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Did you miss the December newsletter? You can read it here.
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Message from the Marketing and Communications Committee
Take Away Tips: Cultivate New Leaders
Social Action Feature:
What Are We Doing About the War
in Israel and Its Effect on Women
Upcoming Events
News from WRJ
Calendar and Other Resources
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| Message from the Marketing & Communications Committee
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Welcome to 2024! And greetings to all from your Marketing and Communication (M&C) committee. We have been very busy this past year trying to help you stay on top of all the goings on around the northeast district. With the change in leadership in March came several changes in the way we do things.
The M&C Committee has been re-designing the district website to make it more user-friendly. We changed the lineup of information in our eblasts, including several special additions for holidays and events. On Facebook, we have been working to inspire you in addition to keeping you informed of current events.
Most recently, WRJ switched from Yammer to Mighty Networks for our message board. Our district page is set up to be easy to navigate and also fun for you to participate. We hope you will join us there.
Starting next month in place of our usual lead article we will be helping you get to know more about your district board. We come from areas all over the district, have many varied talents and skills, and come from diverse backgrounds. By learning more about what has made us choose to be district leaders, we hope to inspire you to become involved in district activities.
On a more personal note, I would like to thank my committee members over this past year. Thank you to Laurie, Liza, Louise, Lani, Kathy, Betty, and an extra big, thank you to immediate past M&C vice president, Carol, for her help and advice.
B’Shalom,
Alissa Woska
VP of Marketing & Communications
WRJ Northeast District
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Take-Away Tips for Your Sisterhood: Cultivate New Leaders
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As a sisterhood or women’s group board member one of the most important jobs is to groom the next board members, vice presidents and eventually president. Here are some tips to help you develop leadership.
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- Recognize and appreciate talents by looking for initiative, creativity, collaboration, communication, and problem solving skills.
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Model behaviors that promote your sisterhood's mission and vision.
- Appreciate and recognize accomplishments, contributions, and achievements.
- Foster a culture of collaboration and feedback by promoting community and belonging.
- Provide the opportunity for regular and constructive feedback.
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Promote a culture of respect and acceptance for all members of the team. Provide opportunities for learning and growth by creating a safe and supportive environment where they can learn, make mistakes, and learn from their mistakes.
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Give challenging and meaningful assignments with roles that stretch their current skillsets. Empower and delegate by allowing them authority to make decisions, solve problems, and take action following your mission and vision statement.
- Inspire and motivate them to continue to develop their leadership skills by pursuing their passions and inspirations while providing guidance advise and support.
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Encourage them to attend WRJ conferences and leadership events where they can learn from others and bond in sisterhood.
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Social Action Feature:
What Are We Doing About the War in Israel and Its Effecton Women?
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As a proud Jewish woman, a Holocaust survivor’s child, a Zionist, and a member of numerous Jewish women’s organizations, I am struggling with the phrase “never again.” At the beginning of the current war in Israel, I was constantly watching the news, following blogs and Israeli newspapers, and keeping in contact with my friends in Israel. I realized that my mental health was beginning to suffer and decided that I had to cut back on this obsession. I decided to focus on what I as a woman, could do and realized that my women’s organizations were sending me many emails inundating my mailbox. I began to wonder, what is WRJ doing for the women affected by the war in Israel? I found that there was quite a bit.
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On October 7, 2023, we signed on to the broad movement statement about Israel issued by the URJ Reform Leaders Respond to Hamas Terrorist Attacks in Israel
On October 10, 2023, we put out our own statements on Violence Against Women during the current conflict in Israel Reform Jewish Women Condemn Kidnappings, Other Crimes of War, Targeting Women, Children, and the Elderly by Hamas
On October 27, 2023, we also put out a blog post focusing on violence against women in the war in Israel, continuing to bring the gender lens to the issues of the moment.
Violence Against Women in Times of War is Nothing New, and That Scares Me
We are grateful that our executive director, Rabbi Liz PG Hirsch, wrote a prayer for the captives that was well-received and has been translated, into Spanish, Hebrew, Russian, German, and Ukrainian. Led by our Jewish tradition, Women of Reform Judaism is dedicated to protecting the vulnerable. You can read this moving prayer here.
On November 26-30, 2023, Shoshana Dweck (WRJ Social Justice VP) and Luisa Narins (WRJ board member) had the opportunity to join ARZA on a solidarity mission. You can listen to the following YouTube for their insightful words. Watch here.
