Chai Lines
International Northeast Region
Women's League
for Conservative Judaism
Networking to Engage, Enrich and Empower
Conservative Jewish Women 
   May 11, 2018                                                             Volume 3, Issue 1     
 
FROM YOUR SISTERS AT
THE INTERNATIONAL NORTHEAST REGION    
 
SPRING CONFERENCE 2018 save
 
INR SPRING CONFERENCE
"PORTRAIT OF SISTERHOOD"
Pictures from Conference 2018 have been posted to our website. Click here to view the pictures. 

THANK-YOU'S FROM INR President
  
O n April 29, the International Northeast Region of Women's League for Conservative Judaism discharged its leaders for the 2015-2018 term. We thank all those who served as officers and chairs. Here are these women: 

OUTGOING OFFICERS

President: Eleanor Diamond

Immediate Past President: Linda Steinhorn,  
Vice Presidents
Area: Toby Maser
Membership/Education: Lois Silverman
Communications: Marla Allentoff
Torah Fund: Marilyn Cohen
 
Treasurers
Canada: Bertha Gold New York: Rusty Zackheim
 
Area Directors
Montreal: Carol Burke New York: Bette Siegel Ontario: Rhoda Salama
Affiliation and Retention: Leona Eligberg
Area Torah Fund:
Montreal: Dorothy Tonchin New York: Abbey Rasnick Ontario: Fran Caine
 
Chairs:
Archives: Jessica Many
Books: Ruth Borsky
Bulletin and Webmaster: Lois Silverman
Creative Jewish Arts: Anna VanDelman
Environment: Corinne Hammerschlag
Israel: Trudy Sassoon
Nominations: Linda Steinhorn
Parliamentarian:  Marion Tully
Public Policy/ Advocacy:
    Canada: Ruth Shapiro     U.S.: Marcia Nabut  
 
Yasher Koach to you all.
 
A new administration was installed:
 
INCOMING OFFICERS 
Vice-Presidents:        
       Sisterhood Support:  Toby Maser 
       Torah Fund:  Marilyn Cohen 
       Program/Education: Esther Racoosin 
       Membership:  Leona Eligberg
Communications:  Lois Silverman
 
Treasurer/Financial Secretary:  
       Canadian:  TBA       US: Cheryl Maser Halwig    
Administration Secretary: Marla Allentoff       Marion Tully    
Communication Secretary: Lois Silverman    
Parliamentarian:
Carole Burke  
 
 "Hazak hazak venit hazek"  

FROM THE EDITOR, LOIS SILVERMANeducation  

As many of you know, I wrote many short plays/scripts/programs for WLCJ. They all were written so that each participant could relate to the content of the program and then take part in a meaningful discussion.
 
One of these scripts that is timeless and universal is about mothers. Like many of my scripts, it is made up of quotations and vignettes which I merged with my own additions into a sometimes humorous, often poignant whole. Because I used other people's words in these programs, I included footnotes indicating the sources.
 
In honor of Mothers Day, I post a brief excerpt of that script below with footnotes.  
 
Shabbat Shalom
Happy Mothers Day  
LOIS 
 
IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED MOTHERS
BY LOIS T. SILVERMAN
 
Dedication
 
To my Mother Shirley K. Tannenbaum who was a professional, Master Mother and who passed down so much to her daughters without ever knowing it.
- - - - - - - - -  
 
A: In the beginning God created mothers in His own image for He knew He couldn't be every­where. So He made mothers to dry the tears, soothe the hurts, smile the joys and do all those things that help make life outside of Heaven livable.
 
B: Yes, "Mother" has always been a generic term synonymous with love, devotion, and sacrifice. There's always been something mystical and reverent about them. They're the Walter Cronkites of the human race...infallible, virtuous, and without flaw. 1
 
C: Motherhood is the second oldest profession in the world. It never questions age, height, religious preference, health, political affiliation, citizenship, morality, ethnic background, marital status, economic level, convenience, or previous experience. 2
 
A: Motherhood is the biggest on-the-job training program in existence today. 3
 
B: None of us is really formally trained for motherhood; we must learn as we go along by trail and error--and we often feel, mostly error.
 
