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Follow WRJ Central District on FACEBOOK for the latest news and updates
Check out our
WEBSITE
for links to events, social action webinars & district information
Follow WRJ on
INSTAGRAM
to see all the great events happening throughout the organization
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Want a Central District Pin?
Of Course You Do!
Order yours today for only $10.00 from
Alison Auerbach at
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WRJ Central District
Executive Committee
2018-2020
President
Alison Auerbach
Immediate Past President
Chair of Nominating and Finance Committees
Sheilah Abramson-Miles
Past President
Vice Chair of Nominating
Sandy Adland
1st Vice President
Lizabeth McOsker
VP Marketing & Communications
Pamela Feldman-Hill
VP Development & Special Projects
Marcia
Persin
Recording Secretary
Nayda Schwartz
Corresponding Secretary
Jackie Randall
Membership Secretary
Lisa Singer
Treasurer
Jan Goldstein
Assistant Treasurer
Sandy Flaksman
Bulletin Editor
Chris Zimmer
Parliamentarian
Hilda Glazer
Historian
Heinke Lillenstein
Area Directors
E. Michigan - Wendy Kohlenberg
W. Michigan - Susan Singer
Southwest - Sue Voos
South Interim
Sheilah Abramson-Miles
Central Ohio - Ellen Half
West - Beth Lande/Sharon Karp
N. Ohio - Marilyn Goldfein
N.E. Ohio - Robin Rosen-Sharp
Special Outreach - Sheilah Abramson-Miles
Chairs
Affiliate Development - Karen Sim
Advocacy - Hillary Handwerger
World Union/YES Fund -
Lisa Singer and Carol Friedman (co-chairs)
Speakers Bureau - Rachel Silverland
Website Manager - Hillary Handwerger
Awards - Lisa Kalson
Convention Facilitator - Marci Delson
WRJ Board Members
Sheilah Abramson-Miles
Sandy Adland
Alison Auerbach
Stacey Beyer
Sally Blau
Pamela Feldman-Hill
Hillary Handwerger
Wendy Kohlenberg
Beth Lande
Lizabeth McOsker
Karen Sim
Lisa Singer
Susan Singer
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DON'T FORGET!
The Central District Speakers Bureau is here to serve YOUR sisterhood!
Installations
Shabbat Services
Training
Workshops
Leadership Development
Torah Study
Area Days
A district speaker can take your event to the next level!
Contact
Rachel Silverland
to find out more!
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Greetings from Our
President
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Alison Auerbach
WRJ Central District President
Dear District Sisters,
Last month I had a heart-stopping moment when I learned of the stabbing attack on Jews in Monsey. When I first heard "Monsey", my first reaction was Muncie?!! Muncie, Indiana? Temple Beth El? Are the ladies and their families okay? I was quickly assuaged of my initial concern, but it was gut wrenching, and to be honest scary, to hear the details of the attack and to realize with the increase in a
nti-Semitism in America, it could well have been in our backyard.
To be clear, we are not isolated from attacks; they have merely taken on different forms. In our district, a
nti-Semitic
posters and flyers have been left plastered on Jewish cultural buildings, including a synagogue (Michigan 10/2019) and a museum (Ohio 5/2019). There have been numerous instances of defacement of property including the vandalization of the sign of a YMCA in a suburb perceived to be 'Jewish' (Ohio, 10/19); and the horrific attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue was just a stone's throw away.
With that in mind, this month I am not bringing you my words, but rather a few of the highlights of the URJ resolution on a
nti-
Semitism
.
Please read the entire resolution by clicking here,
as it covers a much wider scope than I can bring you in this space.
"Anti-Semitism is on the rise in North America and around the world. Violent attacks on Jewish institutions and Jews are increasing. Swastikas have been painted on Jewish Community Centers. Headstones have been desecrated in Jewish cemeteries. Assaults on individuals wearing kippot have grown. Neo-Nazis marched through the streets of Charlottesville in August 2017 chanting "Jews will not replace us."
"Growing instances of anti-Semitism are related to rising trends of xenophobia, anti-Muslim hate, racial hatred, and anti-immigrant sentiment. Members of some targeted communities have been made especially vulnerable because of the color of their skin or the dress they wear.
In an environment of heightened fear, as well as real danger at home and abroad, we must be ready to respond. Only by identifying anti-Semitism and working to combat it wherever we find it can we, and others, be truly safe.
