December 26, 2008

30 Kislev 5769

 

Dear WRJ friends,

When I read this week’s Torah portion from WRJ’s The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, I was so at ease with the flow of words within the verses and the various interpretations by the gifted women who participated in this historic mitzvah project.  Todah rabah!

We remember Joseph, son of Jacob and his beloved Rachel, and how his siblings resented Joseph’s dreams and the colorful cloth that set him apart: a visual separation of a personal separation that they felt because of their father Jacob’s favoritism toward Joseph.  But we also remember that one of Joseph’s brothers, Judah, did actually save his younger brother’s life!

Parashat Mikeitz (Genesis 41:4 – 44:17) is a continuation of the Joseph story: how he is called upon by the Pharoah to interpret the prophecy dream of seven good years of harvest followed by seven bad years; how because of Joseph’s holy partnership with God, Pharoah chose Joseph to be the vizier; how during the lean year period an older and wiser Joseph is reunited with his adult brothers; how Judah replaced Reuben as the spokesperson for the family: so concerned about Benjamin, the youngest; and so concerned about his sacredly aging father who had already lost one son of Rachel and would not survive if he lost yet another of her sons.  Judah, by the way, had gained empathy through the death of his own sons; he did not want that to happen to his father again.  Judah’s experiences in life were the catalyst for turning him into a rising leader.  And by Joseph’s remaining anonymous throughout Mikeitz, he was able to help and to watch that transformational process.

The first time that Judah came to Egypt with his brothers, he had thought someone else would be in charge.  Sound familiar?

Within WRJ are so many who have the ability to lead and who step forward with ease to do so; but there are just as many who just aren’t there yet; and, it’s the role of those of us in leadership to nurture, to mentor, and to help the rising leaders to reach their potential.  The upcoming WRJ Leadership Conference is one such opportunity for that to happen!

Within this week’s Torah portion were dreams; and especially at this time of year, may yours come true!  It was also about appearance vs. reality; and especially as we end one year and begin another, may you be blessed with knowing how to use both for the good!

Tonight, as we celebrate Shabbat by reading Parashat Mikeitz and as we celebrate the sixth night of Chanukah by lighting candles, let us remember two named Judah: Judah, son of Jacob and Judah Maccabee, the leader of our people in 165 BCE; and let us vow to make the gift of leadership a reality to the sisters within our WRJ family!

http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/programs/events/sisterhood-leadership-conference-2009

And, include in Chanukah gifting to family, friends, your Temple, yourself a copy of WRJ’s The Torah: A Women’s Commentary!

http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/the-Torah-a-womens-commentary

For more about Chanukah, please visit http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/resources/holiday-guides/chanukah/

Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year!

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.  Please share this email with your sisterhood.

 

In Sistership!

Cynthia Wolf

Temple Emanuel Sisterhood

Beaumont, TX

WRJ Board Holiday Greeting Chair

WRJ Southwest VP Programming and Advocacy

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December 19, 2008

Kislev 22, 5769

 

Parashat Vayeishev, Genesis 37:1 – 40:23, includes the powerful story of Tamar and Judah, which is an essential element in the trajectory of the Israelite narrative. Tamar’s husband Er dies leaving her childless. As described by the Torah, a man is expected to marry his brother’s widow if her husband dies without producing a son. Sons were essential to continue family lines and to care for widowed mothers. As part of the marital commitment the husband’s family was expected to provide a brother to fulfill the husband’s role. Judah provides another son, Onan, as a husband for Tamar, but Onan refuses to fulfill his marital obligation and subsequently dies. Judah sends Tamar back to her father with no intention of giving her his third son in marriage, but she is not released from her obligation to Judah’s family and cannot remarry.

In order to conceive a child for Judah’s family line, Tamar veils herself so that she will appear to be a prostitute and sits by a road that she knows Judah will take.  When Judah seeks to “couple” with her she negotiates for his signet seal, cord, and staff as pledge for payment. As a result of the coupling Tamar becomes pregnant with twins.  Judah seeks to impose dire punishment on Tamar for adultery, but Tamar sends him the signet seal, cord, and staff, saying, “‘The man to whom these belong made me pregnant. Acknowledge whose signet seal, cord, and staff these are!’ Judah recognized [them] and said, ‘She is more in the right than I, for certainly I did not give her to my son Shelah’” (Genesis 38:25-26).

Many years pass: Boaz, a descendant of one of Tamar’s twins, marries Ruth, the Moabite. Ruth and Boaz are the great-grandparents of King David. Carol Selkin Wise comments in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, “Tired of leaving her fate to male relatives, Tamar takes action to secure her own position, thereby joining the circle of matriarchs who exemplify action to protect Israelite destiny” (p.228).  Tamar’s courage is inspirational.

Since WRJ’s founding, as The National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, we have frequently taken courageous action to seek social justice.  Just a few such actions follow:

• In 1961 we sought the ordination of women rabbis and have since advocated equality for women in the rabbinate;
• In 1985 we were one of the first Jewish organizations to bring the presence of spouse abuse in Jewish families to light and provide information and resources to help the victims;
• In 1999 we were the first in the Reform Movement to call for research on marijuana to develop reliable and safe cannabinoid drugs. We also called for legislation to reclassify marijuana as a prescribed controlled substance so that it could be used for research and prescribed for critically ill patients;
• In 2007 we called for redefining United States and Canadian drug policy from a criminal justice paradigm to one that recognizes drug use or abuse as a medical and social problem; and
• In 2007 we urged the closing of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, a rapid end to the use of torture, and reinstatement of the right of Habeas Corpus.

In the coming months, the Department on Advocacy and Programming will be calling on you – the WRJ women – to take action. Fortunately we do not need to be as courageous as Tamar, but we will need to call on Congress to support: an emergency stimulus package that responds to the urgent needs of impoverished Americans while boosting the economy; legislation to provide health care coverage for all Americans,; and a bill to protect freedom of choice. I look forward to working with you to advance the principles and values we hold dear.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.

 

Wishing you Chanukah joy,

 

Carolyn Kunin

Director, Department on Programming and Advocacy

 

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December 12, 2008

15 Kislev 5769

Dear WRJ Friends,

As I read our Torah portion for this week, Vayishlach, Genesis 32:4 – 36:43, it became clear to me that I could not possibly write about the entire portion.  This portion contains the events of Jacob and his family returning to Canaan, the rape of Dinah and the destruction of Shechem, the reunion of Jacob and Esau after a 20 year separation, the death of Rachel, and so much more.

The reunion of Jacob and Esau is the story that resonated with me.   This is a story of forgiveness; both the giving and the receiving. Using several sources including The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, I will set the scene for you.  Let us join together to study Torah and draw our own insights to this portion.

 Jacob’s need to pass through his brother Esau’s land to reach his final destination meant they must meet one another. Jacob made much preparation, first sending spies into Esau’s camp of 400 men.  This knowledge made Jacob anxious to meet with the brother who once threatened to kill him over Esau’s stolen birthright. Jacob also divides his large camp into two groups so that if one group is attacked there would be hope that the other camp would survive. To soften the meeting Jacob sends many gifts to Esau; Esau does not wish to accept them.

The meeting day finally arrives and Esau runs towards Jacob with tears in his eyes and gives Jacob a kiss on the cheek.  Clearly Esau has forgiven Jacob and Jacob weeps and we assume that he accepts the forgiveness. Esau asks Jacob to travel with him to the land of Canaan, perhaps wishing to spend time with his brother.  Jacob declines, saying that his family would need to travel slower than Esau’s group.  Esau leaves for Seir and Jacob goes the opposite direction to Succoth.

Esau forgave Jacob but did Jacob accept the gift of forgiveness?  It is difficult when we make a mistake or hurt someone to accept their words of forgiveness.  Why?  Perhaps we did not really mean our apology to them or we cannot fathom that someone would accept us with all our flaws.

In the High Holy Day liturgy we embrace the notion that God will only forgive us if we make amends between ourselves and others.  It is the action of giving forgiveness and receiving forgiveness that continues us towards our own spiritual journey.  Let us continue this journey together hand in hand. We are all connected one to the other through our individual sisterhoods and all of us come together in the warm embrace of WRJ.  Make amends with your sisters if you need to and accept forgiveness with love when it is offered.  May we all remember, we are stronger together.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all of our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood

Warm regards,

 

Ellen A. Pollack

WRJ Executive Committee

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December 5, 2008
8 Kislev 5769

Dear WRJ Friends,

Have you ever had that moment that you knew – you just knew – that God was at your side? For many of us, it happened when we were doing something outside of our ordinary routine. Maybe it was at a significant life cycle event such as our own bat mitzvah.  Perhaps it was when we were outdoors, in the woods or on a lake, rejoicing in the spectacular beauty of nature.  Or maybe we were admiring a remarkable piece of artwork, whether produced by a child or by a master. Had we just heard an extraordinary musician? It could have been at a moment that we had received a kindness at a difficult time in our lives – or conversely when we had taken the time to perform a kindness for someone else in need.  Regardless…wasn’t it an amazing feeling…a goose-bump moment?

This week, we read in Vayeitzei of Jacob waking from his dream and stating – “Truly, Adonai  is in this place, and I did not know it!” He went to sleep unaware and awoke to a new and startling knowledge of God’s presence.

I don’t know about you, but I race through most days trying to figure out how I am going to get everything on my to-do list accomplished, and then worrying about those things that don’t get done.  Multi-tasking is a way of life.  I keep thinking I should set aside a little time during the week for prayer and reflection, but somehow it’s usually Shabbat again before I actually take that spiritual break.  Yet, when I take that break, as Jacob did in his sleep, I am again aware of God’s presence.

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, a time for recognizing and appreciating the blessings in our lives, and as we approach Chanukah, a time for celebrating miracles, let’s try to pause and remember every day that God is always “in this place.”  Whether you are comfortable doing this through reciting the traditional daily blessings or just by taking a few moments for private reflection is up to you.  In our sisterhoods, as we hold our board and committee meetings, plan our programs and fundraisers, and worry about all the things we worry about, let’s also be sure to stop and remind ourselves as a group that God is also with us there.  And maybe, just maybe, we can have those goose-bump moments a little bit more often!

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.

Warm regards,
Blair Marks
WRJ Treasurer
WRJ Southeast President

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November 28, 2008
2 Kislev 5769
 
Double your pleasure – double your fun!  The twins have arrived!
 
That's the big news in Tol’dot.   Rebekah gives birth to Jacob and Esau, but then goes on to manipulate her husband and her sons so that the covenant with God will continue properly.  Eventually, as Rebekah probably intuited, the twins will come to represent two distinct nations:  Israel and Edom.  Rebekah is therefore seen as the link between the blessings of Abraham and Jacob, and then she fades into the background as the story moves forward.
 
As outlined in The Torah:  A Women's Commentary, we have the opportunity to witness a birth scene, disdain for a birthright followed by cheating, stealing, a bit of lying, a few marriages to Canaanite wives, and finally banishment of Jacob.  In other words, we read another chapter in the story of the history or our rather dysfunctional family!  The good news is that in our parasha, deception results in fulfillment of the covenant between God and the people of Israel.
 
The covenant has never been easy for either party to fulfill.  God has struggled throughout history to respond to our actions, which are not always exactly in accordance with the Divine expectation.  On the other hand, in our day, we are still struggling to make this land of ours - a land that is a tangible expression of the covenant - flourish as a pluralistic, democratic and Jewish State that expresses the noblest values inherent in our tradition.
 
So let's put another positive twist on the story of these twins and talk about twinning (OK, not exactly a smooth transition, but you get the point….).
 
We are ready to create the opportunity for our WRJ sisterhoods to embrace the unique women's groups forming in our IMPJ (Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism) congregations.  Five groups are already gearing up in Haifa, Ramat HaSharon, Modi'in, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.  Each is defining its own mission and goals.  Each is hoping to twin with WRJ sisterhoods in North America in order to create warm, personal ties with our women.  Empowering the women of the IMPJ by sharing our programs, our projects, and our personal study opportunities will help strengthen our Israel Movement and, in turn, will enhance our connections with Israel.  By working together we can make an important difference in the fulfillment of the Zionist Dream.  We have our State, but it is in our hands to keep moving that society forward from its current reality towards our dreams.  Israel needs a strong Jewish Diaspora.  The Diaspora needs a strong Israel. 
 
Celebrate with us at the WRJ Assembly in Toronto in November, 2009 as we welcome our new Israeli sisterhoods.  Let me know that your sisterhood is interested and we will talk about the best twinning match for you here in Israel.  You can be a part of this historic happening while strengthening your sisterhood's ties with Israel, your members' ties with Israeli women, your congregations with our burgeoning congregations in Israel.  Just drop me a line at rsdavids@gmail.com and we'll make it happen together.
 
Twinning will be terrific!  Please share our new Hebrew logo with your sisterhood!

 Here in Israel we have a tradition of celebrating the American Thanksgiving on the erev Shabbat after the appropriate Thursday.  So I wish you a sweet Shabbat, and hope you enjoy your turkey meal as we look forward to ours!
 
Resa Davids

Derech Hebron 91/12
Jerusalem, 93480, Israel

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November 21, 2008
23 Cheshvan 5769
 
In this week's Parashah, Chayei Sarah, Genesis 23:1-25:18, we deal not with the life of Sarah but with Sarah's death. It is disappointing that Sarah's life is only hinted at in the portion that bears her name, and we are left to fill in the blanks only from events as told from Abraham's perspective. We cannot really know if Sarah lived the life she meant to until we see it as a whole and we have very few clues to go on.
 
