It Takes a Village

By Fran Hildebrandt, WLCJ Vice President and Kehilah-Education Chair

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” —Marcel Proust

In another month, Julia Loeb, our International President of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, will present her report of her tenure at Convention. In order to be as accurate and inclusive as possible, she requested a triennial report from those of us who have served on her Executive Committee. I am one of them, as Vice President and Chair of Kehilah-Education. It was a labor of love to fulfill her request. It has been a tumultuous three years filled with simchas and sorrows, successes and setbacks, hopes and disappointments.

Perhaps the best part of fulfilling Julia’s request was the opportunity to look back and determine what we accomplished in these last three years. Among our many accomplishments, there were at least 39 programs that were presented by Creative Judaic Arts, Environment and Sustainability, Health and Wellness, Inclusion, Kehilah, Keruv, Mishpachah, Tefillah, and WL Reads. There were Zoom meetups three times a week by Makom B’Yachad, monthly meetings by the Bat Mitzvah Class, weekly meetings by the Hebrew classes, and monthly meetings by Mathilde’s Master Class.

Here are a few highlights along the way: One was listening to Edith Magruder speak about her experiences growing up in the South during the 1950s and 1960s on Makom B’Yachad, which took place after I presented a three-program series on the Civil Rights Movement and culminated in a trip to Georgia and Alabama. The Power of Authentic Communication: How to Take Your Personal Conversations to the Next Level was presented by Personal Conversations and was meaningful to all of us. Keruv and Mishpachah partnered to create a program titled Making the B’Mitzvah Rite Feel Right: Interfaith Families Celebrate. This program acknowledged the challenges those who live interfaith may experience. Another program that stands out in my memory is When Social Action and Creative Handcrafts Meet, which combined art with social action. Finally, the program presented by Health and Wellness with Dr. Jack Rubinstein, in which he discussed his research that suggests wrapping tefillin could prevent heart attacks in women, has influenced me to gift our granddaughter with her own tefillin.

To my special partners in crime (so to speak):

Julia Loeb, Rabbi Ellen Wolintz-Fields, Karen Ballena, and Caleb Espiritu-Bloomfield: Thank YOU! It goes without saying that Kehilah-Education could not have been nearly as successful as we have been without your assistance and support.

Ellen Bresnick: Our time together as Kehilah Co-Chairs was too brief, but I deeply valued our collaboration. I am grateful for your contributions and wish you the very best.

Cathy Swerdlow: Your partnership as Education Chair was exceptional and laid the foundation for me to add Education to my portfolio. I deeply appreciate your hard work and miss collaborating with you.

Jeanette Brownstein: I lucked out when you became my newest and latest partner. It has been such a pleasure partnering with you as my Vice Chair. Thank you!

To all the amazing chairs of Kehilah-Education:

Jody Glass: Creative Judaic Arts
Ariana Burrows and Ellie Kremer: Keruv
Karen Winer and Vicki Isman: Inclusion
Denise Brand: Mishpachah
Janie Majewski and Grace Schessler: Personal Conversations
Edna Schrank and Ruth Shapiro: Makom B’Yachad
Heddy Belman and Corinne Hammerschlag: Environment and Sustainability
Rachel Ferber: Hebrew Classes
Toby Holtzman and Anne Schimberg: Bat Mitzvah Program
Debbie Bettan: Health and Wellness
Karen Block: WL Reads
Ilana Ben-Ze’Ev and Amy Schwartz: Tefillah

We planted seeds when we accepted our positions three years ago. We nurtured and tended them. We developed friendships. From little seedlings to tender plants, we grew until our efforts flowered into the successes that we shared with our WLCJ sisters. It has been an honor and a privilege to grow with you. Thank you.

See you at Convention!

Shabbat Shalom,
Fran Hildebrandt
WLCJ Vice President and Kehilah-Education Chair
fhildebrandt@wlcj.org