Northeast Schmooze, Northeast Convention, Sisterhood Events, and more!
Northeast Schmooze, Northeast Convention, Sisterhood Events, and more!
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News from the Northeast

July 7, 2020
This eblast is sent from northeast@wrj.org.
Please add this address to your Contacts so you won't miss our News.
If this email is "clipped," click "View entire message" at the end of the eblast.
Did you miss the June newsletter? You can read it here.

Message from Marsha Byrnes

Treasurer, WRJ Northeast District

When asked to write this column, my first thought was to write about the “virus vacation,” as my 5-year-old grandson calls it. But Sharon Sobel did a terrific job of that in her June column. Then I thought about the systemic racism in our country, and our world, that was brought so forcefully to our attention by the deaths of George Floyd and other people of color.
Are we doing enough? I don’t attend protests because my husband is high risk if he contracts COVID-19. Is donating money enough? Is voting enough? Would I call 911 if a Black birdwatcher in Central Park asked me to leash my dog? Do I feel that my children deserve the educational advantages my husband and I provided, more than other children? These are uncomfortable questions, and I feel I have not asked them enough.
I live outside Boston, in a town with little crime, little poverty, and few people of color, not counting Asians. Is this segregation good for our society? In a recent New York Times interview, Jon Stewart, formerly of The Daily Show, said,
The police are a reflection of a society. They’re not a rogue alien organization that came down to torment the black community. They’re enforcing segregation. Segregation is legally over, but it never ended. The police are, in some respects, a border patrol, and they patrol the border between the two Americas. We have that so that the rest of us don’t have to deal with it. Then that situation erupts [George Floyd’s murder], and we express our shock and indignation.
I hope the recent protests lead to positive changes. I hope we all realize that we have to do more than just take care of our families and our own communities. We cannot depend on the people in power to take care of everyone else.
There are groups within my synagogue and other faith communities, as well as other organizations, that are trying to make things different. I don’t have the answers, but I am encouraged that many diverse groups throughout the world are taking responsibility for creating systemic change.
I wish you all good health, and hope that Zoom is allowing you to maintain your connections to your families, sisterhoods, synagogues, WRJ, and the wider world.
Sincerely,
Marsha Byrnes
Temple Isaiah, Lexington, Massachusetts

Northeast Beach Schmooze

The WRJ Northeast District will host an online Sunset at the Beach and Schmooze event on August 5, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Wear your favorite beach attire, bring some snacks (in sand-proof containers if you're joining from an actual beach), and schmooze!

Northeast District Virtual Convention

Join the WRJ Northeast District for Celebrating Our Stories: A Year-Long Journey 
Our first chapter will be our WRJ Northeast Virtual Convention.
November 6-7, 2020
This weekend of learning, connecting, celebrating, singing, and praying will feature:
  • Kabbalat Shabbat services
  • Keynote Speaker Dr. Pamela Nadell, author of award-winning America's Jewish Women: A History From Colonial Times to Today
  • Engaging workshops
  • YES Fund program
  • Installation of our District Executive Committee
  • Time to connect with your sisters
Stay tuned for more information, including how to register for "Celebrating Our Stories."
Please contact Marilyn Shebshaievitz at NEconventionMS@gmail.com with any questions.

Sisterhood Events

All WRJ members are welcome at these events

Thursday, July 16, 8 p.m. - Victorian Punch from the Jewish Manual

Did you know that the first English language Jewish cookbook is almost 175 years old? Join Free Synagogue of Flushing Sisterhood Vice President Danielle Gold to learn about  kosher fusion cuisine in 19th century London. Then drink like Jewish nobility as we work our way through an easy, refreshing, and historically accurate punch recipe.

Sunday, July 26, 1:10 p.m. - Book Discussion: Love Bomb

Join the Free Synagogue of Flushing Sisterhood in a discussion of Love Bomb by Lisa Zeidner. This book is billed as "an inventive, mordantly funny novel about love, marriage, stalkers, and the indignities of parenthood."

Online District Speakers

We are pleased to announce that speakers from the Northeast District may be arranged for online Zoom meetings.
There is no cost to your sisterhood or women’s group for a district speaker.

