By Anne Schimberg and Karen Winer, WLCJ Jewels in the Crown 2023 Co-Chairs
Jewels in the Crown 2023
Jewels in the Crown. Jewels: people or things that are treasured, esteemed or indispensable. Jewels are our affiliates. The Crown is WLCJ.
For an award, we acknowledge those affiliates who educate, care, support and inspire their women with programs and events, or through the use of programs and events designed and presented by Women’s League.
At the next WLCJ International Convention in 2023, we will again bestow these awards on those Sisterhood Affiliates who meet certain requirements. As we plan for 2023, we are taking into account the pandemic and how it has affected planning and programming.
What is important is that to receive a Jewels in the Crown award, the affiliate must participate or sponsor two programs each fiscal year in each category. For each category there are choices and the affiliate does not have to complete all of the choices, just two.
There will also be information on WLCJ website pertaining to diversity and inclusion initiatives.
In order to apply, an application is found on WLCJ website: https://www.wlcj.org/programs/jewels-in-the-crown-awards/ which needs to be filled out and sent in either snail mail to the Women’s League office: 520 8th Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or email: jewel@wlcj.org.
It is wonderful to be able to say to the members of your Sisterhood Affiliate, to the members of your synagogue, and to prospective members that yours is an award-winning organization. We look forward to welcoming our newest award-winning affiliates who will be designated a Jewel in the Crown of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism at our Convention in 2023!
Jewels in the Crown 2023 Application Instructions
- A sisterhood/affiliate must participate in or sponsor two programs or projects in each category during each fiscal year between July 2020 and June 2023
- For Jewels in the Crown 2023, there will be three award levels – for one year, two years, and for three years.
- Activities must have occurred, or be scheduled to occur, between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2023
- Download the form from wlcj.org and return with supporting materials to jewel@wlcj.org as attachments by March 2, 2023.
- Electronic submissions are preferred and must be submitted to jewel@wlcj.org. Materials and forms SHOULD NOT BE SUBMITTED to any other email address. If electronic submission is not possible, please fill out this form and mail the material to WLCJ at 520 8th Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018
- Email any questions to: jewel@wlcj.org
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Jewels in the Crown Award, a Sisterhood Affiliate, or a member of one, must fulfill each of the following for each fiscal year between July 2020 and June 2023:
- Submit Women’s League per capita payment on time
- Participate in the Torah Fund Campaign
- Attend a region conference and/or meetings and virtual meetings count!
Categories
Education/Program (Participate in or sponsor two programs each year)
- Official Women’s League Education or other such programs, such as Personal Conversations, WL Reads, Health and Wellness; How to Live Forever, Women in Film, Masorti Days of Study, Sichot beyn Achayot (dialog between Diaspora and Israeli sisters), Makom B’yachad.
- Use of any Women’s League holiday and educational materials: Ruth, Esther, Kohelet, Shir Hashirim, Psalms, Mitzvah Yomit, Yom Yarok, Hiddur Mitzvah, Ushpizot, Divrei Nashim: Words of Our Women, Women’s League Shabbat, Sisterhood Planner
- Participation in the WLCJ Adult Bat Mitzvah Program or participation in an adult Bat Mitzvah program using Etz Chayim He Bat Mitzvah/Adult Jewish Studies Curriculum
- Special interest groups such as Rosh Chodesh or book group, needlework club, Torah yoga, etc.
- Program from the Women’s League Sisterhood Planner (name/date of program)
- 2020 and 2017 programs from previous Jewels in the Crown winners – Download by logging into the Members Only section of the WLCJ website!
- Original or innovative programming of Jewish or general content (such as women’s health, financial planning, nutrition, etc.)
- Programming which directly addresses issues of diversity and inclusion such as LGBTQIA+, disability/differing abilities/autism, Jews of Color, or family status
- WLCJ Hebrew Classes
Community Service/Israel/World Affairs
(Participate in or sponsor two programs each fiscal year)
- Event either planned with or opened to another sisterhood/affiliate or to your region members
- Any type of community service (chesed) project (description required); such as collecting clothes for community shelters; collecting food for food banks; environmental project, etc.; community-wide health initiatives, such as organized walks for any health disorder; health fairs; or the collection of financial donations in support of such programs given that other sorts of collections may have been limited during the pandemic
- Contribute to Masorti Women and/or Kehillot (in Israel)
- Mercaz programming
- Program focused on Israel (such as JNF, Israel Advocacy, etc.)
- Supporting WLCJ community service initiatives such as Stock the Shelves; Support the Girls; Sharsheret; or WLCJ Giving Tuesday which helps support the Masorti Day of Study in Israel
Women’s League Activities
(Participate in or sponsor two programs or activities each fiscal year)
- Schedule a Women’s League Shabbat (on prescribed or other date)
- Schedule a Women’s League Preparation for Shabbat Together: HaChanah L’Shabbat B’Yachad (as some Sisterhoods/affiliates may be unable to celebrate a traditional WL Shabbat during the pandemic due to restrictions on virtual services)
- Invite/include region officers to sisterhood meeting or event; virtual attendance counts!
- President is a member of PrezNet
- Member participates in a WLCJ virtual education program
- Member attends Women’s League Leadership Institute when available
- Member participates in region training for her portfolio (ex: president, Torah Fund, treasurer)
- Schedule or confer with Women’s League consulting services
- Member is registered for Women’s League convention (2023)
- Host region or area meetings when able or a member participates in the planning of such events (as when they are virtual).
Anne Schimberg
Jewels in the Crown 2023 Co-Chair
Jewel@wlcj.org
Karen Winer
Jewels in the Crown 2023 Co-Chair
jewel@wlcj.org
