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We will be together again soon. Until then, let's stay connected virtually.
We have some new programming that may interest you. See below!
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Greetings!
We are still living in a world of shelter-in-place. However, you are not alone. Our community is strong and we want to stay connected to YOU!
See the CRS website
click here
to find all the programs available through the temple. WRS also has some interesting programs. See below.
This too shall pass. We will come out on the other side of this even stronger and certainly more grateful for all that we have.
STAY SAFE, STAY HOME, STAY HEALTHY
We will be together again in person soon!
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Proposed WRS Slate of Directors
for 2020-2021 and election info
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Women of Rodef Sholom will present the following slate for election to the 2020-2021 WRS Board of Directors (elected positions) on:
Tuesday, June 2nd, 7 pm, via Zoom
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Self nominations are permitted. Please contact
Jen Levine
if you are interested in serving in any of these positions and/or if you wish to participate in the voting at the June 2nd Board Meeting. Jen will respond with the Zoom link for participation.
There are many other positions available which are appointed by the President. Please seriously consider one of the Open positions or ask Jen how you contribute YOUR talents. Service is its own reward and a great opportunity to connect with wonderful women.
WRS also needs the following appointed necessary positions filled for next year:
- Publicity - Newsletter Editor - update this Newsletter monthly. A great creative output opportunity. Done from home. Great way to stay connected.
- Publicity - Social Media Manager - perfect way to keep WRS postings updated. Can be easily done from your own home on your own time frame.
COME JOIN THE WRS BOARD - be a part of a great team of women!
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Events Happening Virtually
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"Chat" with the President of WRS
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Jen Levine, President of WRS, is holding "chats" via Zoom through the month of May with two different time options: Mondays at 7:45 pm and Tuesdays at 2:15 pm. Grab at cup of tea and let's be together, virtually, of course! Let's connect - hope to see you.
Topic: MONDAY "CHAT" with Jen, President of WRS
Time: May 4, 11, 18 & 25 at 7:45 pm PST
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 455 074 7348
Password: Women
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,4550747348#,,1#,466722# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,4550747348#,,1#,466722# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose
Meeting ID: 455 074 7348
Password: 466722
Topic: TUESDAY "CHAT" with Jen, President of WRS
Time: May 5, 12, 19 & 26 at 2:15 pm PST
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 455 074 7348
Password: Women2
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,4550747348#,,1#,383740# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,4550747348#,,1#,383740# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 455 074 7348
Password: 383740
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College Panel: Mon, May 11 at 5 pm
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COVID-19 has dramatically changed post-high-school planning for incoming and future college students, who aren't able to tour schools. To help, we are hosting a virtual panel of high school graduates to share their college/post high school experiences with you and your students on Monday, May 11, at 5pm.
The panelists represent many different colleges and post-high school paths to provide information about specific schools, the college application process, and general knowledge. Panelists include students from the University of California at Davis, Yale, New York University, the California Community College system, University of Oregon, and Kenyon College, as well as a student taking a gap year before college. Each student will bring a diversity of majors, interests, and perspectives from this wide variety of post-graduation options. Hope to see you there!
RSVP here (not necessary, but nice to know how many to expect)
Topic: Women of Rodef Sholom's
College Panel
Time: May 11 at 5:00 pm PST
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 455 074 7348
Password: Sholom
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,4550747348#,,1#,901781# US (San Jose)
+12532158782,,4550747348#,,1#,901781# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 455 074 7348
Password: 901781
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BOOK CLUB will be meeting via Zoom
Book of the Month:
May 20th- Gateway to the Moon by Mary Morris
June 17th-Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
July 15th-Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman
August 19th-The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
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If you want to participate in Book Club,
CLICK HERE
or call Alice Miller 415-381-6792 and she will send you the Zoom link info.
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WRS Virtual Retreat June 20th
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The WRS virtual Shabbaton Retreat will be on Saturday, June 20th.

It will be a very special shabbaton of prayer, connection, learning, music and Sisterhood. Rabbi/Cantor Elana Rosen-Brown will be our clergy at this special event that is not to be missed. We are Stronger Together!
More information and registration will be in the June Newsletter.
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Learning continues in June via Zoom
(if in-person meetings are still not available)
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Curriculum: 10 Commandments
JUNE 4, 11, 18
RSVP below and the Zoom ID link will be sent to you.
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Claire Mikowski, Jewish Educator extraordinaire, will be teaching this class. An opportunity to make connections while learning.
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Rosh Chodesh Group Forming
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Rosh Chodesh
, when the new moon appears is a day associated with women’s renewal and celebration. It is an opportunity for Jewish women to gather for learning, ritual, and spirituality. A wonderful way to connect with your Sisters!
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Please contact Fanny Stein at
fannyxstein@gmail.com
if you are interested in joining us. More information to follow.
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The Programming Committee is meeting virtually on Thurs, April 30rd at 5:30 pm. The May meeting date is not yet set, however, if you would like to get involved, RSVP to
wrssisterhood@gmail.com
, and meeting details will be sent to you.
Topic for May meeting: Organizing virtual programming
Additionally, another way to get involved is:
Women of Rodef Sholom @ Home
(new programming)
If you would like to teach a virtual class (cooking, art, poetry, meditation, your area of expertise), please contact WRS Programming Team at
wrssisterhood@gmail.com
Lead a virtual gathering: happy hour, dinner together, mother’s chat, movie watch party, etc. We're getting creative on how to stay virtually connected!
