Sichot beyn Achayot: An Open Dialogue Between Diaspora and Israeli Sisters

 
Thanks to a generous grant from KKL-JNF / Masorti Olami / Mereaz Olami, Women’s League is grateful to provide 3 workshops of Conversations Between Sisters.

Sichot beyn Achayot means “conversations between sisters.” This program is designed to foster a deeper mutual understanding between the members of WLCJ in North America, the Masorti women from Israel and Masorti Olami, our communities around the world.

This program is designed to foster a deeper mutual understanding between the members of WLCJ in North America and the Masorti Olami women of Israel. It is designed to address the question, “How are we the same, and how are we different?

Each of the three workshops will address this question by concentrating on one specific issue that is both relevant and timely to us all, and will include presentations from two speakers, one from each side of the Atlantic. These workshops will each be followed by a Q&A session in which all attendees will be encouraged to participate.

 
Participation in this program is a benefit of your membership. 
Questions?
Contact Rabbi Margie Cella
mcella@wlcj.org
 
 

2023 Programs

Sichot beyn Achayot: Conversations between SISTERS 

Session One
Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 1:00 PM ET
(CLICK HERE TO VIEW PROGRAM RECORDING)
Title: Helping the Stranger: Mitzvot, Motivations and Methods
The commandment to love the stranger appears more times in the Torah than any other mitzvah — 36 times. On this week when we read Parashat Lekh-Lekha, we will learn of the many ways in which this mitzvah is observed in today’s world when so many are leaving their birthplace in search of a better life for themselves and their families.
Guest Speakers:
Rabbi Amy Eilberg, Spiritual Director, Peace and Justice Educator, Teacher of Mussar, and Author
Sivan Carmel, Director of HIAS Israel, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Rebecca Kirtzner, Senior Director of Grassroots Organizing and Advocacy at HIAS, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)
Beth Steinberg, Co-founder and Director of Shutaf Inclusion Programs in Jerusalem
 

Session Two
Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 12:00 PM ET
(CLICK HERE TO VIEW PROGRAM RECORDING)
Title: Addressing Homelessness and Food Insecurity: Mitzvot, Motivations and Methods
The Torah commands us to pay a poor person’s tithe [Deuteronomy 14:28] and to leave the corners of our fields unharvested so that the poor may glean with dignity [Leviticus 23:22]. How do we fulfill the mitzvah of caring for the most vulnerable members of our society today when the need is so great?

Guest Speakers:
Rabbi Sigal Asher, Fellow at the Beit Midrash for Israeli Rabbis at the Shalom Hartman Institute and Hamidrasha at Oranim
Abby J. Leibman, President and CEO, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Meredith Jacobs, CEO, Jewish Women International (JWI)
Gillian Ganzler, Chair, Rebecca’s Tent, Rebecca’s Tent: Spiegel Women’s Shelter at Shearith Israel in Atlanta, GA

 

Session Three
Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 12:00 PM ET
(CLICK HERE TO VIEW PROGRAM RECORDING)
Title: Volunteerism: Mitzvot, Motivations and Methods
“That which is hateful to you do not do to others. All the rest is commentary. Now go and study.” [BT Shabbat 31A] This was Hillel’s famous answer to a potential convert who asked him to summarize the Torah while standing on one foot. Today we will study the hows and the whys of volunteerism and the many ways in which 21st century women are giving their time to benefit others.

Guest Speakers:
Rabbi Judith Edelman-Green, Spiritual Pastoral Caregiver
Rabbi Helaine Ettinger, Rabbi at Philipstown Reform Synagogue in Cold Spring, NY, and Coordinator of the Rabbis Without Borders (RWB) Service Corps
Rabbi Chaya Rowen Baker, Dean, The Schechter Rabbinical Seminary

 

2022 Programs

Sichot beyn Achayot: Conversations between SISTERS 

Workshop 1: Thursday, October 20, 2022
 
Workshop 2: Sunday, November 20, 2022 
 
Workshop 3: Sunday, December 11, 2022 at 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET (CLICK HERE TO VIEW PROGRAM RECORDING)

Workshop 3 – December 11, 2022

MiDor L’Dor – Taking the 100-Year Journey from Bat Mitzvah to Egalitarianism
How did the first bat mitzvah lead to the expanded roles for Jewish women, both in the synagogue and the community? We will explore how things have changed in the last 100 years and ponder what the next 100 may bring.
 
Speakers: 
Prof. Alice Shalvi, Founder of Women’s Rights Movement in Israel and Israel Prize recipient for her contribution to education 

Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz, JTS Chancellor and Irving Lehrman Research Professor of American Jewish History

Saralee Schrell-Fox, Educator and Chazzanit, Jerusalem

Rabba Dikla Druckman-Sherzer, Fuchsberg Jewish Center, Jerusalem

Click HERE to read the Speaker Bios.


Workshop 2 – November 20, 2022

MiDor L’Dor – Revering and Honoring the Generations Until 120
How do we maintain value and meaning in our lives at every age? We will discuss the importance of self-care, as well as ideas for caregivers, as we honor the generations that gave us our Jewish values.
 
