This eblast is sent from northeast@wrj.org.
Please add this address to your Contacts so you won't miss our news.

Did you miss the April newsletter? You can read it here.

Featured Board Member - Marsha Moller

Social Justice Feature: College Campuses

Fried Conference Registration
& New Virtual Attendance Option

Upcoming Events

News from WRJ

ADL Antisemitism Briefing

Calendar and Other Resources

Home state? Massachusetts

Board position? What makes you right for this job? My current role is 1st Vice President of WRJ Northeast. I draw upon my past leadership experience, and I know that I can rely upon the many talented women with unique expertise on the Northeast leadership team. 

Favorite Jewish holiday and why? Sukkot. Our son was born on this holiday, and we have had many birthday and neighborhood parties in our sukkah over the years.

Favorite Jewish song or prayer? Avinu malkeinu sung by Barbra Streisand.

What social justice issue are you most passionate about? Reproductive Justice-this has brought me out to the streets to march and protest for many, many years. 

What makes WRJ so special to you? WRJ helps amplify the voices of Reform Jewish women. It does this in small and large ways. Our collective voices influence decision makers. Together in song and prayer, our collective voices deepen our connections to Judaism and our individual spirituality. Our collective voices model leadership styles and ways of living Jewishly that lift up the voices of women and support each other.

Lately, it seems like you cannot turn on the news without seeing reports of more protests on college campuses. While it is okay to protest a war or to protest the treatment of different groups of people, it is NOT okay to target people and students who are not involved in the conflict and take out frustrations on them. And yes, we are talking about the antisemitic rhetoric and actions being taken by protestors on campuses across the country. 

We may or may not agree with the actions being taken by the Israeli government against Hamas or how Palestinian people are being treated. But it is vital that we differentiate an issue between those groups and the existence of Jewish people. The current campus protests have been getting very heated as many are passionate about human rights. The problem is that in their zeal to protect the rights of Palestinians, they are trampling all over the rights of non-Israeli Jews. If these protests were purely about human rights, that would not be happening.

All students in the US and Canada have the right to safely get an education without having to be physically blocked and sometimes threatened by protestors on their way to class. This crosses the line from peaceful protest and veers more toward angry mob mentality. There are chants of genocide and threats made to Jewish students that overstep the "right to peacefully protest." A peaceful protest should draw attention to your cause and help others to understand why it is important for others to follow your lead.

It is NOT okay to blindly join a protest and sing their maybe clever sounding chants, set up encampments of school campuses, and take over quads and buildings. It is NOT okay to forcefully stake your claim and go against school codes of conduct, preventing uninvolved students from their education. And it is NOT okay to threaten those who do not join your protest with violence. 

Over the past few weeks, we have seen what has been unfolding at schools all over the country. The rabbis at school like Columbia University went so far as to tell Jewish students to stay away from campus and take their classes online for now. Graduation ceremonies are in jeopardy of not occurring. 

As Jews, we have stood with different marginalized groups to protect their rights whether civil, racial, religious, or gender based. It is time for these groups to take a stand with us. We should not need to feel like we are standing alone when threatened. And there are ways to protect people's rights without trampling on those of another group. 

It is our hope that we can all take a deep breath and remember that we all deserve to feel safe. It is okay to protest but not when it creates new threats of violence to others. And we pray that students are able to complete their school year and celebrate their accomplishments without fear.

May 30-June 2, 2024, in New Orleans, LA 

Join WRJ this spring to “unmask your potential” at what is sure to be an unforgettable, in-person (re)union at the Fried Women’s Conference (FWC)! WRJ’s flagship event, FWC is a multi-day experience to hone leadership skills, further Jewish learning, partake in women-led worship and music, and deepen connections with other sisterhoods, women, and WRJ at large.

Learn more on the FWC website.

Check out the fees and registration page for more details.

Register here.

Fried Virtual Attendance Registration - Now Available

WRJ is excited to offer a virtual/remote-only FWC attendance package this year! For $118, you will get access to an array of inspiring programs to watch from the comfort of your home or anywhere you may be.

