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 President's Message
Southwest Connects Us!!
The Jacobs Camp Women’s Retreat is this weekend. Can’t wait to see you there!!
As Passover approaches I want to wish each of you a Blessed Pesach. As you gather together with family and friends, may you experience the renewal that occurs with the Seder and enjoy the wonderful food that is our tradition.
It is the time of year when many new Presidents will be installed by the Sisterhoods in our District. I know that many nominating committees have been busy and that the new Presidents may look at the next two years with joy and trepidation. Southwest District and Women of Reform Judaism are here to help and support you and your boards as you start and continue on your leadership journey.
First, each Sisterhood in our District has an Area Director who is there to answer questions. She can visit your Sisterhood for leadership training, membership assistance or programming suggestions. Your Sisterhood is also entitled to a visit from either a District or WRJ Speaker’s Bureau representative who can also assist with leadership training, speak at a Shabbat service or help plan a weekend of study and learning for your Sisterhood and board. Please contact me or you can go to www.wrj.org for more information. There is always someone available to answer any questions you may have.
There are also Incubator Grants available from WRJ for special projects you may want to do but need just a little bit of financial assistance to get it going. Please go to www.wrj.org and get the full story about these grant monies that are available to your Sisterhood. Look under “What we do”.
Happy Passover and remember that “Southwest Connects Us”.
Deb Mayworm
Southwest District President
720-771-0316
themayworms@cs.com
Temple Emanuel, Denver, Colorado
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 First VP Message
Sisterhood Presidents: WRJ is here to support you! WRJ Provides New Resources to Help Sisterhoods
I want to take a moment to remind you about some of amazing opportunities available to your sisterhood as a member of WRJ.
- Speakers Bureau – each WRJ affiliated women’s group is entitled to a WRJ North America speaker every two years. The only cost is for local transportation and meals.
- Weekly Digest – an email that includes many Strategies for Success on topics ranging from social action programs, to membership development, to creating marketing materials
- Yammer – WRJ’s online network providing interaction with experts and peers, as well as shared resources.
- Webinars – on diverse issues such as finance and budgeting, marketing and communications, and programming.
These resources are available to you as a benefit of your membership in WRJ and at little or no charge.
Additionally, there are two new resources are now available to you: the WRJ Consultant Program and WRJ Marketing Toolkit.
The WRJ Consultant Program was created to provide WRJ-affiliated sisterhoods with access to WRJ leaders who are knowledgeable in topics that our affiliates often find challenging. The WRJ Board Members and Board Alumnae who serve as consultants have a great deal of experience in their local sisterhoods as well as special skills and interest in the one or two topics in which they are consulting. These topics range from budgeting and finance to governance, congregational relations, fundraising, programming, membership and marketing. Each consultant can provide guidance, resources, and assistance; they are eager to offer their support to help you and your sisterhood succeed. To request a WRJ Consultant, please fill out a request form, available on the WRJ website.
The WRJ Marketing Toolkit is an online guide designed to help sisterhoods develop and implement successful marketing programs. It is available on Yammer in the Marketing and Communications Group. This guide takes you through the process step by step and provides specific recommendations for everything from how to organize to create and manage the process to specific tools that can be used for marketing campaigns. The toolkit provides links to examples and resources and is intended to be a real time resource, with ongoing updates and the addition of new and modified tools.
This resource was introduced at the Assembly in Orlando and you can expect more information and tips on how to use it. The WRJ Consultants assigned to supporting Marketing and Communications needs are familiar with the toolkit and can help sisterhoods implement it.
Assistance is only a click, call or email away, don’t hesitate to contact us.
B’Shalom,
Laurel
laurelbfisher@gmail.com
214-923-5106
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Save the Dates for these exciting WRJ events.
Be on the lookout for more information to come.
Southwest District Convention
November 10-13, 2016
Memphis, Tennessee
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
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Every year in the beginning of March Temple Emanuel of Beaumont, Texas has our annual NY Deli Day Fundraiser.
This has started almost 30 years ago, involves 800 pounds of meat, 1,600 slices of baby Swiss and 420 bricks of cream cheese (for 120 + cheesecakes)
that we always sell out of. The menu features NY deli turkey and Swiss or corned beef on rye with our signature coleslaw. Over 2,000 meals are served during the two day event.
This year we Honored Cynthia Wolf.
