torah fund - The Jewish Theological Seminary

WOMEN’S LEAGUE FOR CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM, 2010–2011
THE BALTIMORE CONVENTION AND THE POWER OF KEHILLAH KEDOSHAH
As we continue to bask in the afterglow of an amazingly successful 2010 biennial
convention in Baltimore, Maryland, we can reflect on our many accomplishments this past
year and look forward to future programming under the new administration of President
Rita Wertlieb and our new executive director, Sarrae Crane.
The 2010 convention theme, Kehillah Kedoshah: Celebrating Community Woman to
Woman, provided us with several opportunities to examine the many and diverse ways that
women create community. The learning at convention was inspired and inspiring. It
included a panel discussion of women rabbis who discussed their personal experiences in
building communities, and topics from a wide variety of women scholars, writers, and
activists.
The last evening featured a gala celebration; some might call it an extravaganza. Vashti’s
Banquet, an original Women’s League innovation, is the imagined world of the ancient
harem, that quintessential women’s community. While much of Vashti’s Banquet entailed
celebration and fun, other activities were more instructional. The director of the Johns
Hopkins Dermatology Clinic discussed skin care; a perfume specialist took us through the
steps of creating a fragrance; a tea specialist described the curative properties of tea; and
a fabric artist helped create Purim flags and masks. Even though women stood in line for
up to an hour to have their arms, legs, and necks hennaed, there were no complaints—just
chatting and laughter, women enjoying themselves. As a result of the enthusiasm
generated by our banquet, sisterhoods across the country are creating their own Vashti’s
Banquets.
The culmination of the extraordinary Books for Baltimore project took place at our closing
plenum. The unanticipated outpouring of support and generosity from sisterhoods far and
wide raised enough money to present 13,000 brand-new books—enough for every pre-K
and third-grade student in the Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS). With seed money
provided by the Rona Jaffe Foundation, we met our initial goal of third grade and
expanded to pre-K. The BCPS expressed their appreciation with a video of the children
receiving their books—a three-hanky moment. If you have not yet seen the video, do
yourself a favor and go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ma36DcGRAg.
Women’s League continues apace with its ongoing services: partnership in CJ: Voices of
Conservative/Masorti Judaism, the magazine published quarterly with United Synagogue
and FMJC; www.wlcj.org, chock-full of valuable Women’s League information, materials,
and opportunities for study and learning; the new Ba’Olam world affairs blog at
www.wlcjbaolam.blogspot.com; new additions to the Sisterhood Planner; the Leadership
Institute, offered twice yearly; training customized to meet the needs of each sisterhood;
ongoing Women’s League Institutes of intense Jewish study in New York, Southern New
Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore-Washington, and Florida; Orpah’s List, the selection of a
female Jewish author for Jewish Book Month (November); and BookMarks, the
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