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I Was an Underage Sisterhood President

By Jennifer Schneider By underage I mean under 40. And yet, a lovely group of women was willing to trust the kid in their midst to lead them for a few years. It was a wonderful experience, but the lack of others my age around me was a serious concern to our local Sisterhoods and WRJ. I joined Sisterhood because my mother did Sisterhood. I arranged Oneg trays, compiled mailings on our kitchen table, complained about always being the first family to arrive and the last to leave. Half of my childhood was spent at the synagogue; it never occurred to me that this was not typical. I knew that this is what women did; you joined with other women to support and strengthen your congregation and to support and strengthen each other.

Biennial and Assembly Awards Acknowledge Outstanding Contributions to Jewish Life

December 15, 2013, San Diego, CA -- Nearly 5,000 Jewish leaders gathered this week for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) North American Biennial and the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) Assembly and Centennial Celebration, held concurrently at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, where a number of prestigious awards were given to individuals, congregational and sisterhood groups for their contributions to Jewish life.
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Women’s Issues at Home and Abroad at the URJ Biennial

Amidst the whirlwind of Biennial, three powerhouse women came together to discuss the challenges that women and girls face at home and around the world. In a fascinating panel moderated by Rabbi Marla J. Feldman, Executive Director of Women of Reform Judaism, Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center, Ilyse Hogue, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America and Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service spoke about their work on a broad range of women’s issues in Israel, in the United States and internationally.

Voices of WRJ: Va-y’chi

by Judith Shor Ning What a delight to share this week’s parashah with you while celebrating Shabbat among my 700 closest friends and thousands (!) of our fellow congregants. We, here in San Diego, wish you could share this Centennial adventure with us. The portion for this week is Va-y’chi (Genesis 47:28-50:26). The end of Genesis, it is both a conclusion and a foreshadowing.
Voices of WRJ

Year One: The Beginning of My Rabbinical School Journey

By Haim Casas Each year, WRJ grants scholarship funds to provide living expenses for up to ten rabbinical students from outside of North America studying at HUC-JIR, Leo Baeck College in London, or Geiger College in Potsdam, Germany. Once ordained, these students return to their home communities and serve congregations affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Two very special WRJ scholars studying a Leo Baeck College in London reflect on their journey below. With this message I thank Women of Reform Judaism for its support for my studies at Leo Baeck College, where I am getting a unique education and the necessary training to serve the Jewish people and promote the values of Progressive Judaism in Spain and Europe. I was born in the south of Spain where our established community is small and Orthodox and there were not any progressive communities until recent times. I was lucky enough to work in a Jewish museum and have the ability to travel to other countries, where I learned everything I knew before taking up my studies at Leo Baeck College. My Jewish education is improving every day.

Year Five: My Rabbinical School Journey Continues

By Julia Grischenko Each year, WRJ grants scholarship funds to provide living expenses for up to ten rabbinical students from outside of North America studying at HUC-JIR, Leo Baeck College in London, or Geiger College in Potsdam, Germany. Once ordained, these students return to their home communities and serve congregations affiliated with the World Union for Progressive Judaism. Two very special WRJ scholars studying a Leo Baeck College in London reflect on their journey below. I am a fifth year student in the rabbinical training program studying at Leo Baeck College in London. The fifth year is mostly dedicated to earning an MA degree through King’s College in London and rabbinical practice. My final year placement is with the Progressive Community Emanu-El in Odessa (Ukraine, FSU).

Thousands of Jewish Leaders Convene in San Diego to Reimagine Jewish Life

URJ Biennial and WRJ Assembly to Inspire Nearly 5,000 Participants December 9, 2013, San Diego, CA -- Nearly 5,000 Jewish leaders will gather this week for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) North American Biennial and Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) 49th Assembly and Centennial Celebration. Both conventions will take place Dec. 11-15, 2013, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.
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Fighting Back: Protecting Reproductive Rights

Sarah Greenberg

Looking out onto the landscape of reproductive rights, there are great challenges and obstacles. However, they cannot be allowed to overshadow the victories and hard work pro-choice activists are doing across the country.

Late last month in Albuquerque New Mexico, an extreme municipal ban on abortions after 20-weeks of gestation was voted down by a wide margin. Albuquerque is the only city in New Mexico where with facilities that perform abortions later in pregnancy; if the ballot measure had passed, it would have effectively ended access across the state. It was truly an immense success!

Countdown to Sunny San Diego!

Rosanne Selfon

Our WRJ 49th Assembly & Centennial Celebration is waiting for us just around the corner. Many will begin their travel this weekend; others will journey just after the week begins. What’s all this excitement about? What does it mean? What will you learn? Who will you meet? I promise that questions like these are on everyone's mind!