn Valley, PA
Melrose B'nai Israel Emanu-El, Elkins Park, PA
Ohev Shalom, Wallingford, PA
Ohev Shalom of Bucks County, Richboro, PA
Or Shalom, Berwyn, PA
Shirat Hayam, Ventnor City, NJ
Temple Beth El, Lancaster, PA
Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El, Wynnewood, PA
Temple Beth Sholom, Cherry Hill, NJ
Temple Har Zion, Mount Holly, NJ
Temple Sinai, Cinnaminson, NJ
Temple Sinai, Dresher, PA
Tiferet Bet Israel, Blue Bell, PA
Tifereth Israel of Lower Bucks County, Bensalem, PA
Women's League of Pottstown, Pottstown, PA
|
|
Torah Fund News
by Marsha Wasserman
Mid-Atlantic Region Torah Fund VP
I want to thank all the Sisterhood Torah Fund Chairs and their team members who continue to fill out the transmittal slips and send the checks to the Torah Fund office in New York City.
Please remember that all checks need to be made out to Torah Fund, even small amounts under $10.00. Please remember to thank our donors for any amount they donate to Torah Fund. Every dollar helps the Torah Fund Campaign.
I wanted to share 3 Torah Fund Event ideas from 3 different Regions:
(1)
Congregation Beth El, Voorhees, NJ
had “An Evening of the Things We Love – Chocolate, Wine, and Torah Fund." They had a presenter who showed them how to make chocolate desserts, and a video presentation from their clergy and their families about the importance of Torah Fund. The Rabbi, Hazzan and their spouses are all graduates of the Jewish Theological Seminary. (Renee Kessler, TF Co-Chair)
(2) At every monthly Sisterhood board meeting at
Madison JC, Brooklyn, NY
, they pass around a donation box for which each attendee will honor some special occasion. This money is used to cover most expenses for their Springtime Torah Fund brunch. The brunch is kept simple and interesting speakers are sought who preferably do not charge. Men and women attend, and usually there are attendees from nearby synagogues. (Harriette Cohen Co- President)
(3) The
Women of Adath Jeshurun, Minneapolis, MN
did something different this year: they had a brunch and honored a couple who exemplify the Conservative/Masorti movement. They charged $36 ($18 for the brunch, $18 as a donation to Torah Fund). Many donated over the $18, and some who could not attend nevertheless made a donation in honor of the couple. (Ruth Harris, Co-President)
Any questions, comments, or suggestions - I am a phone call or email away.
-Marsha
marshaw@wasserman.com
Please remember to invite Lori Snow (Region President) and me to your event!
|
|
Mid-Atlantic Region of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism
Bernice Oswald Women’s League Institute
Spring 2019
Encountering “
Pirkei Avot” –
“Ethics of the Fathers”
Our study continues with Rabbi David Ackerman
How to live a moral life? That question resides at the heart of the enterprise known as Rabbinic Judaism. And
Pirkei Avot –
a five chapter collection of maxims, exhortations, and ethical musings – serves as the Talmudic tradition’s first and most beloved handbook. Armed with beautiful commentaries prepared by Rabbis Tamar Elad-Appelbaum and Gordon Tucker, which form the core of the new
Lev Shalem
edition of
Pirkei Avot,
we delve into the real world wisdom of our most ancient sages.
Where: Har Zion Temple
When: Mondays: February 25; March 4, 11, 18; April 1, 8, 15, 29; May 6, 13
Time: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m
Sima Sussman – 215-635-3813;
simasteve@comcast.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R
egistration: $125 made payable to WLCJ Mid-Atlantic Region
Name __________________________________________________________
Address________________________________________________________
Email address _________________________________________________
Home phone _________________________Cell ____________________
Synagogue affiliation_________________________________________
Please bring check to class or mail to:
Violet Zeitlin 7706 Sycamore Lane Elkins Park, PA 19027
|
|
Shabbat Message:
"Welcoming the Stranger"
by Margie Miller
WLCJ President
So many of us travel. We visit relatives, go on cruises, and take road trips. We go to unknown destinations in search of adventures. We see all the sites on our bucket list. We take hundreds of pictures, often of buildings and scenery. But, when I reflect on the experience of a trip, what stays with me, mostly, are the people I’ve met.
