From the President
Dear WRJ Central District Sisters,

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy as we head into summer. For me it’s been a spring of Zoom calls, remote working and learning about my own implicit bias and microaggressions. As one speaker I heard put it, white women can be powerful movers of change, but to do this we need to listen and to support the voices of black people and not let our agenda subsume theirs. Her definition of advocate means giving black voices space to speak and hearing what they are saying, only stepping in when they can’t be heard or aren’t allowed to speak, either by their absence or by others overpowering them. It is a powerful message of advocacy for these times when it is not our voice, but others we must hear and be led by.
WRJ has many advocacy and social activities going on - there’s something almost every day. If you’re looking for things to do, and are on Yammer, be sure to join the Online Programming group to catch up on all the great online activities happening in WRJ-land. We also post many links to events on the WRJ Central District Facebook page.

If you haven’t heard, WRJ Central District will be holding a Virtual Gathering online November 6 - 8. Look for more information below. Aside from fabulous workshops, we’ll be voting on the budget and the slate!

Speaking of which…We’re excited to announce the slate for WRJ Central District Board in this issue of Isha L’Isha. So many women have stepped up to help support sisterhoods and WRJ’s mission – Mazel Tov to all our nominees. We are still seeking a Central Ohio Area DIrector! If you are interested in helping Central Ohio sisterhoods in fullfilling WRJ’s mission to supprt Sisterhoods, Spirituality and Social Good, please reach out to Sheilah Abramson-Miles, we’d love to hear from you!

Finally, don’t forget that WRJ Central District has a Zoom account that your sisterhood can use for meetngs. If you need to schedule a meeting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me (leadership@wrjcentral.org) and, provided there are no outstanding conflicts, we’ll work to get you scheduled!

Yours in Sisterhood,

Alison Auerbach  
WRJ Central District President
Yasher Koach!
Thank you and well done to the Temple Israel Sisterhood leadership in West Bloomfield, MI.

When Susan Singer learned that Beaumont Hospital was in desperate need of shoe coverings, she realized they had a few pairs left over from their Sisterhood House Tour. She contacted House Tour Co-chair Beverley Wolgin and House Tour Co-chair Wendy Kohlenberg delivered 859 pairs to the Beaumont Hospital Service Center on April 13! What a mitzvah!
WRJ Central District
2020-2023 Executive Committee
The WRJ Central District Nominating Committee proudly presents the Slate of Officers, Executive Committee, and Chairs for the 2020-2023 term of office. The election will be held at the virtual Central District Gathering, November 6-8,via Zoom. Kol Hakavod - all the honor - to these women who are accepting the mantle of leadership in the coming term!

Todah Raba to all the members of the 2018-2020 WRJ Central District Nominating Committee: Chair Sheilah Abramson-Miles, Vice-Chair Sandy Adland, Audrey Baker, Brenda Bush, Rachel Lambermont, Trina Miller, Jackie Randall, and Jen Smilg.
President :
Immediate Past President:
Lead Area Directors:
North/South Interim Facilitator:
VP Development and Special Projects:
VP of Marketing/ Communications:
Recording Secretary:
Corresponding Secretary:
Membership Secretary:
Treasurer:
Bulletin Editor:

Area Directors
Eastern Michigan:
Central Ohio:
North East Ohio:
Northern Ohio:
South:
Southwest:
West:
Western Michigan:

Chairs
Affiliates Chair:
YES Fund Chair:
Speaker’s Bureau Chair:
Awards Chair:
Advocacy Chair:
Nomination Chair:
Finance Chair:
Liz McOsker
Alison Auerbach
Wendy Kohlenberg and Susan Singer
Beth Lande
Pamela Feldman-Hill
Marcia Persin
Nayda Schwartz
Jackie Randall
Sandy Flaksman
Jan Goldstein
Chris Zimmer


Wendy Kohlenberg
TBD
Robin Rosen-Sharp
Shelley Schweitzer
Sheilah Abramson-Miles
Sue Voos
Sharon Karp
Susan Singer


Karen Sim
Sandy Adland
Donna Gantner
Susan Glazer
Hillary Handwerger
Alison Auerbach
Alison Auerbach
Upcoming Events
Central District Virtual Gathering 2020: November 6 - 8
Creating community in the era of COVID has been a struggle for all of us. We are excited to bring the women of WRJ Central District together Nov. 6 - 8 for a Virtual Gathering to build and nurture our sacred community.

Expanding on the theme of "Magic happens when women build community," the Virtual Gatheirng will encompass all of your favorite parts of Central District Conventon: Kabbalat Shabbat, Torah study, workshops, Havdalah, sharing sessions, and a keynote presentation by WRJ President Susan Bass!
Registration for the WRJ Central District 2020 Virtual Gathering is free and will be held via Zoom beginning the afternoon of Nov. 6 and continuing through Sunday afternoon's closing plenary session. You can attend all of the offerings, or pick and choose from your favorites, as your schedule allows.

Mark your calendar and save the dates today: Nov. 6 - 8, 2020 online! Watch your email for upcoming launch of the registration site!
WRJ Central District Zoom Book Club: Sunday, July 26 at 7:30 pm

The WRJ Central District book group has chosen The World That We Knew as our next read.

From GoodReads:
In Berlin, at the time when the world changed, Hanni Kohn knows she must send her twelve-year-old daughter away to save her from the Nazi regime. She finds her way to a renowned rabbi, but it’s his daughter, Ettie, who offers hope of salvation when she creates a mystical Jewish creature, a rare and unusual golem, who is sworn to protect Lea. Once Ava is brought to life, she and Lea and Ettie become eternally entwined, their paths fated to cross, their fortunes linked.

This is exciting! 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.

Contact Hillary Handwerger at hillaryh@ix.netcom.com, 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.