"Therefore, the Union for Reform Judaism resolves to:
1. Express our unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism in all its forms;
2. Strengthen the ability of our synagogues and other institutions to adapt to changing security, spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial requirements necessary in a time of rising anti-Semitism;
3. Call on political, civic, and religious leaders at all levels to clearly and forcefully denounce and delegitimize anti-Semitism, commend those leaders who do so, and condemn those who perpetrate anti-Semitic speech and acts;
4. Call on political leaders and online service providers in North America and across the globe to find ways to curtail online hate speech within the constraints of national and international guarantees of free speech;
5. Support educational programs that teach students, both youth and adult, about the dangers of anti-Semitism and how to fight it;
6. Condemn criticism of Israel that crosses the line into anti-Semitism;
7. Continue to act in solidarity and partner with other vulnerable communities targeted for acts of hate;
8. Recognize the particular dangers facing Jews of Color and Jews who identify as transgender and work to ensure the safety and security of all members of our community, within our institutions as well as outside our walls; and
9. Continue to engage with partners with whom we have common cause, both within the Jewish community and across the political and faith spectrum, in calling out anti-Semitic rhetoric and behavior whenever we encounter it, even while we combat hate speech and hate crimes wherever they occur."
I hope I never have another heart-stopping moment like I did in December. I continue to be eminently worried that I will. May we all work together to fight against this insidious belief and stop more tragedies from happening.
Yours in Sisterhood,
Alison Auerbach
WRJ Central District President
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Call to Action:
Vote in the Jan. 21 WZC Elections
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Your Vote is Critical in Jan. 21 World Zionist Congress Elections
The World Zionist Congress (WZC) elections are coming soon, and our votes are critical to maintaining a large Reform presence. This election is our chance to have the Reform Movement's voice and priorities heard in Israel.
Voting will take place from
January 21 - March
11, 2020, and we need to engage every single Reform Jew to vote for the Reform slate, titled "Vote Reform: ARZA Representing the Reform Movement and Reconstructing Judaism."
A strong election turnout among North America's Reform Jews is the best way to ensure that financial resources will continue to flow to our Reform congregations and institutions in Israel. Only by voting can we continue to build a democratic society in Israel that truly reflects the Jewish values we hold dear: pluralism, equality, economic justice, and peace.
Here is how you can help get out the vote:
Click here to connect with ARZA (the Association of Reform Zionists of America) to sign up to vote. Please note there is a nominal administrative/registration fee. The impact you will have is well worth the minimal cost.
Share this election video at sisterhood events, via email, and social media and encourage your friends, families, and congregants to vote. The video was created by Central District's own Karen Sim.
Speaking of social media, use the hashtag
#VoteReformWZC to help create awareness and spread the word to your family and friends to vote for the Reform Movement in the WZC elections by voting for
"Vote Reform: ARZA Representing the Reform Movement and Reconstructing Judaism."
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WRJ Or Ami Awards Announced
Established in 1973, the WRJ Or Ami "Light of My People" Award recognizes exemplary social justice, community service, and educational programming that serves as a model for other WRJ Districts and sisterhoods. The awards will be presented at WRJ's Fried Women's Conference 2020. Congratulations to our Central District winners!
Silver Or Ami Award:
EEG Pocket Vests for Children Being Evaluated for Epilepsy
Women of Fairmount Temple
Beachwood, OH
Honorable Mention:
WRJ Central District Book Group
Women of Reform Judaism Central District
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Central District Members Participate
in RAC Ohio Lobby Day
By Liz McOsker
Isaac M. Wise Temple, Cincinnati
On Wednesday Nov. 13, 2019, almost 200 Reform Jews belonging to 20 congregations from all parts of Ohio gathered at the Ohio State House in Columbus for the Religious Action Committee (RAC) Ohio's Lobby Day.
WRJ Central District leaders Lisa Singer (Temple Israel, Akron), Karen Sim and Liz McOsker (Isaac M. Wise Temple, Cincinnati), Marci Delson, and Lisa Kalson (Congregation Beth Tikvah, Worthington) were among the participants.
These advocates were at the State House to lobby state representatives and state senators to support the Criminal Justice Reform and Gun Violence Prevention agendas. The delegation spoke to 18 Representatives and 15 Senators.
