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Take Away Tips

Upcoming Events

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News from Our Sisterhoods

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Calendar and Other Resources

Did You Know? Jewish July 4th

July 12 at 8:00 pm
on Zoom

Spring Virtual Lilith Salon

Join in for a virtual Lilith Salon on the Spring 2023 issue, "Here We Are." The issue brings forth stories of survival, books and authors, and caregiving. This intimate and meaningful discussion will be facilitated by our very own WRJ treasurer, Susan Singer. Come share in the conversation!

Register here

July 18 at 8:00 pm
on Zoom

Once We Were Home with Author Jennifer Rosner

Join Jennifer Rosner and WRJ to discuss her novel, Once We Were Home. The novel weaves together the fictional lives of four displaced children. Oskar and Ana have been hidden by a Polish farm family. Roger has been raised in a convent. Renata believes her German parents are her own. What happens after wars end, when the children are wrenched from what they now consider their families? Or when the people who harbored them refuse to let them go?

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.

Article Written by Liza on Interfaith Food Program

When I came home from the WRJ Civil Rights Journey I knew that I had to take the words that were spoken to us and do something. I reached out to various members of both my Sisterhood and the greater Rochester community and began to plan our annual Interfaith Event.

At the same time, one of my friends called me and told me to watch a movie on Netflix entitled “Twenty Pearls.” She had just finished watching it and had kept exclaiming, “They do all the same things we do!” After watching the movie, I called Nancy back and said where do we find a local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha? We got lucky! She was friends with a member of the local chapter. The three of us had a breakfast meeting to discuss our idea. We were all excited to begin to work together.

For this particular event, we were envisioning a program where Jewish women and women of color would gather together. We would brainstorm problems in our community, and then follow up with an action plan of things we could do together. Rochester has the worst childhood poverty rate for any city in the state of New York, so we knew we had a starting place.

On Sunday, March 12, 75 women gathered together to learn about the history of Alpha Kappa Alpha. We purposefully assigned seating to create mixed groups, and we brainstormed ideas. After we brainstormed ideas several of the ideas rose to the top. Food insecurity, voting rights and registration, and bail reform held the highest interest. The three of us met once again to discuss which project to work on first and it was determined to attempt to work on food insecurity.

We sent out emails to all the March attendees asking who was interested in assisting us in working on food insecurity for a Summer Day Camp at a local settlement house that our Sisterhood had founded over 125 years ago. We have had a continuous relationship with the settlement house and knew that they would be open to our supporting the campers.

We established a Summer Backpack program. For six weekends this summer WRJ/TBK Sisterhood, Alpha Kappa Alpha and The National Association of Negro Women will provide backpacks filled with nonperishable food to 55 young campers. The settlement house social worker sent home an opt in for the parents and has provided us with a list of allergies. An Amazon wish list was created along with an opportunity for donations for those who desire to support the program.

Amazon Wish List

Click on the flyer to enlarge.

Getting Involved in Social Action with WRJ

Leading with the principle of tikkun olam, WRJ mobilizes collective action for various causes to create a more just and compassionate world for people of all backgrounds and identities. From abortion access to sexual harassment and assault to pay equity and racial justice, WRJ empowers women to use their voices and cultivate the next generation of Reform Jewish leaders through education, advocacy, and action. 

Learn more about WRJ programs

Here in the Northeast District, Michelle Rosen is our vice president in charge of social advocacy. She helps to coordinate advocacy events at our meetings and keeps us informed and represented with the WRJ social justice initiatives. 

So Proud of One of Our Northeast Sisters!

Shoshana Dweck was named a 2023 Woman of Distinction by the Office of New York State Assembly Member Chris Burdick as part of Women's History Month this year. She was honored at a ceremony on June 14. It is exciting when our advocacy and activism as women of Reform Judaism is recognized in this way by the community at large.

Mazel tov, Shoshana

For more information

fredi Bleeker Franks Weekend Event
Beth El Temple Center
Belmont, MA

BETC@WRJ (Beth El Temple Center, Belmont, MA sisterhood) invited fredi Bleeker Franks as our WRJ guest for June 10 and 11. fredi brings her many years of experience as a WRJ leader and leader at Congregation Emanu El in Houston, TX for over 30 years.

On Saturday, June 10, sisterhood or women’s group leaders from Temple Etz Chaim, Franklin, Temple Isaiah, Lexington, Temple Shalom, Newton, Temple Beth Shalom, Needham and Beth El Temple Center, Belmont gathered for a meet and connect luncheon at a local restaurant. We all enjoyed the delicious food and meeting each other. fredi asked us all to share a little about ourselves and what type of music we liked (a great ice breaker) and then we had the chance to discuss issues, successes and challenges. Some key takeaways included that not all programming will meet the demographic needs of your group, planning specific programs to engage each demographic, including WRJ programming and guest speakers in your programming and connecting with each other during the year. We talked about planning to get together again. In the past, we all met at the Boston Public Library for a High (Chai) Tea and there was interest in getting together soon. It was a wonderful afternoon and fredi’s insights and sharing of her experiences made it so special.

On Sunday, June 11, fredi shared her passion for social justice in her presentation “Justice is My Language: Advocating for Equity Through Jewish Values” during the Brunch and Learn.