Speakers: 
Prof. Alice Shalvi, Founder of Women’s Rights Movement in Israel and Israel Prize recipient for her contribution to education 

Rabbi Judith Hauptman, Professor Emerita of Talmud and Rabbinic Culture, JTS

Rabbi Miriam Berkowitz, accredited Hospital Chaplain/Spiritual Caregiver, Jerusalem

Rabbi Tracee Rosen, Hospital Chaplain, Phoenix, Arizona

Rabbi Judith Edelman-Green, pastoral caregiver and educator, Kfar Saba

Click HERE to read the Speaker Bios.


Workshop 1 – October 20, 2022
 
MiDor L’Dor – Transmitting Our Jewish Values to the Next Generation
How do we connect to the next generation to make Judaism relevant for today and tomorrow? We will explore the various settings of educating our children: formal, informal, and in the family and community.
 
Speakers: 
Prof. Alice Shalvi, Founder of Women’s Rights Movement in Israel and Israel Prize recipient for her contribution to education 
Shira D. Epstein, Ed.D, dean, William Davidson Graduate School of Education, JTS
Rabbi Nathalie Lastreger, Kehilat HaMinyan HaMishpachti, Kfar Vradim, Upper Gallilee
Amy Skopp Cooper, director of the National Ramah Commission, US
Aliza Zeff, Director and Head of School, Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim
 

2021 Programs
Sichot beyn Achayot: Conversations between SISTERS – Workshop 3 – December 12, 2021

Click HERE to view this session. 

Topic: Conversations Between Conservative and Masorti Sisters

Three pairs of women will each explore some aspect of living Jewishly as a Conservative/ Masorti Jew, comparing life in North America to life in Israel. Following the 3 conversations, all participants will be invited to participate in breakout rooms, where women from both sides of the Atlantic will have the opportunity to engage in conversation. 
 
Conversation 1: Comparing the Nativ/College Experience to the IDF/College Experience
Speakers: 
Women’s League: Aliza Bromberg Gaber, Graduate Student at Tufts University
Masorti Olami: Yaarat Dvash Yehoshua, College Student in Jerusalem
 
Conversation 2: Living Jewishly In a Minority vs. A Majority Population
Speakers: 
Women’s League: Ellie Kremer, Israel Chair and Mothers of Olim Net
Masorti Olami: Sophie Fellman Rafolovich, National Chairperson Masorti Movement in Israel
 
Conversation 3: Being A Lay Leader in the Conservative/Masorti Movement
 
Speakers:
Women’s League: Debbi Kaner Goldich, WLCJ International President
Masorti Olami: Alexis Silverman, IPP Kehilat Moreshet Avraham (KMA), East Talpiot

Participation in this program is a benefit of your membership. 
Questions?
Contact Rabbi Margie Cella
mcella@wlcj.org
 

Sichot beyn Achayot: Conversations between SISTERS Workshop 2 – Sunday, November 14th

Click HERE to view recording of this session.

Davening at Robinson’s Arch video

Rabbi Debra Cantor’s Presentation

Topic: Davening as Conservative / Masorti Women

Speakers: 

Women’s League: Rabbi Debra Cantor, Congregation B’Nai Tikvoh, Bloomfield, CT

Masorti Olami: Rakefet Ginsberg, Executive Director Masorti Movement in Israel

Two speakers will examine the question of davening as Conservative/ Masorti women; they will address the experience of davening with Women of the Wall, and also davening in an egalitarian setting at Robinson’s Arch.

Program funded by: generous grant from KKL/MERCAZ

This program is designed to foster a deeper mutual understanding between the members of WLCJ in North America and the Masorti Olami women of Israel. It is designed to address the question, “How are we the same, and how are we different?

Each of the 3 workshops will address this question by concentrating on one specific issue that is both relevant and timely to us all, and will include presentations from 2 speakers, one from each side of the Atlantic. This workshop will each be followed by a Q&A session in which all attendees will be encouraged to participate. The third and last workshop, coming in December, will conclude with breakout rooms in which participants will have an opportunity to join the conversation. Click here for the Conversations Between Sisters_3 Workshops Flyer.

Participation in this program is a benefit of your membership. 

Questions?

Contact Rabbi Margie Cella

mcella@wlcj.org

 

 
Sichot beyn Achayot: Conversations between SISTERS – Workshop 1

October 17, 2021

Click HERE to view recording of this session.

Topic: Conservative/Masorti Conversion
 
Speakers: 
Women’s League: Rabbi Elana Zelony, Congregation Beth Torah, Richardson, TX
Masorti Olami: Rabbi Diana Villa, Schechter Institute and Rabbinical School, Jerusalem
 
Program funded by: generous grant from KKL/MERCAZ
 
This program is designed to foster a deeper mutual understanding between the members of WLCJ in North America and the Masorti Olami women of Israel. It is designed to address the question, “How are we the same, and how are we different?
 
Each of the 3 workshops will address this question by concentrating on one specific issue that is both relevant and timely to us all, and will include presentations from 2 speakers, one from each side of the Atlantic. During the October and November workshops will each be followed by a Q&A session in which all attendees will be encouraged to participate. The third workshop in December will conclude with breakout rooms in which participants will have an opportunity to join the conversation. Click here for the Conversations Between Sisters_3 Workshops Flyer.