Dear Central Great Lakes,

Do you speak January? It was a serious question I saw recently in the Sunday paper. It caught me short.

I don’t speak January – Do you? Should we? Did we all miss a pop-up ad with a new offer for a fun and easy language course from Babble, along with a free trip to February?

No, I don’t speak January! My response sounds like a page out of Dr Seuss, “I don’t talk it on the train. I don’t use it in game. I don’t text it here or there. I don’t use it anywhere. I don’t speak January!”

Then I read the rest of the story. The language of January is a sort of fantasy language on how to approach this new secular year. January is language without words. It’s more of an influence.  It encourages, it nudges, it seeds ideas through these cold, cloudy, somber days. January pokes us to start something – kind of –

 something that we know we should have started days ago and didn’t. However, it also hints to us that we have plenty of time, so no worries. It whispers to us to just amble through the days. The language of January encourages us, as the author explained, to stall, take a short-cut, and give up on To-Do Lists!

That description confirmed my answer: “No, I don’t speak January.” And networking with so many of you across CGLR, I suspect that you don’t either. For us, January is exciting, dynamic, challenging, empowering and very busy!  And it’s all good!

This is the month…

… we journeyed virtually to visit our sisters in Israel, The Women of the Wall. Through the bonds of sisterhood, we provided support and advocacy for their mission: to attain social and legal recognition of our right as women to collectively pray freely at the Western Wall. We stood proudly and strongly in support of their movement. We made our presence felt and voices heard.

… we partnered with the Michigan ADL to Shine a Light on Antisemitism: to define it, to laser focus on its complexities, to learn of its breadth and dept in our country and our region, and most importantly, to learn what we can do to counter it. If you would like a copy of the action steps that were proposed, please email me: cglrpresident21@wlcj.org.

… of Sisterhood Shabbatot – when across the region, our sisters are leading services, laining Torah, delivering Divrei Torah, cultivating spiritual growth and shining their light as leaders in our communities.

…we’re dedicating special moments to remember the Holocaust. Earlier in the month, we shared a personal conversation with WL Southern Region Treasurer, Marsha Raimi, on how she discovered the fuller version of her father’s Holocaust story.  On January 26, we will gather for a webinar to honor the International Holocaust Remembrance Day and recall the day the Allies first liberated a Nazi Camp in WWII. (Details are below).

…we will participate in Torah Fund Stands with Israel on January 30 to explore the current dynamics in the Middle East and the role of Israel.

…we continue to plan for our International Convention, Sisters Celebrating Together, July 16-19, in Schaumburg, IL and launched the convention’s Social Action Project, Giving the Gift of a Healthy Birth. This project supports the Shifrah and Puah Maternity Center in Uganda. 

For CGLR, January is a time of possibility and opportunity. Our region is here, Women’s League is here with what Rabbi Jonathan Sachs, z”l, would describe as “new ways of letting prayer speak to our souls, learning to our minds, and mitzvot to our lives.”  

January is a time we join together, strengthened by this beautiful community called Judaism, to be more than we can be by ourselves.   Together, we are embracing an agenda that’s full, purposeful, and relevant. And together, we are finding the strength to make our lives a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom,

Pam

Pam Schlosberg

CGLR President

847.433.7546 (h); 847.691.8991 (c)

A Prayer of Peace for the People of Ukraine

By Rabbi Naomi Levy

God, our hearts are with all the people of Ukraine,

Its president, Volodymyr Zelensky,

And with our Jewish brothers and sisters in Ukraine

200,000 souls

Who crouch in fear

As the sound of sirens and bombs pierce the air.

Synagogues once filled with songs of celebration

Have become makeshift shelters.

Echoes of the Holocaust reverberate.

The memory of the one and a half million

Martyred Ukrainian Jews.

God, we pray that the panic in the streets of Ukraine

Will give way to the sound of children playing,

And the sound of sirens will give way to songs of

hope.

We pray that the world community will unite

And cause the Russian army to retreat.

We pray for no more violence

Or bloodshed

And we pray that diplomacy

Will be the path to peace.

Hear our prayers, God,

Hear the prayers of the mothers and fathers,

the prayers of the children

longing for safety.

God, our Shelter,

Bring peace.

Let it rain down from the heavens like a mighty storm.

Let it wash away all hatred and bloodshed.

Peace, God. Please, God. Amen.

Relentlessly:

The Ukraine War Continues -

The Suffering Continues-- 

Masorti Olami Support Continues --

Our CGLR Advocacy and Support Continues!

We can extend our sense of renewed hope and send our light forward by a donation via The Schechter Institutes, Inc. www.schechter.edu/donate or

via Masorti Olami: Support Our Work (masortiolami.org)

ATTENTION: SISTERHOOD PRESIDENTS

PER CAPITA was due January 10, 2023

If payment has already been made, it is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your continued support of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism.

If you are experiencing difficulties,

please reach out to the Financial Team or call or email me –

Marjorie Maxwell, CGLR Financial Secretary

marjorie.s.maxwell@gmail.com or 847-207-5750

Checks should be payable to:

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism

520 8th Avenue, 4th Floor

New York, NY 10018

Thank you to the following affiliates, whose per capita has been received and recorded

(as of 1/18/23) by Women’s League!