She shared how we need to work together to tackle the big issues identified by WRJ including civil rights, racial justice and DEI; reproductive health and rights; Israel and global affairs; immigration reform and refugee rights and gender-based violence. We all want to make a difference but how do we do this with so many issues facing us? fredi shared many examples from her own Houston community and the best approach to not get discouraged in changing our world. As the leader of the TX RAC, she shared how much she has learned working with the legislators to make important changes in Texas laws. She suggested focusing on one theme for the year and finding ways to make a difference and working together whether it be around food insecurity or welcoming new immigrants.

At the Brunch and Learn, there were members of Beth El Temple Center, Belmont, Temple Beth Shalom, Needham, Temple Shalom, Newton and B’nai Israel, Southbury, CT. We all had the opportunity to share how we were engaged in our social justice work. During the morning, many of us connected with each other to build connections and work together on specific programs and initiatives. There were many connections made and relationships formed during this wonderful morning. fredi was not only inspiring and practical but very entertaining and such a wonderful WRJ guest speaker. She prefaced many of her remarks with, "Don’t forget, I am from TEXAS!"

Building a Community Garden
Temple B’nai Torah

Wantagh, NY

A community garden was created in 2019 by the Sisterhood of Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh, NY, to help fight local hunger They received a 2020 incubator grant from WRJ, and the temple sisterhood contributed to support the garden both financial and physically.  The sisterhood continues to support the garden every year. Vegetables grown in the garden include artichokes, sweet peas, radishes, cucumbers, Swiss chard, lettuce, beets, turnips, onions, garlic, lettuce, and carrots. The sisterhood has also done some creative fundraisers to help support the garden. One year they took pictures of the fruits and vegetables produces to create
notecards that they sold. Another year they did a plant sale.

To celebrate the success of the project, which has now had four seasons of harvest, Temple B’nai Torah hosted a Garden Party on June 10. The event brought together members from all
the temple’s communities — Wantagh, Seaford, Bellmore, Merrick, and East Meadow — to honor their hard work.

A Farewell Message from Marla

My dear WRJ sisters,

As you can imagine, these final days as the WRJ Executive Director are bittersweet as I prepare to embark on the next stage of my professional journey. While I am looking forward to the opportunities and new adventures ahead of me, I am looking back with heartfelt gratitude for the many gifts I have received from WRJ over the years.

I was deeply touched and honored by the wonderful retirement celebration hosted by WRJ in Chicago in April. As I shared that evening, I am acutely aware that none of my accomplishments have been achieved alone. WRJ is blessed with the most conscientious, dedicated, and passionate staff members imaginable. And the leaders of WRJ with whom I have worked these past 11 + years are wise, engaged, creative, courageous, and generous… there are simply not enough adjectives to properly describe our remarkable leaders, who truly embody the pillars of WRJ: sisterhood, spirituality, and social justice.

I know I am leaving our beloved WRJ in good hands with incoming Executive Director Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch. She will add her own unique talents and experiences to lead WRJ to a bright future, while remaining true to the core values that have grounded us for over 110 years.

The many blessings I have received from all of you, my WRJ sisters, are more numerous than I can count. These years have been filled with meaningful pursuits, caring relationships, and a great deal of fun and laughter. You have shared with me your joys and your sorrows, opened your hearts and your homes, offered your time and talents to keep WRJ strong, and generously sustained us through both prosperous and lean times. You are the village that it takes to ensure a solid foundation for our future.

This is not farewell, my friends, but hopefully, “see you soon” as I step onto a new career path as an author. For those who do not already know, my next adventure is sharing my new book, Biblical Women Speak (JPS, 2023), which features original and ancient midrash about ten biblical women. You can find out more about the book, my speaking engagements, and ways to stay in touch through my website: www.marlajfeldman.com. Spoiler alert: the book is dedicated to all of you, “my many sisters by choice – the women who have inspired, encouraged, and uplifted me throughout my life and my career.” Thank you, one and all! 

Warmly,
Rabbi Marla J. Feldman
WRJ Executive Director

July is...
Disability Pride Month

July 12 at 8:00 pm
Spring Virtual Lilith Salon

July 18 at 8:00 pm
Book Discussion with WRJ

July 24
International Self-Care Day

July 27
Tishah B'av

Save the Date

Oct. 23 at 7:30 pm
District Zoom Schmooze

Nov. 19 at 4:00 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 

Feb. 5 at 7:30 pm
District Zoom Schmooze

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

Need Access to 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.

Usually in July, traditional Jews observed the minor fast day known as 17 Tammuz, which commemorates several tragedies in Jewish history. The most important events were the breaching of Jerusalem’s defenses by the Romans (who would destroy the Holy Temple three weeks later), and the smashing of the original Ten Commandments when Moses descended from Mt. Sinai to find Jews dancing around the Golden Calf. On a minor fast day we don’t eat from sunrise to sunset. This is much tougher in summer than in winter.

Every ten to twenty years, 17 Tammuz coincides with America’s Independence Day. Most famously, this occurred on July 4, 1776, the birth day of the United States. America has become a beacon of liberty, and we are profoundly grateful for the religious freedom we enjoy here. Perhaps the confluence of 17 Tammuz and the original July 4th comes to teach us that whenever a door seems to slam in our faces, God opens another door somewhere else.

As President Lincoln said, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Source:  Accidentaltalmudist.org

The Board of the Northeast District
of Women of Reform Judaism
Hopes you are having a lovely summer!