Online Learning Opportunities

Campfire on Tour

An online concert series benefitting URJ camps and NFTY. Click here for more information.

RJ on the Go

Reform Judaism has launched a platform to host interactive, meaningful, and fun experiences for everyone in your family. Click here for more information.

Progressive University

The World Union for Progressive Judaism is offering seven engaging online courses for young adults 20 - 30 years of age.  Click here for more information.

Tachles: Weekly Hebrew Zoom Classes

The American Zionist Movement is sponsoring a FREE online Hebrew course focusing on slang, songs, and conversational Hebrew. Tuesdays at noon. REGISTER HERE.

HUC Summer Arts Series

The HUC/JIR is hosting a summer webinar series Ritual, Resilience, and Renewal.

Online Resource Roundup

WRJ has created a new ONLINE PROGRAMMING GROUP on Yammer. Look there for online events, and post your sisterhood’s online events there.
Looking for a chronological list of online events? Check UPCOMING WEBINARS on the Northeast District website.
Did you miss a Zoom session? Check RECENT WEBINARS on the Northeast District website.
Looking for other programs? Check ONGOING RESOURCES on the Northeast District website.

News from WRJ

WRJ Applauds Supreme Court Decision Affirming Abortion Access

Rabbi Marla Feldman, executive director of the WRJ, and Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, released a statement in support of the recent Supreme Court decision in June Medical Services, LLC v. Russo to block an unconstitutional targeted regulation of abortion provider (TRAP) law in Louisiana. Read it here.

Other News

RAC Call to Action

CLICK HERE to tell Congress to provide more support for the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RAC Civic Engagement Campaign: Every Voice, Every Vote: Every Week

The Reform Jewish Movement’s 2020 Civic Engagement Campaign encourages all U.S. citizens to exercise their right to vote and to break down obstacles that shut some out of the voting booth. Click here for information on the campaign, and register for upcoming webinars and events.

Kraus Immigration Mini-Grants

To support and to encourage our congregations’ essential work with immigrant children and young people during the pandemic, the RAC is welcoming applications for Kraus Immigration Justice Mini-Grants in amounts up to $5000. Application deadline is August 10.

Racial Justice Resources

Want to be more actively antiracist but feel unsure where to start? To help guide those who are curious about antiracism and allyship on the right track, the URJ has assembled a robust list of resources that provide an informative and engaging look into institutional racism, privilege, and the lived experiences of Jews of Color.

Resources During Social Distancing

The URJ has compiled a list of COVID-19 resources for congregations. This includes valuable information on how to stay connected, tools for education, and tips for observing at home.

WRJ Northeast is Back on Twitter

Follow us at @WRJNortheast 

Calendar and Other Resources

Calendar

July 30 Tisha B'Av
August 5 Sunset at the Beach and Schmooze
August 10 Kraus Mini-Grant Deadline

Save the Date

November 6-7 Northeast District Convention
March 11-14, 2021 WRJ Fried Women's Conference, New Orleans

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.

Keep in Touch
with WRJ Northeast

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NEwebsite yammer

Need access to Yammer?

Contact Heather Lorgeree at 212‑650‑4050 or email her at leadership@wrj.org.

Moment Magazine

Subscribe via the WRJ Shop, and one-half of the $18 subscription price will benefit WRJ initiatives.
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Together we can make a difference

Request a Speaker

Your sisterhood is entitled to a district speaker once every two years, without expense to your sisterhood.
In alternate years, you may REQUEST A WRJ SPEAKER.

Did You Know...

The History of Lox

We all associate lox with traditional Jewish fare, but the origins of it becoming a staple are largely North American. Although Jews from Eastern Europe absolutely ate fish, and preserved it by smoking, salting, or pickling, salmon was prohibitively expensive in Europe because it was harder to acquire. So, while Scandinavians had gravlax, one generally did not find smoked salmon in most Jewish settlements in Europe.
When Jews migrated to North America, salmon became more readily available, and thus more affordable, as an option for smoked fish. The demand for smoked salmon became high because people loved the flavor, and soon, lox was adopted as a popular food. Once it caught on here, the popularity migrated back to Europe, made possible by the ready supply of North American salmon.

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The next eblast will be sent on August 4, 2020
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