A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR YEAR

Sacred Space/Secret Space: Women of Temple Sinai Shabbat Service

"They shall spread a blue cloth over the altar of gold and cover it with a covering of dolphin skin . . . take all the service vessels . . . and cover them with a covering of dolphin skin. . . shall remove the ashes from the copper altar and spread a purple cloth..." (Numbers 1:1-4:20)

One of the most exciting ritual events of the WTS year is coming in May: the Sisterhood Shabbat service. This year about seventeen women will be experiencing the exhilaration of being part of this creative process, some for the first time. As participants in the service, these women will be writing and reading their own interpretations of the prayers. And as a community of worshipers we will all be hearing prayers said in a new way that perhaps speaks more personally to our own experiences. For many the WTS service will also serve as a reminder ofour long history of inspiring and visionary women leaders at Sinai, especially the women who made such a tradition possible. Indeed, this tradition goes all the way back to Leona Chester, the first woman to envision a creative Sisterhood Shabbat service at Sinai. We thank her, and the many who came after her, for sparking this journey. We also invite you all to join us in prayer andsong, as we celebrate the diverse voices of the women in our community as explore our sacred space/secret space on May14, 2010 in the Temple Sinai Sanctuary.

A GREAT SUCCESS: Women's SEDER

The joint WTS/ Temple Israel Women’s Seder on Monday evening March 22 was a great success. Todah Rabah to Peggy Martin

and to Maggie Lazar who contributed so much to the success of this event. Among a myriad of other details that were entailed Magie cooked about 60 chicken thighs for two hours straight as well as made all the placards!

Over 75 women shared a wonderful Haggadah and a delicious meal.

And the buzz continues as Allyce writes: It was, in deed, very nice, and special kudos to the cooks, whose names and e-mails I unfortunately don't have. The food was the best seder food I've ever had! So please pass our thanks on to them.

Please feel free to share comments and more photos on this site.

HOW Sinai's women's Seder started and continues...

WTS's Sherri Richards tells us how she started producing a Womens' Seder for women and girls in 1996, at Temple Sinai.

"I had long wished for a gathering of women to celebrate Jewish women, to commemorate our role in the Exodus and in memorable historical events since then.In some Jewish homes, the 7th night of Passover honors that special contribution our foremothers have made and we wanted to bring this concept to our community. We had 80 to 110 participants, a large committee of planners, guests who brought pot-luck dishes, shared in readings, and in recent years, created under Jackie James'leadership, a beautiful Women of Temple Sinai Women's Seder Haggadah. We had a rabbi, lay leader, song leader, dance teacher, conducting our seders, and a joyous time recalling Jewish heroines, singing and dancing as we celebrated liberation."

We all look forward to seeing this wonderful tradition shared for the first time at Temple Israel in Alameda and hope that many of women and girls in our community will have the opportunity to participate

SAVE THE DATE: Women's SEDER 3/22

Don't forget to get this Passover Season event onto your calendar:

The Women of Temple Sinai will be collaborating with Women of Temple Israel of Alameda on a Women’s Seder. It will be held in 6 o'clock PM at the Temple Israel Social Hall on March 22nd. A meal will be served- this is not a potluck affair *(WTS will be joining with women from Temple Israel to cook a Sephardic or Modern Israeli meal.)

The cost of this event is $18 a person, which covers all food, wine, decorations and clergy gifts and stipends. Cantor Pam Sawyer will conduct the seder and the haggadah will be based on the one that WTI created last year but some parts of WTS’s Women’s Haggadah will be included.

For more information please contact:

Maggie Lazar – 655-4260 mpaul@berkeley.edu

or Peggy Martin– 667-0333 peggymarti@aol.com

GRATITUDE

We wanted to let you know that because of our WTS membership dues we have been able to make contributions (through our umbrella organization Women of Reform Judaism*) towards the training of a number of Rabbinic and Cantorial students. Here are excerpts from two of the many letters of gratitude that we have received.