Central District Board members Lisa Singer, Karen Sim, Marci Delson,
Lisa Kalson and Liz McOsker at the RAC Ohio Lobby Day.
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Religious Action Center Offers
Free Virtual Training
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Moving Your Community into Action: How to Run an Effective Organizing Campaign
This training will focus on how to run an effective campaign, covering topics such as strategy and tactics, goal setting, and accountability, and how to plan a successful action. It is the first in a series of three trainings
that will focus on the core skills needed to help communities build their long-term capacity to engage in impactful justice work and ensure their readiness to participate in the 2020 Reform Movement-wide Civic Engagement Campaign.
Reform Jewish communities across North America are deeply engaged in the work of the Brit Olam through issue-based cohorts and RAC state projects. Just last month, 5,000 Reform Jews gathered in Chicago for the URJ Biennial where we launched our Reform Movement-wide 2020 Civic Engagement Campaign, through which communities across our Movement will participate in internal and external voter engagement efforts and work on key ballot initiatives.
Register here for this Jan. 23, 2020 program, beginning at 8 pm to begin learning the skills needed to strengthen your community's justice efforts and lead your community's civic engagement work!
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Have a Great Idea but Need Funding?
Programming Grants Are Here to Help!
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Central District Programming Grants now available
By Pamela Feldman-Hill
WRJ Central District VP of Marketing & Communications
WRJ Central District is now offering programming grants to support our sisterhoods in developing programs inspired by WRJ's three pillars: Sisterhood, Spirituality, and Social Good.
Affiliated sisterhoods and women's groups in good standing from Central District are encouraged to apply for a grant for up to $500. These grants are meant to support programs which otherwise would not have the financial resources to take place. One grant request per sisterhood may be submitted during each Central District term.
Applications will be received on a rolling basis, and will be reviewed quarterly. Our current term concludes at our District Convention in Cincinnati on Nov. 6-8, 2020. The following term will be November 2020 - Spring 2023.
These grants have been made possible through the past generosity of Augusta Egelson, who supported YES Fund Uniongram donations in memory of her husband, Rabbi Louis I. Egelson, and Anita Baker and past presidents of District 9, who supported sisterhood membership efforts. We honor these women and others who have supported our district over the past 100 years by continuing their legacy of support for the sisterhoods and women's groups in our WRJ Central District.
Apply today! For questions or assistance in completing the application, please contact Pamela Feldman-Hill, the WRJ Central District VP of Marketing & Communications, at [email protected].
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The 2019 Chicago URJ Biennial Will Leave a Lasting Impact
By Karen Sim
WRJ North American Board member, WRJ Central District Affiliate Development Chair
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Susan Singer, WRJ President Susan Bass, Wendy Kohlenberg, and WRJ Manager of Engagement Heather Lorgeree.
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Chicago Biennial 2019 - Wow! It was a fabulous experience; a great biennial!
Why, you may ask, was this biennial so special? The answer: everything.
Every cohort of our movement was in Chicago: the URJ, WRJ, WRN, CCAR, HUC-JIR, WUPJ, IMPJ, NFTY, as well as the Reform Camps of North America. And we were all there in force. There was a palpable sense of excitement, inclusion, meaning, and impact because 5,000 Jews from around the globe studied, played, prayed, ate (of course), laughed, schmoozed, and danced - together.
Praying together at a Biennial is always such a powerful communal, yet personal, experience. I attended an intimate morning service led by WRJ leaders Cindy Bolokofsky (formerly of the Central District) and Janet Buckstein of Midwest District along with female rabbis, cantors and musicians. That evening, I attended Kabbalat Shabbat services with 5000 of my new friends. The music, the choir, the rabbis, the cantors, the prayer, and the sermons of Saturday's Torah Service were all incredible. Services at Biennial are on steroids!
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Emily McOsker, Alison Auerbach, and Spencer Auerbach, of Rockdale Temple, and Liz McOsker, Isaac M. Wise Temple at the Biennial Women's Empowerment Dinner.
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The workshops were varied with tracks on engagement, leadership, social justice, education, Israel, and youth and camping. The presenters were professional, sometimes inspirational and always informative. The plenary session presenters were equally inspiring, including
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker;
Rabbi Gilad Kariv,
leader of the Israeli Progressive Movement; Rabbi Rick Jacobs,
President of the Union for Reform Judaism;
Rabbi Noa Sattah, Director of the Israeli Religious Action Center; and
Ambassador Daniel Shapiro, former Ambassador from the US to Israel.
