Summer Schmooze, August events, WRJ Board application, Mitzvah project
Summer Schmooze, August events, WRJ Board application, Mitzvah project
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News from the Northeast

August 3, 2021
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 July newsletter? You can read it here.

Message from Jenifer Rosenberg
Area Director, WRJ Northeast District

Sisterhoods on social media. . .
Chances are, members of your sisterhood or women’s group have spent a bit more time on social media in the past eighteen months. As in-person meetings have become less frequent and people more tech savvy, social media has become a must. It is also a great way to reach your audience, and maybe even expand it.
There are countless social media platforms, but there are three that stand out: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They are the most widely-used platforms, so the members of your congregation are most likely to use them. They each have some unique properties that help you reach your audience, and they are pretty easy to navigate even for beginners. While other platforms, such as Pinterest and TikTok, can be fun, they don’t have the same audience reach as the top three.
Facebook is a versatile platform that allows you to create pages, private groups, and Messenger discussion groups. You can have a public facing page that anyone can see, which is a great place to post about events. A Facebook group allows a select group of people, such as sisterhood members, to come together and share posts, discuss topics, and make plans on an open schedule. People can check the group when it is convenient, instead of planning a call when everyone can meet. Facebook is also a great place to share WRJ and district posts, as well as events and news relevant to your sisterhood goals (such as a local food drive, or a demonstration). Of the three platforms, Facebook has the most users, so it is most likely to be used in your congregation members.
There is a significant Jewish population on Twitter, as many sisterhoods, synagogues, rabbis, and Jewish organizations are active on the platform. Twitter moves faster than Facebook, and posts are less likely to get lost in a feed. You can share (retweet) information directly, and you can make your own content. It’s easy to share links in Twitter, and you can also create quick posts that are only up briefly if you wish, too.
Instagram is an interesting platform with amazing potential. While it is more difficult to share content from other users, it is a great place to share images of your latest project, flyers for upcoming events, your next book club selection, and more. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to create Instagram posts, either. You can find great free stock photos through Creative Commons sites such as Pexels, and many phones (and several apps) allow you to decorate or write on your image.
Having a social media presence can help your sisterhood increase its reach to your congregation (most religious school parents are on these platforms), and make your group more accessible to people who are home. It’s also a great way to engage with the wider world of Reform Judaism, since you can see and share upcoming events as they are posted.
Jenifer Rosenberg
Free Synagogue of Flushing, Flushing, NY
You can find the Northeast District on Facebook,
on Instagram, and on Twitter.
Please share our posts.

Northeast District Virtual Summer Schmooze

Thursday, August 26, 7:30 p.m.

The women of the WRJ Northeast District invite you to a special virtual Summer Schmooze with district and sisterhood leaders.
Join us in casual conversation...
... to check in
... to check out what's happening
... to discuss our plans for the coming year
RSVP to wrjnortheast@gmail.com to request the Zoom link.

More August Events
– Join us online –

bake

Tuesday, August 10, 8:00 p.m.
Temple to Table: Finding Flavor in the High Holidays

RJ on the Go is offering a cooking / educational experience with Rabbi Emily Langowitz, program manager of Jewish Learning and Engagement at URJ. Together we will explore the meaning behind the symbols and rituals of the High Holidays so that you feel comfortable hosting a Rosh Hashanah dinner, praying at temple or home, and more. Get the details and register here.
Hosted by WRJ and sponsored by National Center to Encourage Judaism.
bake

Tuesday, August 17, 8 p.m.
Author Talk with Andrea Kott

Join us for a discussion with Andrea Kott, author of Salt on a Robin’s Tail: An Unlikely Jewish Journey Through Childhood, Forgiveness, and Hope. The conversation with Andrea will be followed by small group discussions. Register here.
A WRJ Film, Fiction, and Fine Wine Program.

Wednesday, August 18, 8 p.m.
Fearless Fundraising: Preparing for Success

Learn the psychology behind women’s giving, organizational techniques that will maximize success and minimize fear, and how peer-to-peer fundraising can help you today as well as inspire bigger gifts tomorrow. Register here.
A WRJ Leadership Education Program.

Thursday, September 23, 7:30 p.m.
A Conversation with Sarah Hurwitz

Save the date; registration begins on August 15. Sarah Hurwitz was the Obamas' speechwriter – and the quintessential lapsed Jew until she attended an introductory class on Judaism. Now she is on a mission to share insights that she discovered. See the flyer for details.

Save the date: November 5‑7, 2021

Northeast District Kallah

Watch for details

News from WRJ

WRJ Website Migration

WRJ moved its website to a new platform on August 1. The migration includes a reorganization of the website, including our own district webpages. Some content has been moved to a new webpage. You can use the search function, the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner of each webpage, to locate content that has been moved.
Note: Links to some WRJ website content may need to be updated by the Marketing & Communications team of your sisterhood or women's group.