We do know that in Lech L'cha, Sarah followed Abraham to a land that God showed to him and not to her.  We know that she was barren and longed for a son and was finally blessed with the birth of Isaac.  We know that she was called beautiful but Abraham used that beauty for his own purposes, passing her off as his sister, so he would not be killed.
 
Dr. Carol Ochs, one of the Editors of the Women's Commentary on Torah, writes that some of the most important traces of Sarah can be found in the life of her son. When Rebekah first sees Isaac and he is meditating in a field, it is evident that Sarah had helped him develop his own relationship with God. We also know that when Isaac decides to wed Rebekah, he bring her to his mother's tent and not to his father's  where he loved her. So it was in her tent, with her spirit present, that he opened his heart to love. "With the death of his mother, Isaac exhibited both a capacity to mourn and a capacity to be comforted. Abraham was the great innovator of the faith. Jacob grew to be the inheritors of the twelve tribes. Isaac merely re-dug his father's wells. But Isaac's faithfulness, modesty and humility say much about him and about his mother who raised him. We have been led to believe that greatness comes from carrying out flamboyant deeds and taking courageous stances. Yet we must recognize that deeper courage that lies in endurance, in day-to-day faithfulness granted not for recognition, wealth or power, but for its own sake."
 
If we regard the Torah's depiction of Isaac as a text that sheds light on the life of Sarah, we recognize a woman who had to fashion her own relationship with God. She was capable of abiding love and fidelity when she was also enduring the harshness of the land, famine, and her husband's silence.
 
We, the Women of Reform Judaism, celebrate the life of Sarah not only because she passed on the line of the covenant with God but because of the values she passed on through her son, she exerted a tempering influence on the ways of patriarchy. Many centuries later, we benefit from her example. Jewish Women today share a mutual relationship with their spouses that is also shaped by a shared relationship with God. We also know that through our own deeds, our endurance, and our shared values we have contributed to and will continue to contribute to the line of the covenant from Abraham, through Sarah and on through the centuries to our descendants.
 
As we continue our work for Women of Reform Judaism, we must never forget those who came before us as well as those who will be here long after we are gone. We are the women of the synagogues continuing what Sarah started so many centuries ago. If the work seems hard and sometimes thankless, if it feels like we are swimming against the current, just remember where we started and how far we have already come. We continue our work in order to strengthen our synagogues, our religious schools and Progressive Judaism throughout the world in order to carry on the tradition of Sarah. Let us always go from strength to strength always stronger together.
 
May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.
 
Please share this email with your sisterhood members.
 
Shabbat Shalom, 
 
Judy Silverman,

Past President Women of Reform Judaism

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November 14, 2008

16 Cheshvan 5769

Dear WRJ friends,
 
In this week’s parashah, Vayiera (Gen. 18:1-22:24), we learn about the Jewish tenet—welcoming the stranger— in two different incidents.  In the first Abraham openly greeted three men who were standing near his tent, offered them water and food and gave them a place to rest.  Sarah, following her husband’s lead, willingly prepared the food for them.  The second story of hospitality occurs in Sodom.   Lot took two emissaries to spend the night in his house and provided them with a feast.  The people of Sodom threatened to remove these strangers from Lot’s house yet Lot stood his ground and refused.   Abraham and Lot and their families were saved from the terrible destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because they welcomed the strangers.

Being hospitable has been a part of our Jewish heritage from the time of Abraham. 
 
As Jewish women in sisterhood, I hope each one of us always welcomes the strangers at our meetings, programs and events.  Every new person who makes an effort to come to sisterhood deserves to be openly welcomed.  We need to walk over to these women  as soon as we see them arrive, introduce ourselves, let them know how pleased we are to have them attend and invite them to sit with us.  We need to take time to get to know them and try to discover their interests so we can connect them with the appropriate committee, project and members.
 
Welcoming the stranger is one of the first steps in an effective membership campaign.   If women make efforts to come, we as sisterhood women, must make them all feel accepted and comfortable so they will want to participate.   Most women join because a friend asked them or they believe in the cause and mission.  They stay in sisterhood because they are made to feel wanted, valued and needed.
 
Every sisterhood must train their officers and board members, if not all their members, to move out of their social circles and comfort levels to welcome new members and to make them feel wanted, valued and needed.   Sisterhood leaders must set the example to ensure that the organization is inclusive, not an exclusive.
 
We can all learn from Abraham, Sarah and Lot who were rewarded by God for their efforts to welcome the strangers.  Likewise Sisterhood can gain from our willingness to be open and hospitable.  Every new member  can become involved and even become a future leader.  If we never make the effort to be hospitable, our sisterhood will never have the opportunity to grow its membership or to have new leaders.
 
At your next Board meeting take a few minutes to discuss ways each of you can be more welcoming.  Talk about the results that can be obtained if everyone is friendly and hospitable.  Being open and welcoming is the important first step to a successful membership campaign.
 
May the welcoming of the stranger lead to a larger, stronger, more inclusive sisterhood, to an increase in membership and hopefully to the potential for new leaders.
 
May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.
 
Please share this email with your sisterhood members.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
 
Helene H. Waranch,

immediate past president

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November 7, 2008
9 Cheshvan 5769

Dear WRJ Friends,

No two words resonate more deeply within the Jewish psyche than Lech L’cha. God’s injunction to Abram to “Go forth” from his father’s homeland involves much more than a physical journey.

Abram’s wanderings with Sarai, Lot, and their household present problems, resolutions and, ultimately, the supreme declaration by God of his particular covenantal relationship with Abram and Sarai’s progeny.

God promises to Abram land, wealth and numerous descendants. As the journey winds its way toward the Negev, Abram builds altars where God instructs Abram that the land will one day belong to his progeny. The second promise of wealth is fulfilled through Sarai’s help. Abram entreats Sarai to participate in a deception with the Pharaoh for two reasons: to prevent Abram from being killed and to increase his material wealth. In the Post-biblical Interpretations section of this parashah from The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, Dvora E. Weisberg offers the following comment based on the midrash B’reishit Rabbah 41.2:

Even more remarkably, Sarai reminds God that her willingness to leave Haran for an unknown destination is more praiseworthy than Abram’s precisely because God has promised her nothing. Sarai serves here as a paradigm of a faithful follower of God, one who responds to God’s call without the promise of reward. (p. 79)

Through God’s final promise of progeny, Abram becomes Abraham and Sarai becomes Sarah. Abraham and Sarah become equal in their covenantal relationship with God: Abraham and his male descendants through circumcision and Sarah and her female descendants through childbirth.

Abram and Sarai’s journey has meaning and a purpose; God’s promise to Abram at the outset of this parashah will be fulfilled:

I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and it shall be a blessing. 12:2

Dvora E. Weisberg elucidates:

Some midrashim describe the matriarchs as equal partners in God’s covenant with Israel. Midrash B’reishit Rabbah 39.II reports that “Abraham’s coinage was widely distributed….And what was on his coinage? An old man and an old woman (Abraham and Sarah) on one side, and a young man and a young woman (Isaac and Rebekah) on the other.” This midrash also explained the repeated use of the words for “greatness” and “blessing”: “greatness” refers to the patriarchs and “blessing” to the matriarchs. (p. 78)

It is indeed a blessing that in the year 2008, 5768, Women of Reform Judaism launched an auspicious and long-anticipated text: The Torah: A Women’s Commentary.  Enjoy your study of Torah; be challenged, enlightened and moved every week.  We owe it to ourselves as partners in God’s covenant.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.
Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Warm regards,
Sara Charney
WRJ Board and Executive member
Co-chair, local arrangements, WRJ Assembly: Toronto, 2009

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October 31, 2008
2 Cheshvan 5769

Dear WRJ Friends,

At the beginning of Parashat Noach, it is apparent that the earth and everything living on it are in need of serious transformation.  We read: “The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with violence”, and “…all flesh was acting in a corrupt way upon the earth” (Genesis 6:11-12).  Something had to be done.

The account of Noah and the ark is one example of how to bring about change in a system – to throw everything out and start all over again.  God washes away the world as it existed before the flood and restarts it with the only person he finds to be righteous in that generation.  Some might say that God is successful in bringing about change; yet I don’t believe that this is what we should follow at my congregation, Shir Ami.  Still, there is much we can learn from this biblical text when we need to help our community to move from one “place” to another.

We see that each “character” in the story has a part to play in the change process:
  The Visionary is  God
  The Change Agent is  Noah
  The Congregation is  Noah’s family and the animals
  The Ark is the   Supporting infrastructure

A transformation process begins with God envisioning a better world – or at least a world without corruption, and then shares that vision with Noah.  Noah then commits himself to God’s vision and becomes the main agent for change.  Noah turns immediately to building the ark – the infrastructure that will support the transformation.

Noah is so busy with the details of building the ark and collecting the animals that he doesn’t take time to ask anyone in the community to help him with this overwhelming project.  Noah doesn’t try to convince anyone to change their evil ways, in order to change God’s mind about destroying the world.  But Noah is out there building this huge ark; wouldn’t you think that someone noticed this ark and would have asked him about it?

According to Bill Cosby, everyone must have noticed and laughed at crazy Noah - a conversation with a neighbor may have transpired like this: 
 Neighbor Listen, what is this thing for anyway?
 Noah  I can’t tell you.  Ha Ha Ha
 Neighbor Well, I mean, can’t you give me a little hint?
 Noah  You want a hint?
 Neighbor Yes, please.
 Noah  How long can you tread water?  Ha Ha Ha

Noah does nothing to bring others into this transformation process, to publicize God’s vision, or to help others see the need for change.  The rain starts falling, and Noah jumps into the “sea of change.”  He doesn’t know where he and his family will end up; he only knows that he can’t stay where he is.

The world is definitely transformed by the flood, but it is questionable as to whether anything really changed.  Does the world that God envisioned come about after the Flood?  Did the process work?  Does the world we live in today seem better then the pre-Flood world?   So where did the transformation process fail?

God envisions a different future.
God convinces Noah to commit to that vision and to be a change agent.
Noah alone builds an infrastructure to support the process.
Noah jumps into the ark and sets sail.

It seems to me that the breakdown occurs with Noah.  God has already decided that no one was worth saving aside from Noah and his family and the animals.  Noah as the change agent has the option of bringing others into the process.  However, he chooses not to, and does everything himself.  There is no grass roots coalition building here.  There is no “buy in” hence no true transformation.

So what do we, at WRJ, need to learn about changing the world – or a piece of it?  What do we need to remember when we are faced with the opportunity to transform some part of WRJ?  We could remember the lessons Torah teaches us through Noah and the ark:
A vision is needed.

A change agent is needed- someone who will orchestrate the details of the transformation. 
Incremental change may be longer lasting.

The most important lesson we learn is that even when you have the most glorious
vision for the future, the most industrious change agent, and the most meticulous plans, the community must be engaged in and part of bringing that change about in order for it to be successful.

May this parasha bring a renewed sense of purpose, vision, and commitment to building for the future while working and compromising together.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all of our lives. 

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Sharon K. Benoff
Vice President
Department of Marketing and Communication

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October 24, 2008
25 Tishri 5769

Dear WRJ friends,

I wish each of you a happy, healthy new year.   In this time of political uncertainty and economic turmoil, I hope our personal as well as our national circumstances will improve and we can find peace and prosperity for all.

Because of the times, I was struck by the importance of the phrase “…am I my brother’s keeper?”  (Genesis 4: 9).  Although in its context this quote refers to sibling rivalry between Cain and Abel, I view it as an all inclusive issue that defines “brother” as a metaphor for our families as well as for all of humankind.   It reminds me of what my mother often said, “Each of us has three responsibilities in this world: to our family, to our religion and to our community.”

In response to my mother’s advice and to the meaning of the phrase: …”am I my brother’s keeper?”, I believe that my first and most important concern must always be the well-being of my family.  If anyone of my family members is in distress, I become worried and unable to participate wholeheartedly in other activities or to take on outside responsibilities with a clear mind.

For me the responsibility to my religion includes my belief in God and my emotional, participatory and financial support to my congregation and to Reform Judaism.   I find that my ongoing involvement in sisterhood and Women of Reform Judaism continues to provide me with the greatest opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment and its nurturing environment gives me the ability to openly define and live by my religious beliefs.

Likewise, through the mission and values of sisterhood and Women of Reform Judaism I am able to demonstrate my commitment to the many communities in which I am a part.  I participate locally  in community service programs and projects, often supported by my sisterhood.   I have learned to become a strong advocate nationally for the social justice issues that I as well as WRJ hold dear.  I am most interested in shaping the future of our world with my ongoing passion for educational opportunities for all people.

Most recently, I have taken on the concern for our Reform/Progressive Jewish sisters and brothers internationally with my participation in the leadership of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.  On almost every continent there are Reform/Progressive congregations that have emerged recently and need our ongoing support.  They are striving to offer a viable option other than Orthodoxy and Chabad in such places as the Former Soviet Union, Germany, Eastern Europe, Israel and Latin America.  They are in desperate need of funds to conduct weekly religious services, offer educational programs for all ages, obtain a permanent facility and train and pay for professional and paraprofessional leaders. The viability of Reform Judaism across the globe is an additional and necessary community responsibility.

So I ask each of you, are you your brother’s [and sister’s] keeper?  Do have responsibilities to your family, to your religion and to your community?  Yes, I believe it is our obligation, as women and active sisterhood members, to find constructive and effective ways to help ourselves and our families to live better, more fulfilling lives and to share in the efforts to make our world a better place for us all.

