Board Members at Summer Forward

Barbara leads us in brainstorming 

Women of Temple Sinai Answer the Question “What do you do ANYWAY???”

   WTS kicked off the year with the Summer Forward retreat, held at Ricki's  beautiful Orinda home on August 30^th. Throughout this carefully organized and energizing day long event, twenty WTS members laughed, played, brainstormed, ate, spoke and listened as their collaborative leadership model of working together unfolded.  For new board members (including this correspondent to Sinai bulletin) the question: what do you do anyway?  was self-evident. You show up at an event like this, you are heartily welcomed, and you have a job. Everyone counts here. WTS does not fit the stereotypes some may have of a stogy or exclusive club for women who do not work.  Instead, very evident at the Summer Forward event was the fact that WTS is a body of women who have grown like the largest oak trees of Oakland, with very deep roots, and branches reaching  in all directions.  Just like these magnificent trees they offer a place of belonging. They are also movers and shakers, who wear multiple hats, and serve as the backbone of our community in so many ways we may take forgranted. They are part of a body of women who have had a very long history (115 years, to be exact) of being the most important social, critical issues and fund raising sources for the Temple Sinai community.  They address our most relevant contemporary concerns and are intimately linked with the international umbrella women’s group Women of Reform Judaism, that has been the advance guard over many decades of critical issues that the Reform movement has adapted.

This year’s retreat made it clear  that  WTS continues to provide a  stable base for nurturing a sense of community in the midst of all the changes in the world around us.  At the same time,  with communication and PR break out sessions led by Barbara  and Robin , there was  much talk at the retreat about tackling the   challenges of re-defining ourselves and getting the word out to the larger community about who we really are and what we really  do. The Forward Looking message this year is JOIN US. Be counted among the ranks of woman and this model of working together to  get  the job done, without giving the job a title, without naming  a president. WTS exists for YOU and does what you need it to do.   Even if you are a   woman whose life leaves little room for extra work or a new circle of friends, you can be certain that  the membership dues that you pay to join  WTS  will make a difference as they  go towards projects in our  larger community.