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News from the Northeast
May 1, 2018 | |
This eblast is sent from northeast@wrj.org.
Please add this address to your Contacts so you won't miss our News. If this eblast is "clipped," click "View entire message" at the end of the eblast.
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Message from Marsha Byrnes
Treasurer, WRJ Northeast District
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When I was asked to write a column for our e-blast, I thought, “I can do this. I wrote 20 columns for my sisterhood newsletter during the two years I was president.” Let me start by introducing myself. I live in Lexington, MA, and belong to Temple Isaiah and its sisterhood. I grew up a Reform Jew in Whitestone, NY, as a member of Temple Beth Sholom in Flushing. I met my husband at MIT while doing Israeli dancing. We have been married over forty years and have two great sons, two great daughters-in-law, and two fantastic grandsons. My 91-year-old mother lives nearby and I have lunch with her every week. Since my younger son was in kindergarten, I have been the administrator of my husband’s consulting/teaching/software businesses. So I keep busy! I feel very fortunate that my temple has a strong and vibrant sisterhood. When I first moved to Lexington in 1983, I brought my young children to preschool holiday parties at Temple Isaiah and later became involved in running the events. When my older son was in high school, a friend called and said that she had been asked to be sisterhood treasurer and said she would not be good at it. She suggested that they ask her friend Marsha (me)! The rest, as they say, is history. After almost six years as treasurer, I became sisterhood president. I went to some district and WRJ events and really liked the women I met. Then the New England and New York districts merged. This fit me really well because I am a New York/New England merger myself! Sisterhood and WRJ have allowed me to deepen my ties to Judaism and meet women at many different ages and stages of life. I love the conventions, weekends away, the singing, projects, and meetings. The District treasurer job suits me well because I’m very detail-oriented and I can make all the numbers come out right! I think women’s organizations are very special. Women do so much for others. Sisterhood and WRJ are something we do for ourselves (AND others!). I hope to keep learning, growing, and meeting great women through sisterhood, our District, and WRJ. The more you put into it, the more you get out. Marsha Byrnes
Temple Isaiah, Lexington, MA
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Are you looking for an exciting new challenge? Do you want to become more involved with WRJ at the district level? Want an opportunity to take your leadership skills to the next level? Then consider becoming a part of the WRJ Northeast District Executive Committee! The Northeast District Nominating Committee is currently seeking women for the two-year term that begins in October 2018. This is an excellent opportunity for sisterhood leaders, former sisterhood presidents, and women who are simply passionate about WRJ. A seat on the District Executive Committee not only honors the women who serve, but is also a source of pride for your sisterhood and congregation. You can find our job descriptions HERE. Each term of office is two years and will begin in October 2018. The application can be found HERE. The deadline is Sunday, May 6, 2018. LAST CALL! The slate will be announced in June 2018. The new board will be installed at the Sixth Northeast District Convention in Framingham, MA, October 25-28, 2018.
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On the day before this year’s Equal Pay Day (April 10), the day when women's average earnings finally catch up to men's average earnings from the previous year, equal pay advocates received a gift: a favorable court decision. On Monday, April 9, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals released its unanimous decision for Rizo v. Yovino, ruling that employers cannot consider prior salary when determining an employee’s pay. This decision affirmed equal pay advocates’ claim that using prior salary to determine pay perpetuates the gender wage gap and thus violates the Equal Pay Act.
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Reform Pay Equity Initiative The Reform Pay Equity Initiative needs pilot congregations to test drive its toolbox for pay equity and provide feedback. GET THE DETAILS HERE. If interested in learning about becoming a pilot congregation, please submit THIS FORM or contact Alyson Malinger by email or by phone (212-650-4057).
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Now that a month has passed since the March For Our Lives, how can we continue this momentum on gun violence prevention? REGISTER to join us on
May 17 at 4:30 p.m. to discuss the steps we can take with our youth to make the world a safer place.