May we all continue to be our brothers’ [and sisters’] keepers.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood members.

Shabbat shalom,

Helene H. Waranch
WRJ Immediate Past President

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Friday, October 17, 2008
18 Tishrei 5769

Dear WRJ Friends,

If you are like me, entertaining guests, especially during the Jewish holidays, is an integral part of your Jewish home.  We almost always have one or two guests for Shabbat dinner, usually at least half a dozen for Rosh Hashanah, and, of course, there are the 22 or so guests that join us every year for Seder.  In addition to our regular yearly celebrations, we just recently celebrated our daughter becoming a bat mitzvah on Shabbat Shuvah.  We hosted 25 guests for the weekend and 170 people for the celebration itself.  I know my family is not unique in its desire to share our various simcha with family and friends. In fact, for most Jews that I know, no celebration is complete without someone, or rather a number of ‘someones,’ to share the joy.

Our Sages explained, as seen in the commandment in Deuteronomy 16:14, “And you shall rejoice in your festival… [All] who are within your cities,” that the only true joy is shared joy.  In that sense, Sukkot and guests are the quintessential pairing.  The Talmud states that “it is fitting that all Jews should sit in one sukkah.”  Although it may be logistically impossible to invite everyone you know into your sukkah during Sukkot, during this new year of 5769, I’d like to suggest a year-long expansion of the spirit of the holiday of Sukkot, a time of the year when we commemorate being wanderers in the wilderness, a people in search of a permanent home.

How much better would our world be if we could maintain our awareness of how and who we welcome into our community?  The stranger you see walking into services on Shabbat evening, the new temple member who musters her courage to come to a sisterhood event, the new sisterhood member who agrees to chair a committee, the committee chair who agrees to become a board member.  Try and remember when you speak with each of these people that at one point you were the new person…that wanderer in the desert living in a temporary structure hoping to find a permanent place to stay.  Keep in mind that each of these individuals has the potential to become an honored guest, someone to be warmly welcomed into your sukkah, someone without whom your joy would not be complete.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Warmest Regards,
Deb

Debra M. Faye
WRJ Board of Directors

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Friday, October 10, 2008

11 Tisrei 5769

Dear WRJ Friends,

Yom Kippur is behind us, Sukkot begins on Monday, and with Simchat Torah following shortly after,  our reading of Torah will begin from the beginning as it does each year.  This year, we have the good fortune to be studying with a new Torah commentary, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, which has offered us a fresh perspective on our history and the study of Torah.

WRJ’s commentary, which many of you helped to realize, has become a part of the history of Women of Reform Judaism, as well as the history of our Reform Movement.  We helped to ordain women rabbis, educated female biblical scholars, and were then empowered to publish this work of historic significance and relevance to modern times.  Nearly 20,000 copies have been sold, a Torah Study Program Guide is available online (www.womenofreformjudaism.org), and the reviews, both from individual and professional reviewers, has been nothing short of phenomenal.

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Haazinu, Moses presents a prayer poem, the Song of Moses (Hirat Haazinu) to the Israelites just before he is to ascend Mount Nebo, where he will die. In the poem, Moses instructs us to “Remember the days of old, consider the years of ages past” (Deut.32:7).

In Harvey Fields “A Torah Commentary for our Times” we learn that Rashi advises us to remember the past in order to have an understanding of what may happen in the future, the old adage “history repeats itself”.  Modern commentator Pinchas Peli suggests that remembering and understanding the past allows us to put current events in proper perspective.  He also believes our shared history provides an important source of constructive pride.

Let us remember the work of our foremothers, our grandmothers and mothers, which made possible our freedom and success as women of Reform Judaism today, and enabled us to produce a commentary as substantial and important as The Torah: A Women’s Commentary.  This work will become a part of our communal WRJ history, and will impact our Movement for generations to come.

And, let us remember all of the history of Women of Reform Judaism, now 95 years old and still ensuring that the voices of our women are heard. For a complete history of Women of Reform Judaism, please go to http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/about-wrj.

May the light of Shabbat candles brighten all of our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Warmest regards and L’Shana Tovah,

Shelley

Shelley Lindauer
Executive Director

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October 3, 2008
4 Tishrei 5769

Dear WRJ Friends,

This Shabbat we read in Parashah Vayelech about the end of Moses’ leadership of the Israelites, his impending death, and the appointment of Joshuah to lead the people into the land God has promised them. We learn about covenants, expectations, and the consequences of straying from them. As always, in studying Torah, there are relevancies to our twenty-first century lives.   The Torah: A Women’s Commentary offers a positive, contemporary perspective emphasizing the message of inclusiveness of everyone – men, women, children and strangers – in the teaching Moses delivers.

Most importantly, we see a wonderful example of transition and a strong lesson in leadership.  Moses paves the way for Joshuah with public and private support  and with words of encouragement. Despite his probable disappointment in being unable to complete the journey with his people, Moses accepts that he cannot have everything he wants. He recognizes that he must move aside. And, he provides a ritual to accomplish this change in leadership that builds community among the people and enhances their covenant with God.

Soon our districts will be having their biennial conventions.  We will be changing leadership, coming together to thank women who have led us and worked with us, praise those who are continuing their service, possibly in new positions, and welcome new leaders.  A highlight of our conventions is the presence of a WRJ leader who shares the WRJ message.  She is a representative from our Speakers’ Bureau – a trained, informed leader who will enhance your transition and engage in your rituals, workshops, study, and worship.

The women who planned your district conventions contacted WRJ, probably using our website, to request a WRJ guest speaker and leader to play an important part in the weekend. Forms available online were completed and submitted to the Department of Service to Sisterhoods and Districts.  An acknowledgement was forthcoming along with the name of your WRJ speaker, biographical information about her, and a reminder that there is a covenant and partnership between you with responsibilities and expectations defined clearly.

The resources of the WRJ Speakers Bureau – our leaders – are available upon request for interim district board meetings, area days, and retreats.  Individual or groups of sisterhoods may request a WRJ Speakers’ Bureau representative for special occasions, guidance, board training, and support  in a geographic region, to name a few possibilities.  What a wonderful way to connect your members face to face and in a very personal way to WRJ!  This opportunity is available once every two years to any sisterhood in good standing.

So, as we experience the sweetness and joy of a new year and complete the process of teshuvah let us remember to invite and include the personal connection to WRJ with our sisterhoods.

May you have an easy fast and may the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all of our lives

Please share this email with your sisterhoods

Warmly

Linda Henderson
WRJ Secretary

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September 26, 2008
26 Elul 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

This week’s parashah, Nitzavim (Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20) focuses on Moses’ final sermon to the Israelites as he will soon die and the wanderers will enter the Land of Israel without him. His last plea to them is that they and future generations embrace the covenant, warning of God’s harsh punishment towards the people if they stray from God.

Moses’ second admonition is to instruct the people of the significance of teshuva, or repentance.  As people are merely human, they will, on occasion, miss the mark, inevitably making poor choices both privately and publicly. But repentance and a return to God’s ways and commandments will restore God’s love and kindness.

As we enter the Days of Awe we reflect upon our values, our goals and our behavior over the past year. This is usually a personal and private reflection between individuals and God. We think about our life’s journey and our relationships with our loved ones, our community and even those with whom we have conflict. It is a time to consider who we are, who we aspire to be, and how to turn to facilitate the changes in our behavior we wish to implement. As we seek forgiveness from God, we seek forgiveness from all whom we have taken for granted, mistreated, cared for superficially or neglected….including ourselves. It is a time to evaluate and forgive, with an eye on developing a plan of how to improve ourselves and to work to improve the relationships and institutions about which we care.

As WRJ leaders, we should think about how we can work to nurture future leadership and membership within our sisterhoods. We should reflect on how we may provide assistance when these women seek counsel and guidance as they find their way within our organization. We must be welcoming to our new members and to our future leaders, step aside, but not away, encouraging and reinforcing their participation and growth. With thoughtful, caring guidance, we will continue to grow our membership, our leadership, ever mindful of the value we place on WRJ’s work in our temples, our communities and the world.

I wish you a healthy, happy and reflective new year.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Warmly,

Patti Grossman
Temple Beth Shalom
Needham, MA

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September 19, 2008
19 Elul 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

Most things that happen to us in life are the result of choices that we have made somewhere along the line.  In this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tavo (when you enter), God teaches this lesson to the Jewish people.  God describes the pleasant results that will come from making responsible and wise choices, as well as the unpleasant consequences of failing to do so.  We can carry this lesson into our own lives: when we choose to act according to the Jewish laws and when we realize that we are likely to experience the consequences of the choices that we make.

In Ki Tavo, Moses reviews the laws that are to govern the people of Israel as they enter the Promised Land.  Moses reminds the Israelites that they should obey God's commandments faithfully with all their hearts and souls.

Just as the Israelites were reminded by Moses, Women of Reform Judaism will take a moment to remember our mission, goals and responsibilities as an organization. As the collective voice of Reform Jewish women, one of our obligations is to promote education through programming.

WRJ offers support, on our website, through our staff, at our conferences, and with our publications, to help you to implement successful programs in your sisterhoods and congregations.  Sisterhood presidents can order Fundraising Fundamentals and Programming Possibilities written to assist you to coordinate events and provide programming ideas to attract different groups within your congregations.   

The programming ideas in these two publications were compiled by asking our sisterhoods throughout North America to submit their most successful programs.  By attending district biennials, local area days, leadership conferences and assemblies, we also have the opportunity to meet other sisterhood members and share innovative sisterhood programs.  As Margaret Mead stated, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has”.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.
 
Andrea T. Cannon
Congregation B'nai Israel
Boca Raton Florida
Women of Reform Judaism Board of Director
Southeast District Vice President State of Florida

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Friday, September 12, 2008
12 Elul, 5768
 
Dear WRJ Friends,
 
While usually not at a loss for words, I felt stumped.  What to make of the varied compilation of laws dealing with family, neighbors, sexual misconduct, forbidden relationships, and the vulnerable that makes up this week’s portion, Ki Tetze?  Maimonides counts 72 mitzvot dealing with everything from children to tassles to divorce to slander to roofs. I wondered what insight I could offer that might help us to truly appreciate and relate to the Torah’s guidance?
 
Of course, when it comes to our own WRJ and our mission I’m never at a loss for accolades – and that’s when it hit me.  I realized that adherence to all those rules is basically the essence of the mission of WRJ. In countless ways through our diverse program, we help to sustain Jewish consciousness and the values of Ki Tetze.  In our homes and congregations and throughout society we promote family and community, we care for the vulnerable and needy, we fight against persecution and sexual discrimination, oppression and abuse.
 
The specifics of how we accomplish this are too lengthy for this one letter, but here are a few shining examples.  WRJ supports HUC-JIR so that Rabbinical and Cantorial students can engage in Torah and its meanings.  And then we come to our efforts on behalf of the World Union for Progressive Judaism.  The World Union strengthens Jewish life in Israel and throughout the world as it establishes and supports pluralistic congregations and institutions, developing Jewish communal and youth leadership and enhancing social justice.  Yet the World Union could not accomplish this mission without the support of Women of Reform Judaism!   Here, as in our other efforts, we truly shine in our adherence of the laws of Ki Tetze.
 
It is most fitting and appropriate that WRJ is honored this Sunday at the WUPJ International Humanitarian Awards Dinner in NYC. All of our sisterhoods on the North American continent and throughout the world can and should stand proud this Sunday night.  For let the word get out.  Whenever and wherever liberal understandings of Torah is offered, the Women of Reform Judaism are there.
I wish you a Sabbath of peace and completeness.
 
May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.
 
Please share with your sisterhoods.
 
Lois Zeidler
WRJ Board Member

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September 5, 2008

5 Elul 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

I’ve been experiencing this U.S. election season, longer and more historic than ever before, with renewed interest in the political process and deep concern for our country.  There is, of course, the opportunity to watch history happen: at first, the possibility of a woman or an African American man as president, and now, a female vice-presidential candidate.  How stunning that we’re merely a generation away from a time this would have been unthinkable – and just as likely impossible.

Perhaps it’s my age and future retirement that has me focused on the candidates’ positions on the economy. Will I ever be able to retire? Will Social Security be there to help support me, and support those less fortunate than me, in the coming years?  Maybe it’s my concern that the continuing financial burden of the Iraq war and related ever-mounting debt will be too heavy for our children and grandchildren to bear that’s kept me glued to CNN.  Will China decide one day to cash in all that American paper it holds? How about the energy crisis: will there be fuel to power this country for generations to come?

What about affordable health care, coverage for those without any and those whose premiums look more like a mortgage than an insurance bill?  Will our government have the wherewithal – and the resources – to care for a citizenry unable to care for itself?

Think of the issues we, Women of Reform Judaism, have fought so hard for over the decades: women’s right to choose;  alleviating hunger and homelessness; preserving national security without jeopardizing civil liberties; stronger domestic and international environmental agreements; increases in governmental resources for stem cell research; assuring children’s health, welfare, and education; and this list goes on and on.

These questions bring me to this week’s Parashah, Shof’tim, and two themes relevant in this election season:

1. Righteousness and the pursuit of justice, with every member of society entitled to that same justice. “ You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice.  You shall not judge unfairly, you shall show no partiality…” (Deut. 16:18-19) Even in times of conflict, an offer of peace should be proffered before warfare. “When you approach a town to attack it, you shall offer it terms of peace.” (Deut. 20:10)

2. Concern for the physical world and environmental consciousness to sustain the world. “When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them.  You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down.” (Deut. 20:19)

It is our duty as Reform Jewish women to ensure that we follow the mandate given in Parashah Shof’tim: “Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive…” (Deut. 16:20) Now is not the time to stand at the sidelines and allow someone else to decide the future of our fellow Americans and our country. I know our Canadian sisters understand our concerns and will be discussing many of these same issues when their next election approaches.

