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From the Region President |
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Dear Friends
I am excited to tell you about the amazing week of being “B’Yachad,” together, that I’ve just had with my family. After 18 months of not being together, we traveled to our cottage for a wonderful ten-day reunion. Our cottage is part of a community called Balfour Beach which has been around for over 80 years and which runs a day camp called Camp Katonim that my children and grandchildren attended. My daughter, Naomi, and her family, live in Montreal. Her three kids and my daughter, Debbie’s two boys, haven’t been together since last year. What a wonderful feeling it was to have a family hug and bless all our children and grandchildren at candle lighting time on Shabbat! I hope and pray you and your families will be able to get together to do the same soon.
In addition to rejoicing in Shabbat B’Yachad, we celebrated birthdays and anniversaries and Debbie’s new job. Yes, after 25 years of teaching in Toronto Hebrew Day Schools, the last 7 of which as Vice Principal, she has moved on to a new position as Director of Jewish Engagement at UJA Federation Julia & Henry Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Education.
Debbie received her master’s degree in Jewish Education from the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, one of the five Conservative/Masorti seminaries that Torah Fund supports. This connection between my family and JTS warms my heart, as do all your generous donations to the Torah Fund campaign. As a lay educator, Debbie has had an important role in transmitting her love and understanding of Jewish values and traditions to the hundreds of young students in her care, as have the many other Jewish educators who have benefitted from the training received at our Conservative seminaries which Women’s League supports in its annual Torah Fund Campaign.
Needless to say, we are very proud of Debbie as we are of all our children and grandchildren.
To help us put our lives in perspective and begin to think of our responsibilities as Jews as we approach the High Holidays, I offer the following meaningful message by Rabbi Mauricio Balter, Executive Director Masorti Olami & MERCAZ.Olami.
I wish you all a joyful and peaceful Shabbat.
Marilyn
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Dvar Torah
by Rabbi Mauricio Balter
The month of Elul provides a structured opportunity to examine our life and check who we really want to be. I propose that we use the traditions of the month of Elul as a trigger for our Heshbon Hanefesh (introspection) and to generate the changes we want to introduce into our lives.
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From the Region Torah Fund Vice President |
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Torah Fund - 2021-2022 - B’Yachad – Together - Again
Did you watch the Olympics, rooting for your national team(s) and, of course, Israel? Were you proud of the athletes? Did you know that the five interlocking circles in the logo represent the five “continents”, and the six colors—blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white background—are all found on the flags of each nation participating in the Olympics?
Did the five circles remind you that Torah Fund proudly supports scholarship and programming at five seminaries, educating our future rabbis, cantors, and educators? The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, Schechter Institutes of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires, and Zacharias Frankel College in Potsdam.
Just as athletes came together from all corners of the world to participate in the Olympics, our seminaries educate students from many different places. Together, they study to make our future strong. The athletes train and prepare for years, as do the students at the seminaries. Learning athletic skills takes talent and effort. Becoming a rabbi, cantor, or Jewish educator takes intelligence and dedication, not to mention years of study.
Help strengthen Jewish education and ensure the vibrancy of the Jewish people for decades to come, with your gift to Torah Fund. All gifts, large and small, when pooled together, make a difference.
Or you may pay by check, payable to Torah Fund, and given to your Torah Fund Chair.
Canadian supporters, please make your check payable to Jewish Theological Society and send to 100 Elder Street • North York, Ontario, M3H 5G7. A Canadian tax receipt will be issued and sent to you.
Thank you for your contribution.
Torah Fund Pin 2021-2022 B’Yachad Together.
Questions? Need help? Contact me!
Linda Boxer
Torah Fund VP
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Shabbat Message
By Debbi Kaner Goldich, International President
Elul: A Time for Preparation
It is hard to believe we are already a week into Elul. Can you believe we are just three weeks away from Rosh Hashanah?
Whether on zoom or in person, we hear the shofar blow each morning at minyan. There is a parable of why we need a whole month to blow the shofar each morning and prepare ourselves for the high holy days.