I have been spending this past week on our Women's League Torah Fund Major Gifts Mission to Argentina – A huge thank you to Carol Simon and Randy Schwartz for organizing this trip!
|
|
Today, we traveled out of the city, about an hour and a half north to a magnificent private ranch. Three gauchos riding horseback waving the Argentinian and American flag greeted us. Our private bus followed them into the sprawling complex, not realizing that one of our attendees, Randy Schwartz, was Canadian.
Our hosts treated us to a welcoming reception, we watched the gauchos compete with each other, had a fabulous kosher barbecue, and then we were entertained and serenaded, as we danced to Argentinian music.
The moment that I will not forget is, after the competition of the three gauchos, they disappeared for a moment. They soon returned, not only carrying the American flag and the Argentinian flag, but a Canadian flag, as well. This simple act of kindness and sensitivity was just a simple gesture to ensure that all of us felt included and recognized. To me, it was how they welcomed the stranger. That’s all it took, this simple act.
|
|
When I reflect on this fabulous trip, what I will remember most is the warm and welcoming interactions we had with our wonderful guide, the staff of the Seminario, the kindness of all the rabbis we met, and the smiles of the three gauchos high atop their horses, waving the flags of our three countries.
We might have been strangers in their land, but we departed as friends.
Shabbat Shalom from Argentina,
Margie Miller
|
|
The Women’s League for Conservative Judaism’s
Jewels in the Crown Award
was established 10 years ago, in 2009, in order to recognize our Sisterhoods who have demonstrated excellence in education, cultural programming, and social action, and who exhibit a strong Women’s League identity.
There were more than 215 total Sisterhood recipients at the 2014 and 2017 Women’s League Conventions. These Sisterhoods offered hundreds of interesting and successful programs that reflected a wide diversity of subjects, issues, social action projects, celebrations, and personal enrichment activities. Learn more about the program at
http://wlcj.org/2014/07/jewels-in-the-crown-awards/
.
Now is the time to start collecting your programs to be submitted for Jewels in the Crown Awards for the 2020 Women’s League Convention. Please appoint a Sisterhood member to be responsible for completing and submitting the application to us.
We will be looking at your programs from September 2017 until June 30, 2020
.
Download the 2020 Jewels in the Crown application here!
Each Sisterhood must be current with their 2019 and 2020 per capita, and must participate in Torah Fund in order to be eligible to participate in Jewels in the Crown.
Become a shining jewel in the Women’s League crown! Please share this letter with your current executive committee, and feel free to contact us with any questions.
B’shalom,
Meryl Balaban
(
mbalaban@wlcj.org
)
Madeleine Gimbel
(
maddy_gimbel@yahoo.com
)
Convention 2020 Jewels in the Crown Co-Chairs
Margie Miller
(
mmiller@wlcj.org
)
WLCJ President
Sisters Journeying Together
|
|
Study Mishnah Berakhot With Us in 2019!
Looking for ways to immerse yourself in Jewish study and text?
Women’s League for Conservative Judaism is excited to introduce a new program to enhance, enrich, and engage our Conservative Jewish Women in the 21st Century:
Listen, Pray, Think: A Journey through Mishnah Berakhot
,
an 18-month study of the entire Tractate Masechet, of Mishnah Berakhot.
- 10 live Zoom videoconferencing sessions
- taught by female scholars and rabbis
- will be recorded and posted on the WLCJ website.
Materials will also be available on our WLCJ website prior to each session for individual study, or b’chavruta, (study with a partner), or as a group study with your Sisterhood.
Instructors will include Rabbi Amy Levin, Rabbi Gail Labovitz, Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Rabbi Pamela Barmash, and Rabbi Cheryl Peretz.
No previous study needed to join the Zoom calls - just prior registration. Call-in information will be sent upon registering.
|
|
Personal Conversations 2019
Personal Conversations provide a forum to address everyday issues through discussions about obstacles and opportunities, using conference calls and/or easy to access webinars.
Family Violence with Barbara Wettstein, PhD
Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 8:00 p.m., Eastern time
Family Violence: What is it? How do we identify it? How prevalent is it? What can we do about it? Family violence refers to violence that occurs within families, usually among individuals who live together. It touches all socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and national groups. Dr. Wettstein will give an introduction to the topic, and then will allow about 30 minutes for questions and discussion.