Adath Israel Congregation, Cincinnati, OH

B'nai Jeshurun Congregation, Pepper Pike, OH

Beth El Congregation, Pittsburgh, PA

Beth Israel, Tri City Jewish Center, Davenport, IA

Congregation B'nai Moshe, West Bloomfield, MI

Congregation Beth Judea, Long Grove, IL

Congregation Beth Shalom, Oak Park, MI

Congregation Beth Shalom, Northbrook, IL

Congregation Ohave Sholom Sisterhood, Rockford, IL

Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Southfield, MI

Ezra-Habonim, The Niles Township Jewish Congregation, Skokie, IL

North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Temple El Emeth, Youngstown, OH

Hey! You know you were planning on coming to GIRLS' NIGHT OUT! 

It's one week from today and the deadline to register is MONDAY.

So don't miss out on this fun evening.

Hands on activities include:

• Cupcake decorating tutorial
• Cookie Flooding techniques
• Yogurt Parfait construction ideas
• Take home recipe in a jar

Fun and unique SHOWER BINGO with prizes!

Adult beverages

Sign up online: bit.ly/girlsnightout23

Pay at the door!

SAVE THE DATE

WLCJ Convention 2023

When:

Sunday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 19, 2023

Where:

Schaumberg, IL (a suburb of Chicago)

Jewels in the Crown is an opportunity for your Sisterhood to be honored for exceptional programming and participation.

See below for information and application.

Application and supporting materials must be submitted to Women’s League by

March 2, 2023.

For more information email: jewel@wlcj.org

      Visit YOUR CGLR Website

YOUR Resource for all Things CGLR!



We welcome information to post about your affiliate. Send us your news, and we will add it to our site!

Click here -> http://www.wlcjregion.org/central/

Visit us on our NEW Facebook page at

WLCJ Central Great Lakes

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Torah Fund Stands With Israel. After registering you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. (Link to register is below flier)



Be Strong and Courageous,

Shabbat Shalom,

Rebecca Goldwasser

CGLR Vice President of Torah Fund

rebeccatorahfund@gmail.com

Torah Fund supports programs and scholarships for the five Conservatives/Masorti global institutes

of higher education.

New Digital Torah Fund eCards Available NOW:

Send a greeting with ecards and support Torah Fund! Make your gift more meaningful by using our ecards for every occasion!

Mazal Tov to

WLCJ Executive Committee

Slate of Officers 2023-26

President: Julia Loeb - Seaboard

Vice Presidents:

Doreen Bornfreund - International Northeast

Wendy Glasser - North by Northwest

Anne Greenbaum - Southern

Fran Hildebrandt - Central Great Lakes

Toby Holtzman - Seaboard

Janet Kirschner - Mid-Atlantic

Linda Klempner - MetroNorth

Esta Lichtenstein - North Atlantic

Renee Ravich - Pacific Southwest

Lori Snow - Mid-Atlantic

Marsha Strongin - IntraContinental

Cathy Swerdlow - Florida

Recording Secretary:

Teresa Samtur - Garden State

Treasurer:

Diane Mashioff - Mid-Atlantic

Financial Secretary:

Linda Steinhorn - International Northeast

Yom Huledet Sameach

(Happy Birthday) to

Andrea Heiger, Torah Fund Support Services, on January 28

Mi Sheberach for

Rhonda Cohn, Past President of CGLR

Ruth Harris, InterContinental Region President

Carol Magvid, Pacific Southwest Region President

Susan Steinberg, Southern Region President



We wish them Refuah Shlemah - A complete and speedy recovery

With sadness we advise you of the passing of Cookie Matez z"l, Past President of the former Southern New Jersey Branch, International Vice President, Consultant and member of the WLCJ Board of Directors.  

Funeral services were held.

Interment will follow at Crescent Memorial Park 7349 Westfield Avenue Pennsauken, NJ 08110.

Shiva was observed at the home of Andi and Ron Morris, 2 Pommel Court,  Mount Laurel, NJ 08054. 

Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at the above address. 

We extend our condolences to the Matez and Morris families and pray that they will be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

May her Memory be forever a Blessing!

“In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.”- Benjamin Franklin

Most of us would in fact prefer to discuss our taxes rather than death. Yet we know that death is something we will all face. Most of us have already faced it with our families and dear friends. We have visited them in the hospital or sat at their bedside at home. Maybe we have been the ones tasked with making decisions for someone who is terminally ill, of extreme age, or has become unable to make their own healthcare decisions for some reason. 

Nonetheless, it remains something most of us prefer not to talk about or even think about. We consider it as something that will happen “later” or “in the future.” Most of us just assume we have time to plan. But we don’t know when plans might be needed which means that the time to plan is now.

