President's Message

Spring is here and as the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.”   As Mother’s Day approaches, WRJ/JWI are once again supporting the Mother’s Day Flower Project.  Flowers and beauty products will be sent to battered women’s shelters when you send a card to a special woman in your life.   Go to www.wrj.org  for information on how to support this worthwhile project.  Happy Mother’s Day!!

WRJ is now offering Individual Memberships for Reform Jewish Women who want to be a part of WRJ but do not belong to an affiliated Sisterhood.   Discussions are being held on how to appeal to the Generation X’ers, Millennials, Baby Boomers and Seniors and what type of programming these groups would like have.   These are some of the same issues that most Sisterhoods are dealing with.   If you have questions, suggestions or success stories that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you.   Please contact me at themayworms@cs.com ; I look forward to hearing from you.

Another successful Women’s Retreat was held at Jacobs Camp in Utica, Mississippi in April.  Twenty-five women campers enjoyed a beautiful sunny weekend.  We ate fried chicken, held services by the lake, played Frisbee Golf, relaxed, played games, met new friends and had Havdalah, a camp fire and singing by the lake.   Before we knew it, it was time to go home with all of the fond memories of the weekend.   Next year we will meet at Greene Family Camp in Texas.  We are so fortunate to have both of these wonderful camps in our Southwest District.

Members of the Women of Reform Judaism Board of Directors will soon be going to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin to attend the Annual Meeting at OSRUI( another lovely URJ camp) May 20-23^rd.  There will be a YES Fund “Broad” Walk to raise money for the YES Fund.   You and your Sisterhood can help support this fund raiser or do something like this at your own Sisterhood.  More information will be in the next newsletter.

Please send pictures of your installation services and other events, we want to hear from you as “Southwest Connects Us”.
  
Deb Mayworm
Southwest District President
720-771-0316
themayworms@cs.com
Temple Emanuel, Denver, Colorado

 First VP Message

Just say YES!
 
Raising money for WRJ’s YES Fund does not need to be a big extravagant endeavor.  It can be as easy as passing a tzedakah can around at your next Sisterhood Board Meeting or collecting gently used jewelry to be sold at your next event.
 
At our recent District Women’s Retreat we decided to offer gourmet coffee delivered to your cabin on Sunday morning.  I mean, really, who doesn't want fresh coffee in bed?  We took orders on Saturday night, and Waynette was our Barista.  We asked women to consider a donation to the YES Fund and to pay what they thought it was worth.  Phyllis, Jennifer and I delivered delicious hot coffee with a smile.  In the end, we collected over $450.
 
For more fun and exciting ways to fundraise, make plans to attend our District Convention in Memphis this November.  We look forward to seeing you there!
 
L’Shalom,
Laurel

laurelbfisher@gmail.com
214-923-5106

Save the Dates for these exciting WRJ events.
Be on the lookout for more information to come.  

Get ready to Rock and Roll in Memphis
the home of Elvis and Graceland
Join us for the
Southwest District Biennial Convention
Lech L'cha: Expanding Our Circles
With special guest WRJ Executive Director Rabbi Marla Feldman

Fried Leadership Conference
March 3-5, 2017  
Charleston, South Carolina
 

A First Timer's Perspective on Our District Women's Retreat by Ellen Liston, Temple Shalom Sisterhood, Dallas

This was my first time at a WRJ function.  Not only am I new to WRJ,​ but I am also new to Reform Judaism.  I was interested in going for two reasons:

• First, ​I was curious ​about​ how WRJ represented Reform Judaism with its broad spectrum of observance.  Coming from ​Conservative Judaism,​I am confused with Reform Judaism's promise of choices in observance and the reality with the members I have met. 
• The second reason was to escape the chaos of life.

The retreat was very special. I was amazed to meet such committed educated Jewish women, and from the ​South no less!!  Everyone was very warm and there were some very spiritual Jewish moments.  We took a meditative walk led by Rabbi Pinksy and then we had Shabbat morning services by the lake.  In the evening we had Havdalah by a roaring campfire.  At the end of the weekend, we gathered in a circle and shared a favorite moment of the retreat.
I came home hoping ​that my ​Synagogue and ​Sisterhood could add more spiritual Jewish moments into our programming.  The retreat gave me hope and a glimpse of the potential of Reform Judaism.

Now is the time to apply for the WRJ Southwest District Executive Committee or to honor your sisterhood's most active and dedicated members by encouraging them to submit their names. This is a two-year term beginning at our district biennial in Memphis, Nov. 10-13.  The nominating committee is seeking women who represent the broadest range of experience, background and geographic location.

It is your sisterhood’s right, privilege, and opportunity to identify qualified candidates and encourage them to submit their names for consideration by the nominating committee. Not only is it an honor for the women, it is also a source of pride for your sisterhood and congregation to have one of your members serve on the WRJ Southwest District Executive Committee. Your sisterhood will have firsthand knowledge of WRJ and Southwest District activities and programs, and can share in the decision-making process of the WRJ Southwest District.

Honor an outstanding woman in your sisterhood by encouraging her to serve on the WRJ Southwest District Executive Committee.  We hope that you will take advantage of this important opportunity to have a member of your sisterhood be part of the leadership of Women of Reform Judaism.

Follow the link: http://wrjsw.org/ to see the is the eligibility criteria for sisterhoods and individual candidates, the responsibilities of a WRJ Southwest District Executive Committee member, the job descriptions as well as the application. (Please note that your sisterhood’s WRJ and district dues must be current in order for your sisterhood members to submit their name as a candidate.) 

The deadline for submission is May 15, 2016. Email submissions to me at nicole.villalpando@gmail.com or mail them to Nicole Villalpando, 9608 Tea Rose Trail, Austin, TX 78748.

Please feel free to call me at 512-627-9608 with questions.