Local Stories
By by Rhoda London, Communications Coordinator, Congregation Ahavath Chesed Jacksonville, FL, 2/18/2021
Tucked away in the back of our Temple building is our busy braille room. Normally, the group meets once a week to make materials that are used locally, regionally, and nationally. What began over 60 years ago to meet the needs of a Temple member has turned into the Temple Sisterhood Braille Group. This group may possibly be the longest-running Or Ami winner* ever - and it's still going strong! Recently Holly Cleveland, current President, and Lynnette Taylor, Past President, did a Zoom presentation for us about how they managed the program during the pandemic. We also learned more... Read More
By Carol Newman, 12/08/2020
WRJ has been a big part of my life for 36 years. When I became a member of Women of Temple Solel in Bowie, Maryland, I became an active member and took on (sisterhood) leadership positions, including president and treasurer. After I retired, I attended Mid-Atlantic District events, expanded my circle of friends, and became a district board member where I have served as treasurer and now as Marketing and Communications Vice President. In 2017, I attended the Fried Women’s Conference in Charleston and was asked to apply to the North American Board. A year later, I was installed in... Read More
By Barbara Glaser, 11/07/2018
In February 2017, the community of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto created seven “Rings of Peace” to surround local mosques after a gunman killed six worshippers at a Quebec mosque. After the massacre of eleven worshippers at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Toronto Muslim community reciprocated the “Ring of Peace” for the local Jewish community. Below, the author shares her experience of that day. One word states this particular Shabbat morning firmly in my mind: LOVE. One week after the horrific events at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, it proves, love trumps hate.... Read More
By Talia Kaplan, 10/10/2018
Remember the feeling you had when you got on an airplane alone to study abroad, or when you packed up everything you owned and moved to a new city? All the emotions that might have come up for you—fear, excitement, trepidation—could very well have been Avram’s response to the famous line from the Torah portion of this year’s National Refugee Shabbat, Parshat Lech Lecha: “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing” (... Read More
By Virginia Ring, with Deborah Fripp, 4/03/2018
Yom HaShoah is typically a somber time to reflect, and for me personally, to be angry at the world. It is not generally a holiday to which I look forward. A small part of me wants the day to hurry up and be over, but I know that this day should be observed, so I do. This year was different, however. My congregation, Congregation Kol Ami in Flower Mound, TX, hosted a very unique ceremony, designed to commemorate not only the terrible things that happened but also the strength with which we met them, to celebrate our survival while mourning our dead. My experience at this Seder-like ceremony... Read More
Subscribe to