Educate yourself about the issues; review the candidates’ platforms on issues important to you and our Jewish community. REGISTER TO VOTE, and on November 4th, MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Warmly,
Shelley Lindauer
Executive Director

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August 29, 2008

28 Av 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

“Blessings” and “curses”. We find these words often as we move through the Torah. In this week’s parashah, Re’ih, they introduce an extensive collection of laws mandating the behavior of the people of Israel who are about to enter the Promised Land. “See, this day, I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of your God that I enjoin upon you this day; and curse, if you do not obey the commandments of your God, but turn away from the path that I enjoin upon you this day and follow other gods whom you have not experienced.”

The laws that follow this pronouncement are conceived of as part of the covenantal relationship between Israel and God, with responsibilities incumbent upon both parties. They include a variety of rules designed to regulate life in the Promised Land and to bind Israel to its God. Together, they offer a unifying vision of Israel, with absolute loyalty to God at its core. The importance of obeying these commandments is underscored by the references to “blessings” and “curses”.

While we are sometimes uncomfortable with the concept of “curses”, the word “blessings” comes easily to our tongues. More importantly, when used together, the two words remind us of our opportunity – and obligation – to choose blessing, both as individuals and as the sacred community we become through Women of Reform Judaism.

When we reach out to each other, when we nurture, support and care about each other, we are choosing blessing.

When we join together to act and speak out for those who need the strength of our collective voice and action, we are choosing blessing.

When we support the continuation and vitality of our faith now and through future generations, we are choosing blessing.

When we share the bounty of our gifts with others, we are choosing blessing.

Just as we recognize the ultimate source of the blessings we receive, let us realize that the blessings we choose to create reflect our unifying vision as women of Reform Judaism and our covenantal relationship with God.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dolores K. Wilkenfeld
WRJ Past President
Congregation Emanu El
Houston, Texas

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August 22, 2008

21 Av, 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

Last Saturday morning, a small group of women met at the home of a sisterhood member to discuss a few articles that were part of the summer issue of Lilith magazine. Although, I love the idea of the WRJ Lilith Salons that my sisterhood has been hosting for the past year, I have struggled to carve out the time to read the articles and attend the quarterly discussion group. Determined that I was not going to miss yet another one, I vowed last spring to participate in the summer salon, regardless of where or when it was held. But when the announcement came out last month that it would be held on a Saturday morning, I immediately had a list of reasons of why it was not going to work with my schedule. Then I remembered my promise. When the day arrived, I am embarrassed to admit, I had not read the articles. I attended anyway with strong reservations as to whether this was the best use of my time. As it turned out, it was the best Shabbat I have had in a long time.

The first (and only) article we discussed prompted an incredibly thought-provoking exchange that touched on everything from adoption to refugees to capital punishment. It was engaging and stimulating as each woman brought her own life to the discussion. Two women from Argentina, sisters actually, shared their perspectives having lived around the world. One woman spoke of her experience as a newcomer to our local Jewish community. Our discussion led us to the importance of each member of the community taking on the responsibility to care for one another. We also acknowledged how hard that seems to be in a world that divides families and friends by geographic choices and depends on communication through digital expression.

In just a couple of hours, I had connected with these women on a surprisingly deep level, intellectually and emotionally.

When I thought about how close I had come to not attending, I smiled, knowing that for one day at least, I had made myself the highest priority – taking time out of my crazy schedule for no other reason than to spend time discussing the world with other women. I am grateful that WRJ has developed this innovative partnership with Lilith magazine to offer WRJ sisterhoods the Lilith Salons. Not only does it educate us about Jewish women’s perspectives on a multitude of diverse issues, but it also provides a venue and a reason for us to stop long enough to have a meaningful discussion about the world we live in with our spiritual sisters. What a gift!

If your sisterhood wants to start a Lilith Salon, it is amazingly easy! Just contact Carolyn Kunin at the WRJ office, ckunin@urj.org.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom,

Katie M. Roeper
WRJ Vice President, Programming and Advocacy
Congregation Beth Ahabah
Richmond, VA

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August 15, 2008

Av 14, 5768

“Hear O Israel: Adonai is our G-d, Adonai is one.

“You shall love Adonai your G-d with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, with all your being. Set these words, which I command you this day, upon your heart. Teach them faithfully to your children; speak of them in your home and on your way, when you lie down and when you rise up...” Deuteronomy 6:4-7

This week’s Torah portion, Va’etchanan, concentrates on the Ten Commandments, the Sh’ma, and the V’ahavta. The focus of this portion can almost be categorized as the central ideals of Judaism.

We are taught in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary:

The Sh’ma (“Hear”) reminds the Israelites of G-d’s essence and their relationship with the One G-d.

The V’ahavta (“You shall love”) describes how the people are to internalize the teachings and impart them to future generations.

The Sh’ma and V’ahavta hold special meaning when understood as directives to the Israelites about to cross the Jordan into Israel. At a time so central to the formation of the people, they are told about love and importance of preserving family, educating one’s children, and maintaining one’s relationship to the Divine. These ideas have helped to sustain the people of Israel throughout many years.

Whose responsibility was it, and whose responsibility does it continue to be, to preserve the family? According to the Torah, it is the wife’s – the mother’s – responsibility. Education of the next generation is vital to Israel’s survival.

The V’ahavta reminds us to dedicate our entire being – heart, mind, and soul – to G-d and the future of the Jewish people. We are to remember and live this everyday “as we lie down and as we rise up.”

While part of your duty as a woman is to educate the next generation, one voice alone cannot guarantee the future of your sisterhood or synagogue.

One family alone cannot necessarily ensure the future of your neighborhood.

One community cannot single-handedly ensure that Judaism, our teachings, and our ideals will exist in 100 years.

We are altogether charged to devote ourselves to a power greater than ourselves. You and your sisterhood have the great power and even greater responsibility to contribute to the future of Reform Judaism.

Each year WRJ offers YES Fund (Youth, Education, and Special Projects) scholarships to seven future reform educators and clergy at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Through YES Fund grants, we help support communities throughout the world where, without WRJ assistance, a Reform/Progressive Jewish presence may not exist within the near future.

The YES Fund also helps to ensure that we – as Reform Jewish women – have a strong and clear voice within the political arenas in North America and around the world. This past year, we helped fund Reform Rabbi Miri Gold’s legal defense in Israel. Her goal was to force the State of Israel to officially recognize her as a rabbi and compensate her in the same manner as the other 16 male rabbis in her region.

As Jews we have a covenant with G-d. We are holy. We have a responsibility to live up to our end of the covenant to ensure the future of Reform Judaism. No one person, sisterhood, or community could do this alone.

You and your sisterhood can achieve this when you financially support the YES Fund (Youth, Education, and Special Projects). Through the YES Fund, all of your voices – your donations – combine to create one new and stronger voice.

Contribute to the YES Fund, and show your dedication to the tenets of Reform Judaism.

To learn more about the YES Fund, visit www.WomenofReformJudaism.org/yes-fund.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Share this email with your sisterhood.

L’Shalom,

Lindsay Bellows

WRJ Manager

Department on Development and Special Projects

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August 8, 2008
7 Az 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

This week’s parashah, Devarim, is the beginning of the book of Deuteronomy. It is described by many commentators as a collection of Moses’ farewell speeches. In this first portion, Moses reminds the Israelites of their history together since leaving Sinai, defines the boundaries of the Promised Land, and charges Joshua to lead them into the land that God has promised them. In retelling their shared history, there are several instances where Moses modifies earlier versions of the events and directives. One example is the qualifications for being a leader.

“Pick from each of your tribes representatives who are wise, discerning, and experienced, and I will appoint them as your heads.” (Deut. 1:13) The Torah: A Women’s Commentary points out the differences in criteria for leadership in earlier passages. In these versions, fear of God, trustworthiness and a lack of greed are qualifications. Also, there is mention of “participation in the divine spirit” – but this is the first mention of the qualifications we seek today in our leaders. choose our leaders? Surely wisdom and judgment are key factors in selecting them. We look for people who are sharp, astute, and sensitive to others….and if they have experience in leadership roles — even better!

Sometimes, there are potential leaders in our sisterhoods who possess many of these traits, but who lack experience, some skills, or the confidence needed to lead. This is why the WRJ Sisterhood Leadership Conference (the next to be held in New Orleans January 23-25, 2009) is such a valuable resource. Current and rising leaders from sisterhoods across North America come together with WRJ leaders for a full weekend of learning, networking, and idea-sharing. Take advantage of this program to help ensure your sisterhood’s leadership legacy. Watch your mailbox (electronic and postal) for more information on this program.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Shabbat shalom,
Susan C. Bass
WRJ Vice President, Service to Sisterhoods and Districts
Congregation Beth Israel
Houston, TX

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August 1, 2008

1 Av 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

This week’s Parashah is Mas’ei “These are the journeys of the People of Israel who went forth from the Land of Egypt…”

Mas’ei is from the book of Numbers 33:1-36:13. Parashah Mas’ei begins with enumerating the forty-two journeys of the People of Israel, from leaving the Land of Egypt until reaching Yarden Yericho (the Jordan near Jericho). The Torah’s wording, however, raises an obvious question: it took only one journey from the Land of Egypt. The other 41 journeys were after the people had already left Egypt! Why then the plural form of “these are the journeys”?

The term Mitzrayim derives from the word meytzarim (restrictions; restraints). Mitzrayim, therefore, refers not only to a particular land but also to a condition of both physical and spiritual confinement.

The 42 journeys relate to 42 stages of leaving Mitzrayim (personal or national restrictions and confinements). The exodus from the physical Egypt was indeed liberation, but only relative to the previous slavery. In terms of our ultimate goal it was not yet the true and full freedom. Every one of the 42 journeys represented an additional progression, a liberating ascent relative to the preceding stage. In terms of the final and highest level to be achieved, however, it remained a form of Mitzrayim.

Wondering as to the importance of these technical details, some sages, including Rashi, have concluded that this list of 42 journeys was to serve as a reminder to the people of God’s watchfulness over them, and of God’s attention to each and every detail pertaining to their lives and destiny. Thus, the names of each of the places are used as a device to invoke in them the memory of God’s care for them.

According to Maimonides, the names of the places are a testimony intended to verify that they have indeed stayed at the locations mentioned; places where only God could have sustained them, thusly bringing to their minds the miracles which God wrought for them.

Sforno adds to this: “[God] desired that the stages of the Israelites’ journeying be written down to make known their merit in their going after God in a wilderness, in a land that was not sown so that they eventually deserved to enter the land. Moses wrote down their destination and place of departure. For sometimes that place for which they were headed was evil and the place of departure good… Sometime the reverse happened. God wrote down too the details of their journeying because it involved leaving for a new destination without any previous notice, which was very trying. Despite all this, they kept to the schedule…“ In other words, according to Sforno the Torah shows us both sides of the coin. We have seen those who have pulled away from the spiritual plane of their religious practices and on the other hand, the loyal and faithful, following God through the wilderness… They followed God in spite of all the odds, through the wildernesses of Sinai, where their continued existence would have been impossible, was it not for God.

The term “journeys” (in plural form) teaches us that we must forever press on, progress and ascend, regardless of past achievements.

We, as Women of Reform Judaism, begin a new journey every year that helps us to ascend to a higher level and achieve new horizons in our Mitzvah pathways throughout the world.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all of our lives to continue our WRJ journeys with love in our hearts.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Dr. Ofelia Averack,

Executive Board Member

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July 25, 2008

22 Tamuz 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

Rules and regulations regarding women’s vows and oaths are set forth in this week’s Torah portion, Matot. These instructions are specific and detailed; pertaining to married, single, divorced and widowed women as well as defining under what circumstances a woman’s vows can be annulled.

For us, as contemporary Jewish women, the significance of this portion is not in the details, but in the concept: what is a vow or an oath, what vows do we make, how do we make them, how do we keep them, when is it appropriate to nullify them, and how do vows define, expand or limit us.

Biblically, vows are spoken words defining a decision to act in a certain manner, with or without God’s approval or assistance, with or without a corresponding contractual act by God.

For us, vows can be spoken out loud or privately in our hearts. Wedding vows are quite formal, but take on additional meaning and dimension as time passes. Vows are often decisions or principles we act upon without formalizing. Vows may be hopes, dreams or aspirations.

As contemporary women, we are faced with so many options not available to our biblical ancestors. Our lives as women, as wives, as mothers, as daughters, as volunteers, as political activists and as professionals, offer a myriad of possibilities. Do we choose, do we vow, how to effectively maximize these many facets of our lives? How do we accept the limitations our choices sometimes exact? These are our challenges and opportunities today.

Through sisterhood and WRJ, as women, we can help one another find expression for many of our vows. Through the friendship and support of the special women we have met through sisterhood and WRJ we are empowered to try to fulfill the personal and societal dreams we hold dear. Our WRJ mission, our programs, our social action and advocacy positions, as well as projects we financially support, speak to the realization of our vows.

Although achievement of the vow may be the goal, the effort to realize hopes and dreams defines our lives.

On this Shabbat of Matot, let us reflect on our dreams, hopes and vows - those that are explicit and those that are implicit – those that are personal and those that involve community. Pause to reflect on our journey, and then say: “Look what we have done, and look what is yet ahead.”