I could go on - there were too many wonderful speakers to list here.
Did I mention the entertainment? Second City regaled us on Friday evening while Dr. Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago kept us dancing, clapping, and singing at our seats and in the aisles. Rabbi Joe Black, Rick Recht, Dan Nichols, Julie Silver, Michelle Citrin, Nefesh Mountain, and the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band were all there, helping us lift the roof with ruach!
The crowning moment for the Women of Reform Judaism was WRJ's Women's Empowerment Awards Dinner on Saturday evening. What an amazing event! The sixteen honorees included:
- Judith Rosenbaum, PhD, CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive,
- Rabbi Leah Muhlstein, Chair of the International Federation of Reform and Progressive Religious Zionists (ARZENU),
- Rabbi Noa Sattah, the Director of the Israeli Religious Action Center (IRAC), and
- Rabbi Sigma (Sissy) Faye Coran of Cincinnati's Rockdale Temple.
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Lisa Singer and Susan Singer at the 2019 Biennial.
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Representatives from every cohort attending the Biennial attended our dinner and were most impressed and appreciative of our format and our honorees. Kudos go to the WRJ staff who worked tirelessly to create and structure this pilot event, and to co-chairs WRJ Vice President of Philanthropy Abby Fisher, and WRJ Board Member fredi Bleeker Franks. We are so proud of our WRJ team and all the inspirational and impressive women we honored.
My time at the Biennial will have a lasting impact on me. I hope many of you can join me for the 2021 Biennial in Washington, DC to share the experience!
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Reproductive Justice Movement Addresses Identity Factors
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The WRJ-RAC Reproductive Health & Rights Brit Olam Cohort is grounded in a reproductive justice framework, a contemporary framework coined by 12 visionary Black women in 1994, that centers the voices and concerns of marginalized communities in conversations relating to reproduction, sexuality, and families.
The reproductive justice framework was created to address the ways in which the historical focus on reproductive rights alone falls short when it isolates these issues from other social justice and human rights concerns, like poverty, racism, and ableism.
The Reproductive Justice Movement and reproductive justice framework urges us to look beyond a pro-choice lens by taking into account the ways in which our identities, communities, and other systems of oppression may impact access to key reproductive health care services and rights. In other words, the legal right to have an abortion doesn't mean much if people cannot access it due to their economic status, geographic location, race, age, gender, or other identity factors.
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Upcoming Events:
Mark Your Calendar Now
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Virtual Book Club Meets Jan. 19 to Discuss Mr
s. Everything
WRJ Central has started a book group, meeting online through Zoom. Our next book will be
Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner. The book club will meet via Zoom on Jan. 19, 2020 at 7:30 pm.
If you want to take part, let
Hillary Handwerger know and you will be added to the zoom group.
 Spanning sixty-five years, Jo and Bethie Kaufman are sisters whose story begins in 1951. They're polar opposites - Jo, the intrepid jock, has an eye for adventure and Bethie is the girlie-girl whose aspirations skew more on the conventional side. When tragedy befalls one of them, dreams get deferred, threatening to irreparably change not only the course of their lives, but who they are. Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything is sweeping in its personal and political scope, chronicling Jo's and Bethie's fumbling attempts to right their respective ships against the backdrop of an America experiencing its own growing pains. It's a multi-layered and very moving story for the #MeToo era, one that traces how far women have come, and how far we have yet to go.
Contact Hillary Handwerger at
[email protected], if you want to be added to the group for our normal Zoom calls. We can have up to 50 women on the discussion at a time, and conceivably hold the group twice on the same book if we need to and have a second moderator.
The group decided we should read books either of Jewish content or by a Jewish author. However, there have been exceptions: the first book we read was
A Pearl in the Storm by Tori Murden McClure. Another great book we read and discussed was
Gentleman from Moscow. So we are not always strict with our selections.
So far we have read and discussed
A Pearl in the Storm,
Sapphires and Garlic,
The Plot Against America,
Drawing in the Dust,
A Gentleman in Moscow,
The Weight of Ink, and
The Lost Girls of Paris. A real variety of genres and readings!
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Jan. 19 Women of Temple Beth Emeth Community Wellness Event
On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Women of Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor invite you to an important discussion on suicide.
