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

Message from Michelle Rosen

Take Away Tips - Social Advocacy

Bake Sale Wrap-Up and Thank You

Upcoming Events

Social Advocacy

News from WRJ

Calendar and Other Resources

Did You Know? Jews in the Wild West

Carlisle School Project, 1885

Carlisle School Project
descendants

Procession to bring the boys back to their homeland

Thanks to all who supported our district’s Rosh Hashanah Bake Sale. I hope you and those who you sent packages to enjoyed the treats you ordered.

This year we had a total of 74 orders from across the country, and Sweet Seidner’s Bake Shop is donating $650 to WRJ’s YES Fund.

Such a delicious way to support the YES Fund!

We welcome your feedback.

L’Shana Tova,
Betty Weiner
bweiner235@gmail.com

October 17 at 12:30 pm
on Zoom

Lunch and Learn: Stopping Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is an invisible epidemic. Join the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Women’s Organization in taking the first step in advocating for women’s safety.

Deborah Rosenbloom, chief programming officer at Jewish Women International, will discuss this pressing issue and help equip us with the tools to help family members and loved ones escape turbulent relationships.

Register here.

October 23 at 7:30 pm
on Zoom

Northeast District Schmooze

All are welcome 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Drop in to schmooze, meet new people, and share. Meet our board members. See what other sisterhoods are doing. Ask questions about planning upcoming events. Or just hang out with some incredible Northeast women.

Register here.

October 30 at 7:00 pm on Zoom

Sexuality and Aging

B'nai Israel of Southbury, CT and the Northeast District present an interactive program about the joy of sex as we age. Ideas will be discussed for improving sex and dispelling myths. The discussion will be led by a certified sex therapist and licensed marriage therapist. 

To register, please email bnaisisters@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link.

November 19 at 4:00 pm
on Zoom or In Person

Speaking of Unmentionables: The Rise and Fall of Women's Underwear.

Join us for a fun, informative, and occasionally naughty program dedicated to the history, design, and function of women's undergarments. We'll explore everything from corsets to water bras in this exciting presentation.

Join one of our regional in-person watch parties with other women from your area or tune in from home. In-person events have a social action component, where we will be collecting new women's underwear and socks to donate to nearby shelters or women's charities. Registration is $10 per person.

Register Here

December 2-3, 2023
Marriott Albany
Albany, NY

Northeast District Leadership Weekend Event

Please join us in Albany, NY, on December 2 and 3 for a special event where we will work on leadership training, ethics, and visioning for our sisterhoods and our district. 

For more details, click to view the event flyer here.

How does WRJ define their approach to Social Advocacy? Leading with the principle of Tikkun Olam, WRJ mobilizes collective action on a variety of causes to create a more just and compassionate world for people of all backgrounds and identities. For many of us, it is a driving reason for our desire to be a part of WRJ.

WRJ's Advocacy Plan

"WRJ has a long and proud history of advocacy and engagement on public policy issues. We take action on the basis of existing resolutions and policy statements adopted by our leadership as well as the values of Reform and Progressive Judaism. We have been called upon to speak out on a wide range of issues, from economic justice to international relations, from health care and reproductive rights to environmental regulations, from stranded refugees to issues before the U.S. or Canadian Supreme Court. Our positions reflect our evolving understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strategically connect with legislation pending in federal, state and provincial governments.

“Over the years, we have witnessed the impact of women’s advocacy on issues of concern in the massive public participation of millions of people in Women’s Marches worldwide and in organizing individual grassroots actions of civic engagement. Being a part of WRJ amplifies our individual voices through collective action and meaningfully engages individuals with social action, social justice, and advocacy.

“Informed by our fundamental Jewish values, our understanding of issues continually evolves and the way they play out in the public arena changes over time. The changing landscape requires periodically updating our language and learning new ways to approach issues we have worked on in the past. Advocacy work is not stagnant, nor is it just external, it involves internal work as well – it changes us and opens our ears, our eyes, and our minds to each other and the world around us."

Read more of the Advocacy Plan

WRJ Advocacy Key Issues

Click on the captions below the pictures to take a look at educational material and resources on the sample topics.

Pay Equity

Immigration

Israel & Global Affairs

Example - Bringing a Program to Your Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of Temple Shalom of Newton, MA, shared with us that they prepared post-abortion care packages to deliver to a clinic in Lawrence, MA. In conjunction with four other organizations, they assembled enough packages to cover a three-month interval of patients. They used an Amazon Wish List to organize and collect the desired items. Doing this project was very rewarding for those involved. They modeled their program after other similar programs and worked with other groups so they knew what items might be most appropriate and appreciated.

The overall theme to their program was to support the issue of women's reproductive health. They wanted to provide some comfort to those women who were going through a difficult procedure and time in their lives. Sometimes knowing that there are other people out there who care about you while you are going through challenging times can make all the difference to help with healing.

