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What led you to get involved with the Women of Rodef Sholom?
My friend Leslie Laskin-Reese, who was the WRS Publicity and Website Director at the time, asked me in 2016 if I would be interested in joining the board. After receiving so much from the Women of Rodef Sholom over the years, I felt it was time for me to give back. I first joined as a member-at-large, then as VP of Social Justice, Co-VP of the Programming & Social Justice team, and First Vice President. I am really proud of the work that we have done during the COVID pandemic to hold our community through our virtual programming.
What is your favorite memory from a Women of Rodef Sholom event?
Attending the Women of Rodef Sholom annual seders and retreats were game changers for my family and me. Even though our family had been long-time members of Rodef Sholom since 1971 and my sister and I are legacy members, it wasn’t until we made these connections at WRS events that we truly felt comfortable and welcomed. It was such a wonderful feeling after attending our first retreat to go to services and be greeted warmly by name by all of the women we connected with over the weekend.
In one word, what does Women of Rodef Sholom mean to you?
Community
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I studied abroad at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem my junior year in college and upon my return, I yearned for more Hebrew and structure in my services and became a Conservative Jew. For this reason, I am both a member of Rodef Sholom and Kol Shofar. I grew up at Rodef and celebrated my Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation, and Afruff there while I celebrated my adult Bat Mitzvah, where I learned to leyn Torah, and my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah at Kol Shofar. I always tell people that I feel that I get the best of both worlds through my engagement with both communities.
That was never proven more true than when we celebrated our parents' 60th wedding anniversary and my mother's 80th birthday in a community with both congregations in 2019. So Sweet!
What do you like to do for fun?
Israeli folk dancing, singing, reading, watching tv, political activism, Zoom visits with family and friends, and snuggling with my 2 pug dogs. All through the pandemic, I have been able to continue to engage in these activities and be involved in my community.
What song or genre of music energizes you? Or What book or poem inspires you?
My favorite Israeli singers are Shlomo Artzi and David Broza. Book recommendations: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness; Just Mercy; The Art of Dying Well; Eviction; How to Survive a Plague, and My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel to name a few that have had a profound impact on me but I also love a good mystery series.
Who is your favorite Jewish woman and why?
My mother who started it all! Her deep love of Judaism and learning has been pivotal in my life, and she has made our Jewish holidays and life passages so meaningful and fun. I have so enjoyed spending time with her at WRS events and having three generations of Giacomini women represented with my mom, mysister Angela, and I, and my daughter. L’dor v’ dor!
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