Global Stories
By Sara Charney, 11/28/2018
Abraham Geiger College, one of WRJ’s YES Fund recipients, asked WRJ to send a representative to Berlin for the 80th anniversary commemorative events of Kristallnacht, including special services, concerts, art exhibitions and panel discussions. It was my honor to be representing WRJ at these events. November 9, 2018 We began the day with Rosh Chodesh Kislev services organized by Abraham Geiger College. The service was led by a graduate of the cantorial program, a current cantorial student, and one of WRJ’s grantees at Geiger College, rabbinical student Jasmin Adriani. This was the... Read More
By Jill Kamin and Corinne Black, 7/12/2018
It all began as a promise to twin with a woman’s group through the Women of Reform Judaism’s Domim-aLike Twinning Program. We met Anna Kislanski, a member of Kehilat Hashachar in Even Yehuda, at the WRJ Assembly in 2013 and we decided to move forward twinning with their congregation. The connection that began from that small meeting has now grown to involve our entire congregation and theirs. As it happened, one of the Israeli liaisons for Kehilat Hashachar was born and raised in Toronto. Rita Gvili had made Aliyah 35 years before and was visiting her mother in the summer of 2013 when we met... Read More
By Madi Hoesten, 6/28/2018
Finally! My first trip to Israel! I can say with no uncertainty that my first experience in Eretz Yisrael was anything but typical. Dead Sea? Nope. Massada? Nope. Tunnels? Well, you get the idea… Yet, I feel that I came away from this adventure greatly enriched with a strong understanding and love for the land and the people. My travels immersed me in the lives of Israeli Progressive Jews along with their trials and successes. My first impressions upon arriving were, “the airport is beautiful, clean, and so quiet.” Then it hit me. I really was in Israel! We had landed on a... Read More
By Ruth Bohm, 10/11/2017
Today I am thrilled to inform you that WRJ is accomplishing great things in some of Brazil’s Progressive and Reform congregations. Thanks to WRJ’s mentoring and support, and also to the support of WUPJ Latin America, we’ve been able to develop some wonderfully successful projects. Each day we are attracting the interest of new women’s groups in various regions and gaining more committed volunteers. Adult Bat Mitzvah Project: Our second adult bat mitzvah cohort started to study with the guidance of Rabbi Ruben Sternschein. The banot mitzvah will take place in Recife, Brazil at Kahal... Read More
By Julia Weinstein, 5/28/2017
When I signed up for WRJ’s 2017 Journey to Israel I knew that the itinerary would not only include the historical and cultural sights one would expect to visit in Israel but also offer unique and very special experiences that would set it apart from my previous two trips decades ago. And indeed, this last week delivered on the promise: long days spent together with a bus load of WRJ women and their mothers, mothers-in-law, daughters and friends; a panel discussion with local women rabbis and another with participants in a Mother/Daughter Bat Mitzvah program; a visit to the Druze village of... Read More
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