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News from the Northeast
December 3, 2019
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This eblast is sent from northeast@wrj.org.
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Message from Marsha Byrnes
Treasurer, WRJ Northeast District When I realized my column would appear in December, I thought of Hanukkah – and my favorite holiday essay, written by my friend and fellow sisterhood past president, Abbe Kostant Smerling.
Abbe has taught Jewish preschool classes for many years and is often asked by parents how to make Hanukkah more meaningful and not “all about the presents.” Abbe’s essay is too long for this column, but I will give you a taste of her ideas, which she tested on her three daughters, and now uses with her grandchildren.
- Sibling Night – Children give gifts to one other. If they are very young, parents buy little gifts for them to give. Older children make presents or use their savings to buy gifts. For an only child, host a Cousin Night.
- Extended Family Night – Invite grandparents and others. Grandparents can also give parents a “time alone night” where parents go out for the evening and grandparents enjoy the grandchildren. Or invite another family, not necessarily Jewish.
- Movie or Event Night – The whole family goes out together to a movie, play, bowling, dinner, etc. Or gift wrap tickets for a future family outing.
- Pajama Night or Crazy Sock Night – Presents can be practical and also fun.
- Game Night – The entire family plays board games together. Not just dreidel! This can also be done with Jewish-themed games or charades. No cellphones, laptops, or iPads allowed! Undivided parental attention is key.
- Cooking Night – Everyone makes latkes and other holiday dishes.
- Book Night – Gifts of books for everyone.
- Tzedakah Night – First, save all the charity requests that arrive in the mail. Then decide as a family which charities to support. Older children with allowances or part-time jobs can contribute too.
- Green Night – Make a Hanukiah from recycled materials around the house.
- Photo Night – Look together at old photos and talk about family history. Have the children take photos. Start a “Hanukkah Through the Years” album, and add to it to each year.
- Nana Night – This is my personal favorite. Nana, Abbe’s mother, died during Hanukkah season when Abbe’s first child was three. Abbe started a tradition of buying gifts that her mother would have liked the children to have, and also telling stories about Nana. Abbe has continued this tradition with her grandchildren, so they learn about their great-grandmother too.
Be sure to use lots of lights and songs, and retell the story of Hanukkah.
Use your imagination to create new family traditions, and have a wonderful holiday.
Chag sameach!
Marsha Byrnes
Temple Isaiah, Lexington, MA
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WRJ Grants for Fried Women's Conference WRJ is offering grants for the 2020 WRJ Fried Women's Conference
to selected sisterhoods and women's groups. Grants will cover one early bird registration fee ($595),
which covers programming, materials, and meals.
Applications must be completed and submitted by December 20. The WRJ Fried Women's Conference will take place in Phoenix, AZ, from April 30 to May 3, 2020.
Have questions? Contact WRJ Engagement Associate Jenny Levy at jelevy@wrj.org or 212‑650‑4060.
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Northeast District Area Event
January 11, 2020 Temple Beth El, Providence, RI Rabbi Gavi Ruit
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Rabbi Gavi Ruit will speak about "Transforming the Culture of Our Congregations and the World in the #MeToo Age." Come to services, lunch, and stay for the Rabbi Ruit's talk afterwards.
Discussion topics will include:
- Hidden Sexism
- Gender and the Pulpit
- Pastoral Responsiveness and #metoo
- Building Empowered Communities
WRJ members $20; guests and non WRJ members $30 – price includes lunch.
(This event is subsidized by the WRJ Northeast District.)
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Sisterhood News Brunch with Rabbi Alona Nir Keren
Temple Beth Shalom, Needham, MA Members of the Sisterhood of Temple Beth Shalom enjoyed a delightful brunch with Rabbi Alona Nir Keren, an outstanding leader of Israel’s progressive Jewish community. Rabbi Alona told us more about Kehilat Mevasseret Zion, our sister congregation in Israel. She shared details of the youth programs that our sisterhood supports and the issues that the progressive communities face in Israel. She emphasized the importance of getting out the vote for the World Zionist Congress.
We were inspired to take action to vote in the upcoming WZC elections. You can too – by going to the ARZA website, scrolling to the bottom of the page, and filling out the form to be reminded to vote when the election process begins.
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WRJ Northeast is on Instagram
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World Zionist Congress Elections The World Zionist Congress is a representative body of the world’s Jewish people that meets in Jerusalem every five years. It exerts ideological influence on Israeli society and the global Jewish agenda, and allocates financial and other resources to various organizations – including the Reform Movement. You can help mobilize voters in your community. READ MORE to find out how.WRJ has created a YouTube video to help us be ambassadors to get out the vote for ARZA and the Progressive Movement at the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections.