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WRJ Sisters Connect: Making Choices
Area Day for AR/northern LA/Northeast TX held in Shreveport
On February 21 WRJ Sisters Connect: Making Choices was hosted by the B’nai Zion Sisterhood (Shreveport). Bethany Sorkey, sisterhood president, and Sharon Berman, WRJ SW District Area Director, coordinated efforts to make this area event happen. Women from Little Rock and Hot Springs, Arkansas; Tyler, Plano, and Texarkana, Texas; as well as Monroe, Louisiana were invited to join the women of B’nai Zion.
The fifteen women attending enjoyed browsing the sisterhood’s annual Fair Trade Market and later engaging in discussion of Torah passages and quotes that relate to fair treatment of employees, higher minimum wage, immediate pay for work done, and over-consumption at meals. That segment was led by visiting ISJL education fellow, Abby Klionsky. The host sisterhood served a nutritious lunch of vegetarian gumbo, cornbread, and fruit, with dessert later in the afternoon.
Attendees had a chance to share their sisterhoods’ high points and challenges, realizing during this discussion, they shared a common frustration – lack of involvement. Sharon Berman shared registration information for the Women’s Retreat at Jacobs Camp, as well as exciting details about the November 2016 Southwest District Convention in Memphis.
All women received the current WRJ and YES Fund brochures available free upon request from WRJ. Presidents were given a WRJ Centennial notepad, a pack of Uniongrams, a Covenant book for use in meetings and programs, and the 2013 WRJ Centennial Celebration book. Details about the exciting, new WRJ-sponsored Chai Mitzvah program were shared, as well as how to bring a District or International WRJ speaker to their congregations. Also discussed was how to access resources on the WRJ website and Yammer for programming, fundraising, advocacy, etc.
Bethany led the women in a project which was in keeping with using our resources wisely. Old t-shirts were turned into shopping bags by cutting the neckline deeper and trimming off the sleeves. The bottom opening was then either sewn closed or cut into narrow strips and knotted two at a time. Lots of fun and very useful!
Toward the end of the day when we realized we would not be able to do Shalom Yoga with Bethany or much singing with Rabbi Jana De Benedetti, the conclusion was to hold on to those ideas for next year. These SISTERS rock!
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On March 6, 2016, Temple Beth-El Sisterhood hosted a program on Navigating the New Bullying. Leslie Ausburn moderated a panel discussion led by Michael Malinas, LCSW, Clinical Director of the Jewish Family Service of San Antonio, and Dr. Roxanne Henkin, Professor of Interdisciplinary Learning & Teaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Also joining the panel were attorney James Carter of the DBM ("Don't Bully Me") Foundation and Maudie Muraida, Executive Director of United Communities of San Antonio, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit human relations educational organization that emphasizes reaching our children is the best hope for the future, with its major emphasis on programs for youth and educators.
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Gates of Prayer Sisterhood in Metairie, LA held their first-ever Coach Bag Bingo fundraiser on Saturday evening, March 26, 2016. Open to the public, GoP Sisterhood held eleven games of Bingo with a new Coach item prize for each game. Sisterhood members were charged a $25 entrance fee and non-Sisterhood members were $30. The entrance fee included 11 games of Bingo, light appetizers, desserts and beverages (which were all donated). With over 50 people in attendance, this was one Saturday night of FUN to remember! For more information on running Coach Bag Bingo at your sisterhood, please contact Jennifer Daley at jdsports27@hotmail.com.
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Temple Emanuel Sisterhood
Beaumont, Texas
New 2016 MahJongg Card Play Day
Let’s all try the new 2016 card together!!
******CHANGE OF DATE ******Sunday, May 15, 2016
Doors open at 9:00 AM, Games start at 9:45 AM
Cost $40 which includes light breakfast, lunch and 5 rounds of 3 games each and great door prizes!
Mail your reservation: Laura Thomas 4620 Baywood Ln., Beaumont 77706
Reservations due by Monday, May 2, 2016
Make check payable to: Temple Emanuel Sisterhood
Name: ________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________
Email: _________________________________________
Questions?? contact Laura @409-719-6914 or laura.nana.51@gmail.com or Jane at Temple Emanuel @409-832-6131
Drawings for Door Prizes all day and Prizes awarded to top 3 winners at the end of the Day!!
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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.
Enclosed 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.
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