On November 28, 2023, we signed on to a joint statement with the Reform Movement Applauding Partial Hostage Release Deal; Urges Continued Advocacy for Hostages.
Today as we are getting ready to begin a new secular year, I will continue to follow what both WRJ and URJ share on their websites and do the appropriate ACTION ITEMS. I will continue to follow various WhatsApp groups that I belong to that give me direction as to where the next discussion, talking points, or support event will be held in my city. I will sadly wear my dog tags for hostages - Bring them home NOW (shopujafedny.org) and gladly take it off when the last hostage is returned.
The one thing that I will remember is that YES, it will be NEVER AGAIN because we will continue to advocate for the hostages’ release. We will talk one on one with people in our communities to share our history and why we continue our fight. We will continue to have meaningful conversations and build relationships. We will make a difference as we work to create positive change.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Liza Robbins-Theuman
Temple B’rith Kodesh in Rochester, NY
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January 11 at 7:30 pm
on Zoom
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| A Civil Rights Talk with Joanne Bland
Learn and be inspired by civil rights activist Joanne Bland.
She has been both a witness and a participant and has an important history to share. Ms. Bland is the co-founder and former director of the National Voting Rights Museum in Selma, Alabama. She was 11 years old when she marched in Selma in 1965 on "Bloody Sunday" led by John Lewis. She has spent her life as an activist and participant in the continued fight for equal rights. Now 58 years later, she still dedicates her life to educating people to ensure they remember the lessons in the fight for voting and civil rights.
Register here.
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January 20 at 8:00 pm
Temple Israel
Staten Island, NY
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| Cakes, Cookies, Egg Creams, & Carols
The Sisterhood of Temple Israel Reform Congregation of Staten Island invites you to join them for a fun evening of sweets and music featuring Rabbi Deborah Zecher and Tracy Stark (recently seen at the 2023 Northeast District Convention). Desserts will also be served.
Please click on the flyer to expand it and get all the details and to RSVP.
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January 28 at 9:30 am
Mayyim Hayyim
Newton, MA
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Boston Area Program: A Visit to Mayyim Hayyim
Visit and learn about the Living Waters Community Mikveh with special guests Rabbi Liz Hirsh (executive director of WRJ) and Susan Singer (WRJ executive board member). Tour and light nosh will be provided.
Register here.
(Please note that the registration link will NOT work with a Safari browser.)
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February 5 at 7:30 pm
on Zoom
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| Northeast District Schmooze
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.
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February 25 at 4:00 pm
on Zoom
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| Northeast District Literary Discussion: Lion & Little
Join us as we discuss this winner of the Stonewall Book Award that was featured by the Jewish Book Council. Billed as "a stunning novel on love, identity, loss, and redemption," this award-winning Young Adult novel tackles challenging subjects in an interfaith blended family through the lens of a young woman of color who is trying to make sense of a new situation.
You will want to acquire a copy of the book in advance.
Register here.
(Please note that the registration link will NOT work with a Safari browser.)
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March 28, 2024 at 7:30 pm
on Zoom
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| Northeast District Event featuring Rabbi Marla J. Feldman
Spend some time with our WRJ North America Executive Director Emerita. Read between the lines of Torah and watch the women in the Passover story come alive.
Click here to buy Rabbi Feldman's book at a discount.
Gather your sisterhood/women's group to watch and participate in this zoom program or watch the zoom on your own.
Register here
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We have transitioned our message board from Yammer/Viva Engage to Mighty Networks
If you have not already done so, please follow this link to request an account on our new platform.
Click here to sign up for Mighty Networks.
If you already have an account, you can access the WRJ group here.
We have information for you to get the basics of using the new site, including videos on how to navigate the site here.
This new site allows for us to more freely communicate with each other with some privacy. You can ask other members questions, share event or fundraising ideas, or see what events are coming up in the district. There are also fun polls, posts, and other fun things that we share there. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Need Access to Viva Engage?
(formerly known as Yammer)
Contact WRJ at
212-650-4050
or send a note to leadership@wrj.org
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| Request a District Speaker
Your sisterhood is entitled to a district speaker at no cost to your sisterhood. Learn more here.
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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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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.
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The WRJ Northeast District wishes you a Happy Tu B'Shvat
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The next eblast will be sent on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
Send event listings, photos, and articles to wrjneblast@gmail.com by January 20,2024
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