Please join Women’s League for a two-part series this winter on end-of-life issues. Part 1 on January 26 will feature guest speaker Rabbi Ron Goldberg speaking about “Difficult Conversations”. Rabbi Goldberg is a graduate of the Ziegler School and works at LA Jewish Health (formerly the LA Jewish Home). He will lead us in a program regarding those conversations we need to have with our families and significant others surrounding what we (and they) want. These conversations are not easy to have and yet are necessary - what kinds of medical care do we want, especially if we are unable to make decisions ourselves? What kind of care do our loved ones want when they are unable to make decisions? Even if we able to make decisions, have we discussed our thoughts on the kind of care we want in various situations? Learn more and Register (One or oogra

Part 2 on March 30 will feature a team from the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. This Michigan-based organization’s mission statement is “to ensure that no Jewish patient or family faces terminal illness alone. We help those we serve gain access to the needed resources compatible with their own Jewish identity, practice, and values.” The team includes rabbis, social workers, nurse practitioners, doctors, music therapists, and volunteers. We will welcome Rabbi David Rosen, Rabbi Joseph Krakoff and Natalie Rosenfeld (social worker and the director of patient care) for this session.

I hope you will join me for these important programs this winter. Together, we can make these topics more approachable and increase our comfort with them.

I wish you all good health and look forward to seeing you.

Shabbat Shalom,

Mindy Steinholz

WLCJ Health and Wellness Chair

msteinholz@wlcj.org  

2023/5783 – January 21/28 Tevet

Parashat Vaera

You are invited to tailor the following texts to meet the needs and goals of your Women’s League Shabbat committee. We have included poems and readings based on the theme of Chazak v’Ematz and we have provided a D’var Torah to be used on January 21, 2023, for Parashat Vaera, and a generic D’var Torah to be used if you schedule your Women’s League Shabbat for a different date. We have also included letters of greeting that may be read at your services from Women’s League International President Debbi Kaner Goldich, Women’s League Torah Fund Chair Barbara Ezring and Women’s League Executive Director Rabbi Ellen Wolintz-Fields.

• Chazak V’Ematz
• Generic D’var Torah
• 5783 Women’s League Shabbat Torah Fund Greetings
• Women’s League Anniversary Shabbat

NIGHT AND DAY—

The Jewish Connection to the Movie Musicals of the 1940s

Lois Silverman, WLCJ Communications Co-Chair

In the 1940s the creation of Hollywood musicals was led by Jewish composers, directors, and writers. The creators included legends of musical theater including: Irving Berlin, Sigmund Romberg, Jerome Kern, the Gershwin Brothers, Rodgers and Hart, and Rodgers and Hammerstein...Learn More & Register

SAVE THE DATE

The next sessions are listed below. We hope you can join us:

Session 2 will explore the WW II years—1942-1945, Monday, February 13 @ 2PM ET

Session 3 will explore the post-war years—1946-1949, Monday, March 20 @ 2 PM ET

This training is designed to familiarize participants with the basics of building LGBTQ+ equality and belonging. Join our co- facilitators, Jackie Maris (pronouns: she/her/hers), Chicago Education and Training Manager, Rakhel Silverman (pronouns: they/them/theirs), New York Education and Training Manager as we cover LGBTQ+ terms and concepts. Bring your questions and concerns with you.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday

12 PM ET; 11 AM CT; 9 AM PT; 10 AM MT

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/630830287

Meeting ID: 630 830 287

Password: 875936



Want to sing, teach, help with technology, and more during Daily Psalm Study, and Kaddish? Sign up below.Sign

Key to Calendar:

CGLR Events

WLCJ Events

Affiliate Events

Saturday, January 21 - Women's League Shabbat

Monday, January 23 @ 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET - Jews in Film, Session 1 - 1940's Musicals

Thursday, January 26 @ 11:00 AM CT / 12:00 PM ET - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Thursday, January 26 @ 7 PM CT/ 8PM ET - Health & Wellness- End of Life Issues Part I

Monday January 30 @ 7:00 PM CT / 8:00PM ET - Torah Fund Stands with Israel, Zoom

Wednesday, February 1 @ 12:00 PM CT / 1:00 PM ET - EHNTC presents "The Jews of Cuba"

Monday February 3 @ 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET- Jews in Film, Session 2 - WW II Years 1940-1945

Wednesday, February 8 @ 9:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM ET - Masorti Women's Study Day

Thursday, February 9 @ 6:30 PM/ 7:30 PM ET - Mishpachah: Exploring LBGTQ+ Identities

Tuesday, February 14 @ 9:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM ET - Masorti Women's Study Day

Monday, February 27 @ 8:30 AM CT / 9:30 AM ET - Masorti Women's Study Day

Monday, March 20 @ 1:00 PM CT / 2:00 PM ET- Jews in Film - Session 3 - The Post-War Years 1946-1949

Thursday, March 30 @ 7 PM CT/ 8PM ET - Health & Wellness- End of Life Issues Part II

Thursday, April 27, 2023 @ 6:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM ET - WL Reads interviews Alyson Richmond and Shaunna Edwards, co-authors of the book, The Thread Collectors.

Laurie B. Davis

Communication VP/ The WAVE Editor