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News from WRJ Women's Empowerment Awards Dinner WRJ invites you to the WRJ Women's Empowerment Awards Dinner honoring Jewish Women's Archive and 16 outstanding women. The dinner will take place on December 14 during the 2019 URJ Biennial in Chicago. GET THE DETAILS.Cultural Mission to Israel Looking for a fun leadership trip to Israel? There will be spirituality, art galleries, delicious food, and wine on WRJ's Women's Journey to Israel, February 20-28, 2020. LEARN MORE.Reproductive Health & Rights Campaign New Name, Same Aim In May 2019, WRJ and the RAC launched the Reproductive Justice Campaign – a cooperative effort to address the critical issue of reproductive health and rights. The first months of the campaign were spent understanding the Reproductive Justice Movement. The cohort learned that the legal right to women’s healthcare, birth control, and abortion – as afforded by the 1973 Roe decision – does not guarantee access. For many women, there are financial barriers or transportation issues, and some women cannot take time off from work. Access to reproductive healthcare is not just a legal issue.
The group also learned that the term “Reproductive Justice” has a specific meaning. It is the name of a movement started in the 1990s by women of color. WRJ and the RAC realized that it is not appropriate or respectful for us to use this title to describe our work. After much study and reflection, WRJ and the RAC decided to change the name of the campaign from Reproductive Justice to Reproductive Health & Rights. The work has not changed. We are still committed to grounding our work in a reproductive justice framework and maintaining alliances with the organizations of the Reproductive Justice Movement.
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Other News URJ Biennial – December 11-15 Registration for URJ Biennial is still open. Join WRJ in Chicago for the largest gathering of Jews in North America. REGISTER BY DECEMBER 6.Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Fellowships Applications are now being accepted for the 2020-2021 class of Eisendrath Legislative Assistants. The RAC’s Legislative Assistant Program is a year-long fellowship for recent college graduates interested in Judaism, social justice, and policy. LAs are at the heart of every aspect of the Reform Movement's social justice work. Interested college seniors and recent college graduates should submit their application by February 14, 2020. Get the details.
Have questions? Contact Juri Jacoby, RAC legislative manager, at jjacoby@rac.org or (202) 387‑2800.
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| Calendar and Other Resources
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| Calendar December 6 Deadline for URJ Biennial registration
December 11-15 URJ Biennial
December 14 Women's Empowerment Awards Dinner
December 20 Deadline for WRJ FWC Grant Applications
December 22 Hanukkah First Candle
January 1 New Year's Day
January 6 Registration deadline for Northeast District Area Event
January 11 Northeast District Area Event
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| Save the Date January 21-March 11 WZC Elections
February 20-28 Women's Journey to Israel
April 30-May 3 WRJ Fried Women's Conference
November 5-8 Northeast District Convention
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| | Keep in Touch
with WRJ Northeast
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| New sisterhood presidents and women's group leaders! Please complete the LEADERSHIP INFORMATION FORM so that we can update our records and keep you informed with news, events, advocacy alerts, and more.
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Your sisterhood is entitled to a district speaker once every two years, without expense to your sisterhood.
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| Tools & Resources Northeast Resources
WRJ Resources
WRJ Programs
Recent WRJ Webinars
Other Resources
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Together we can make a difference
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| Northeast District Photos
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Did You Know... Hanukkah "Firsts" at the White House - The first president who took official notice of Hanukkah was one of the Jewish community’s least favorite occupants of the White House – Jimmy Carter. In 1979, he lit a menorah erected by Chabad and delivered brief remarks in Lafayette Park. Every president since has recognized Hanukkah with a special menorah-lighting.
- President Ronald Reagan is credited with naming it the National Menorah in a statement read during the menorah-lighting in Lafayette Park in 1982.
- Hanukkah came to the White House itself in 1989, when President George H.W. Bush displayed a menorah there, given to him by the Synagogue Council of America.
- The first president to actually light a menorah in the White House was Bill Clinton. In 1993, he invited a dozen schoolchildren to the Oval Office for a small ceremony. The event made headlines when 6-year-old Ilana Kattan’s ponytail dipped into the flame. Clinton ran his hands through her hair to snuff out the smoke.
- The first president to host an official White House Hanukkah party, and the first to light a menorah in the White House residence, was George W. Bush in 2001. Beginning in 2005 (after an embarrassment in 2004 when kosher and non-kosher foods were mixed up), the parties became completely kosher.
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| The Board of the Northeast District
of Women of Reform Judaism
Wishes You a Happy Hanukkah
and a
Wonderful New Year
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The next eblast will be sent on January 7, 2020
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