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FROM THE DESK OF PRESIDENT ROBERT FISHMAN
As president of our Temple I was the honored and privileged to be asked to speak at both the Sisterhood Paid Up Supper and the Brotherhood Paid Up Supper. I did speak at both of these events and I would like to share with you my comments at the individual affairs – first my comments which were given at the Sisterhood event:
When asked to give the welcoming remarks tonight I thought I would do a little research on our Sisterhood. I started at the United Synagogue website, where I located Women’s League link and from there was linked to the Sisterhood site.
Here is how Women’s League describes itself: Women's League is the voice of the women of the Conservative Movement, representing its membership at a wide array of national, international, religious, and social action organizations.
Here are 5 questions about Women’s League/Sisterhood for you – I cheated I was at the website and found the answers:
Who first organized the group and in what year was it:
Mathilde Roth Schechter, wife of Solomon Schechter, president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In 1918.
What was the first name of the Magazine of Women’s League and when was it first published?
Outlook – 1930 – then after 75 years of publication, the magazine merged with the United Synagogue Review and Torchlight, the magazine of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs.
When was first Leaders Conference held?
1945 and then - in 1948 the Leadership Training Department developed courses on Sisterhood work, principles of the Conservative Movement, and the role of the 20th century American woman in Jewish life.
What two events occurred in 1952 important to Women’s League history?
Women’s League and United Synagogue joined together to form United Synagogue Youth (USY). That same year, the Torah Scholarship Fund created Chai Clubs whose instant success encouraged the League to initiate plans which ultimately led to a $500,000 pledge toward the creation of the Mathilde Schechter Residence Hall at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
What events occurred in 1970 which identified Women’s League as a “player” within the organizational structure of the Jewish world?
Women’s League became an independent member of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, World Jewish Congress, World Council of Synagogues, World Zionist Congress, and 27 other agencies devoted to Jewish communal service.
I had known how intensely the Sisterhood here works for our Temple and for it’s other causes – I had seen it as a distant observer prior to my Presidency and I see it even more clearly as the President of Temple Beth Emunah. Now that I know a little of the history, I understand where the work ethic came from. I would challenge Sisterhood leadership and the overall membership to review one of Sisterhood’s newer programs Z’havah – it is described as:
Giving younger members of Women's League Sisterhoods a point of focus and connection with the larger organization - it is a mechanism to reach younger, unaffiliated women who are not yet aware of Sisterhood.
This is a common theme within our Temple – Outreach and inclusion – perhaps it will be the next step in your long illustrious history within Temple Beth Emunah. Thank you – to each and every member here for your membership, participation and support.
Now here are my comments which were given at the Brotherhood event:
Thanks for the opportunity to speak tonight. Before I became president of the shul I thought I knew quite a bit about how the shul functioned - who did what, how it got done and what our volunteers stood for.
What I didn’t know or maybe what I didn’t fully understand is that we have many many volunteers who comprise the very epicenter of this congregation.
Let me offer my thanks as the president of the shul to you the brotherhood for being at the very center of those volunteers.
It is not just the World Wide Wrap – which began on Sunday, January 28, 2001 and has remained an annual program of our shul.
It is certainly not only the Yom Hashoah Yellow Candle Program which began at Beth Tzedec Men's Club of Toronto in 1983 and was initiated to provide Jew and non-Jew alike with a meaningful ritual which would enable them to observe Yom Hashoah in their homes.
It is not just our Flea Markets or Train Show
It is not just the cooking
It is not just the building of our Sukkah (or taking it down)
But it is the overall zeal with which the brotherhood supports the entire community by collaborating, encouraging and sustaining the members (and membership) in general.
The shul owes you a debt of gratitude the best way I know to repay it is with a heartfelt yasher koach and may you and all your members go from strength to strength.
As a concluding comment to both speeches, I would like to add that Our core of volunteers is built upon these two organizations our Brotherhood and Sisterhood are both pillars of our community and without the support from both groups I am sure that the foundation of our Temple would be much less solid.
I am always available by email –
robert.a.fishman@gmail.com or Phone: 508-584-3769
B'Shalom,
Bob Fishman
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