Print this pageLeadership Communication
June 27, 2008
24 Sivan 5768
Dear WRJ friends,
Happy Summer! When many of us were kids, summer meant ‘time off’. School finished and planned activities ended; meetings ceased; jam-packed schedules took a break. I even remember our Temple office was closed in the summer, and the rabbi took vacation all three summer months. Needless to say, times have changed; that’s both good and bad, isn’t it? Most of us forget to take real breaks. For WRJ, there’s very little down time with events for the next year already in the works.
Just this past week, WRJ lay leaders held several conference calls while our fabulous staff continued its work in the office. One call focused on our upcoming Sisterhood Leadership Conference which will be held in New Orleans January 23-25, 2009 (mark your calendar now). This conference retreat for sisterhood leaders, current and rising, includes prayer and worship, networking, learning skills required to handle the many situations that arise within sisterhoods, and lots of socializing, fun, and schmoozing. Additionally, we’ll hear from our New Orleans women and gulf coast groups who continue to recover from Katrina.
This year’s co-chairs WRJ Board members Debra Faye, Cherry Hill, NJ, and Jill Neuman, Tampa, Florida, are adding their own new ideas to this successful program. The weekend will focus on the critical roles that collaboration, cooperation, and partnership play in ensuring flourishing sisterhoods. Also, we’ve listened to conference evaluations and scheduled considerable time for talking with your counterpoints so you can share successes and challenges.
I promise: you won’t want to miss this conference! Women return home nurtured, enriched, educated, and better equipped to handle leadership roles. Make sure that your sisterhood’s budget for 2008-09 includes funds to send your local leadership to New Orleans. This is an opportunity to strengthen your women and sisterhood. It is a sisterhood investment in the future; having educated, dedicated leaders is clearly necessary for every sisterhood.
This week, our Torah portion Korach involves a mutiny by two different groups of tribes’ leaders against Moses and Aaron. Can you imagine a situation where leaders who work diligently are questioned, threatened, and then publicly challenged? Once again, our people learn that Moses and Aaron are God’s chosen leaders. Some insurgents are swallowed into the ground while others are attacked by plague.
Women play little or no role in this specific portion. No surprise; this is a parasha focusing on both religious and political male-dominated leadership in the ancient world. However, I hope you will take some time to read this week’s portion in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, pages 893-914. In the portion’s introductory words, Dr. Shawna Dolansky, an assistant professor of Religious Studies at Northeastern University, addresses treatment of the two groups’ wives. What happens to them differs. She offers a theory for the varying punishment.
In both situations, the wives and families pay a toll for their husbands/fathers’ behaviors. Behaviors, good and evil, cause fallout. As the Torah reader, you can decide if the results were appropriate, ethical. You might consider using this as an interesting Torah discussion to open your meeting with Jewish thoughts focused on punishments and rewards. Are they always just and reasonable? The conversation will, I am sure, be fascinating.
May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.
Please share this with your sisterhood.
Warmest regards,
Rosanne
Rosanne M. Selfon
WRJ President
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June 27, 2008
24 Sivan 5768
Dear WRJ Friends,
In this week’s Torah portion, Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:6), the leadership of Moses and Aaron are questioned and the laws as given by God are refuted in two different incidents. Korach openly challenges the right of Aaron and his descendents to be priests and Dathan and Abiram revolt against Moses as the chosen leader. In both cases God punishes these men and their families for their rebellion and selfish pursuits with death.
The parasha further defines the special duties of the priests and Levites as well as the ritual system of gifts and tithes. I believe that these laws and practices were written as the result of these two rebellions and subsequent punishments to reinforce God’s authority through Aaron and his descendents as priests. God better defines the laws of the community.
For us as sisterhood leaders, the message of this portion is very clear, especially in light of the discussion on the presidents’ list serve this week. The rules and laws of a community must be defined so all participants in our organizations can work together for common purposes. Members need to know what their responsibilities and privileges are and how the governance system works. Likewise, our leaders are able to do a better job if their duties and obligations are well defined.
Without a set of updated and relevant bylaws and written policies and procedures, dissatisfaction, discontentment, and personal ambition can be the driving forces in our sisterhoods. Summer is the perfect time to review and update our bylaws and policy manuals to reflect how our sisterhoods actually operate.
When these documents are completed, it is important to share them with our leadership and to seek approval of any changes by the membership. By being open, transparent and inclusive, we avoid dissatisfied members like Korach, Dathan, and Aribam, who may cause dissention or seek personal gain at the expense of the entire sisterhood.
When all members understand the purposes of sisterhood and know their responsibilities and privileges of membership, our sisterhood are better able to function and be successful. We become stronger together.
May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten all our lives.
Please share this email with your sisterhood members.
Shabbat shalom,
Helene Waranch, WRJ immediate past president
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
May the light of the Shabbat candles brighten our lives.
Please share this with your sisterhood.
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
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