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.

Warm regards,

Karen Sim

VP, Department of Development and Special Projects

July 18, 2008

June 20, 2008
17 Sivan, 5768
 
Dear WRJ Friends,
 
At a recent retreat held by my local sisterhood, we had a breakout session leader who shared with us a poem by Jayne Relaford Brown called “Finding Her Here,” which began, “I am becoming the woman I’ve wanted…” We were challenged to take fifteen minutes to write a similar poem about ourselves and then share it with the group if we chose.

Since it did not have to rhyme, I quickly set about describing myself: a single mother, a forty-year teacher on the verge of retirement with a twenty-two year-old son, who is finally back in college, and a somewhat immobile, but lively, funny ninety year-old mother. As I tell people, I usually have a good time, since I take myself with me wherever I go. Here is what I scribbled in my little notebook:
 
I am becoming the woman I’ve wanted
Taking some things seriously
But free to laugh at life’s absurdities
Looking at my accomplishments
But knowing there will be more
 
I am becoming the woman I’ve wanted
Learning how to be more tolerant of others
And to joke about my own shortcomings
Trying hard to let go of things I cannot control
And letting others take the responsibility for their own lives
 
I am becoming the woman I’ve wanted.
I am a bird mid-flight looking for a place to rest
I will live to be old and wise like my mother
Even as my body gets creaky and weary
My heart will carry her young and joyful spirit
 
I am becoming the woman I’ve wanted
I am a rainbow bright with colors
Starting to fade gently into my maturity
 
As we shared our impromptu poems, we felt empowered to compliment each other. We forgot for a few moments about being thinner, younger, having gray hair and wrinkles, taking too much time from our families for work and/or sisterhood, and all of the other myriad reasons that cause women to think less of ourselves. How refreshing and affirmative it felt!
 
You do not need to write a poem, but take a few moments this Shabbat to appreciate how special you are to your families, friends, and sisterhoods. You are also becoming the woman you've wanted.
 
May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.
 
Please share this email with your Sisterhood.
 
Warmest regards,
 
Rhoda London
Congregation Ahavath Chesed
Jacksonville, FL


June 13, 2008
10 Sivan, 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

"Ben (son of) Bag Bag said, turn the Torah over and over for everything is in it. Look into it, grow old and gray over it, and never move away from it, for you will find no better portion than it."

This week’s Torah portion B’haalot’cha is rich with great learning, and thirteen years ago as a bar mitzvah, my son Andy read these words and spoke about them with a maturity well beyond his thirteen years. He spoke about the love of a brother for his sister as Moses implored God to heal Miriam and make her whole once more. El na r’fa na la, God heal her please; one of the shortest but most powerful prayers in Jewish liturgy. What Andy was unable to do was to speak about how Miriam felt during this ordeal. Thirteen years ago the Women of Reform Judaism was beginning its journey to create a women’s commentary which now enables all who read it to look at Torah through women’s eyes. I wonder how differently our bar and bat mitzvahs of the future will speak about this same section.

This Torah portion also speaks about creating leadership. God speaks to Moses about dividing the burden of leadership among the elders of Israel to whom God will instill a prophetic spirit. It is up to us the present leadership of WRJ and our sisterhoods to do the same. Now that the programming year is drawing to an end it is a great time to plan leadership development programs to prepare our new leadership for the future. Be sure to check the WRJ Website for leadership materials and contact your district leadership for help. Mark your calendars with the date of the WRJ Leadership Conference which is scheduled for January 23 to 25, 2009 in New Orleans and set aside funds to help your leaders get there. Creating new leadership is our shared responsibility. We are truly stronger together.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Warm regards,
Kareen

Kareen Hartwig
King of Prussia, PA 19406

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June 6, 2008
3 Sivan 5768


Dear WRJ friends,

“You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the first fruits of the wheat
harvest.”
-Exodus 34:22

“On the day of the first fruits, your Feast of Weeks, when you bring an
offering of new grain to the Lord, you shall observe a holy day.
-Numbers 28:26

“You shall count off seven weeks; start to count the seven weeks when
the sickle is first put to the standing grain. Then you shall observe the
Feast of Weeks for the Lord your God, offering a free will contribution
according as the Lord your God has blessed you.
-Deuteronomy 16:9-10


My father was born on Shavuot but he always celebrated his birthday on June 8.

It was rare, over his eighty-seven years, that the secular calendar and the Hebrew calendar coincided but this year is one of those times. Shavuot will be celebrated on the sixth of Sivan beginning this Sunday evening. On Shavuot morning my congregation will hold its confirmation service and among the confirmands will be my triplet grandsons. It will not be the grand event that it was forty years ago for my sons although the liturgy is the same. At that time the sanctuary was filled to capacity with families and friends and there was an air of excitement and joy. But something has happened to this festive day over the passing years. Some of it is a result of the increased importance of bar/bat mitzvah in Reform congregations and sad to say some to the decreased significance of Shavuot in the lives of Reform Jews.

Three times the Torah tells us to celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, one of the three harvest or pilgrimage festivals in the Jewish calendar. While these observances were tied originally to the agricultural cycle in the land of Israel they later commemorated significant events in the history of the Jewish people. On Succot we recall the forty years of wandering in the desert. On Passover we celebrate the exodus from Egypt. On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai and renew our commitment to God and the Jewish People.

Passover, observed by the majority of Jews the world over, and Shavuot are connected by the fifty-day period called Sefirah, or counting the omer. Passover with its theme of redemption and liberation is followed by Shavuot with its theme of mitzvot and responsibility. Like two bookends they enclose basic tenets of our faith.

Torah study has always been connected with the observance of Shavuot. Over a
hundred years ago Reform Judaism added the confirmation ceremony. Today we search for a Shavuot observance that will fulfill the message of this festival for our 21st century Jewry.


May the light of Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.


Please share this email with your sisterhood.


Shabbat Shalom
Connie Kreshtool

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May 30, 2008
25 Iyar 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

This week we begin reading the fourth book of the Torah. Its English title Numbers, comes from the census that God commands Moses to take, found in the second verse of the parasha. But the Hebrew title of the book, taken from the very first verse of the sidrah, is different. The tradition calls this book Bemidbar, meaning “In the Wilderness” (or “In the Desert”). This Hebrew name is much more descriptive of the contents of the book as a whole, than is the designation Numbers.

The forty-year wilderness experience of our ancestors was crucial to the development of our self-understanding as a people. In later Jewish consciousness, these years of wandering would be remembered as an ideal time when, despite the struggles for material survival, we were especially close to God. These years of nomadic roaming must have been terribly difficult: the environment was physically harsh; the demanding impact of the Torah had just begun to sink into the people’s consciousness; and the Israelites, who were constantly bickering, yearned for the imagined comforts of Egypt.

Just like our ancestors, how quickly we can enter into a spiritual wilderness when life is challenging. Living “in the wilderness” can be a metaphor, a symbol for the difficult times we all inevitably experience. Inescapable, is the death of a loved one, but many also suffer the loss of a job or even divorce leaving them “in the wilderness.” These periods in our lives can be terrifying, producing feelings of loneliness, disorientation, uncertainty, and loss of faith, as well as a negation of our values.

This brings to mind the suffering in many places around the world – such as in Darfur or even Iraq. These people, it can be said, are living “in the wilderness” and suffer the pain and agonies that our ancestors did so long ago. But this week’s portion also offers guidance. The Israelites’ sojourn seems to be a most important phase in their march from bondage to freedom. Bemidbar teaches us that there are no short cuts to reaching an objective, and there is no instant transformation from slavery to autonomy.

In Bemidbar it reads: “On the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of the Meeting, saying: Take a census of the whole Israelite community by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head. You and Aaron shall record them by their groups, from the age of twenty years up, all those in Israel who are able to bear arms. Associated with you shall be a man from each tribe, each one the head of his ancestral house (Numbers 1: 2-4).”

Subsequently, the first census in human history was ordered by God as a sign of God’s love and concern for the people of Israel and as an instrument for enhancing their confidence and feelings of self-worth. God counted the people, just as a king might count his fortune. However, there are also practical implications of census taking in this first parashah of the Book of Numbers.

Because it counted only males, this census determined the military might of the community. Perhaps more important for us, it also established a pattern for community organization. By emphasizing the genealogical background and tribal affiliation of the Israelites, the census defined several levels of community that were significant: family, tribe, and household of Israel. One’s tribe determined one’s role in the community. The census set standards for leadership, defined the role of the individual, and cataloged resources, talents, and abilities. We can learn from this portion that even in our own households: mother, father, and even the children all have different obligations and responsibilities, but everyone is counted and everyone has importance. This is also true in WRJ. Each one of us is counted and our responsibilities lie with our own attributes.

Additionally, it may seem obsessive to know and record every former male slave by their individual names but what can be more important than being known by ones correct name? Is anything more connected to the depth of our being than our name? If you wish to connect to another person, what is the first important thing you do? You learn his or her name. The most trusted servant of God was Moses, and what did God say to Moses? “I have singled you out by name” (Exodus 33:17). Knowing and understanding this concept, our sisterhood members, our districts, and our board members should make a point of knowing each and everyone by name.

So our ‘family’ at WRJ must make an effort to learn each other’s names. We must be inclusive of each person, sisterhood, and district. By learning members’ names, we demonstrate to each other our unique qualities that are vital to the continued growth of WRJ--which each member is recognized and is important in her respective group. WRJ is the instrument for building identity, ethical commitment, and devotion to tradition.

Although the women of the bible were left out of the census, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary has brought them back to life. They will, once more, have a name and a voice. Their qualities and abilities will again come to life. Just as in biblical times, our own strength lies in our membership – not only in number, but also with each and every one by name. Therefore, I suggest, that when at a conference, a gathering, an assembly, or a meeting, go around the room and share your name with everyone present.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all of our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.


B’Shalom,

Sharon K. Benoff

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May 23, 2008
18 Iyar 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

At last weekend’s meeting of the Women of Reform Judaism Board of Directors we shared some of our personal journeys…and realized that while the details may differ, a common thread exists. Simply put, the sisterhoods that genuinely welcome all women and actively nurture relationships profoundly influence their members’ lives. I know this is true, because I can point with certainty to the day that sisterhood changed the course of my life.

As a young adult I was unaffiliated with any congregation or Jewish organization. Shortly after moving to Charleston, SC, one Friday I decided to attend services at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim – not for religious reasons, but for social reasons - in hope of making community connections. At the Oneg, to my surprise I heard someone call my name from across the social hall…and when I turned around, there was Susan Bass, with whom I had been confirmed and graduated high school. Susan was there attending the WRJ Southeast District interim meeting. She introduced me to members of the KKBE sisterhood, who immediately assimilated me into their fold, including me in seders, break-fasts, and all sisterhood and Jewish community events.

After listening to several women’s stories, URJ’s Program Director, Rabbi Elliott Kleinman, spoke with the WRJ Board about the similarities that run through all of our experiences and reminded us what it really means to be “welcoming.” It’s not just saying hello to a new face….we need to be intentional about making new and prospective members truly welcome and included.

The women in our communities are all on a journey. Some have been practicing Jews all their lives. Others came to Judaism as adults with a desire to learn the old traditions and create their own. There are those who were born Jewish, perhaps even attended religious school, but have never fully explored their Jewish heritage. And in fact, some women active in our congregations are not Jewish, but their spouse, partner and/or children are, and these women also seek to create Jewish homes and experiences, and to be part of our communities. Rabbi Kleinman told us, “it’s the right place at the right time; the right people at the right moment.” We can’t ever know whether this is the moment….but we can ensure that when the moment comes for a woman, the experience our sisterhoods provide is the right one to engage and retain her.

Incidentally, Susan Bass is now a WRJ vice president and will install me as southeast district president this November in Charleston, SC as my journey comes full circle. I have discovered study and spirituality, chant Torah and Haftarah, and joyfully celebrate our faith and traditions. It is my fondest hope that many other women have the chance to experience a similar, if unique, personal journey as a result of their sisterhood connections. It is in our hands to welcome and guide them along that way.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all of our lives!

Blair Marks

WRJ Treasurer
WRJ Southeast First Vice President

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May 16, 2008
11 Iyar 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

The weekly e-mail that remains the most memorable to me was one I wrote last year when I had not been feeling well for a while, and was suffering from the woman-guilt syndrome of not being the perfect mother, sister, friend, executive director, boss, etc., etc., etc.!! I wanted all of you to benefit from the lesson I had learned during this difficult period: find time, even if only ten minutes a day, to care for yourself, reflect, take a deep breath, smell the roses. The response I received to that e-mail was overwhelming; dozens and dozens of you wrote to thank me, (thank me?), for giving you permission to take some time just for yourselves, and telling me of the pressures, challenges, and too often, burdens, you face each and every day.

This is one lesson we are taught in this week’s Torah portion, B’har, which instructs us, in its very last sentence, to “keep My Sabbaths and venerate My sanctuary, Mine, the Eternal’s.” B’har also instructs about the laws of the sabbatical and Jubilee years, as well as protecting those among us who are impoverished.

Why is keeping the Sabbath the instruction we are given more frequently than any other throughout the Torah? Our spiritual and physical renewal can only be found in activities in which we are able to re-charge our batteries, so to speak: moments of solitude and reflection, playtime with our children, a leisurely walk through the park, or a Shabbat meal with our families. Turn off the Blackberry, the cell phone - the e-mail from work can wait another day. Shabbat is one gift we are given to find balance in our lives, to restore our souls for the demands of the week ahead.