It teaches that there used to be a custom that once a year the king would leave the palace and go into the countryside. There, the common folk could approach him and ask for things without the pomp and circumstance of intense security usually afforded the king. After the visit, the king would return to the palace and things would go back to normal. No one could approach without an appointment.
At Rosh Hashanah, our liturgy creates the image of God as a king. We imagine God going into the fields of the countryside and we approach and ask for a good and healthy year. We ask for us and all our loved ones to be inscribed and sealed in the book of life.
God created us in God’s image and put before us the choice of blessings and curses. This gift allows us free choice to choose good but also to choose evil and curses. We are free to choose. in Deuteronomy 30:19, God is standing in the field and asking us to choose life and granting us the opportunity to make good choices. During the whole month of Elul, while we hear the shofar blow, we have time to choose what kind of relationship we want with God and decide what choices we will make. Our relationship with God may have changed from what we thought was “normal” during previous years. We may seek out God more often, we may seek out God in a different way or we may now ask for good health from a deadly pandemic as opposed to the diseases we feared previously.
It seems as though our choices changed over the last eighteen months, but this new month and upcoming new year still provide us with the renewed opportunity to make those good choices.
May we all have a meaningful month of Elul,
Debbi
Debbi Kaner Goldich
WLCJ International President
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Parashat Shoftim
Haftarah, Isaiah 51:12-52:12
August 14, 2021
The haftarah for Parashat Shoftim, Isaiah 51:12-52:12, is the fourth of the seven Haftarot of Consolation following Tisha B’av. The Torah reading, in Deuteronomy 16:20, states, “Justice, Justice you shall pursue,”Tzedek Tzedek tirdof. The repetition of the word tzedek, justice, might be for emphasis, or to sound poetic. The repetition may be to teach ethical or moral lessons. The haftarah also contains a number of word repetitions: anochi, “I, I am” (Isaiah 51:12); hito’re’ree, “rouse, rouse yourself” (Isaiah 51:17); Oori, “Awake, awake” (Isaiah 52:1); and Tzuru, “Turn, turn” (Isaiah 52:11). The haftarah states that God “Made firm the earth” (Isaiah 51:16). The true foundation of the earth consists of truth, justice, and peace as emphasized in Parashat Shoftim, tzedek, tzedek tirdof, “Justice, Justice you shall pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20).
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Both the Torah reading and Haftarah state that there is no need to be afraid, as long as God is with you. In Deuteronomy 20:3, the Torah teaches that the priests will speak to the people before a battle and tell them not to be afraid because God will be with them when they fight. The Haftarah begins by asking the Israelites why they are scared, and ends by assuring them that they will not have to rush out of Babylonia in fear because God will be their escort.
Parashat Ki Teitzei - Haftarah - Isaiah 54:1 - 54:10 - August 21, 2021
The Haftarah for Parasht Ki Teitzei, from Isaiah 54:1-10, is the fifth Haftarah of Consolation following Tisha B’Av. There are many concepts that show why the Torah Reading and Haftarah go together (b’yachad). In Parashat Ki Teitzei we are told various time to remember. We are told to remember that God punished Miriam for speaking badly about Moses’ wife (Deuteronomy 24:9). We must remember that we were slaves in Egypt, and so are commanded to prevent injustice (Deuteronomy 24:18 and 22). The Torah reading concludes by commanding us to remember what Amalek did to us, and we must wipe out the memory of Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). In contrast, the Haftarah tells us that Zion should forget “the reproach of your youth” and the “shame of your widowhood” (Isaiah 54:4) and to God's everlasting love for Israel (Isaiah 54:7-10). Both the Torah reading and Haftarah argue for individual
responsibility, not collective responsibility. The significant role of the value of mercy is seen in both the Torah reading and Haftarah. For example, in the Torah reading we are taught that it is prohibited to plow with an ox and donkey yoked together because it would be cruel to the weaker animal (Deuteronomy 22:10). We are instructed that fugitive slaves who want asylum in Israel must not be returned to their masters (Deuteronomy 23:16-17). We are forbidden to muzzle an ox while it is plowing (Deuteronomy 25:4). The Haftarah discusses a sense of God's mercy towards Israel and Zion and God's kindness (Isaiah 54:8). Human beings can learn to be merciful by remembering similar personal experiences or imagining they are walking in someone else’s shoes, to try to commiserate with their situation. Lastly, another parallel between the Torah reading and Haftarah that brings these two sections together is that the laws of divorce are discussed in Deuteronomy chapter 24, and in the Haftarah, we see the metaphor of God's divorce from Zion.