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When the JCC opens, your Gift Shop will be as well.
Stay safe, stay healthy!
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Dear Friends,
I took this picture last Sunday while out grocery shopping. A few months ago, none of us could have imagined that this would be our life today. And yet, we are the lucky ones. We are here. We are alive.
So much has been lost during this pandemic- so many lives, so many families torn apart by death and illness, so many have lost jobs, savings, and livelihoods.
It is a frightening and an uncertain time to be sure.
The Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, the 18th century Chasidic master famously said, “All the world is a narrow bridge and the most important thing is not to fear.” Upon deeper investigation into his teachings, it is clear that what he meant is not that the entire world is a narrow bridge, but rather, when you come upon a narrow bridge, fear not, but rather, walk forward. Perhaps what he was saying is that we take our fear with us, that we take our anxiety, our concern, and our not-knowing forward with us over that narrow bridge.
During these days of shelter-in-place, I continue to carry Rabbi Nachman’s adage with me- we are not sure where we are going, what the path will look like or what the coming weeks and months will hold. Will our children’s schools be open next fall? Will travel resume? When will we be able to pray and study and celebrate together at Rodef Sholom once again?
There are so many unknowns today, and yet, we know we will continue to walk this path together- what the side-rails of community, compassion, and concern, we will hold each other up, yes, even from a healthy 6 feet away.
We, sisters of Rodef Sholom, will continue to hold one another up, and share this holy path together.
I hold each of you in my heart and my deepest blessings and continue to pray for the health of our community and of all humanity.
With much love,
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Message from our President
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Dear Women of Rodef Sholom:
How are you during these most unusual of times? Are you staying safe? Staying sane? Are you able to participate in the congregation’s online offerings? Becoming a Zoom expert? If you need anything at all, even just to talk, please let me (
jen@levine.net) or Moji (
moji@rodefsholom.org) know.
Honestly, I have probably been participating in MORE Rodef Sholom activities during this shelter-in-place than I normally do. I love the interaction with other congregants and the clergy during services on Facebook; it almost feels rebellious to “talk” during services, right? And, yet, it’s not only acceptable, but part of everyone’s wonderful experience!
FaceTime and Zoom have kept me connected to you all, and I’m so grateful for this technology. It’s hard to believe that it wasn’t even available when my old teenagers were babies, and that it was the stuff of fantastical cartoons, like the Jetsons, when I was a child.
Our amazing Women of Rodef Sholom (WRS) are jumping in to organize virtual programming, tapping the exceptional breadth and depth of skills of our membership. Check out all of the current offerings elsewhere in this newsletter, but WE ARE HAVING A VIRTUAL RETREAT in June! I can’t wait to celebrate Shabbat with Rabbi Elana and all of you in mid-June for our Women’s Retreat!
Also look for terrific opportunities to learn spiritually through Chai Mitzvah classes and physically through dance and cooking lessons. Look for sessions with professionals: authors, medical professionals, the clergy, and social occasions too: coffee schmoozes and more. I will be hosting a couple of short weekly visits for anyone who wants to talk about WRS, or anything else, for that matter. Join me on Mondays at 7:45pm or Tuesdays at 2:15pm, or both! Look for Zoom and other registration information for these and all of our events in the newsletter (see below).
Are there any students in your life interested in hearing about post-high-school graduation options? Encourage them to attend a college-student panel on May 11 at 5pm to hear about different types of post-high school learning and what’s involved in getting there (info below).
Do you have a skill or talent that you would like to share with the community? We would love to hear from you! Now as much as ever, we are stronger together!
Gratefully,
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Jen Levine
President, Women of Rodef Sholom
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In Partnership:
Religious Action Center (RAC)
town hall - May 7th at 5 pm PST
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The Women of Reform Judaism is partnering with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism for a virtual town hall meeting to kick off the civic engagement campaign. The goal for this campaign is to work toward building a more just and compassionate world. The Reform Movement’s 2020 Civic Engagement Campaign will encourage all U.S. citizens to exercise their right to vote, and work to break down obstacles that shut some out of the voting booth.
Every Voice, Every Vote is a nonpartisan civic engagement campaign bringing the full force of the Reform Jewish Movement to bear on strengthening our democracy by encouraging everyone to participate in the 2020 U.S. election, and ensuring that our Reform Jewish values are present in the public square. This campaign has four prongs: Mobilizing our voters, engaging student voters, combating voter suppression, and acting on select ballot measures.
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WRS Minhag (custom) "Heal Her Now" SCARFS
An Or Ami Award-winning project from WRJ
(Women of Reform Judaism)
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El na, refah na lah (Please God, heal her now)
From Numbers 12:13 -
Then Moses cried to the LORD, "Heal her now, O God."
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The Women of Rodef Sholom has a new minhag (custom) which was introduced and created at the WRS Retreat this year. Beautiful hand-made silk scarfs were produced, wrapped in Mishaberach prayers while holding the Torah, and adorned with healing prayers and love.
When a woman in our Congregation has a very serious illness, she will be presented with a "Heal Her Now" Scarf as a gift from the Women of Rodef Sholom. Rabbi Stacy has the box of scarfs.
Sharing this kind of loving kindness, refu’ah sh’leymah (complete healing), and Torah, is what Sisterhood is all about.
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We solemnly pray that you never need one of these scarfs. However, if you do, please contact Rabbi Stacy or
wrs@rodefsholom.org
and you will be wrapped in healing love.
El na, refah na lah (Please God, heal her now)!
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