Chai Lines
International Northeast Region
Women's League
for Conservative Judaism
Networking to Engage, Enrich and Empower
Conservative Jewish Women 
October 11, 2018                                                          Volume 3, Issue 9   
SAVE THE DATE FOR INR CONFERENCE 2019 save

INR SPRING CONFERENCE 
June 2 & 3, 2019 
at Beth David, Toronto 
FROM THE REGION PRESIDENT--JOAN LOWENSTEIN

Rummage. This singular word can strike fear in Sisterhood members everywhere. I choose however to see it as a positive. I am the Chairperson for my Sisterhood's bi-annual rummage sale which takes place this coming week. Of course this causes stress and worry, but it also can be rewarding in so many ways.
 
I always worry if I will have enough volunteers, if there will be enough good merchandise to make the sale profitable, if there will be enough shoppers, if I advertised the sale enough and in enough places and if the set-up will be done in time. Of course no one and no thing is perfect, but these things do all seem to come together in the end. Some sales are more successful than others, but on the whole it is a profitable fundraiser.
 
Are rummage sales a lot of work? Definitely! But it is worth it in so many ways. In fact, the sales have a way of restoring my faith in humanity. After so much worry about having enough volunteers, I sometimes have too many. It is so rewarding to know that so many people are willing to help with this less than fun task. Shoppers who have been frequenting our sale for many years come out in droves. They frequently comment on how much they love our sale and would never miss it.
 
Following the sale, we have the opportunity to donate remaining items to many worthy causes. We donate formal wear to the "Prom Closet" at a local high school where kids might not otherwise have appropriate clothing for their Prom. Clothing and other items are donated to Chadwick Residence, a local group home for homeless women and their children. After all of the smaller organizations get their fill, the rest goes to the local Rescue Mission which provides programs to end hunger and homelessness in the Central New York region. In this way, the sale also serves to promote Tikun Olam. Every event in your Sisterhood and our Region can be multi-faceted in this way.
 
So while rummage is a huge undertaking and causes me much stress, it also provides many opportunities for great reward beyond the funds it raises. From my deep, deep appreciation for all of my volunteers, to the satisfaction and reward that come from the donations we make to such worthy causes, I will choose to look at "rummage" as a positive and I will continue to have faith that it will all work out in the end.
 
 
B'Shalom,
Joan
 
FROM THE EDITOR, LOIS SILVERMAN education 
 
All of us feel overwhelmed by life's adversities occasionally. We also complain about things big and small.
 
Sometimes we need advice as a nudge to get back to feeling ourselves again. We need a reality check to make us see what we have that is good and for what we should be thankful.
 
Below is a story of a mother giving advice and a reality check to her daughter. It is a story for all of us.

Shabbat Shalom
LOIS

Carrot, Egg, and a cup of coffee
Author Unknown
 
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
 
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, wit hout saying a word.
 
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
 
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
 
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
 
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.
 
The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
 
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
 
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ... boiling water ... each reacted differently.
 
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
 
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
 
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
 
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
 
Think of this: Which am I?
 
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
 
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a s tiff spirit and hardened heart?
 
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
 
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?
 
Count your blessings, not your problems.

FROM WOMEN'S LEAGUE FOR

CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM WLCJ fromWL
 
Networking to engage,
enrich and empower
Conservative Jewish Women
 
 
Shabbat Message: "THEY"
By Margie Miller, WLCJ President 
 
I n my humble opinion, the word "they" has become a controversial four-letter word.
 
I'm not sure who "they" are. Are you "they?" Am I "they?"
 
There is definitely a "they" out there.
 
Keeping up daily with the hundreds of Facebook posts from my friends, I have become much attuned to the political posts that begin or end with "they."
 
No matter what follows, the post brushes off all of those who might not agree with the writer's own view as "They" or "Them." It bothers me! NOT the political posts. NOT the differing opinions. It bothers me that everything has become so black and white. It bothers me that a valid differing opinion needs to contain a plethora of negative adjectives. It bothers me that differing opinions have caused such anger, disdain and nastiness within our own families and communities. No longer can we agree to disagree. We resort to unfriending friends. We stay on safe, benign topics at family parties. One housing development in Florida has now mandated that only politics-free stations can be played in the clubhouse until after the midterm elections because a physical altercation happened.
 
Didn't we just spend the last four weeks in prayer for the High Holy Days? Didn't we ask God to grant us wisdom and tolerance? Didn't we pledge to be better people? Maybe this Shabbat we can all pray that we will see the day when "They" becomes "We," when "Them" becomes "Us."
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Margie Miller, WLCJ President
   
JUST ANNOUNCED!
 
Creating a Caring Community Together (CCCT) with  Cecille Allman Asekoff, Director, Joint Chaplaincy Committee  of Global Initiatives at 
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, Director, Global Initiatives, Life's Door, Israel - Thursday, November 1, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Register here.
 