C: We all must come to motherhood armed only with a year's supply of Pampers coupons, a camera, a hotline to the pediatrician, and an innocence and a vitality with a life span of fifteen minutes. 4
 
A: I have always felt that too much time is given before the birth of a child to learning things like how to breathe in and out with your husband and not enough time given to how to mother after the baby is born. 5
 
B: And it is naive to send an inexperienced mother into an arena for eighteen years with a child and expect her to come out on top. Everything is in the child's favor. He's little. He's cute and he can turn tears on and off like a faucet. 6
 
C: Motherhood is at least an eighteen-year commitment to one job. What other job requires a contract that lasts that long? And if practiced seriously and correctly, it is the hardest profession in the world.
 
A: The most shocked women in the world are those who get married and have children because they got tired of working. 7
 
B: This ad must have been placed in the newspaper by a mother on the verge of going work-beserk: "Woman wanted to help in house. 18-hour day, 7-day week, sleep-in. Must have know­ledge of cooking, sewing, medicine, law, child psychology, elementary electricity, bookkeeping, and human relations. Must be strong and willing. Chauffeur's license preferred. No wages. Only room and board." 8
 
Footnotes
 
1 Erma Bombeck, Motherhood the Second Oldest Profession, pp. 1-2.
2 Ibid., p. 2.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid., p. 5.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Sam Levenson, You Don't Have to Be in Who's Who to know What's What, p.
37.
 
A GUEST EDITORIAL

Shabbat Message:
"My Eleven Months of Mother's Day"
By Ellen Kaner Bresnick
WLCJ Personnel Committee/Search Committee Chair
Dedicated to Lillian (Libby) H. Kaner z''l
(August 30, 1927- June 8, 2017)
 
Nancy Friday's 1977 book
My Mother, Myself was a groundbreaking read that described what she saw as the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter. She theorized that this connection is one that catalyzes the daughter's search for her own identity and tagged her book's dedication with the words, "when I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself."
 
Over the past eleven months since the death of my mother, Libby Kaner, I have had numerous moments when I have taken stock of my relationship with my mother and have reflected on how closely my identity was tied to hers. Sometimes these realizations occurred when I chanted the Kaddish. It was then that I silently thanked her for ensuring that I had a strong Jewish education, which now informs all parts of my daily life. I remember her driving carpool over the curving Jamaicaway, a road that she hated, to the Hebrew College in Brookline, Massachusetts during those cold, dark New England winter months, and I am thankful that she held strong during those moments when I complained about going. "She had not had that kind of Jewish education," she said to me, "but I would."
 
I know those moments occurred, during this past year, when I put on her bracelet every day, one that she was never without until it had to come off when she went into Hospice during that last week of her life. When I call both of my daughters to hear about the antics of my grandchildren, I find myself laughing in the same way in which she laughed, as I told her so many years ago about her grandchildren and their adventures. I find my fingers curling around that bracelet, as if my mother is urging me to enjoy every wonderful moment with these precious little people. I laugh as I use the same words with my grandchildren that she used with hers -- "I am not the cooking grandmother. I am the shopping one." And, despite my disclaimer about not being "the cooking grandmother," I do not let a single holiday go by without inviting to my table those who have no place to go, because my mother taught me that nobody should be alone on Rosh Hashanah, or Pesach, or any other Jewish holiday; as a Jew, it was important that I remember that.
 
And being active in Sisterhood? There was never any doubt in my mother's estimation that my sister and I would be anything but very involved. She had been a leader in her sisterhood, and she always counseled us to live near the synagogue, because so many of our friends and our activities would come from there. She used to joke that, in 1956, when she and my father purchased their brand-new home in Milton, Massachusetts, they paid an extra $5,000.00, a very large sum then, to live within walking distance of the synagogue. She constantly remarked that the profit on her "investment" had multiplied many times over, especially when she heard about the synagogue-related activities of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. And, in case you are wondering -- I do live a half-mile from my synagogue. When we purchased our house in Maryland, the first things I told my mother were how close the house was to the synagogue and how strong the sisterhood was at Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac.
 