Next Steps

When choosing a social justice project for your sisterhood to take part in, it is important to consider both effort and impact. Look at other groups that have done similar projects and take note of any suggestions for changes or improvements that they would have made. You can also look to coordinate your efforts with other groups to increase your overall impact. Use the WRJ and RAC websites to help organize the educational part of your program and (sometimes) offer ideas for programming and activity suggestions.

Once you have your program, be sure to let us at the district know what you have done. Your example can serve to inspire others to carry out similar programs. By sharing, we can all have a greater impact in our communities. Plus, we love to show off how our sisterhoods are advocating for issues that are important to us as Reform Jewish women.

Do you have a program that you are proud of? We would love to hear about it. Please send us a write up on what you did and why you chose the program. Include photos if you can. Let us use your example to inspire others. Email us at wrjneblast@gmail.com.

Sign Up for the WRJ Advocacy Matters Email

Register here

Apply to Join the WRJ Board

Are you interested in spreading sisterhood, spirituality, and social justice in the Reform Movement? Women of Reform Judaism wants to add your voice to our North American Board of Directors! Applications are now open for a term beginning in 2024. We encourage all eligible and interested women and women-identifying candidates to apply by the October 10 deadline!

Get more information and apply here.

YES Fund DEI Grant Applications Available

Our YES Fund committee is looking to grant $5,000-$10,000 to organizations implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion work in the Jewish community. Applications are now being accepted for the 2024-2025 grant cycle.

Read more about the grant instructions and download the application here.

WRJ Microgrant Applications Are Now Open

WRJ Incubator Grants have been reborn as Microgrants. Two types of grants are available in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,500 for accepted projects.

1) Apply for addressing timely social justice issues or advocating for change. This includes work tied to WRJ resolutions or high-priority concerns.

2) Apply if you're focused on fostering sisterhood, building community, nurturing spirituality, or personal growth.

This is your chance to make a positive impact and bring your innovative ideas to life. 

Click here to get more information or to apply.

Past grant awardee

October is National
Book,
Breast Cancer,
& Depression Month

Oct. 6
Simchat Torah

Oct. 9
Thanksgiving (Canada)

Oct. 23 at 7:30 pm
District Zoom Schmooze

Nov. 5
Daylight Savings Time Ends
Fall Back 1 Hour

Save the Date

Nov. 19 at 3:15 pm 
District Watch Party
"Speaking of Unmentionables: The Rise & Fall of Ladies Underwear"

Dec. 2-3
Northeast District Leadership Weekend
Albany, NY

Jan. 11 at 7:30 pm
Northeast District presents civil rights activist Joanne Bland 

Jan. 28 at 9:30 am
Boston/MA Area Day
Visit to Mayyim Hayyim

Feb. 5 at 7:30 pm
District Zoom Schmooze

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

Need Access to Viva Engage?

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.

Report Leadership Changes!   

Does your sisterhood have a new president? Make sure that it is reported to us so that we can connect with her and help her lead your group. Tell us here.

And while we have your attention, make sure new members are subscribed to the eblast. Share this link with them to subscribe: Subscribe!

Jessica Earp

Rachel Frank, the golden rabbi

We all know the story of Levi Strauss and how he revolutionized what the settlers and cowboys wore, but you may have thought that he was the only Jew who had anything to do with the settling of our country in the Wild West, right? Wrong!

When we think of our immigrant ancestors, we think of them landing on Ellis Island and settling on the East Coast or maybe moving in with family in big cities like Chicago and Milwaukee. While that is often true, many of them arrived in the ports of New Orleans or Galveston. From there, it was relatively easy to get to Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and other western territories. When some did not adapt well to life in the big city, they took opportunities to head out west. Shopkeepers were needed to sell goods and materials. The ability to own their own land, which was unheard of back home, became a possibility. But who were some of these Jewish pioneers?

Robert Lazar Miller and his brother, Joseph, came from Lithuania and opened a furniture store in Denver. When that burned down, they opened a butcher shop. That shop closed after it was robbed. Miller later became successful buying and selling cattle and became one of the most important cattlemen at the Denver stockyards.

Rachel (Ray) Frank was never ordained but was called “the golden rabbi” after she was invited to deliver a sermon. She spoke with such passion and conviction, that she soon received invitations to speak to Jewish organizations up and down the West Coast. She became sought after as a public speaker and as a teacher of Jewish history and of the bible.

Did you know that Wyatt Earp’s wife was Jewish? Neither did I. Josephine Marcus was the daughter of Polish immigrants. She ran away from home at 18 to become an actress. She met Wyatt Earp and became his common-law wife for 50 years. After Wyatt died, she buried him alongside her parents in a Jewish cemetery outside Colma, California.

While these are just a few Jewish cowboys and cowgirls, you can learn more by following these links:
Jews of the Wild West - Jewish Unpacked
Jews is the Wild West - Aish
Jews in the Wild West - PBS

Louise P.
Independent Member  

The Board of the Northeast District
of Women of Reform Judaism
Wishes You a Happy Sukkot
and a Joyous Simchat Torah!