Hello Angela,

This month we celebrate Tu Bishvat, the Jewish "new year of trees." So plant a tree and enjoy some grapes, pomegranates, dates, or figs to remind us of the land of Israel.

We're planning more virtual visits to explore Israel with tour guide Julia Newman. If you have traveled extensively or will be seeing Israel for the first time, we hope you'll join us on this trip to a far away country.

The Negev desert occupies about 50% of Israel and yet most tourists never visit it. This virtual tour will familiarize you with some of the most beautiful and significant sites in the heart of the desert, such as the desert home of Israel's founder and first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and his grave facing the stunning views of the Zin Valley and Tel Beer Sheva. 

REGISTER FOR

THE NEGEV DESERT TOUR

Capitol Hill in Jerusalem      

 Virtual Tour

Monday, March 13

8:00 - 9:00pm

online

This presentation will take us in and around the center of Israel including the famous monuments: the Knesset, the various ministries, the Supreme Court, the Rose Garden, and some less familiar ones such as the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, an old cemetery, and more.

REGISTER FOR

THE CAPITOL HILL TOUR

These virtual tours are free.

Your discretionary donation is most appreciated to support WRS programs and meaningful social actions.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions about the events or how to register.

The Rosh Chodesh Group

Next meeting: Tuesday, February 7

2:00pm - 3:30pm on Zoom

“Whoever blesses the moon in its time welcomes

the presence of the Schechina (female Devine presence).”

The next Rosh Chodesh group meeting is Tuesday, February 7. Please join us. Shevat started January 23 and ends February 21 when Adar begins.

Shevat includes the heavy rains of this season and the birthday of the trees. The woman Shevat focuses on is Tamar, a very determined woman, a childless woman, who desperately wanted to have a child.   

Please join us. Everyone is welcome.

REGISTER TO ATTEND

If you would like to purchase Rosh Chodesh 

materials ($18.00), click here.

These materials are not required to attend our meetings.

Questions:

[email protected]



The WRS Book Club will discuss

The Lincoln Highway

by Armor Towles

The book selection for March:

March 6 - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

REGISTER TO ATTEND



Join other

women for

monthly walks in Marin.

We will walk for an hour for about three miles, rain or shine, on varying terrain throughout the county.

Dates and locations:

Sunday, February 5 - 10:00am in Larkspur

Sunday, March 5 - 10:00am in Sausalito

Sunday, April 2 - 10:00am in Novato

Register by emailing to [email protected] with your name, telephone number, and zip code.

We will send you details before the walk.

We hope you'll join us.

Sales staff needed in the WRS Gift Shop

Have you ever considered yourself behind the counter meeting folks coming into the JCC and helping someone find that special gift?

We need you now! Flexible shifts and a 20% discount on your purchases.

Thinking about it? Email our Volunteer Coordinator to find out more.



WRS Board Meeting

Tuesday, February 7

7:00pm - 8:30pm on Zoom

Our Board of Directors meetings are the first Tuesday of 

the month and are open to all members. 

Send your name and email to [email protected] if you would like to attend this or future meetings.

WRS continues to recruit members to volunteer with several standing committees within our organization. If you are interested in sharing your talents with Membership, Programming, or Social Justice and Fundraising endeavors, please email your contact details to [email protected]. 

WRS Programming Team Meeting

Tuesday, February 21

5:30pm - 7:00pm

This Team meets the third Tuesday of the month.

At our January meeting, we will focus on planning for the WRS Seder and Passover events. RSVP with your name and email to [email protected], and the Zoom link for the meeting will be emailed to you. If you attend a meeting, you will be added to the distribution list for future meetings. Join us! We are stronger together.

THANK YOU WRS PROGRAMMING TEAM:

Amy Friedricks, Denise Freinkel, Angela Giacomini,

Laura J. Giacomini, Jan Goldberg, Susan Goldwasser, Toni Grimes, BettyAnn Kram, Barbara Kraus, Sheri Langer, Jen Levine, Gerri Miller, Alissa Ralston, Fanny Stein.



What led you to get involved with Women of Rodef Sholom? 

I had been in California for a short time, and Judy Frumkin, a dear friend from New York, invited me to the WRS Women’s Seder. I walked into a room full of women who all looked familiar. Each could have been my good friend, my sister, mother, or relative. I had a real sense of belonging. When I was leaving and still meeting people, I was asked to join WRS even though I’m not a member of the congregation. How inclusive, thoughtful, and caring.

What is your favorite memory from a Women of Rodef Sholom event? 

The following year I went to the Women’s Seder without Judy, as she was out of town and urged me to attend anyway. I found an empty seat at a table, and I so enjoyed the conversation with this diverse, welcoming group of women.

In one word, what does Women of Rodef Sholom mean to you?  

Affinity

What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? 

I’m a “burner.” I’ve attended Burning Man many times and enjoy living briefly in a very different world guided by the principles of radical inclusion, radical self-reliance, and radical self-expression among others. My son urged me to go, as he went for many years and felt his mom would really fit in. What a gift. 

What is something that you do for fun?

Play tennis, pickleball, and dance.

What books, poems or songs inspire you?

There are many books and poems that I find inspirational but the sappy, feel-good song “I Hope You Dance” sung by Lee Ann Womack stays with me.

Who is your favorite Jewish woman and why?

Right now I’d say Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She’s been called “a champion of true equality” and a “civil rights crusader.” She did so much for us, and I hope the public is aware she was Jewish.

 Read more about Rodef Sholom's social justice activities.

 Congregation Rodef Sholom's website

The Women of Rodef Sholom is a proud member of the Women of Reform Judaism and WRJ Pacific District (WRJ PD). Sign up for the WRJ PD's weekly "Chai Line."

Reform Movement Leaders Denounce the Supreme Court’s Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Read here

WRJ “Advocacy Matters” Newsletter. Sign up here

WRS received Special Merit recognition on the WRJ Honor roll for our generous contributions in 2022 to WRJ’s YES (Youth, Education, and Special Projects) Fund.

Marin Organizing Committee (MOC)

Sunday,March 26, 1:00 - 5:00pm

In person at Fresno City College

MOC joins Statewide Session on the Politics of

the California Economy

How can we act to make our California communities places where all can live and thrive? Join leaders and organizers from organizations across the state for a conversation about the California economy. We’ll learn together, build and strengthen relationships, share local strategies, and discuss how we are building power organizations capable of acting to improve the quality of life of families across the state.

REGISTER HERE

MOC is organizing a bus to take participants to Fresno. If you’re interested, send email here.

MOC consists of faith-based and nonprofit organizations that are working on social justice issues around renter protection, affordable housing, aging, and mental health within our community. Congregation Rodef Sholom is proud to be one of the founding members of MOC. To learn more, contact Judy Bloomberg.

Visit the MOC website to learn more.



Congregation Rodef Sholom's Capital Campaign

The Women of Rodef Sholom's mission is aligned with this project. Please add your support. 

For more information about Rodef Sholom's new sacred space and ways to contribute, click here.