In The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, Lori Lefkowitz asks us to “reflect on the substantial gains of the women’s movement and admit that, as B’har teaches, we suffer the consequences of depletion if we do not adequately regulate our hard-won freedom.”

We are commanded to rest, not when we are so tired and ill that we are forced to, but when we have the opportunity to enjoy the blessings that have been bestowed upon us.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom,

Shelley Lindauer
Executive Director

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May 9, 2008
4 Iyar, 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

Emor, this week's Torah portion, regulates the Sabbath and Festivals (23:1-44). Raised a Classical Reform Jew (California style), I often grapple with the guilt of whether I treat the Sabbath as a sacred enough occasion.

The Torah: A Woman's Commentary translates “On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred occasion.” A Reform Jew is allowed personal interpretation of “sacred occasion” which allows latitude on how to make the Sabbath special. Celebrating Shabbat separates a cluttered week with the opportunity connecting to create balance and become rejuvenated I catch my breath from the demands of the rest of the week.

Many Jews feel that in order to fulfill the sacredness of the Sabbath, there is the need for a more formal recognition of it and at least several times a year I make a resolution to light candles, make a Challah, and bless the wine. I honestly love those moments on Friday night, but for me, those activities in themselves do not create that sacred occasion.

On this Shabbat, I would like to share some of my most special Sabbath memories. They are really very simple, but they allow me to be humbled by the power of God and appreciate the sanctity of life. Some of my special Sabbaths included walking on the beach, getting up in time to watch the sun rise, stepping out into my yard and looking to see which flowers just bloomed while feeling awed by the amazement of nature, talking to my daughter in Israel as she celebrated havdalah. Others included lighting candles and realizing I was a link of continuous lighting of candles by Jews around the world, attending a Darfur rally, participating in Relay for Life, Shabbat at Camp Swig and Newman, and so many more.

The power of Shabbat is the endless possibility to create a sacred occasion. As leaders in congregations, you are also empowered to create these sacred occasions for the women of your community. If you have been to a biennial or district convention then you have felt the power of many voices becoming one. Women's retreats can also create the opportunity to share the Shabbat with friends. Shabbat programming ideas can also be found on the restricted Leadership Resources section of the WRJ website (www.WomenofReformJudaism.org).

Soon, I will be meeting with the WRJ Board, where I will experience another special Shabbat experience as I join with the leaders of our organization; another moment of awe as I reconnect with these special women.

Sacred occasions for the Sabbath can be anywhere, where your breath is swept away by the beauty of your surroundings, where the presence of friends and loved ones surround you or where you carve out the space for it. I would like to challenge you to make the Sabbath a sacred occasion for you. May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ricki Oleon
WRJ Board Member

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May 2, 2008
27 Nisan, 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

This week's Torah portion, K'doshim, speaks in great detail about what it means for individuals and the community to be holy.

Who should be holy? The people of Israel.
When should we be holy? Now and in the future (although it's a struggle, it's something we're commanded to do).
Why should we be holy? Because God is holy.
How should we be holy? The list is long!

The "how" gives examples such as honoring one's parents, respect for the elderly, caring for strangers, etc. It's the caring for strangers part that resonates with me. I'll tell you why.

For the past five years my husband and I have served Christmas dinner to the homeless with a group from our congregation. It’s something we look forward to doing each year. We greet our dinner guests with big smiles and even bigger plates. We engage in conversation, offer refills, etc. It makes us feel good to help and brighten someone's day. This year our twelve year-old daughter joined us (twelve is the minimum age requirement). There were so many volunteers from our congregation and other groups that the servers outnumbered the homeless five to one! I kept wondering though, why do we, as a family, only do this once a year? Surely there are many other times when this organization or others like it need helping hands.

Composing this e-mail has reminded me of the promise I made to myself that I would contact the volunteer coordinator to see if we can lend a hand on a more regular basis. What a wonderful lesson to teach my children about helping others who are in need. Together as a family, we not only fulfill the commandment of caring for a stranger, but we'll create memories that will last a lifetime.

Women of Reform Judaism's social justice agenda is a powerful example of our commitment to tikkun olam. The WRJ website’s Advocacy section (www.WomenofReformJudaism.org/advocacy) has a tremendous amount of information such as Resolutions & Statements, Critical Issues Action, Advocacy Resources, and a listing of Or Ami awards which are all sure to give you and your local sisterhoods a multitude of ideas for programs that demonstrate our commitment to social justice.

I encourage you to find additional ways that you can be holy. Sometimes it's in the little things we do. Sometimes it's a little more involved but you sure will feel good doing it and you're helping others in the process.

To those attending the board meeting, I'm looking forward to seeing you all in New York City!


May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.


Jill Neuman

WRJ Board Member
Congregation Schaarai Zedek, Tampa, FL

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April 26, 2008
14 Nisan, 5768

This week we are completing the observance of Passover, an observance that is based primarily in our homes. In this week’s Torah portion, Exodus 14:30-15:21, we find Miriam’s Song which is also referred to as Moses’ Song. This song it is not only in the parashat, it has become part of our services, which we all sing and enjoy. “Miriam’s Song.” is presented as a song of victory, a song of celebration because the multitude of former Egyptian slaves has successfully escaped before the entire Egyptian army, and because, with God’s divine intervention, the Jews crossed the Sea of Reeds on dry land and the waters engulfed the army which pursued them.

This has always been troublesome to me. The Jews have just witnessed tragic deaths on a grand scale. We are told there were bodies of men and horses on the shores of the sea and we are to think they break out in happy tunes? I think not. Rather, I think they were in shock and, in their stunned state, music was used as a way to break the mood of the horror scene all around them. To me it is a “Whistle a Happy Tune” syndrome.

On September 11, 2001 (9/11) singing happy tunes was not happening among the people I knew. But there was comfort in being together and singing did help. Women, then and now, attempted to bring comfort to those who had witnessed the tragedy unfold, to anticipate the needs of those involved and to help all absorb the shock.

Within our congregations, sisterhoods help set the tone in much the same manner. For whatever the holiday, the sisterhood Judaica Shop is the place to turn. Be it ritual objects in traditional or new artistic styles, or Jewish art for the home, the women of sisterhood have it there, waiting for you. Whatever the activity of the congregation, it is sisterhood which tries to think of ways in which it can enhance the moment.

In many congregations, today, Passover includes sisterhoods holding a Women’s Seder which can take many forms. Yet, the purpose is all the same: To bring something extra to the holiday, to bring women together to share in a different format, to enhance the observance of the holiday. There are Miriam’s Cups in addition to Elijah’s cups, and an orange on the Seder plate. All bring something special to the meaning of holiday.

Yes, sisterhoods influence our congregations, our homes, and ourselves, just as Miriam was an influence at the crossing of the Sea of Reeds. We, together, constitute the Women of Reform Judaism and that is a major influence on Reform Judaism, on us all. Stronger Together…it is more than a slogan…it is reality.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.


Shabbat Shalom,

Judith O. Rosenkranz
WRJ Past President

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April 18, 2008
13 Nissan 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

This week’s Parashat, Acharei Mot, which literally translates as “after the death” referring to the deaths of Aaron’s sons Nadav and Abihu actually feels, to me, more like a beginning. God speaks to Moses and tells him of the laws regarding issues surrounding the “Holy of Holies”. When should Aaron enter the Tabernacle, how and what sacrifices and offerings should he bring and for what reasons. We are introduced to Azazel a scapegoat, or pagan demon meant to carry away the sins of the community.

We are given directions on how these offerings should be prepared and performed. And in the midst of this we read these familiar words…”In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month…” and we are transported to Yom Kippur. At the end of that same paragraph we are returned to the seemingly practical as God instructs Moses on the cleaning of the altar so it will be ready for the offerings from the high priests…just as we ready our homes for the coming of Passover.

This year this Parashah will be read on Shabbat HaGadol (the great Shabbat), the Shabbat preceding Pesach! The beauty of Judaism and Torah is that this can happen and that two of the greatest moments in the Jewish calendar can be brought together on one extraordinary Shabbat!

As women we are direction givers and direction takers. We do this in our jobs, our personal lives and our lives as leaders of Women of Reform Judaism. We have no pagan demons that will carry away our sins so we must always remember to “treat others as we would want to be treated” (but that is for another Parashah)!

As our ancestors brought sacrifices of grains and goats to receive God’s blessings we, as WRJ leaders, bring the gifts of our time, talents, and energy in the hopes that we can help to ensure the future of Reform Judaism.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a joyous Passover and may you celebrate your Seder surrounded by those you love. Chag Sameach.


May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.


B’Shalom,

Diane Kaplan
Edina, MN

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April 11, 2008
6 Nisan 5768


Dear WRJ Friends,

Something magical happens when sisterhood women come together.

Last weekend I had the joy of joining fifty-seven women from six states for the annual WRJ Midwest District Kallah. We gathered at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI), the Union for Reform Judaism camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. The women in my district view OSRUI as our “home away from home.”

It was a glorious weekend of sisterhood, study, spirituality, worship, friendship, and fun, as together we explored the topic “My Body, A Holy Vessel.”

I often describe Kallah as “a twenty-four-hour gift that we give to ourselves.” Each of us returned home refreshed and invigorated—better able to face the challenges that awaited us and with a heightened awareness of the many blessings that enrich our daily lives. What a gift to feel the support of our sisters—some longtime friends and some new acquaintances, but when Kallah ended, we all felt like sisters as we wished each other Shavuah Tov and hugged our goodbyes.

This wonderful gathering of women was fresh in my thoughts as I reflected on this week’s parashah, M’tzora (Leviticus 14:1–15:33). This portion continues the discussion of purification rituals begun in Parashat Tazria and goes on to address the ritual impurities associated with menstruation.

We read that when women are menstruating, they are required to separate themselves to avoid making others ritually impure. We have often heard of situations in which women living together begin to menstruate at the same time—many of us experienced this phenomenon in college. In ancient communities, this led to women gathering together in what Anita Diamant referred to as “The Red Tent.”

Today, while we are thankful that we are no longer forced to separate ourselves from our community when we have our periods, we miss out on the camaraderie and special relationships formed when women, forced outside the camp, spent their entire days with other women. How fortunate we are that sisterhood provides each of us with this special opportunity without the “baggage” or negative connotations of ritual impurity.

In both Parashat Tazria and Parashat M’tzora, priests look at an affliction and see the need for healing. As Rabbi Laura Geller noted in The Women’s Torah Commentary (Goldstein, Rabbi Elyse, ed. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2003) simply by changing the order of the letters in negah, the Hebrew word for “affliction,” you can create the word oneg, which means “joy.” Rabbi Geller explains that we can look into our tradition and transform what has been an affliction into an opportunity for wholeness and joy.

When you participate in a sisterhood retreat, a district area day, a district interim board meeting, a district convention, the WRJ Leadership Conference, or a WRJ assembly, you experience firsthand the magic that happens when sisterhood women come together. We learn and laugh, we pray and play, and we bask in the spirit of friendship. In doing so, not only does each of us find inner strength, but we also recognize that we are stronger together.

May the light of the Shabbat candles illuminate our lives.

Please share this e-mail message with your sisterhood.


Susan Pittelman

WRJ Executive Committee
Congregation Shalom
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Friday, April 4, 2008
29 Adar II, 5768
Shabbat HaKodesh, Parshat Tazria

Dear WRJ Friends,

This week’s Torah portion, Tazria, is one of the most challenging and difficult on which to comment. It begins with Leviticus 12, offering a short, terse discourse on the laws of purity after the birth of a male or female child including the commandment to perform a b’rit milah, or ritual circumcision, on the eighth day after the birth of a son. It ends with Leviticus 13 – a whole megillah (forgive me; I really enjoyed Purim this year!) concerning skin eruptions, especially leprosy.

But this is the amazing thing – in a portion where most of us struggle to find relevance, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary brings us fresh insight, poetry, and even humor on these difficult issues. In addition to the women scholars who offer in-depth teachings, consider the poem by Merle Feld (see My Friends Baked Cake and We Ordered Lox and Whitefish from the Deli, p. 656) a distinguished poet, award-winning playwright, educator and activist. Inspired by Leviticus 12:3, she wrote poignantly on a mother’s feelings at her son’s b’rit milah. As the mother of two sons, I empathized completely with her struggle about this supremely male rite of passage.

Here lies the greatest gift: a woman’s voice speaking directly to God about the rather barbaric custom of branding Jewish males. Could this have been written by anyone other than a Jewish mother? Would you find this slightly irreverent poem in a Torah commentary written by a group of men? Never!

Let’s make this commentary a part of every Jewish school and library reference shelf. Make this gift available to everyone in your Torah Study group and on your sisterhood board. Give it to your mother or your daughter for Mother’s Day! Let this commentary help future generations of Jewish women emerge from our academic institutions and stand shoulder to shoulder with Jewish men in Torah learning and scholarly interpretation.

And throughout the year as we read the Torah, let us now study what women as well as men thought and wrote about each portion. After all, we ALL stood at Sinai, didn’t we?

May the light of the Shabbat candles illuminate our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.


Ronni Chapin Udoff
WRJ Board Member
Temple Kol Emeth
Marietta, GA

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March 28, 2008
21 Adar II 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

I wish I could honestly say that when I study Torah, I do it for the pure joy of study. But, the truth is, as I look at a Parshat the first thought in my mind is “how does this relate to me? What can I take away and use, and where am I in this story?”