Creating a Caring Community Together (CCCT) is an initiative developed by the Jewish Federation of Greater Metro W est New Jersey to connect community leaders, professionals, and volunteers in an innovative program to improve the quality of life in their community.  Learn more about this program by joining this Women's League's Personal Conversation on November 1, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Cecille Allman Asekoff, Director, Joint Chaplaincy Committee  of Global Initiatives at 
Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, Director, Global Initiatives, Life's Door, Israel  will lead a panel discussion of this opportunity to develop a caring initiative in your community.
 
CCCT partners share education, appropriate resources and best practices, which engage congregation members, professional agencies, and the community in meeting the needs of the elderly and infirm within the community. Since quality of life and well-being are global challenges involving all communities, the Federation of Greater Metrowest has joined with Life's Door, an Israeli non-profit organization, which works with the elderly and ill in Israel, to develop an international response to these problems.
 
CCCT addresses the complex issues of the elderly TOGETHER. As part of this initiative, your community leaders offer synagogues, social service agencies, and community centers a vibrant platform that enables communities to enhance the lives of those who are ill or aging. CCCT provides exposure, training, and ongoing education, and resources for lay leaders, volunteers, and healthcare professionals. CCCT links Diaspora communities, on a non-religious and non-political basis, with changemakers and peers in Israel, fostering a global community of caring.
 
Learn about this initiative and how to become a host organization by sharing in the CCCT model: 1) To develop or expand community volunteer programs; 2) To train leaders in programming to improve the quality of life for community members facing aging or illness; 3) To support professionals and gain access to innovative programming; and 4) To create a powerful bridge with Israel; and 5) To share in the development of tools and technologies to promote wellness and meaning throughout life.
 
During this one-hour Personal Conversation, you will hear from several members of the CCCT team.  The presentation will include a question and answer period and an opportunity to show interest in a Next Steps program, to be sponsored by Women's League.
 
 
 
Announcing This Year's 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 to attend. And that is why we created Distance Workshops.  These innovative Distance Workshops use the technology of conference calls and online services to bring our advice, tips & tricks, and first-hand experience directly into your home. In addition to saving you time and money, you will be able to apply your new knowledge in your sisterhood 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. Call-in information is sent upon registration.
Participation is limited to members of Women's League only. Distance Workshops are held on weekday evenings at 8:30 p.m., Eastern time.

2018 Course Offerings
October 28 - Sisterhood Team Building, Utilizing Your Members
November 15 - Working Well Together, Sisterhood/Synagogue and Sisterhood/Region
December TBA - Effective Communication, Using Multiple Platforms
January 23 - Nominating, Choosing Well for the Future
January 30 - Torah Fund - Investing in the Future
February 12 - Programming and Membership, Close relations for the Future
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, call 212.870.1260. Members can read scripts from past Distance Workshops by logging onto the website and clicking on Download WLCJ Member Materials.
 
UPDATED! 2019 Women's League Shabbat Service
January 19/13 Shevat 
Parashat Bo
 
We are pleased to provide materials for
Women's League Shabbat 2019, a new
D'var Torah focusing on this year's Women's League and Torah Fund theme,
Atid - Future, and readings for Shabbat (January 19) and for
Tu B'Shevat (January 21).
 
You are invited to tailor the materials to meet the needs and goals of your Women's League Shabbat committee. Download all materials here!
 
WWOT - Weekly Words of Torah:
Parashat Noach
To inspire, guide, engage, enrich, and empower Conservative Jewish Women
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Executive Director, Women's League For Conservative Judaism
When Uncle Joe and Aunt Roz come for your daughter's Bat Mitzvah, and they have an aliyah, you might tell them that they need to put on a tallit, and, because they have the rivii aliyah, they should come up for when shelishi comes up to the bimah. When they are called up to the bimah, they take the tzizit on their tallit, kiss the letter starting the word Vayidaber, which the Hazzan points to with the yad, and they say the berachah on the page. When they say the berachah, they hold the eitz chayim of the Sefer Torah. Nearly every word of that sentence seems foreign to them, and to so many in our synagogues, if they do not speak Hebrew. They may not understand what is going on during the service, especially if they do not attend regularly. So, how do we help them and others like them feel comfortable in this kind of situation?  
 
In this week's Torah portion, Parashat Noach, we have the story of the Tower of Babel where no one speaks the same language. We can certainly see that Uncle Joe and Aunt Roz are uncomfortable, but imagine if we all experienced this kind of communication "misfire" every day in all of our human interactions. What we learn in this Parashah is that the way to really build bridges, and not towers, is to learn the language and lingo of everyone around us. If we do this in a successful way, then the words we offer to one another and the ways in which we say them create a community united in its efforts and perspective. Let's do this in our sisterhoods, and maybe even set up a synagogue liturgy and language class for Uncle Joe and Aunt Roz and those like them!
 
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.
 
Torah Fund is Taking a Discovery Trip to
Buenos Aires, Argentina!
February 25 - March 6, 2019
(Optional Extension through March 7)
 
Torah Fund is pleased to announce a very exciting opportunity -
 
 
For more information, contact Randy Schwartz at 
rschwartz@wlcj.org, or call 204-896-1151 or 204-791-5789. ITC, the tour company, is taking care of all the details for this trip. For any further information, you may call the ITC office at 800-247-7235  and speak to Yafa.
 