The programs included in the package are:

All the above programs will be recorded and shared out after FWC, along with recordings of four workshops (one from each workshop block).

If you cannot attend the Fried Women’s Conference in person, a virtual option is available! 

The “virtual only” option includes livestream access to three general sessions and two Shabbat worship services from Thursday through Sunday, plus post-conference recordings of all of these sessions and four FWC workshops

Cost for the online option is $118.

Sign Up for the Virtual Package by May 15.

STRATEGIC VISIONING Listening Tour - How do you see the future of WRJ? - Choose a Date

The WRJ Northeast District is beginning a strategic visioning listening tour via Zoom. 

It is vital that we hear your voice!

If you have not signed up yet, please register for one of our discussion groups.

(Click on the date of your choice and fill out the registration form. You only need to attend one focus group meeting.)

Meetings will be held via Zoom on:
Thursday, May 9 
Sunday, May 19 
Wednesday, May 22

All meetings will begin at 7:30 pm and end by 9:00 pm.

If you have already signed up for a discussion group, thank you.  

We look forward to seeing you!

Thursday, May 16 7:00pm

Zoom or Temple Emanu-El, New York City,
Lowenstein Memorial Auditorium

Click to enlarge.

Abortion Access Before the US Reclaiming a Chanukah Legend:  Iris Karlin's New Opera, Yehudit (Judith) 

See the premiere of Iris Karlin’s new opera, Yehudit (Judith), a modern reinterpretation of a Hanukkah legend – in person or via livestream.

Attend in person at the Lowenstein Auditorium, Temple Emanu-El, 10 East 66 Street, New York, NY. 

The event is free, but advance registration is required for in-person attendance.

Alternately, you can livestream the event: www.emanuelnyc.org/life-cycle/

Thursday, May 16 8:00pm
on Zoom

Every Voice, Every Vote, Every Month: Reproductive Freedom on the Ballot

Join the Religious Action Center for this important topic, co-sponsored by WRJ.

Register here.

Sunday, May 19 8:00pm
on Zoom

Being an Ally for LGBTQ+ Loved Ones

What's so Jewish about being an ally?
Join Keshet’s Tracey Labgold (she/her) for an informative conversation about LGBTQ+ inclusion and advocacy. How does being an ally align with Jewish values? What are some practical ways to support LGBTQ+ friends? Let's build a more inclusive and supportive community for everyone!

Register here.

Click on flyer to enlarge.

WRJ 2023 Annual Report

As WRJ continues to strengthen the voice of women worldwide, it is important to reflect on our success. The Annual Report for FY2023 is now live, and we invite you to dive in. Discover how you helped us amplify sisterhood, spirituality, and social justice over the past year.

Plus, don't miss our special section highlighting the retirement of Rabbi Marla J. Feldman as WRJ’s executive director and the appointment of Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch to lead our organization into the future. 

Thank you for being a part of our incredible journey!

For more information, Read the Annual Report here.

A weekly wrap of ADL’s reports, updates and analysis on antisemitism around the world. (This was released a few weeks ago, before the most recent issues on college campuses.)

Click here to read more.

May is 
Jewish American Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

May 12
Mother's Day

May 13
Yom Hazikaron
(Israeli Memorial Day)

May 14
Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day)

May 26
Lag BaOmer

May 27
Memorial Day (U.S)

May 30-June 2
Fried Women's Conference
in New Orleans
Registration is open

Need Access to
Mighty Networks?
(formerly known as Yammer)

Contact WRJ at
212-650-4050
or send a note to leadership@wrj.org

Request a District Speaker

Your sisterhood is entitled to a district speaker at no cost to your sisterhood. Learn more here.

Donate to the District

Make a gift to WRJ Northeast District Fund (NDF) to say thank you, happy birthday, mazel tov, or to send get well wishes or condolences to your family members and friends. An acknowledgment will be emailed to each person whose email address is provided.

The NDF enables the Northeast District to support our sisterhoods, women’s groups, and individual members.

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The next eblast will be sent on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

Send event listings, photos, and articles to wrjneblast@gmail.com by May 20,2024