WLCJ is Growing – Worldwide!

By Lori Snow, WLCJ WOW Liaison and Immediate Past President, MAR, and
Illene Rubin, Chair, World Community Engagement

WLCJ marches on its way to grow as a world community. Learn more at Convention when World Community Engagement presents three international guests describing global updates of interest to all of us. Did you know Masorti (Conservative Judaism outside the US) is growing around the world? Learn where and why from these amazing women and hear how Masorti Olami strengthens and supports over 140 communities across five continents – attend session Aleph. Are you aware of Women of the Wall’s fight for women’s rights in Judaism and for religious pluralism? Discover the world of WOW attend session Bet. 

Celebrating Sisters Around the World – Aleph
What is Masorti? 
In our Tuesday 7/18 Part 1 Convention morning session meet and hear internationally known Tehila Reuben, Deputy Director at Masorti Olami and MERCAZ Olami.

Tehila Reuben
Since May 2011,  Tehila has overseen its network of international communities, resource development and operations in the Jerusalem and New York offices. She organized and coordinated events, programs, and missions, to Budapest, Paris, and London. Tehila has been leading the organization’s efforts to help the Ukrainian Masorti/Conservative communities and refugees since the start of Russia’s March 2022 invasion of Ukraine and works as the liaison between the organization and their European, African, Australian, and Asian communities.

Then meet and hear Dafnah Sizomu from Uganda talk about her life story as the wife of a Zeigler rabbinical student and the daughter of the Uganda Abayudaya community rabbi. Hear first-hand stories of how they overcome their struggles and remain among our strongest, most dedicated, and fastest growing communities.

Dafnah Sizomu
Dafnah Sizomu, born in Uganda to Abayudaya community religious leader Rabbi Gershom and Tziporah Sizomu, grew up Los Angeles, where her father was in rabbinical school, and spent a year in Israel. After returning to Uganda in 2008, she earned a pharmacy diploma. Dafnah teaches Hebrew, trains bar and bat mitzvah students and has a passion for reading Torah and leading services. She loves art and crafts, making new friends, is married and has a daughter, Shirah Wangechi.

Celebrating Sisters Around the World – Bet
Women of the Wall (WOW) in our Backyard and Israel
At our Tuesday evening session (Bet), immerse yourself in the world of the Women of the Wall (WOW). Hear an interview with Internationally known speaker Yochi Rappeport, WOW Executive Director,  describing life in Israel and WOW’s current situation.

Yochi Rappeport
Born in Safed and raised in an Orthodox environment, Yochi Rappeport served in the IDF as a Nativ Military Course commander teaching Judaism and Zionism to new immigrants and non-Jewish soldiers. Following her military service, she studied at Bar Ilan University. She joined Women of the Wall in 2016 as Director of Education and Community Outreach. In 2019, WOW appointed Yochi Executive Director. Her identity as an Orthodox woman and feminist shows us a woman may indeed possess both attributes. She strives to make Israel a more tolerant place for her daughters’ generation and beyond.

After Yochi, hear our own Debbi Kaner Goldich, Rabbi Wolintz-Fields and Deb Bruce who attended WOW Rosh Hodesh Adar services discuss their experiences from approaching security until they leave the Western Wall. Then as a group we will watch WOW Rosh Hodesh Av services.

Join World Community Engagement Aleph and Bet sessions at Convention!

Lori Snow
WLCJ WOW Liaison, and
Immediate Past President, MAR
lvsnow@comcast.ne

lllene Rubin
Chair, World Community Engagement
irubin@wlcj.org