Barbara Wettstein, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist at the Greater Los Angeles VA. She specializes in couple therapy, depression, and trauma. She is a graduate of The City College of NY and received her PhD from the University of Notre Dame. Barbara grew up in a suburb of NYC, attended Jewish day schools, and is now a member of B’nai David Judea Cong. in Los Angeles. She lives in LA with her husband, and is a proud grandma of two boys.
Register for this Personal Conversation here!
|
|
Sign Up Now for Distance Workshops!
Women’s League provides customized training on a variety of topics covering every area of Sisterhood business and leadership development. But Women’s League knows that the great training it offers isn’t always convenient for its members. And that is why we created
Distance Workshops
.
These innovative Distance Workshops use the technology of conference calls and online services to bring advice and first-hand experience directly into your home. In addition to saving time and money, all participants will be able to apply their new knowledge in their Sisterhoods immediately!
There is no charge but pre-registration is necessary. We recommend that you register before the day of the workshop, preferably 2-3 weeks prior.
Distance Workshops are held on weekday evenings at
8:30 pm
, Eastern time.
Participation is limited to members of Women’s League
only
.
Call-in information is sent upon registration.
Upcoming Distance Workshops
March 27
– Identifying and Cultivating Leadership
April 3
– Volunteerism: Alive and Well
May 22
– Meeting your Sisterhood’s Financial Needs (also of interest to Region Financial Teams)
For more information, e-mail co-chairs Harriet Merkowitz at
hmerkowitz@wlcj.org
or Toby Maser at
Tobala704@aol.com
or call
212.870.1260
.
Members can read scripts from past Distance Workshops by logging onto the website and clicking on
Download WLCJ Member Materials.
|
|
Announcing the next
Women's League Reads book!
The next Women's League Reads book is
Gateway to the Moon
, by Mary Morris. Now in hardcover and e-reader editions, it will also be out in paperback on March 12.
An author interview will be held on Monday, April 8, 2019, at 8:30 p.m. EST.
The historical novel has a dual narrative: First, the story follows a Jewish family of conversos during a century of flight from the Spanish Inquisition—from Spain, to Portugal, to Mexico, and, finally, to colonial New Mexico. The second storyline, set in the 1990s, tells of inter-related Hispanic characters in a poor New Mexico town, whose ancestors had settled there 400 years ago, and who still maintain "strange" customs that hint at Jewish ancestry. It involves a striving, gifted teenage boy, whose family harbors secrets, a kindly older general store manager who yearns to discover his roots, and a troubled, young Jewish family that tries to make a fresh start. Mary Morris skillfully weaves these threads together in a page-turning, layered story.
Her earlier historical novel, The Jazz Palace, a multiple-award winner, is set in Prohibition-era Chicago, where Jewish and African-American musicians–confronting racism, anti-Semitism and gangsters – forge bonds. In addition to her other novels, Morris wrote a travel memoir viewed as a classic,
Nothing to Declare, Memoirs of a Woman Traveling Alone
. A Chicago native, she has “100% Jewish” roots but was raised “minimally Jewish,” and has been on a voyage of self-discovery through her writing, she has told interviewers.
Related reading:
Membership in Women's League Reads is open only to members in good standing of Women’s League-affiliated Sisterhoods or to individual members who have paid dues directly to Women’s League.
WL Reads is a member-benefit program of Women's League.
To join the group contact Lois Silverman, Internet Services Chair, at
lsilverman@wlcj.org
, with your Sisterhood name or individual WLCJ member ID. For other questions or comments, contact Vivian Leber at
vleber@wlcj.org
.
UPDATED! Women's League Book Corner
We appreciate when our members and Sisterhoods reach out to us. So, when our own Women’s League Reads members recently
recommended these books
,
we had to share them.
Mainly, but not exclusively, the authors shown here are Jewish women. Featured Books/Authors that were featured selections for WL Reads are not included, but you can learn more about WL Reads and hear our interviews with those authors on our WL Reads page.
Check out the updated Women's League Book Corner
here
!
Read more about WL Reads and join the conversation
here
!
For even more book recommendations, check out
this
!
|
|
$185 for one course $360 for both courses
$335 discount for Women’s League members before February 13
|
|
Divrei Nashim
: Words of Our Women
Divrei Hokhmah
are
units of study and discussion that can be directed by anyone - no training or previous knowledge necessary.
