JWC
NEWSLETTER
FALL
2003/5764
CONFIRMING,
CONFRONTING, CREATING:
JEWISH
WOMEN EXPLORE RITUAL
By Laura Horowitz
What’s your visceral reaction when you hear the word “ritual”? Chances are, you react in one of two ways:
either you roll your eyes and say, “Oh, no, not that new-age-y, touchy-feely
mush!” or you smile eagerly and say,
“Oh, wow, I love that stuff!” I
know - I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum.
Ritual and ritual making are subjects that inspire strong opinions and a
certain amount of controversy. So why
did the JWC board decide to choose those very topics as our theme this
year? Don’t we have enough controversy
already in the Jewish community? Are
things getting dull in our part of the world?
Well, no, but…ritual is one of the key components of Jewish feminist
philosophy and practice. One of the
foundational books of our movement is Miriam’s Well, which is subtitled Rituals
for Jewish Women Throughout the Year.
Miriam’s Well was the first of a stream of books and articles
about Jewish feminist ritual, and now we even have our very own web site,
www.ritualwell.org. Why? What drives us to pour our creative energies
into imagining new rituals, reclaiming defunct ones and re-envisioning the ones
we all know?
For those of you whose reaction to the “R” word tends toward the “yuck”
side of the spectrum, I would like to suggest some answers that might encourage
you to take another look at the issue.
Jewish feminism is at its core the effort to empower half of the Jewish
people to feel that we have value and worth to all of the Jewish people. But we cannot learn to feel valued just by
telling ourselves that we have worth and significance as individuals and as a
group. We have to internalize that
feeling by doing things that help that feeling take root inside us.
Ritual is a way of marking
special times and events in the lives of individuals or communities. By creating particular words, music,
clothing, food and behaviors that are associated with significant moments, we
give heightened attention to those moments.
If we were to describe this process Jewishly, we would say we were
practicing kedushah-making the moment holy by separating it from our
everyday lives and then focusing our energy on recognizing its special elements.
As Jews, we receive a body of ritual that belongs to all Jewish people. If we’ve grown up Jewish, these practices are so familiar that we hardly think about them (unless we make a concerted effort to do so, which we call kavannah). But as many of us grew up, we began to realize that existing rituals did not recognize the experiences that we felt were critical in our lives. Many of the communal rituals we knew didn’t have a place for us-women didn’t lead services, say kaddish or lay tefillin. The rituals that did include us were, to say the least, problematical-mikvah being the prime example. And so much of our lives went by without any formal recognition within Judaism, starting with being born and continuing through all the life changes that make us women.
Jewish feminists in the 1970’s realized that a feminist approach to ritual would have to include several strategies. We educated ourselves about the origins and meanings of existing rituals so that we could see how to include ourselves in them. We began to recapture and re-imagine rituals that men had created for us, so that we could find the value and meaning of those practices for ourselves. And we began to create personal and group rituals that honored the unique passages a woman experiences during her life.
This is the process in which we remain engaged today. All of us respond to ritual at some level, whether it is the formality of synagogue practice or the ever-changing Rosh Chodesh ritual at our own meetings. We hope you will join us this year as we confirm our place in familiar rituals, confront those rituals with which we are uncomfortable and create new rituals that enrich our lives as Jewish women today.
The next book group meeting will be Tuesday, September 30 at 7:30. The book is Seven Blessings by Ruchama King. Location is TBA. Our first formal program of the year is our Sukkot potluck dinner and cutting exchange, which will take place on Sunday, October 12 at 5:30 PM, location TBA. The exchange of plant cuttings is a new idea that came out of our board retreats. We created a ritual with flowers with which we begin the retreat, and board members who garden contribute the flowers. Every year we talk about exchanging cuttings, and we decided to do try on Sukkot this year. It seemed a very appropriate time to plan for our spring gardens right after we’ve started the new year and we’re full of energy and good intentions. Don’t worry if you’re not a gardener, though-cuttings are optional. If you do plan to attend, please bring a dairy or vegetarian dish to serve 6-8. RSVP’s if you would like to come would be very helpful. On Sunday, October 26 we will celebrate our first Rosh Chodesh of the new year. The Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan program will take place at the Labor Zionist Center at 7:30 PM. We are planning an interfaith program for that evening. Details will follow closer to the date, but you can rest assured that there will be refreshments!
All of these events are open to Jewish women bat
mitzvah age and above. Feel free to
bring friends! For more information,
please email us or call (412) 422-8044.
It
looks like this will be another great year for books on Jewish feminism. A brief survey of recent publications
included these two works, which sound very tempting! The first is The Receiving: Reclaiming Jewish Women's Wisdom
by
Tirzah Firestone. The title refers to the English
translation of the word “kabbalah.”
Here’s a brief description from the publisher: “In what might be
called an act of spiritual archaeology, Firestone searches for the traces of
the divine feminine in the Jewish tradition in order to answer the question,
‘What is a woman's way to God?’ Drawing on the remarkable stories of seven
historical holy women -- who, despite all the obstacles, found ways to embrace
the sacred feminine in their lives -- Firestone teaches us the mysteries of…[k]abbalah
from a woman's vantage point.” Jewish
women mystics? Who knew? This sounds like a most intriguing read and
a very important historical document.
The
state of our sisters in Israel is the topic of
Jewish Feminism in Israel: Some
Contemporary Perspectives, edited by Kalpana Misra
and Melanie Rich. Feminists in Israel walk a difficult path,
as so much of the country’s energy is devoted to basic survival. Modern liberal movements in Judaism such as
feminism and non-Orthodox religious practice have faced many challenges and
impediments. This study, published by
Brandeis University Press, examines such topics as the role of women on
kibbutzim, feminism in non-Ashkenazic communities, Women in Black and other
women-run peace groups, and domestic violence in Israel. This volume should help us understand how
feminism must manifest differently in different situations, yet address the
fundamental issues of women’s dignity and equality everywhere.
