August 5 Message

“Your life and mine should be valued not by what we take…..but by what we give.” – Edgar Allen, Founder of Easter Seals

carol_simon

Shabbat Shalom!

We each volunteer for a variety of reasons….to make friends in a new community, to learn something new, to participate in a book club or rosh chodesh group, or because you enjoy the camaraderie of working with other liked minded women….yet, the bottom line is that we are all giving back. Yes, we are taking something away, be it making new friends or learning a new skill, but as I like to say, “I am involved because I want to give back, to my sisterhood, my region and the Jewish world at large.” For the most part, most of us are very fortunate…we have clothes to wear, shoes for our feet and kitchen cabinets filled with food….and because of this we volunteer to help make our communities and the world a better place to be.

This is the time of year that our sisterhoods and WLCJ are looking out towards the new year and making plans. We are immersed in the details of finding a venue, thinking about an interesting program or finding a team to work on it. And in all of these preparations we are focused on the details, we sometimes forget about the time that we spend on these details…that we are giving back….to create a warm, welcoming environment so that others can join us and give back.

Working together, it is not what we are taking from our involvement, which is wonderful and helps us to grow, but that we are giving of ourselves to others, so that we can all enjoy the benefits of being a part of WLCJ, the friendships that we have made across North America and the skills of leadership that we cultivate in ourselves and others!

Thank you for giving to the women of our synagogues and the women that are involved in WLCJ..so that together our voices are heard.

Wishing each of you a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat,
Carol