Weekly Words of Torah goes PC (Parashah and Chesed) – Parashat Lekh Lekha 5780

To inspire, guide, engage, enrich, and empower Conservative Jewish Women
By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, Executive Director, Women’s League For Conservative Judaism

The following topics are discussed in Parashat Lekh Lekha: God commanded Abram to leave his father’s home and go to Canaan; Abram’s relationship with his nephew Lot;  Abram went to Egypt because of famine in Canaan; The encounter between Sarai and Pharoah; Abram and Lot go their separate ways; The war of the Four Kings; Abram rescued Lot from captivity; God appeared to Abram in a vision and God promised Abram that he will have many children, and also land; The birth of Ishmael. The commandment of circumcision called Brit Milah. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sari’s name to Sarah.

A unique idea for a Chesed  project for Parashat Lekh Lekha would be to create care packages for new babies in the community. There are so many different things needed for a new baby, and would be very much appreciated, if these items were provided as a gift from Sisterhood, before a brit milah (circumcision) or a baby naming. An original Chesed project for a Sisterhood, would be to create a baby care package before a Brit Milah or a Baby Naming/Simchat Bat with the following items:

For both genders:

A cake made from diapers

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-A-Boutique-Style-Diaper-Cake/

https://www.buzzfeed.com/nataliebrown/diaper-cakes-for-everyone

Crochet little kippot, with strings, in generic colors, for the baby the baby to wear

Bottle of Infant Tylenol, or Infant acetaminophen

Small bottle of sweet, red, kosher grape wine or grape juice

Bottle of Hand Sanitizer

Burp cloth or receiving blanket. 

Small Kiddish cup

Candle sticks 

Women’s League sells beautiful baby naming certificates for boys and girls, as well as The Simchat Bat Kit. 

https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=988&id=559

Additionally for baby boys: 

Boxes of sterile 3 x 3 gauze pads

Tubes of Vaseline, Aquaphor, or A&D ointment

Weekly Words of Torah is a brief paragraph prepared weekly by our Executive Director, Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields, presented in our “This Week @ Women’s League.” WWOT will provide meaningful thoughts related to the Weekly Torah Portion, an event on the Calendar, a Prayer, or something of Jewish interest, to inspire, guide, engage, enrich, and empower Conservative Jewish Women. If you have any particular interest in future topics, or want to send Rabbi Wolintz-Fields an email, you can contact her at ewolintz-fields@wlcj.org. Read previous Weekly Words of Torah here, and stay up-to-date with the latest WWOT theme, Chesed, here.