And, when I find that I am facing difficult moments in my life, either physical ones or emotional ones, I hear her other favorite phrase --"Go wash your face and put on some lipstick. Take a walk around the block and you will be fine." So, I do all of these things, and, I guess, I do feel better. Even during shloshim, the thirty days after she died, I purposefully went to buy a new lipstick, because I knew that she would have wanted me to wear it, to make me feel better as I was entering some of the hardest days of my life.
 
I used to think during my childhood that growing up as her daughter was not an easy task. She was a wonderful mother, the best, and she was always proud of me, but she set the bar very high. I was always expected to work hard and do my best, be kind and respectful, and to observe the mitzvah of Tikkun Olam -- making the world a better place. As I have grown older, though, I have come to realize that everything that represents who I am today reflects my mother's strengths and beliefs -- even in the way I mother my own daughters, who are now mothers, as well, to their own daughters. And I see the same realization in the eyes of my many Women's League friends around me who are also experiencing the loss of their mothers: that they, too, have  come to  recognize how much their mothers' many positive qualities have affected them and governed who they have become. And, remember that saying that "our sisterhoods today are not our mothers' sisterhoods." Well, maybe we should rethink that a bit when we focus on the values and positive traits that we have gained through watching our mothers or hearing about their activities and adventures in their own sisterhoods.
 
So, after finishing this formal mourning period, and now thinking about my first official Mother's Day without her, I do believe that, for many of us, Nancy Friday was correct in her thesis that, no matter what we do or how we try to work against it -- either through genetics, or environmental conditioning, or both -- we are our mothers' daughters, and that is really okay.
 
So,  Shabbat Shalom, everyone. And, Mom, I just wanted to thank you and tell you how much I miss you every day.
 
With love,
Your Daughter, Yourself

FROM THE TORAH FUND VICE PRESIDENT
MARILYN COHEN

Dear Chaveirot,

Click here for the details about an INR/Ontario Area Torah Fund Program to be held at Beth Tikvah Synagogue on Wednesday, May 23.

PLEASE FORWARD THE INFORMATION TO ALL YOUR MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS OF TORAH FUND and PUBLICIZE IT TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES.
It promises to be a very stimulating and exciting program.
 
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
All the best,
 
Marilyn

Check out the New Torah Fund Guide and all the other materials to run a great campaign!
   
26TH ANNUAL TORONTO JEWISH FILM FESTIVALtoronto

May 3-13 2018

With one of the most diverse line-ups ever

TJFF 2018 offers films  from 23 countries that include 2 World Premiers, 6 North American Premiers, 26 Canadian Premiers, 20 Toronto Premiers.

Showcasing stories about time travelers, con artists, recent immigrants, new home owners, Yiddish speaking farmers, vampires, peacemakers, and cake makers.

Many venues are mid-town and some are also being shown in North Toronto


FROM WOMEN'S LEAGUE FOR

CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM WLCJ fromWL
 
Networking to engage, 
enrich and empower
Conservative Jewish women 
  
 
WWOT - Weekly Words of Torah
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 coming Shabbat, as we conclude the Book of Leviticus, Sefer Vayikra, and read the double portions of Behar and Bechukotai, the verse is chanted, which I believe should be a guiding principle in all that we do and say, and how we act. Leviticus chapter 26, verse 12 states: "I will be ever present in your midst; I will be your God, and you shall be My people." "I" is referring to God. Imagine a world in which we live each day, imagining that the person sitting beside us on the bus and train are God, and the person who just cut us off on the freeway was God, because God is present in our midst.  We are in a relationship and partnership with God. We are here to improve the world - and all that we do, say, and what we decide, is because God is with us, and we are God's people.

Now, from the perspective of being a member of your Sisterhood; a member of Women's League; a member of the Jewish people; a member of God's people. All we do is because we are one of God's people. How much more powerful! Meaningful! Transformative! Deeper! Let us all think of our involvement with Women's League for Conservative Judaism in the context of the verse from this week's Torah portion: "I will be your God, and you shall be My people." Each interaction we have with each other, we have because we are part of something greater, and bigger, and holier, and truly sacred, because God is in our presence, and we are God's people. May we continue to envision God in our midst always, as we do our sacred work of Women's League.
 
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 [email protected].
 