WRJ Board of Directors Applications

Want to make a difference? The WRJ Board helps articulate and promote the organization’s vision, develop and implement major initiatives and policies, inspire women leaders, and consult on project strategies essential to the organization’s success. The application deadline is October 5. Get all the details.

Report Leadership Changes

Has your leadership of your sisterhood of women's group changed recently? If so, please be sure to submit a Leadership Information form.

Changes to the WRJ Shop

The WRJ Shop will continue selling traditional Uniongrams and Goldengrams, but it is phasing out other notes and products. Check shop inventory here. Product orders may be placed by calling 212-650-4050 or by emailing info@wrj.org.

Women of SSTTE Mitzvah Project

Over the past year and a half, many sisterhoods and women’s groups have developed creative ways to replace in-person activities. The Women of Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El (SSTTE) pivoted to Zoom for meetings, programming, and even a piano concert – but could we do a collection, as we had through the years for many worthy projects? Collections work best in person, and during the pandemic that has not been possible. So what to do? We are a social action oriented sisterhood and congregation. . . There had to be a way.
Our sisterhood co-president, Beth Quinn, had previously served on the board of the Ossining Children’s Center, a program for children eight weeks through sixth grade. The Center shut down at the beginning of the lockdown, but reopened, with stringent guidelines, to provide urgently needed day care for parents back at work and to offer remote learning opportunities for students.
The teachers in the Center created an Amazon Wish List of 132 books for the children they serve. The Women of SSTTE leadership team created publicity and instructions for ordering online from Amazon with delivery direct to the Ossining Children’s Center.
Thanks to the generosity of our members, all of the books were ordered – each book bearing a label acknowledging the Women of SSTTE and the members of Scarsdale Synagogue Temples Tremont and Emanu-El. We were even able to send the Center funds for additional books.
Post-COVID, the Women of SSTTE look forward to visiting the Center, reading to the children, and sharing our love of books.
A simple mitzvah project – and oh so rewarding!!!
– Marilyn Shebshaievitz, Co-President, Women of SSTTE

Call to Action:
Racial Justice Campaign

Join the Reform Movement’s Racial Justice Campaign to combat voter suppression and to fight for racial justice.
Below are some ways to take action and continue learning about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and the Racial Justice Campaign.

Support Legislation

In the U.S.:

Join a Training Session

August 4, 11, and 18; 8 p.m.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training – Register here

Join a Lobby Meeting

Help us lobby to expand voting rights. Join us when we meet virtually with U.S. senators.
Thursday, August 5, 3:30 p.m.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal – Register here
Friday, August 6, 1:30 p.m.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren – Register here

Other News

URJ and ADL Collaborate to Combat Antisemitism

This newly-launched partnership will link the expertise of Anti-Defamation League with the resources of the Union of Reform Judaism in order to better equip the Jewish community to prevent and respond to antisemitic attacks. Learn more.

Calendar and Other Resources

Calendar

August is National Immunization Awareness Month
August 26 Northeast District Summer Schmooze
August 26 Women's Equality Day (U.S.)
August 28 Selichot
September 6 Labo(u)r Day
September 7 First day of Rosh Hashanah

Save the Date

November 5-7 Northeast District Kallah

Need access to Yammer?

Contact WRJ at 212‑650‑4050 or email leadership@wrj.org

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
The RAC has established a series of call‑to‑action petitions:

Request an Online Speaker

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

Did You Know. . .

A Comparison of Women's Equality Day in the U.S.
and Equality Day in Canada

On August 26, 1920, Congress certified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, thereby giving women the right to vote in the United States. A resolution to celebrate this date was introduced by New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug in 1971. In 1973, Congress passed that resolution, officially designating August 26 as Women's Equality Day. Each year, the president of the United States is required to issue a proclamation to commemorate the day that women in the United States won the right to vote.
In Canada, Equality Day is celebrated on April 17 to mark the date in 1982 that Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is broad in its protection. Section 15 calls for equal protection and benefits under the law without discrimination based on "race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability." Another clause, Section 28, requires that the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Charter be guaranteed equally to men and women. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of Canada's Constitution.
In both countries, the activism of women was instrumental in ensuring the protection of individual rights. Women's continuing efforts toward full equality are needed as much today as they were in the events leading up to the designation of Women's Equality Day in the United States and Equality Day in Canada.
Read more about Women's Equality Day and Equality Day.

The Board of the Northeast District of Women of Reform Judaism Wishes You a Happy Rosh Hashanah and Labo(u)r Day

Visit our website Follow us on Twitter www.facebook.com/WRJNortheast wrjneblast@gmail.com
Share this newsletter by using one of the "Share this" icons at the top of the newsletter.
The next eblast will be sent on Thursday, September 9, 2021.
Send program listings, photos, and articles to wrjneblast@gmail.com by August 30, 2021.
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