Q: What are the dates of the trip?  
A: February 25 - March 6, 2019, with an optional extension through 
March 7.
 
Q: Is a minimum donation to Torah Fund required?  
A: The trip is open to all Associate Patrons and above. If you are already a Benefactor or Guardian, all you will need to do is increase your level of giving to the Associate Patron level for this year. The total donation of $600 to Torah Fund is required to be eligible for this trip. It is required that 50% of your pledge is due by December 31, 2018.
 
Q: What is the registration deadline?  
A: October 15, 2018
 
Q: When is full payment due?  
A: November 26, 2018
 
Q: How do I sign up?  
Pictured L to R: Barry Cohen, Natan Winegarten (rabbinical student), Raba Marcela Guralnik, and Marsha Cohen at the Seminario
 
"Our tour of the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano was a true highlight of our trip to Buenos Aires. I am so glad that we had the opportunity to visit such a very special place, which plays an extremely important part in the Conservative Movement in South America and throughout the world.
 
The Discovery Trip to Buenos Aires, which is currently being planned by Torah Fund, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You will see and hear how the Conservative Movement is thriving in South America. The itinerary is fabulous. Whoever is contemplating  joining this trip, I really encourage you to sign up!" - Marsha Cohen, former Region/Branch President
 
Daytime Learning at JTS in New York City
Discount for WL Members!
 
Starting October 31, Women's League members have a chance to learn at
Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS)  in New York City! Two exclusive daytime classes,
"Reading, Re-reading, Mis-reading?: A Journey through Biblical Commentary"  with Dr. Alan Cooper and 
"Judaism's Hidden Books: The Apocrypha"  with Dr. David Kraemer, will be offered to adult learners at JTS' NYC campus for seven weeks this fall. We are honored  to present this unique program in partnership. 
Women's League members receive a discount if they register before October 17!
 
Classes are offered on the JTS campus in New York City seven Wednesdays: October 31; November 7, 14, 28;  
December 5, 12, 19
Cost:
$185 for one course
$360 for both courses
$335 for Women's League members before October 17
Advance registration is required. Register here. 
 
Reading, Re-reading, Mis-reading?: A Journey through Biblical Commentary
Dr. Alan Cooper, Elaine Ravich Professor of Jewish Studies, JTS
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Because the Torah text can be quite enigmatic, we are often faced with questions of interpretation and meaning.  Spanning centuries and continents, a rich tradition of commentary emerged to guide readers.  This course will introduce you to the fascinating world of traditional Jewish biblical interpretation from rabbinic midrash to the thirteenth century.  We will consider the emergence of literalism in the Muslim East (Saadiah), Spain (Ibn Ezra), and France (Rashi, Rashbam); philosophical and mystical interpreters (Rambam, Ramban); and the rise of more eclectic commentary traditions (Bahya b. Asher and beyond). The course will center around Rashi's commentary on the Torah-the cornerstone of the traditional Jewish curriculum of biblical study-along with its sources and reception.   

Judaism's Hidden Books: The Apocrypha
Dr. David Kraemer, Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, JTS
1:30-3:00 p.m.
This course will introduce you to the rich and diverse writings produced by Jews in the late Second Temple period (530 BCE to 70 CE) that were not preserved in the Hebrew Bible, yet were included in the Latin and Greek Old Testaments. What can this set of texts -which includes historical, apocalyptic, and wisdom literature-teach us about the development of Judaism?  In addition to conveying some familiarity with these writings and an appreciation of their historical-cultural context, a central goal of the course will be to consider the diversity of Jewish belief and practice that characterized the period. We will also explore the parallels and divergences of late Second Temple Judaisms with both rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity.
 
Thank You for Your Support!
The following have 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
Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Foster City, CA
 
   
FROM THE TORAH FUND VICE PRESIDENT
MARILYN COHEN

Dear Chaveirot,

I hope you all had a meaningful and
enjoyable High Holiday & Sukkot season. I was able to wear my Torah Fund pin proudly throughout and received many wonderful comments on its beauty and meaning. Its message "Atid" (meaning future) was a constant reminder that we should all be thinking of the future of our own community of Conservative/Masorti Jews.
  • What do we need to do to maintain and support a strong future as Women's League for Conservative Judaism enters its second century?
  • What kind of future do you envision for you and your family?
  • What kind of future do you envision for your community?
  • How can we contribute to building a strong Jewish future for ourselves, our families and our communities?

Our 5 seminaries of the Conservative/Masorti Movement are training our Rabbis, our Cantors, our Educators, our Professionals, our Scholars and our Lay Leaders who are going to lead us into the next century of Women's League and help us navigate our future together as one people. You can support your extended family by supporting Torah Fund.....
  • Contribute financially**
  • Wear your Torah Fund pin proudly, and
  • Help solicit other's support!

Together we will build a bright Jewish future for us, our families and our communities.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Marilyn Cohen,
International Northeast Region Torah Fund Vice-President
 
**PLEASE NOTE: All Torah Fund donations must be received by the Torah Fund office by DECEMBER 13th in order to receive a 2018 tax receipt.
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HELP IS AVAILABLE ON THE WLCJ WEBSITE.

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