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for your donation…Your generosity has enabled me to continue my work as a Rabbinic student at theHebrew Union College in Los Angeles. Thanks to your philanthropic commitment, in May I will accomplish my goal of becoming a rabbi and an educator. .. As I am in the process of completing the work for my rabbinic thesis… I have discovered a passion for exploring women’s voices in Judaism. For my thesis I am writing a feminist critique of Rabbi Jack H. Bloom’s book The Rabbi as a Symbolic Exemplar. The work has been challenging but exciting and I look forward to sharing the new insights I have been grappling with in this work.
Thank you again for giving me the means to become a rabbi and an educational leader. I know that these are troubling economic times, and it can be difficult to make the choice to once again help a student like me support herself as she finishes school. Please know that your generosity is very much appreciated.

B’Shalom,

Sara Mason-Barkin

I have received the second check of this year. Thank you for all of the good wishes. I am right at the middle of my studies, at the end of my fifth semester at Leo Baeck College (London)…. During the first semester I started my pastoral placement at Chai Cancer Care, a fantastic place inLondon, which offers day services to people with cancer.I observe their work, how they support the patients with consultation, complimentary therapies, art classes, meditation, etc. They have a holistic view on treatments. Most of the staff are Jewish women, who are greatly committed to help these people. People (the staff and the patients as well) admire this place, and call it their second home. I am really lucky that I can observe their team work.In the last month I was in Budapest and helped my community, Sim Shalom. I led services, and did social work for a family. I am really grateful for your contribution to my education. I wish a nice winter time to all the members of WRJ. Peter Radvanszki ,Rabbinical Student

*Out of the $40.00 that you contribute to WTS $15.00 goes to WRJ International and $2.00 goes to our WRJ Pacific District. Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), an affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism, is the collective voice and presence of women in congregational life. Stronger together, we support the ideals and enhance the quality of Jewish living to ensure the future of progressive Judaism in North America,Israel, and around the world.

Don't miss this creative opportunity

Please join Temple Sinai women of all ages in planning and participating in
the annual Women of Temple Sinai (WTS) sisterhood Sabbath. The WTS Shabbat
will take place on May 14. Come to learn how to you can participate and
help make this Sabbath a special, spiritual, bonding and rewarding
experience for all women of Temple Sinai.

We welcome all interested participants. Participation can include creating
your own reading for the service, reading a poem/song/excerpt for a
book...anything that speaks to you. We also welcome those who want to help
with logistics, oneg, program development.... any and all welcome!

We will have our first planning meeting on Thursday, January 28 at 7:00pm in
the Temple Sinai Merritt campus multi-purpose room. Everyone welcome! For
questions please call Marilyn Friedman at 510-834-7115 or Robin Flagg at
510-331-3075

A Jewish Response to Elder Abuse and Neglect

Beth Am Women is sponsoring an important program concerning the elders in our community and the individuals who care for and about them. This important discussion is open to the local community, and we want especially to invite our fellow sisterhoods and their congregations. The panel will be moderated by Linda C. Kramer, JD, MBA, RN and the speakers will include our own Rabbi Janet Marder, Judge Mary Ann Grilli of the Santa Clara County Probate Court, Lettie Ordone of the Santa Clara County Adult Protective Services, Donald Moody of the Santa Clara County Public Guardian/Conservator’s Office and Kimberly Conners of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

You can also check out the resolution  that Women of Reform Judaism  unanimously passed  on elder abuse at the recent Assembly in Toronto, 

(http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/programming/resolutions-statements/elder-abuse-2009 )

The Jewish Response to Elder Abuse and Neglect

Shedding Light on a Critical Community Issue

Tuesday, March 2, 7 p.m.

Congregation Beth Am in the Beit Kehillah

26790 Arastradero Road

Los Altos Hills, CA  94022

Directions:  http://www.betham.org/directions.html

For information, contact Linda C. Kramer, (650) 941-8600.