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WL Education: Thursday August 26th @ 1PM or 7PM ET |
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Thursday,
August 26
at 1:00 pm ET
OR
Thursday,
August 26
at 7:00 pm ET
(Please only register for
one session)
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Sisterhood Education Meet and Greet
A discussion of the Women’s League Educational Resources available to you as Sisterhood Presidents and Education or Programming Chairs.
Women’s League Education Chairs Julia Loeb and Ellen Kaner Bresnick invite you to Meet and Greet leaders from other Sisterhoods across North America.
Join us during the day or the evening as we answer your questions and discuss:
- Education Programs and Opportunities available for your Sisterhood and Region
- Educational Resources that can be customized for your Sisterhood
- Best Ideas, Programs, and Challenges
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Gary Rosenthal's Hiddur Mitzvah Project
Thursday, October 7th @ 7:30 PM ET
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Social Justice Blurb: Stock the Shelves
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Please reach out to us with any questions or comments:
Debbie Bettan
Social Justice Project
Chai Chair
Karen Block
Social Justice Co-Chair
Ardis Wexler
Social Justice Co-Chair
Check out what our Seaboard Sisters are doing with Project Stock the Shelves...
Click on the button below to read more.
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Our sisterhood affiliates and Regions are now working with new administrations. We would like to introduce you to an important initiative started in response to the epidemic brought to our awareness during Covid-19; the growing epidemic of food insecurity. We’ve acknowledged the need, now we’re excited to announce the solution! No, we don’t expect WLCJ to end hunger in America, but we can be proactive in working toward a resolution.
A new administration means a new chance to get involved in our Social Action initiative: Project Stock The Shelves!
How can you help? While the plan for each sisterhood will vary, the object is to connect with your local food pantry and find out what is their greatest need. The Social Action committee will publish a recommended monthly selection if your pantry doesn’t have a specific request.
The project is simple:
- Select a collection spot; a box in the synagogue lobby if you have access or a designated member’s home.
- Encourage members to consider purchasing the monthly recommendation or any other necessary product during their regular shopping trip and drop it off in the collection box. Sometimes you’ll see a by one get one free but can’t use the second one. Donate it!
- Deliver collected items monthly to the selected pantry in the name of WLCJ and your sisterhood.
Most synagogues have food drives during the high holidays. Consider partnering with that committee to begin publicizing the project under the name Stock the Shelves to encourage name recognition. It will then be more familiar to your congregation and increase participation during the following months.
That’s it! Simple enough yet will result in a huge impact.
Many sisterhoods are already working on a similar project, which is great! If so, you are a step ahead. Continue what you’ve been doing and let us know about it. We will highlight your story in Women’s League Week. If it’s at all possible, please rebrand your program to match the WLCJ title of Stock The Shelves.
To help plan ahead, and in case you see the item on sale, the recommendations for the next several months are:
- August – Hot or cold cereal, Shelf stable milk
- September – Tuna & Macaroni and cheese, Shelf stable milk
- October – Feminine hygiene products; Socks (adult or children), toothbrushes & toothpaste
- November – Pancake mix & syrup, Shelf stable milk
- December – Diapers (children and adult) Wipes, Soap
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Consider using local brands. Be aware of “sell by" dates. While they may not be harmful, food pantries are not able to distribute “expired” products. Unless you are supplying a kosher pantry, there’s no need to check the Heckscher. Gift cards and cash donations are always welcomed. Diapers and feminine hygiene products are needed at all times. These items cannot be purchased with food stamps.
If you need suggestions to get this program started, we’re happy to help.
Thank you in advance for your generosity, we look forward to embarking on this initiative together and making a true difference in our communities!
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INR of Women's League for Conservative Judaism |
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