The modules can introduce each Sisterhood meeting or program,
with one theme running through the course of a year.
|
|
WWOT - Weekly Words of Torah:
Parashat Ki Tissa
To inspire, guide, engage, enrich, and empower
Conservative Jewish Women
by
Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Executive Director,
Women’s League For Conservative Judaism
|
|
This week's Torah Reading
, Parashat Pekudei,
concludes the book of Exodus,
Sefer Shemot. Parashat Pekudei
is an inventory of all that was used in the construction of the
Mishkan,
the Tabernacle, the moveable Temple used by the Israelites while wandering in the desert.
Parashat Pekudei
concludes the
Miskhan
project, and it reads like some HGTV Shows, but on a much greater scale: “Project Runway,” with descriptions of all the clothes produced for the High Priests, and a home improvement show about a construction project for God to dwell. I would think that, at the end of such a long project, which must have taken a long time, there must have been a huge adrenaline letdown. Now what do the people do? Perhaps they should do what any organization should do after a project or program - an Assessment and Evaluation. Assessment is made to identify the level of performance of an individual, whereas evaluation is performed to determine the degree to which goals are attained. The basic difference between assessment and evaluation lies in the orientation, i.e. while the assessment is process-oriented, evaluation is product-oriented.
What went right with the program or project, and what needs improvement? How could costs be cut, and what were some items that were needed, but not obtained? At Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, in order to service our community better, we make sure that we have an assessment and evaluation for all we do, to make sure that we are enriching, enhancing, and engaging our WLCJ women in the best possible ways we can, and in the most effective ways we can, for the best outcomes.
Did our ancestors in the time of the
Mishkan
assess and evaluate this immense project that they did, in order for God to dwell amongst them? Since the
Mishkan
construction project was commanded for God, by God, I am not sure that they were allowed to evaluate. We at Women’s League are much humbler. We can assess and evaluate, and make sure that all we do at WLCJ, in our next 100 years, speaks to the needs of our WLCJ women. Together, we create vibrant, thriving Jewish communities: to enhance, enrich, and engage our women of the Conservative Movement, who help God dwell in their homes, synagogues, and communities.
WWOT, Weekly Words of Torah will be a brief paragraph prepared weekly by our new Executive Director, Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, presented in our “
This Week @ Women’s League
.” WWOT will provide meaningful thoughts related to the Weekly Torah Portion, an event on the Calendar, a Prayer, or something of Jewish interest, to inspire, guide, engage, enrich, and empower Conservative Jewish Women. If you have any particular interest in future topics, or want to send Rabbi Wolintz-Fields an email, you can contact her at
ewolintz-fields@wlcj.org
. Read previous Weekly Words of Torah
here
.
|
|
The following have contributed to Women's League and its many initiatives. ALL contributions are welcome.
Masorti WL Days of Study in Israel:
Beth El Sisterhood, New Rochelle, NY
Beth El Women's League, West Palm Beach, FL
Beth Shalom Sisterhood, Oak Park, MI
Beth Tikvah Sisterhood, Greenacres, FL
B'nai Torah Womens League, Boca Raton, FL
Kol Rinah Sisterhood, St. Louis, MO
Or Olam East 55th Street Synagogue, New York, NY
Sisterhood of Temple Israel, Natick, MA
|
|
|
|
Current Calendar Diary SALE
The 2019-2020 Calendar Diary is about
to print soon, and the
2018-2019/5779 (current) edition is now marked down to only $6!
Featuring artwork from our own members, the 5779 pocket calendar includes Jewish holidays,
candle-lighting times,
Birkat HaMazon
, and useful tips for all occasions.
Comes with plastic cover.
|
|
We're Having Another SALE!
$5 per single book, ONLY SOLD by the case - 12 books per carton, and shipping is ON US!!
|
|
These make great Sisterhood, Bat Mitzvah, and graduation gifts!
BUY 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
|
|
SUPPORT WOMEN'S LEAGUE WITH ONE CLICK!
Women's League 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.
|
|
Stay in Touch:
Like Women's League on Facebook!
Women’s League is only as strong as its individual communities, and we invite
you and your friends, family, and Sisterhood
|
|
MOMENTS TO SHARE
We wish a complete and speedy
Refuah Shleimah
to
Donna Bennett
after her recent surgery.
Do you have a Simcha - Lifecycle Event - Memorial
to share with your Region Sisters?
Would your Sisterhood like to share an event with the Region?
Email us at:
marpresident@wlcj.org
and we'll include it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