So it was with that mindset that I approached this week's Torah portion, Sh’mini. As I read about Aaron, priestly sacrifice, the shocking deaths of Nadab and Abihu by fire from God, and dietary laws in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary I waited for the “ah-ha” moment of revelation. I just knew, with so many important passages this was going to be big. And it was, but in a way I never expected.

In the first two sections I read that Moses in his roll of leader “called”, “said”, “commanded” and “ordered” over and over. Imaging my surprise, when what resonated and made me think, was the simple phrase “and when Moses heard”. When, I asked myself, did I, in my many roles- as a leader in my sisterhood and temple, on the district and WRJ boards, among my family and friends – when did I hear?

Had I listened and heard what the members of my sisterhood were saying? Just as important, had I heard what the women who chose not to join WRJ had to say? Or, like Moses, had I been spending my time giving orders, speaking, and directing others. Was I so busy making assumptions that I didn’t value other input? Did I listen to other people’s viewpoints and suggestions when they were not telling me what I wanted to hear?

Rabbi Nancy H. Wiener discussing Sh’mini in 10 Minutes of Torah, April of 2007, wrote “Listening, really listening, is a truly demanding and complex activity, which offers the listener an opportunity for growth. When we truly listen to someone, when we hear not only the words, but also their importance to the speaker on an emotional level, we are transformed. And like Moses, when we listen, we find that, in the end, it is we who change.” Wow, do I hear that!

I am going to take the time to listen this Shabbat. I truly want to hear my husband and my family. I need to hear my own inner voice and see if I am honoring the commitments I made to God, to the world, and to myself. Then, in the months to come, I need to reach out and listen to the women of WRJ. I hope in doing so I can grow to be a better member and a better leader.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this e-mail with your sisterhood.


Warm regards,

Denny Norris

WRJ Board Member

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March 21, 2008
14 Adar II 5768

Dear WRJ Friends:

It was suggested by one of my co-workers that I title this week’s e-mail “The Megillah of Marketing at WRJ.” It’s an apt title for an e-mail being sent on Purim day and which is meant to give you some insight into the process of our marketing department.

The department works closely with every other department to ensure that the message we’re sending out is correct and has a unified look, voice, and style. In fact, every piece of printed material generated by WRJ is reviewed by the marketing department.

While WRJ does not market and sell a specific physical product, it is still important that we have a recognizable “brand.” If sisterhood members recognize the WRJ logo at a glance, it is easier for them to find sisterhood information wherever it appears be it in your temple newsletter, in RJ Magazine or in an e-mail you’ve forwarded from the WRJ office.

This is why there is a page on the website, accessible by sisterhood presidents and WRJ board members, where you can download the official WRJ logos and information on the correct WRJ colors. And of course, we’re always here to answer any questions you have about using the logo files or how to apply the colors.

In the WRJ office, we create some materials in-house but we also have an outside designer who has been instrumental in implementing our current look. That look, by the way, is based on the palate and feel of our “new” website which launched last January.

In addition to the “WRJ look” you may not know that we also have a WRJ style sheet. This document dictates what words are capitalized, where a comma falls and how a person or organization is referred to. Many of you probably already have this but we’re happy to send out copies to any sisterhood or board member who is interested in ensuring that their communications follow official WRJ policy.

And speaking of the website…that’s another marketing department project, although each of the other staff department heads is responsible for updating their own sections. In collaboration with our web consultants, we’re constantly reviewing usage and functionality to ensure that we can meet the needs of leadership, sisterhoods, individuals, and members of the general public who are interested in finding out more about WRJ’s history and role in the Reform Jewish community.

The department also creates the famed WRJ calendar, now in its 95th year! And we’re always open to finding female Jewish artists to add their talents to this historic work. If you know of anyone, please send me a link to their website at hdunbar@urj.org.

And “what about Purim” you might ask? Well, the marketing department has that covered too. Just visit http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/resources-holidays for information about the holiday, its meaning, and ideas on how to celebrate it.

Shabbat Shalom,

Helene Dunbar

WRJ Marketing and Communications Manager

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March 7, 2008

30 Adar I

Dear WRJ Friends,

This week's Parashah, the last in the Book of Exodus, describes the completion of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, according to the blueprint God has provided. The Parashah's name, P'kudei, means "accounting".

In the Parashah, Moses gives an accounting of all the work and precious materials used in the building of the Mishkan and in crafting the structure's decorations and the priests' vestments. The women are specifically cited for voluntarily donating their jewelry to the effort and for skillfully and collectively crafting the fine cloth embellishments.

When the Mishkan is completed, Moses and the Israelites celebrate by blessing and anointing it. God's presence fills the sanctuary, and the time at Sinai ends. God prepares to lead the people in their journey through the desert with the beautiful, portable Mishkan providing holy space for worship.

Many years later, with the destruction of the Second Temple and exile into the Diaspora, the priestly practices evolved into Rabbinic Judaism, and we became the "people of the book." And, although we still adorn our sanctuaries and homes with sacred art, our observance and commitment to tikkun olam are based more on words and action than on ritual objects and practices.

Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), like our foremothers, works skillfully and collectively to craft the words of the social justice resolutions that serve as our blueprint for righteous action. At our assembly last December, we proposed and approved three powerful resolutions. Prior to the assembly and on the conference floor, we carefully wove language for statements on global warming, human rights and the treatment of prisoners, and drug policy.

We blessed and anointed the resolutions with our votes and then departed-- not from Sinai but San Diego -- for our far-flung communities carrying the resolutions as our portable social action guidelines. Our on-going and holy task is to make their intent real in our actions through opportunities to educate and work with others on these issues and to propose and influence legislation.

Just as Moses' makes a public and transparent accounting of the donations and transactions involved in the building of the Mishkan, WRJ provides a public accounting of our rich foundation of resolutions and policy statements for all to see. Resolutions since 2000 are available online at the WRJ website (http://www.WomenofReformJudaism.org/resolutions). Information about resolutions and policy statements prior to 2000 and a full history of WRJ's positions on social concerns are in the book In Pursuit of Justice: Resolutions and Policy Statements (http://www.WomenofReformJudaism.org/inpursuit) and will gradually be added to the website for download.

At the completion of each book of Torah, it is customary to repeat the words "Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazeik" which can be translated as "Be strong, be strong, and we will make an effort." Just as our ancestors found community, strength, and holiness in building, blessing, and worshiping in the Mishkan; may we find the same in our efforts to repair the world.

May the light of Shabbat shine within us throughout the week. Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom,

Jane Marcus, WRJ board of directors
Co-Chair, Critical Issues/Resolutions Committee
Beth Am Women
Congregation Beth Am
Los Altos Hills, CA

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February 29, 2008

23 Adar 1

Dear WRJ friends:

The Torah: A Women’s Commentary will continue to be an enduring influence in many ways: in our own lives; in our families and their relationships; in our friends who share our sense of honor and pride; and in widespread Jewish communities and other religious traditions.

I share with you the beginning of influence on parts of my family living overseas, my grandson and wife, with two adorable small great grandchildren. On Passover, I will give to them a copy of the Commentary to take home to a growing congregation, bringing relevant ideas with which Reform Judaism meets the changing times.

To another part of my family, a grandson who is in the first year of his teaching at a University away from the school where he was a student, I will give the Commentary to him to share with his classes on Global Cultural Anthropology; and also to share with his wife for her classes in Linguistics, as well as with their baby due in June. They will share the depth of scholarship in academia.

To the granddaughters who were born after the women’s movement had made a mark for women in decision-making positions, I am amazed at their immediate focus on the Commentary where women’s voices are given respect and value.

To one of my daughters, a writer, the gift is an inspiration of style…To another daughter who works and lives in the world of art, I told of the “provenance”, the history of the creation of the Commentary since Sarah Sager challenged Women of Reform Judaism to create a women’s commentary. To my son, a teacher, the Commentary will provide memorable lessons in ethics for growing students.

To my daughter-in-law, whose work embraces respect for nature and wholeness in education, and who identified with the Commentary immediately and announced that she would give a copy to her work partner as a birthday gift. To my son-in-law, who left behind his lawyer’s reserve, allowed me to see the gleaming enthusiasm in his eyes.

To a friend who is a Presbyterian minister and who, as a result of years of my sharing of Judaism, is studying Hebrew. She has already received an early birthday gift to give her source material for her sermons.

To various communities, Jewish and otherwise, the very existence of the Commentary is a shining beacon of excellence and beauty, to be shown locally, nationally, and internationally.

And to me, I am absorbed by looking into the traditional interpretations side by side with contemporary concerns in our lives today.

Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) has had the foresight and courage to express its confidence in women as well as its devotion to our tradition, our history and our faith, to bring forth this great Commentary as a gift to the world. How proud can we be! How proud we are!

As I realized the far reaching majesty of the Women’s Commentary, I turned to the weekly Torah portion, long to be remembered, Exodus 35:1-38:20. It speaks of building the Tabernacles as a place of God. Moses brought the whole community together, women and men, to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest after six days of intense work building the Tabernacle. All whose hearts were moved were urged to bring gifts. The women spun with their own hands and were acknowledged as women with wisdom in their hearts.

Only the priests could enter the Tabernacle. After the tent was complete, the courtyard was built, where the people might enter and offer sacrifice. It was said that God was found more constantly in the courtyard.

Perhaps this was the forerunner of our congregations with their sacred space for our families, our friends, our communities, every woman of Reform Judaism, and all who read this Commentary which is the gift of dedicated minds and spirit.

May the light of Shabbat shine forth with the spirit within.

Please share this message with your sisterhood.

In thankfulness for our sacred spaces.

Norma U. Levitt

Honorary President

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February 22, 2008

16 Adar I, 5768

Dear WRJ Friends:

When I received an e-mail asking me to share some thoughts with you via the weekly Shabbat message, I had a (slight) panic attack. What would I write about? I really like the Shabbat messages which are related to the weekly Torah portion, but what if the portion I was assigned was one of those which lists name after name after name after name? Or describes the sacrifices in great detail? What if nothing in our new Torah Commentary spoke to me? Luckily, the portion of the week this week is Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35). While many people will write this week about the infamous Golden Calf, another piece of the text spoke to me.

We read in The Torah, a Woman’s Commentary: “This is what everyone who is entered in the records, from the age of twenty years up, shall give Adonai’s offering: the rich shall not pay more and shall not pay less than half a shekel when giving Adonai’s offering as expiate for your sins. …. You shall... assign it to the service of the Tent of Meeting”. (Exodus 30:14-16). In other words, each person over twenty years old is responsible for helping to meet the needs of the community.

Giving to tzedakah is at the heart of Jewish responsibility and humanity. To be a responsible Jew is to support the Jewish community. All of us, no matter how rich or how poor, are members of a community that provides services to its members. How lucky we who belong to the Women of Reform Judaism are, to be able to do so much good for so many people, by virtue of our numbers. Through the YES Fund (Youth, Education, and Special Projects), we reach hundreds of people and enrich their lives. Through our grant program over the past several years we have helped fund pre-schools in Israel, provided scholarship funds for the NFTY Mitzvah Corps, given funds to strengthen Reform Jewish education, supported bar and bat mitzvah programs in Israel, and supported the “Open Doors, Open Minds” project, among many others.

One of my favorite interpretations of the half-shekel which each person is required to give, mentioned in the beginning of the parashah, is this: the half-shekel is a further lesson that no Jew is complete, unless he or she joins with another. Alone we cannot fulfill our potential, together united in community we can fully be accounted for and connected to the Divine. We surely are…stronger together.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this with your sisterhood.

L’Shalom,

-fredi

fredi Bleeker Franks

WRJ executive committee member

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February 15, 2008
9 Adar 5768

This week’s Parashat, T’tzaveh, continues to provide instructions for constructing the Tabernacle. Much of the detail is to remind us of the sacred space that is being created in anticipation for God’s eternal presence. It begins by instructing the Israelites to bring clear oil of beaten olives for kindling the lamps. As I read this passage, I thought of the importance of light in Judaism. Ner, meaning lamp, and Tamid, meaning regularly, later became known to us as Ner Tamid, or “ever-burning.” Interestingly, whenever I visit a Temple for the first time, I immediately take note of the Ner Tamid. To me, it is an incredible symbol of hope, of life, of our history and of our future. It reminds me of God’s presence in the Temple and in my life – not just for today, but for eternity. So, I began to wonder, if the Ner Tamid symbolizes God’s presence within our congregational homes, what symbols do we recognize beyond our Temple walls that signify God’s eternal presence? While, admittedly, there are infinite demonstrations of God’s presence, the following are three that stand out in my mind.

First, on a very basic level – a smile. There are often no words necessary when we smile. It is a shining light from one human being to another – lifting our spirits, even from a distance. It can help a stranger feel welcome; promise hope in a sea of despair; communicate acceptance and dissolve fears. I believe a smile is a quiet yet powerful symbol of God’s presence.

Second, on a more sophisticated level – a mitzvah. The act of doing for another without personal gain. In the purest sense, it is putting the needs of another in front of our own. At the risk of being gender biased, I would say this is an area in which women especially shine. We often consider others’ needs before our own. (Whether this is healthy or not is for another day to debate.) What I would ask of us today, however, is to think about the light that is created in the world with each individual act; truly a symbol of God’s presence.