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WRJ Northeast District Photo Albums and Slideshows
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Birthday-in-a-Box, an Or Ami Honorable Mention Project
Temple Beth-El Sisterhood, Providence, RI On April 10, thirteen sisterhood members participated in the Birthday-in-a-Box project. This project won an Or Ami Honorable Menntion Award at the Fried Leadership Conference in March. This activity was part of a sisterhood board meeting. Donations for the supplies came from the greater temple community as well as sisterhood members. Boxes were decorated and filled using an assembly line. They were filled with items such as cake mix, party hats, decorations, and more to be given out at the parties. This is an easy project to replicate. CLICK HERE for step-by-step instructions.
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How Sisterhoods Benefit Temples
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There is something unique, warm, and incredibly special about a women’s group. It not only presents myriad opportunities for members to express their Jewish identities – whether they attend religious services or not – but also offers a way to draw inactive women back to an important aspect of synagogue life. Read more on the WRJ Blog HERE.
Has your sisterhood run a program that really helped the women bond? Share it with us so other groups can learn from your success. Email us a description and even a photo to wrjneblast@gmail.com and you may see your program highlighted here or on the district's FACEBOOK PAGE.
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Moment's Publish-A-Kid Contest
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Moment’s Publish-A-Kid contest encourages children to read and think about what they are reading by writing book reviews on books with connections to the Jewish world! All they need to do is read a book (see list on the link below) and write a 300 word or less review explaining what they think and feel about the book in their own words. Winning entries will be published at momentmag.com (and maybe even in print!) and winners will receive a book selected by Moment's editors. For more details, click HERE. The contest is open to children between 9 and 13 years of age. Contest entries may be submitted via email to pak@momentmag.com with your name and age in the subject line. This year’s contest is held in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month and the deadline is May 31, 2018.
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Calendar May is Jewish American Heritage Month
May 3 - Lag B'Omer May 6 - Applications due for WRJ Northeast Officers and Executive Board positions May 13 - Mother's Day May 13 - Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day)
May 20 - Shavuot May 21 - Victoria Day (Canada) May 28 - Memorial Day (U.S.) June 1 - Deadline for completing WRJ Outreach Grant projects
Save the Date for Convention 2018
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WRJ Northeast District Convention
October 25-28, 2018
Framingham, MA
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| W E L C O M E New Sisterhood Presidents and Leaders - Email leadership@wrj.org or call 212.650.4050 to request Yammer invitations for your new leaders.
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| We Are On Twitter @WRJNortheast
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Get up-to-the-minute information on happenings around the Northeast District and of interest to Jewish women. Follow us, retweet us, interact with us, and share us!
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| Your sisterhood is entitled to a District Speaker once every two years, without expense to your sisterhood.
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| WRJ Outreach Grants End Soon
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WRJ will provide outreach grants of up to $1,000 to WRJ sisterhoods and women’s groups for programs that reach out to interfaith families and non-Jews. Programs must be completed by June 1, 2018. Evaluation forms must be submitted by June 15, 2018.
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Did You Know... Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM)
A national month of recognition of the more than 360-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture, JAHM acknowledges the achievements of American Jews in fields ranging from sports and arts and entertainment to medicine, business, science, government, and military service.
This year, the theme is Jewish Contributions to American Music
Here are some of the most celebrate Jewish-American musicians: - Leonard Berstein - conductor and composer
- George & Ira Gershwin - composers and lyricists
- Sophie Tucker - vaudeville and Yiddish theater
- Itzhak Perlman - violinist
- Barbra Streisand - singer
- Irving Berlin - songwriter
- Michael Tilson Thomas - conductor
- Bob Dylan - singer and songwriter
and many others, maybe even you?
To learn more about Jewish American Heritage Month, you can visit their website HERE.
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Happy Mother's Day
It's a day to celebrate us all as women,
whether we are moms, grandmoms,
daughters, sisters, or all of the above.
Take the time and tell somebody
how much you appreciate that they are in your life.
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Share this newsletter by using one of the "Share this" icons at the top of the newsletter. The next eblast will be sent on June 5, 2018.
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