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News from the Northeast
January 5, 2021
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This eblast is sent from northeast@wrj.org.
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Message from Carol Chaykin
Vice President of Marketing & Communications
WRJ Northeast District Good riddance 2020! The past year has tested our health, our pocketbooks, our political system, and much more. Some of us have fallen ill. Others have lost family members and friends, colleagues and acquaintances. We missed holiday dinners, lunches with friends, and family vacations. We make fewer trips to the grocery store, and some of us hardly go anywhere else. Instead, our lives have gone virtual. Meetings are held almost exclusively online. We have become schooled in the World of Zoom. We know how to switch between Speaker and Gallery views and when to mute ourselves.
There are some benefits to our new cybernetic lives. Speakers from the Northeast District Speakers Bureau, always available without expense to sisterhoods and women's groups, can be booked more easily for online meetings, since no travel is invloved. Additionally, the most distant speakers are as accessible as a login and, for the first time, participants ’round the world can join our meetings. Videoconferencing will never replace hugging someone in person, but a lot can be shared in virtual face-to-face sessions. We used to gather for in-person district meetings a few times a year at convention or Kallah, and at area events. But during the past ten months, we zoomed together many more times, sharing our stories and often our hopes and fears. We reached out to one another as if in retaliation for our self-imposed semi-isolation. It may seem paradoxical, but I believe that many of us have become closer to one another even while physically distant.
Although 2020 is behind us, the danger is not over. We must remain vigilant. But we can also maintain a positive and optimistic outlook. Eventually, we will again be able to see friends and family safely “in real life.” When that time comes, we will surely appreciate our lives, our friends, our family, and our experiences as we have not done before.
In the meantime, use the tools at your disposal to maintain and nurture relationships with others, and cherish each moment of joy that comes your way.
With wishes for safety, health, and happiness during the coming year,
Carol Chaykin
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York, NY
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Please note corrected time:
Wednesday, January 6, 2:00 p.m.
Master of Movement: Moshe Feldenkrais Join contemporary movement masters Frederick Schjang and Scott Fraser to learn the about life and work of Moshe Feldenkrais. Discussion will be interspersed with a (seated) introduction to the gentle Awareness Through Movement® lessons that many credit with their being able to live life with renewed vigor and vitality. Open to all, regardless of fitness levels or prior experience. Sponsored by the Women's Organization of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue (NYC). Get the details and register here.Saturday, January 9, 6:00 p.m.
Virtual Shakespeare Reading: A Midsummer Night's Dream What better time than mid-winter to dream of mid-summer? Join the Free Synagogue of Flushing Sisterhood (Flushing, NY) for a fun-filled reading of this lively Shakespearean comedy. Participants can choose to be part of the cast (parts are limited) or as audience members. Please contact sisterhood@freesynagogueflushing.org to register. Sunday, January 10, 8:00 p.m.
Author Talk With Rachel Adler: Tales of the Holy Mysticat The subtitle of Rabbi Adler's book is "Jewish Wisdom Stories by a Feline Mystic, as Reverently Collected by His Humble Assistant." Join the B'nai Israel Sisterhood (Southbury, CT) for an interesting and fun talk with Rabbi Adler. Email bnaisisters@gmail.com for the Zoom link. Wednesday, January 13, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Soups and Stews with Chef Robin Kalis
Upcoming Events Webpage
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| | | Congratulations, Massachusetts! On December 29, the Massachusetts legislature overrode the Massachusetts governor's veto in order to pass the ROE Act. The ROE Act is now a groundbreaking law creating an affirmative right to abortion in the state – expanding abortion access after 24 weeks, and removing a parental consent requirement for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds.
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Online District Speakers Speakers from the Northeast District may be arranged for online meetings at no cost to your sisterhood or women’s group.
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WRJ News and Events Wednesday, January 6, 8:00 p.m.
Lilith Salon
Sunday, January 10, 8:00 p.m.
Music of Progressive Israeli Jewish Communities
Monday - Thursday, January 11 - 14, 12:00 p.m.
Virtual Tour: Israel Through the Five Senses Join WRJ Tour Guide Shari Robins for a unique and memorable tour filled with mindfulness, music, poetry, Hebrew slang, culture, issues, and other surprises. Get the details and register here.Tuesday, January 19, 8:00 p.m.
