Hanukkah Memory

By Lymor Wasserman, Co-Chair WLCJ Environmental Committee

Happy Gregorian New Year to all! We have many things we look forward to in the new year. Personally, I can’t wait for the end of March when the new Maj Jongg card comes out! Maybe you’re looking forward to getting together with some friends, going to brunch at a favorite restaurant, celebrating a milestone birthday. There are some things I don’t look forward to when the calendar year changes its last number, like the diet industry sales, gym memberships, and all those resolutions. Do you remember when you had to think carefully when writing checks to use the new year on them? Write important dates like birthdays and anniversaries in our calendar? Wow, how the world has changed! OK, maybe you still have a calendar hung in your kitchen or home office, but how many checks do we actually write a year, and how many of us rely on our electronic calendars to remind us of important appointments and birthdays?

As our traditions and mundane activities have changed, we are reframing our minds about how we think about our weather and the changes to the environment. Yes, I’m talking about Climate Change! Over the past month, we have experienced much colder weather than normal. This isn’t the first time. We have been experiencing hotter summers, colder and snowier winters and more deadly hurricanes and tornadoes than ever before. Women’s League has already taken action by co-sponsoring the Reverse Tashlich program. Many of our congregations and sisterhoods joined in the fall to clean up our waterways and reduce our carbon footprint.

Women’s League has a unique opportunity to once again participate in being part of the change! Join us on Tuesday, January 17th when we co-sponsor a webinar with Jewish Earth Alliance to hear what opportunities our new Congress can bring for climate action. Hear directly from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) about what Jews can do to press for Tikkun Olam in the 118th Congress. Whitehouse is a climate champion who has kept up a drumbeat for action on climate change with over 285 speeches to the Senate. You’ll also have an opportunity to sign up for virtual lobbying on Tu Bishvat, Monday, February 6th. Register here https://bit.ly/climate118 to join Women’s League and Jewish Earth Alliance for this exciting webinar: The Climate on Capital Hill – A Roadmap for Jewish Climate Advocacy in the 118th Congress on January 17, 2023 at 8:00 pm ET. We can all be part of repairing this world L’Dor V’dor (from one generation to the next).

Shabbat Shalom,
Lymor Wasserman
WLCJ Sustainability Co-Chair
mrswass@gmail.com