Deborah Honors Nominations Due July 31
Sisterhood presidents, want to avoid some friendly nudging? The deadline for the Deborah Honors is July 31, so if you haven’t yet chosen a member to receive this award, please do so today!

Because district grants have replaced programming awards, the Deborah Honor remains your best chance to recognize a special woman whose strengths might include leadership ability, fundraising skills, and/or dedication to all things Sisterhood.

Your honoree will receive recognition at our 2020 Virtual Gathering, to be held online November 6-8. Once you have made your choice, please let your honoree know as soon as possible so she can save that weekend. The exact timing of the Deborah Honor recognition during the Virtual Gathering will be shared when we are closer to the event.

Nomination forms are available on the WRJ Central District website by clicking here. Please download and complete the form, and email it back to Awards Chair Lisa Kalson at lisakalson5911@gmail.com or at awards@wrjcentral.org. For "snail mail" nominations, contact Lisa Kalson at the above gmail address for her mailing address.
WRJ News
Sharing Our Stories: Every Voice, Every Vote!
by Pamela Feldman-Hill

The official launch of the Religious Action Center (RAC) of Reform Judaism’s nonpartisan “Every Voice, Every Vote” Civic Engagement Campaign took place on May 19. In a virtual Town Hall, over 1000 Reform Jewish leaders gathered via Zoom and Facebook to learn about the URJ’s efforts to encourage and empower all people to exercise their right to vote.

There are three main areas of focus:


  1. Mobilizing our voters: With outreach in our congregations and communities, our goal is 100 percent voter participation. 
  2. Combating voter suppression: Working in coalitions with community partners to achieve equal voting access and encourage universal participation. This will include a focus on enabling mail-in voting.
  3. Engaging student voters: Working with youth leaders to significantly increase the number of young voters.

There is much work to be done with tasks both large and small. I encourage you to visit the RAC Civic Engagement Campaign website here, download the available toolkits and become a part of the larger movement.

To read the full article, click here.
Reproductive Health & Rights Brit Olam Cohort Update
Ally Karpel recently provided an update from the June 23, 2020 Reproductive Health & Rights Brit Olam Cohort call. Feel free to share any or all of the information below with your Sisterhood.

1. To learn more about the Reproductive Justice Movement and framework, visit Sister Song . In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda is another good resource and they provide a list of several state-based Reform Judaism organizations they partner with.

2. On June 29, the US Supreme Court ruled on June Medical Services v. Russo, which will have a major impact on abortion access across the U.S. SCOTUS ruled that Louisiana's Unsafe Abortion Protection Act, requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, is unconstitutional.

The other case that will have a major impact on reproductive rights across the United States is Little Sisters of the Poor Saint Peter and Paul Home v. PA. This case focuses on the administration's sweeping religious exemptions from the ACA's contraceptive mandate. Learn more about this case on the RAC blog .

3. Every Wednesday for the next four weeks, the RAC invites you to join Every Voice, Every Vote: Every Week. Take the time to dive deeper into the Reform Movement's Civic Engagement Campaign and gain skills to help get out the vote in your community. Sign up for Every Voice, Every Vote: Every Week here.
Stay Connected

Website: wrjcentral.org 



WRJ:  www.wrj.org 

Join us on Yammer! Looking for Advocacy Alerts? Programming Ideas? They are all on Yammer. J oin the new Yammer Group “Online Programming” to hear about the wealth of WRJ programming available to you via Zoom! 

It is an invaluable tool for anyone connected to a sisterhood and WRJ. Send your name and email to: Leadership@wrj.org

You can send flyers about your programs to Hillary at hhandwerger@yahoo.com and they will be posted on Facebook. 

You can also share your successful programs via Isha L'Isha with articles and pictures. Send your information and attachments to ishawrjcentral@gmail.com .

Finally, encourage all your sisterhood members to sign up to receive Isha L'Isha directly. There is a link to be added to the mailing list on our website:
Resources
We have compiled a Resource Document for your reference.  Click here to access the full list of resources. Here are just a few ways that Central District can help your organization grow and thrive!

Programming Grants
Affiliated Central District 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.

Speaker’s Bureau
Provides knowledgeable speakers for your events. Sisterhoods are eligible for a WRJ speaker every other year and a Central District speaker in the off years. Click here.

Advocacy/Jewish Family Concerns
Our District Chair is extremely knowledgeable about Reform Movement initiatives and can help you add social action into your programming.

YES Fund
Our YES Co-Chairs can provide ideas for sisterhoods to support and educate their members about WRJ’s primary philanthropic effort.

Executive Committee
To view a list of current Executive Committee members, click here.
Calendar
July 26, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
WRJ Central District Book Club
Join us via Zoom to discuss The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman. Contact Hillary Handwerger at hillaryh@ix.netcom.com to receive your Zoom invitation link.

July 31, 2020
Deborah Honor Nominations Due
Attention all Central District Sisterhood Presidents! We urge you to nominate an exceptional woman from your Sisterhood for the Central District Deborah Honor! Please download the nomination form here.


Nov. 6 - 8, 2020
Central District Virtual Gathering
Expanding on the theme of "Magic happens when women build community", the Virtual Gatheirng will encompass all of your favorite parts of Central District Convention: Kabbalat Shabbat, Torah study, workshops, Havdalah, sharing sessions, and a keynote presentation by WRJ President Susan Bass! Watch for your registration email, coming soon!
The Youth, Education & Special Projects (YES) Fund
Participating in the Youth, Education and Special Program (YES) Fund broadens and deepens the impact of your investments in Reform Judiaism.

YES Fund grants provide Reform Jewish institutions and individuals worldwide with tools for religious, social, and educational growth and promote and enhance Jewish life.
WRJ Central District | wrjcentral.org