The S Word is a film
collection of stories from
survivors of suicide, highlighting
stigma, judgment, and raising
awareness. Attendees will screen the film then engage in a discussion about suicide; its warning signs, the stigma, and how we can help.
The event will take place on Jan. 19, from 2 - 5:30 pm in the TBE sanctuary. Discussion and refreshments will follow the film screening. For more information, contact Trina Fuller at [email protected]. WTBE received a $1000 grant from WRJ to make this series of programs on suicide possible.
Do you know the suicide warning signs? Some warning signs may help you determine if a loved one is at risk for suicide, especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss, or change.
Warning signs include:
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others.
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or isolating themselves
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Extreme mood swings
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Registration is now open for the Fried Women's Conference (FWC), WRJ's flagship event. This four-day experience will hone leadership skills, further Jewish learning, partake in women-led worship and music, and deepen connections with other sisterhoods, women, and WRJ at large.
FWC is intended for all women interested in WRJ and the Reform Jewish Movement, including new WRJ members, sisterhood leaders, WRJ Board members, and Board alumnae. There is something for everyone at FWC; it is the perfect opportunity to enhance personal growth, broaden Jewish knowledge, and spiritual horizons, learn about and connect with WRJ, and gain skills that strengthen sisterhoods.
Attendees will participate in workshops and learning sessions, create connections, network with other Reform women, experience meaningful Shabbat worship and music, learn from experts and from each other, and enjoy time together with WRJ leaders and friends. FWC attendees leave feeling rejuvenated and, with the support of their WRJ sisters, are better prepared to guide their own sisterhoods, and serve as leaders in their communities. Learn more and register today by
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Save the Date!
More Information Coming Soon!
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District Convention
The next District Convention will be held November 6 - 8, 2020, in Cincinnati ,Ohio, jointly sponsored by the four Cincinnati sisterhoods (Women of Rockdale Temple, Temple Sholom Sisterhood, Valley Temple Sisterhood and Wise Temple Sisterhood), and headquartered at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Blue Ash, OH.
Committees are in formation. If you are interested in helping with the planning of the convention, please contact Liz McOsker at
[email protected]
. We are looking for fresh new ideas for workshops, worship and the YES fundraiser, as well as the convention ad journal.
What can you expect:
- Learn from Susan Bass, WRJ President, who will be teaching and learning with us all weekend.
- Share your successes with other sisterhoods across our district.
- Meaningful worship with other sisterhood leaders.
- Great workshops on member engagement, communication skills and leadership skills.
- Speakers from the Cincinnati Jewish community.
Come early or stay late to visit some important sites: Plum Street Temple, The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, the Skirball Museum at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. There may also be an opportunity to visit the Cincinnati Zoo, home of the famous hippo, Fiona.
Most importantly, you will meet and get to know wonderful women from around our district.
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Resources for Sisterhoods
To acquaint all our Sisterhoods with the full resources of the WRJ Central District we have compiled a Resource Document for your reference.
Click here
to access the full list on our WRJ Central District website.
We also want to welcome new Sisterhood Presidents and Leaders to WRJ and WRJ Central District. If you have not already done so, please fill out
this form
with your sisterhood's most up-to-date leadership and their contact information so that WRJ and your WRJ District can keep you informed with news, events, leadership tips, and more. You may submit the contact information of up to seven leaders per form or you may upload your full Board list at the end of the form.
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Are You on YAMMER?
Did you know that all WRJ resources are now on Yammer? Looking for Advocacy Alerts? Programming Ideas? Governance Guidelines? They are all on Yammer.
It is an invaluable tool for anyone connected to a sisterhood and WRJ.
Keep current on WRJ and the District through Yammer! To join, send your name and email to [email protected]. Click here for a detailed explanation on how to use Yammer. This is the best way to connect with your WRJ and District sisters!
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Highlight your sisterhood on our Central District Website,
Facebook, Instagram or in Isha L'Isha
This is a reminder that you have the opportunity to shine a light on your sisterhood and its programs. You can send flyers about your programs to Hillary at
[email protected]
and they will be posted on Facebook.
You can also share your successful programs on Isha L'Isha with articles and pictures. Send your information and attachments to
[email protected]
If it's an Area Day, we will promote it on our website. Don't forget to include WRJ Central District in your advertising.
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Please submit articles for the next issue of Isha L'Isha
on or before April 1
, 2020.
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