And finally, on a very comprehensive and global level – WRJ. Someone asked me recently why I accepted the position of a vice president when I am in a professional position that is already so demanding. Without even a moment’s hesitation, the first words out of my mouth were, “because WRJ gives me hope.” I went on to explain about the resolutions for social justice that women bring forth as issues, working tirelessly to prepare for adoption as part of WRJ’s position on world issues. I told them about the millions of dollars that WRJ has raised over the years through the YES Fund and then thoughtfully used to help Rabbinic and Cantorial students, fledgling congregations in Israel, and Jewish women, children, and families around the world. I explained how programs like Lilith Salons provide all the ingredients for small women’s groups to meet and discuss issues that touch our personal lives. And I shared the story of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, which demonstrates a magnanimous refusal to accept the absence of women’s voices in Jewish history and invites expanded interpretations of our sacred texts. I thought about my answer as I lay in bed that night. “WRJ gives me hope.” I thought about how connected I am to 75,000 other women who are making their homes Jewish by their hand and by their heart. I thought about our collective voices and our service to our congregations and communities through sisterhood. I thought about you and me, and how we are changing lives through our smiles, changing communities through our mitzvot, and changing the world through our collective work of WRJ. It is not only a beacon of light for our work today – it is also our hope for our future – and it is truly a symbol of God’s presence in our world!

On this Shabbat, as you enter the Temple, I hope you will look at the Ner Tamid and smile as you join me in remembering how God’s presence is all around us.

May the light of Shabbat shine within us throughout the week.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

In sisterhood love,

Katie

Katie M. Roeper, WRJ Vice President

Programming and Advocacy

Congregation Beth Ahabah
Richmond, Virginia

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February 8, 2007

2 Adar I 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

Leafing through my copy of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary in preparation for writing this message, I was struck by the multitude of gifts before me. This week’s Torah portion, T’rumah, which means “gifts,” refers to the things the Israelites donate towards the building of the Tabernacle. God directs Moses to accept gifts from “each person whose heart is so moved” (Exodus 25:2). So, the Israelites brought gifts of metals, yarn, skins, wood, oil, spices, and gemstones, in the quantities dictated by God, and thus began the construction of the Tabernacle, as a place for God to “dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).

Today, our congregations continue to depend on the gifts each person brings to the synagogue. Women of Reform Judaism depends on the women in our congregations bringing their own gifts to support the work of their sisterhoods. Some women bring wisdom to help direct and guide the organization. They serve as leaders and mentor others who will take their place in the future. Others bring wealth to support the work and the worthy projects supported by sisterhoods across North America. Women who join sisterhoods make possible many of the projects in our congregations, from providing resources for religious school children to innovative programming for adults to educating our rabbis and cantors. And still others work tirelessly, bringing their talents and time to make a difference in the lives of others. These women bring skills used in the secular world into the synagogue, bringing “the realm of the holy into our lives” [Denise L. Eger, p. 470].

One need look no further than this latest publication, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, to see the most recent gift WRJ has brought to the Reform Movement. This “gift” has already begun to make a difference in how we study Torah in our congregations – and it has been less than two months since its publication!

So this Shabbat, take a moment to reflect on the gifts in your life and gifts you can bring to others. Know that when you share your gift with others, you share a bit of the Divine, who dwells in us all.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Warmest regards,

Susan C. Bass, WRJ vice president

Service to Sisterhoods and Districts

Congregation Beth Israel
Houston, Texas

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February 1, 2008

25 Shevat 5768

Dear WRJ friends,

The parashat for this Shabbat is Mishpatim. What a joy it is to write this message! I began my study of this section of Torah by opening, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. I always enjoy my weekly Torah study, but now it holds a special thrill!

Mishpatim “rules” is a collection of many laws, rulings and stipulations about our behavior within our covenantal relationship with God. Last week we received the Ten Commandments, but this week we learn more specific rules.

I appreciated reading the Central Commentary in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. It was so helpful to see the outline of the entire parashat and I learned that Mishpatim refers to a remarkable number of women in its descriptions of legal situations. We learn about the daughter sold into slavery; the pregnant woman who suffers a miscarriage; the vulnerable widow; and many more.

In the section Another View, I developed a much better understanding of the use of masculine language in Hebrew. It seems that many biblical passages that use masculine language may refer to a conjugal pair.

The Post-Biblical Interpretation gave me insight into this historical period. Many rules in Mishpatim discuss the treatment of slaves and the behavior of slave owners. These are troublesome verses for the modern reader. We need to understand that slavery was an accepted part of life in those times, and yet, we struggle with this issue.

I loved reading Contemporary Reflection! One of the laws of Mishpatim discusses how a man in debt may become an indentured slave for a limited period of time. At the end of that time – and if he married during that time – he must choose between freedom without his family or continued slavery with his family. What a choice! The reader is always sympathetic to this poor man. But in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary we can read about the very unique perspective of the man’s wife!

Finally, I cherished the time spent reading the Voices section of our new commentary. There are two powerful poems about miscarriage that speak to me as a woman. I also encourage each of you to read the remarkably moving poem entitled “A Lullaby for Courage” by Debbie Perlman.

Parashat Mishpatim ends as Moses ascends the mountain and receives the two stone tablets which our commentary describes as the “physical symbol of the new legal relationship wedding God and Israel.” The people say that everything that God has spoken naaseh v’nishma – “we will do and we will understand” or we will “own these words”. This is a transformative moment in history for the Israelites. The publication of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary is a transformative moment for contemporary Judaism.

I am so proud to be a part of this amazing organization -- Women of Reform Judaism.

May the light of the Shabbat candles shine brightly for each of you.

Please share this email with your sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom.

Lynn Magid Lazar

WRJ First Vice President

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January 25, 2008

18 Shevat 5768

Below is an e-mail sent by Sherri Feuer to her district board after reading last week's e-mail by WRJ Vice President Karen Sim.

Dear Midwest Board Members and Alumnae,I am forwarding this weeks' WRJ email from Vice President Karen Sim, which discusses the importance of the YES Fund (Youth, Education, and Special Projects) and the brit kodesh, the sacred partnership, we have to work with the secular and Jewish communities outside our own temples. Karen describes how, through our sisterhoods, we can do more for the YES fund. I would like to expound upon the secular component of her message with my own thoughts.

My good friend, Sharon, relayed a holiday news story she heard about people in line at a Starbucks coffee shop. Individual purchasers started paying not just for their own orders, but also for those of the stranger behind them in the drive-through lane. The buyers were told to tell the recipient "You don't know me, but Happy Holidays, the coffee is on me." This "pass it on" kindness grew and at one point, the gift-giving lasted for two hours. My friend tried it herself the next day. She was informed that others who had seen the news blurb did the same. It made her feel wonderful inside. It made me feel wonderful about her!

The whole story reminds me that we often don't pay any attention to those around us. We take care of our families our friends and we try to take care of ourselves with the little remaining time we have. We are so busy chatting on our phones while we drive, text messaging every minute of our free time, and making "to do" lists in line to notice much else. How much we can multi-task in a day has become a source of pride.

Truthfully, I have very little recall of the many people I interacted with the whole day yesterday. I cannot recall the waitress' name that waited on me at lunch or the person who swiped my card at the gym. I am sure I was pleasant, but probably distracted…clearly not present. I started to wonder...am I missing it? Am I spending too much time on things and too little time on now? The answer is clearly a “yes” for me. And, this is true in every aspect of all of our lives. Even when we volunteer--we plan the event, we think of every little detail, but how often do we just want the program to be done, so we can breathe a sigh of relief that it went well? Too often. And maybe, at those times, we are missing it. We are too focused on program and not enough on people. Really, it is not a healthy way to live.

So, this Friday, I am making a promise to myself. This Shabbat, I am going to be a little more present. I am going to really listen to what others are telling me--not just the important people in my life, but also the person in line at the checkout counter--a person I probably will never cross paths with again. And, I am going to try and appreciate that giving a little more of myself--when there is no reason to--might prove to be the thing that gives me a minute to look up and see how beautiful a day it is today. I hope you do the same.

Shabbat Shalom

Sherri Feuer

1st Vice President

Midwest District

Temple Israel

Minneapolis, MN

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January 18, 2008

11 Shevat 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

As a sisterhood, you have a brit kodesh, a sacred partnership, within your temple to work with and for your temple’s membership and community. You are entrusted with the implementation of the first part of the WRJ mission statement, which is to be “…the collective voice and presence of women in congregational life. ”

At the same time, as a sisterhood and member of WRJ, you have a brit kodesh with the secular and Jewish communities outside of your temple. Therefore we are all charged with the implementation of the second part of the WRJ mission statement: “…Stronger together, we support the ideals and enhance the quality of Jewish living to ensure the future of progressive Judaism in North America, Israel, and around the world”.

It is through our financial support of the YES Fund, that we – as individuals, as sisterhoods and as members of WRJ – help to fulfill this sacred partnership we all have with the world outside of our temple communities.

The YES Fund (Youth, Education, and Special Projects) represents the collective financial efforts of our members and donors to strengthen the institutions of Reform/Progressive Judaism and ensure the future of Reform Jewish leadership. Together we are able to achieve what no one individual or sisterhood could accomplish alone.

Through the YES Fund, WRJ is able to provide financial assistance to our rabbinical and cantorial students, our youth, and organizations throughout the Reform/Progressive Jewish movement.

This coming week, January 21- 27, is YES Fund Awareness Week. Go to the WRJ website, www.WomenofReformJudasim.org, to learn about the YES Fund. Read about the fabulous programs that are taking place through the help of our YES Fund grant process. Download the wonderful new power point presentation about the YES Fund you can use at a YES Fund event or sisterhood meeting – it is online too. Review all of the YES Fund products. Perhaps send someone a YES Fund e-card or send a goldengram.

Now, ask your sisterhood members to do the same. Consider how you can educate your sisterhood and temple membership about the incredible work of the YES Fund. Think about how you and your membership could possibly increase your personal or sisterhood contributions to the YES Fund, Circle of Service, and Lifeline. Brainstorm with your board on how your sisterhood could hold a YES Fund event. Please, take time this week and learn about the YES Fund and potential ways to fundraise to support it.

It is through the YES Fund that you have an impact. Through the YES Fund WRJ is Stronger Together. Through the YES Fund, “…we support the ideals and enhance the quality of Jewish living to ensure the future of progressive Judaism in North America, Israel and around the world”. This is a sacred mission – not just a statement – and there is still much to be done.

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten our lives.

Please share this with your sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom,

Karen Sim

WRJ Vice President of Development and Special Projects

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January 11, 2008

4 Shevat 5768

Dear WRJ Friends,

When I reached my 50th birthday, part of my personal celebration involved creating a list of “50 things To Do In My Lifetime.” That list remains on my computer even today, nearly ten years later. I check the list periodically. Number eleven is ‘Read the entire Torah.’

To date, I have not accomplished this particular goal. I have good intentions each year as we initiate a new cycle of Torah readings. But, in all honesty, it just hasn’t happened. I study Torah as I prepare to teach or create a D’var Torah. I listen to the Rabbi’s D’var and read along as we celebrate Shabbat at Temple. But reading the portion week by week, just for myself; well, obviously, I have not made the commitment. But now, I have an extraordinary incentive to accomplish #11. I have, in my own hands as I sit in my favorite chair with a cup of tea, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary. I’m publicly declaring: I am going to read each portion each week in our commentary!

I love reading, learning and teaching Torah. I am a Jew who professes a serious interest in this unique recording of a people’s history. I love the sensation of different texts in my hand, turning over one commentary’s pages after another. Every offering in our new commentary The Torah: A Women’s Commentary blossoms with innovation, with women’s voices and insights. Our commentary evokes more questions than originally asked and gives me pause to reconsider what I have previously learned.

This week, Parashat Bo, talks of Pesach, its story, rituals, and commandments. Yes, I am fully aware that we’ve just celebrated winter holidays including a new secular year. And, yes, my kids think I am seriously ‘calendar-fixated’ because I have already confirmed Seder dates with them. But in our Torah cycle of readings, I’m right on target because this week’s portion talks of the plagues and commands us to ritually celebrate Pesach, retelling the Exodus story generation after generation.

What does our commentary offer that is new? For me, it’s not what’s new, but rather what our contributing authors’ writings urge me to consider or even reconsider. In her essay in Bo’s Contemporary Reflections (page 374-375), Suzanne Singer, a relatively recent HUC-JIR ordainee who previously won two Emmy Awards as a producer in public television, writes, “We must continue to ask the questions that preserve our awareness of the Other’s story.”

Her words reminded me that as Jews we must always think of the “other” – the stranger, the ill, and the disadvantaged. We must think beyond our personal worlds. Our commentary’s words reminded me why my synagogue opens it doors to the homeless during cold winter nights. Our commentary’s words reminded me why I urge my 4th grade Hebrew class to think of those who have no loving homes or parents, no hot dinners, no books to enjoy. Our commentary’s words reminded me why my four-year old granddaughter Madaline and I put money in the tzedakah box before we read bedtime stories, coins that remind her that she has so much when other four-year olds have so little or nothing at all.

As you read and study The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, I know you will also glean new insights. Torah is our tree of life; these voices, new to commentary, can empower each of our voices to be heard. Savor each page. Turn it and turn it; everything is in it.

And, in Parashat Bo, don’t miss the fabulous poetry beginning on page 376. Rabbi Hara Person, URJ Press Editor-in-Chief, wrote a poem about Pesach that made me smile broadly as she encouraged me to remember my favorite Passover memories: the foods, the table, my mother’s recipes and cooking, and even the scarred pots and pans. Read Rabbi Person’s poem and see what memories you recall or create anew.

Ordering The Torah: A Women’s Commentary can be accomplished through our website www.WomenofReformJudaism.org/torahcommentary. Catch the excitement!

May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten our lives.

Please share this with your Sisterhood.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rosanne M. Selfon

WRJ President