May 6, 2022 ~ 4 Iyar 5782
President's Message
Pam Schlossberg
Along with counting the Omer, we’re also counting the days to:

Central Great Lakes Region Spring
Mini Conference
Beyond the Rabbit Hole – Into CGLR’s SUN-Day!
Sunday, May 15, 2022
10:00am – 2:30pm ET / 9:00am -1:30pm CT

Over the past year, we’ve become adept at adapting to challenges we never anticipated and of playing “Now You See Us, Now You Don’t” with plans made and changed and changed again.

And because we all just need a few hours away from our regularly-scheduled frenzy, our Conference is our gift to you to do just that – refresh and refocus!
Come join us. We’ve planned a fun-filled celebration that recognizes your resilience under pressure, your perseverance through COVID’s relentless challenges, and your spirit!

And ever hopeful, we’re looking ahead with a focus that’s bright, positive, and enthusiastic. It will be CGLR’s SUN-day!

Come join us. Our workshops are easy breezy. You’ll find fresh ideas on how to channel your energy, find a new direction, learn new skills, enhance the skills you have, explore some life-strategies and/or even bake a rainbow challah.

You also will hear from Women’s League International President, Debbi Kaner Goldich and preview Torah Fund’s 80th Birthday celebration. And because we always remember, even in a time of celebration, those who need our caring hearts, every conference we hold is dedicated to a social action initiative. This year, we are dedicating our Spring Conference to Ukraine. We will be hearing about Women’s League’s work in Ukraine and identifying ways to contribute to help those in need of our help.

Come join us and connect with the amazing women of our region in a spirit of fun and gratitude that we can be together. Registration is only a click away. The deadline is Monday, May 9. So, please don't delay -- and register for this important day; and we'll send you the zoom link to connect.

Come join us and say, "Hi!"

I'm so looking forward to seeing you!

Shabbat Shalom,
Pam

CGLR President
CGLRpresident21@wlcj.org
CGLR Conference Information
A Prayer for Ukraine
Special Note: 
We are dedicating our social action initiative for our Spring Conference 2022 to Ukraine. 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)
Shabbat Message
Mother's Day
Hallmark recently reported that Mother’s Day is the holiday when more cards are sold than any other. It is the most commercially successful, even more than Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Mother’s Day is not a public holiday in USA or Canada yet it is honored as a legal National one. Since last week, everyone has been wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day if I will not see them or speak to them until after May 8. 
 
This Mother’s Day will be somewhat difficult for me. My beloved mother in law passed away four weeks ago and my own mother passed away almost four years ago leaving me without a mother to celebrate for the first time in my life. My mother and mother in law held a special friendship. As a working mother I often depended on the fact that they would speak to each other and I would not have to connect with both of them to tell the same story. They bonded over the love of children and grandchildren. Their values were similar and they shared varied interests. They looked forward to celebrating Mother’s Day together every year with my extended family of siblings and nieces and nephews. To say I was lucky is an understatement!
I recognize and appreciate that I know women who have not had a mother for more than four years or not have a mother in law for more than one month. I also recognize and appreciate that there are many women who are not mothers because they have lost a child through death, abortion, miscarriage or estrangement. And, I recognize and appreciate that some women are not grandmothers or mothers in law, though they desperately wish for that.
 
How do we, as a women’s organization, express care and show sensitivity to those around us not celebrating as joyfully or not at all with those who are? Many of you reached out to me after I lost my mother in law to tell me stories of yours. Some stories were of genuine love and others asked me about my wonderful relationship with mine. Many of you sent emails and Torah Fund Cards and made donations to WLCJ. Reaching out through phone calls, emails and donations are what we do best at Sisterhood and Women’s League. We support our sisters with love and care at all times. I loved hearing from all of you. I loved your stories and your memories. I loved knowing you cared about me and that you cared about my family. I loved that you attended the service on Zoom and told me how special my sons are and how eloquently they spoke about their grandmother. I loved that 74 of you showed up on Zoom shiva and greeted my husband with introductions of how we know each other. (After all these years he knew many of you by sight or by name.) I cannot thank you enough for the love and support you showed the Goldich family at this time. 
 
To those of you who celebrate, I wish you a meaningful and happy day with your families. To those of you who do not, for whatever reason, my thoughts are with you. You may not be a mother, mother in law or a grandmother, but you are special to your Women’s League sisters and to me. Thank you for all you do to make us the organization we are.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Debbi
 
Debbi Kaner Goldich
WLCJ International President
WLCJ Convention 2021 Survey
When: Sunday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Where: Schaumburg, Illinois
 
Dear Friend,
Personally, I can't wait to get together with my WLCJ sisters in person!!!!
This will also be our first multi-access Convention, combining in-person celebrations with virtual access.   

We want to make this Convention the best ever! To do this successfully, we need your help, so please take a few minutes to complete this survey as soon as possible.

Many thanks,
Edna Schrank
Convention 2023 Chair
Laurie B. Davis
Webmaster
Central Great Lakes Region