Film, Fiction, and Wine: 'The Secret Chord' and 'Hallelujah' Gail Spivack and Rozan Anderson will facilitate this discussion about the book by Geraldine Brooks, the Leonard Cohen's song, and David’s life as a man, through the eyes of his wives, children, friends, and enemies. Get the details and register here.Hebrew Aleph-Bet Class
Starting January 20 or 21
Want to learn how to sound out and read Hebrew?
WRJ is offering two options for an 8-week-long class with Pamela Feldman-Hill:
• Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., January 20 – March 17 (no meeting March 10)
• Thursdays at noon, January 21 – March 11
Each class limited to 30 participants. Suggested donation $36.
Get the details and register by January 13.WRJ Calendar and Programming on Yammer
You may also find additional events in the Online Programming Group on Yammer, where you can post your group’s online events.
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Fried Women's Conference
March 12-14, 2021 The 2021 Fried Women’s Conference will be held as a virtual conference, as was the 2020 conference. No packing, no travel, no hotels required – so easy. Fees will be nominal. We encourage you to put it on your calendar. More details here.
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Other News Help Choose RAC-NY’s 2021 Issue Campaign Join social justice leaders from around the state to help choose RAC-NY’s 2021 issue campaign. Reform lay leaders will present research on the state bills where New York Reform Jews can make the most difference; you’ll weigh in on the one you want to work on. Register for the webinar that is more convenient for you: January 13, 12 p.m. or January 14, 7 p.m.Introduction to Judaism Online Taught in ASL URJ is offering an Introduction to Judaism class taught in American Sign Language for Deaf students. The 21-session class will meet on Monday evenings from 8 to 9:30 p.m., Starting February 8. Limited to 12 students. Get the details here.38th World Zionist Congress The 38th World Zionist Congress, the international “parliament of the Jewish people,” was held online in October 2020. The American Zionist Movement, which administered the voting in early 2020, has published a summary of the proceedings accompanied by links to resolutions, videos, and other materials. Podcast: Adventures in Jewish Studies The first episode of Series 3, "Why Most American Jews Are Democrats," is now available. Popular episodes from Series 1 and 2 include "Rethinking Black Jewish Relations," "Origins of the Jews," "The Marvelous Mrs. Carroll," "Are Jews White?" and more. Listen now.
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URJ Summer Camp for 2021 URJ camps are accepting registrations for Summer 2021. Some sessions are already all booked up! Get the details for URJ camps in the Northeast District:
WUPJ Chanukah Gala Did you miss the Virtual Chanukah Gala for WUPJ last month?
You can replay it here, compliments of Central Synagogue (NYC).
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| Calendar and Other Resources
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| Calendar January 6 Lilith Salon
January 10 Music of Progressive Israeli Jewish Communities
January 11-14 Israel Virtual Tour
January 13 Aleph-Bet Class Registration deadline
January 18 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 19 Film, Fiction, and Wine
January 28 Tu BiSh'vat
Save the Date March 12-14 Fried Women's Conference
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| | Keep in Touch
with WRJ Northeast
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| 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.
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| | Request an Online Speaker
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Your sisterhood is entitled to a district speaker without expense to your sisterhood.
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| Tools & Resources Northeast Resources
WRJ Resources
WRJ Programs
Other Resources
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| Northeast District Photos
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| Did You Know... There's An Official Jewish Tartan You may have noticed that people have a tendency to wear plaid in the winter months. Indeed, many major fashion designers regularly incorporate tartan into their winter collections. The tradition of tartan in winter likely originated because the colorful fabric was warm, being traditionally made of wool, and bright enough to be seen even on a dreary winter day. Although tatran and plaid patterns now come in a variety of fabrics, including the ever-popular flannel, they are still most often presented as cold weather clothing.
Tartan was originally worn as a delineation between different clans and families in Scotland, but its continued popularity, and today's more diverse Scotland, have updated the tradition to include more than just the original clans. This has resulted in an official Jewish tartan! The design is predominantly blue and white, the colors of both the Israeli and Scottish flags, with gold to represent the Ark of the Covenant and red to represent Kiddush wine, with three vertical lines and seven horizontal ones. Although the Jewish population in Scotland is very small, there are records of a Jewish presence in the country as far back as the Twelfth Century. Now, Jewish fans of tartan from around the world can get an official tartan to wear during the chilly months of winter.
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| The Board of the Northeast District of Women of Reform Judaism
Wishes You a Happy, Healthy, and Safe 2021!
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The next eblast will be sent on February 2, 2021.
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