 
 
A Meaningful Mother's Day Gift for Women in Need
Women's Leaguehas joined
in honoring the 45,000 women and children who will spend Mother's Day in domestic violence shelters. Through the annual Flower Project, JWI sends bouquets of flowers and financial literacy resources to 200 shelters across the United States. By participating in the Flower Project, we can make a difference for these survivors of violence while celebrating the people we love. This project lets you give a gift that honors everything your loved ones have given you - and the person you have become because of it.
Here is how it works:
  1. You choose an amazing person in your life - mother or father, brother or sister, husband or wife, grandparent, child, friend - to receive a Mother's Day or Father's Day card.
  2. You make a meaningful $25 donation to JWI in honor of this special person.
  3. JWI sends a beautiful card, which will arrive by Mother's Day or Father's Day, to each designated recipient, stating that a charitable contribution has been made in his or her honor. Gorgeous e-cards are also available.
  4. JWI uses proceeds from the sale of these cards to send beautiful bouquets of flowers and financial literacy resources to more than 200 domestic violence shelters on Mother's Day.
  5. Your donation also funds JWI's year-round work to empower women and girls and break the cycle of domestic violence, and a portion also goes back to Women's League.
Contributions to the Flower Project can be made by filling out the enclosed form, online at www.jwi.org/flowerproject , or by phone at 202-857-1300. Be sure to note Women's League for Conservative Judaism as your partner of choice!
For more information, please contact JWI at 202-857-1300 or [email protected].
 
Thank You for Your Support!
The following region has contributed to Women's League and its many initiatives. We encourage you to join this growing list. ALL contributions are welcome.
Masorti WL Days of Study in Israel
Intracontinental Region
 
Personal Conversations
Personal Conversations
provide a forum to address everyday issues through discussions about obstacles and opportunities, using conference calls and/or easy to access webinars.
Barb Levin, MD, MPH:  ACES* and the Healing Resource of Resilience
Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 8:30 p.m. EST
*Adverse Childhood Events Study
 
In this first personal conversation, the background for understanding childhood trauma will be discussed, but, more importantly, we will address the positive effects of working with individuals to increase personal growth and thrive as adults. Adopting a different approach to children and adults at risk presents an exciting opportunity to improve human interactions by asking different questions. Focusing on the positive and changing the conversation from "What is wrong with this person?" to "What happened to this individual?" allows for a conversation that enhances the growth and development of individuals. Participants will also learn more about the upcoming Personal Conversations in 2018, and will have the chance to ask Levin about upcoming topics and talks. Register here.
 
Barb Levin is a family physician with public health experience, who has practiced in East Tennessee for more than thirty years. Read her official bio here.
 
Announcing #WLReads' Summer 2018 Book and Author!
 
Waking Lions, by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen (translated by Sondra Silverston)
Live Interview with the Author - Sunday, July 8, 2018, Noon EST
 
F irst published in Hebrew, and translated into English and other languages, Waking Lions is a complex and suspenseful story about an overconfident Israeli neurosurgeon whose life spins out of control in a vortex of guilt, fear, deception, longing, and humbling encounters after he literally and figuratively crashes against the hidden Eritrean refugee community in the Negev.
The author, a native Israeli and a psychologist, is masterful at portraying the inner life of the protagonist. The novel, at its heart, is about reconciling self-preservation with being an ethical person. The Eritrean woman who becomes the master of the doctor's fate also surprises us with her secrets. The desperate plight of the refugees and layers of class and racial divisions in Israeli society are another subtext.
Ms. Gundar-Goshen won the prestigious Sapir Prize for her earlier first novel, and the Jewish Quarterly Wingate Literary Prize for Waking Lions. Waking Lions is available in hardcover, paperback (339 pages), digital format, and in some libraries. Join the conversation here!
 
 
Distance Workshops
The next free Distance Workshop, 
"Top 10 Questions about Torah Fund" has been 
postponed. A new date and time will be confirmed soon. Register for the workshop 
here.
 
The following Women's League Distance Workshop is  
"WLCJ - An International Organization"  on 
Wednesday, May 16, at 8:30 p.m.  Eastern time. Find out why Women's League is more than just your local sisterhood. Reserve your spot here .
 
 
 
NEED HELP? help
HELP IS AVAILABLE ON THE WLCJ WEBSITE.

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