On the web site scene, our thanks go again to Elizabeth Gordon, who has sent 2 web addresses for us. Here’s what she has to say about them: I thought it might be nice to encourage support of the Israeli economy which, God knows, needs some help at the moment. The first, Ethic Arts, is an artist's cooperative, and sells a wide variety of jewelry, ceremonial and household objects, and other items. Their prices are reasonable and include shipping. Lots of gorgeous stuff - I love their jewelry and bought quite a few things when I visited their shop in Jerusalem in May. http://ethnicsart.com/index.asp The second, Kakadu, crafts hand-painted wooden objects, from mirrors and picture frames, to floor mats and tables. http://www.kakadu-design.com/kakadu/shopping/index.asp And for something completely different, here’s a link to the latest production from Jewish Women Watching. Be warned: this deals with dissent about Israeli-Palestinian relations within the Jewish community and it’s very strong stuff. http://www.jewishwomenwatching.com/jewishspeak.pdf
If you have recommendations for
this column, please send them along.
We’ll be glad to share them with the JWC membership.
MEMBER NEWS
Mazal tov to Victoria
Machtay and David Robins on their recent wedding! Here’s the announcement from Victoria: “On August
31 Victoria Machtay wed David Robins in an eclectic ceremony in Schenley Park.
We were lucky to have the wonderful guidance and voice of Julie Newman
as our meseder kiddushin. We
are in bliss :). We were lucky in that David found a job working for the
PA Virtual Charter School as an elementary teacher and will be staying in
Pittsburgh”…Karen and Don Morris are very
pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Mira Rose, on Sunday,
July 20 at 7:55 PM. Mira weighed 9
pounds, 4 ounces. Her Hebrew name is
Mira Rivka. She's named after Karen’s
grandfather Meyer (which, like Mira, means light) as well as her uncle
Marvin. Her middle name, Rose is after
Don's great Aunt Rose Morris. Mazal tov
to everyone at the Morris house!…Jean Clickner sent the following piece
of news: “We had an Israeli visitor in August, Hadas Peretz, from the
Misgav region. She and my son Matt
became friends four years ago when he went to Israel with the Mechane
program. They have maintained contact
and she is in Baltimore this summer working at a JCC camp. Hadas has already served her time in the
army and will be considering work/school options when she returns home. When we
were in Israel, I spent a day with Hadas's mother, so I feel quite close to her
and worry about them, too. This is
just one example of the value of sending our children to Israel-the connections
are strong.”…Elizabeth Gordon has a piece in the July issue of Song of
the Siren, called "Who You Calling Ugly?" You can read this piece here:http://www.song-of-the siren.net/zine/2003_07_01/ugly.html…Lisa
Brush has had a very busy summer.
In June, she leined from Torah for the first time, and did a
masterful job. Also, her first book was
published last month. It’s called Gender
and Governance, published by AltaMira Press/Rowman and Littlefield. Kol ha kavod to Lisa on these impressive
accomplishments!… Judith
Lantos Finkelstein continues to have a busy exhibition schedule. She will participate in an art exhibit at
the Pittsburgh National Aviary called "21st Annual Wings and Wildlife Art
Show", November 7-9. She will also
be in the Bethesda, Maryland and Gaithersberg Area shows later on this year… Elijah Horowitz, son of Mike and Laura
Horowitz (yes, my kid-I’ll try to keep the kvelling to a minimum),
graduated with honors from Schenley High School in June. He earned the International Baccalaureate
diploma as a result of his IB exam test results and classwork. Eli now attends the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst, where he is enrolled in Commonwealth College, the
university’s honors program. His
parents and sister remaining in Pittsburgh are adjusting-slowly…The JWC would
like to extend a warm welcome to Lauren Baumann, Barbara’s sister, and Lauren’s partner Melissa
DeBernardi, who have recently moved to Pittsburgh. We hope to see them at our fall programs and
welcome them in person!… Our sympathy goes to Alan and Mimi Reznik
on the loss of Alan’s mother, Rose.
If you have news about yourself or a family
member that you would like to share with the JWC, email it to me anytime, and
it will appear in the upcoming newsletter.
This is a piece that was published at the beginning of this month by the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency. We will be
very interested in the results of the study.
Conservative Rabbinical Assembly to launch survey on women rabbis
Are women rabbis hitting the stained-glass ceiling? That’s
one of the questions to be asked in a new study by the Conservative movement’s
Rabbinical Assembly, which is undertaking the first study of Conservative women
rabbis since the movement began ordaining them in 1985, JTA has learned.
“Overall in
society, it’s clear that women’s advancement in many areas is not equal to that
of men,” said Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the R.A.’s director of rabbinic
development, who is heading the study.
“The assumption is that many” women rabbis “are not earning as much as
men.”
Until now, there
has been no hard evidence to back up that assumption in the Conservative
movement or the Reconstructionist and Reform movements, which also ordain
women. But the R.A.’s study, which is
scheduled to be released in the spring of 2004, will attempt to gauge issues
such as whether a salary gap exists between men and women rabbis, why women
rabbis chose the positions they did and what kind of competition they faced for
jobs. “We are attempting to establish a
baseline of data,” Schonfeld said.
The study
ultimately will have implications for all three of the denominations that
ordain women, women rabbinical leaders said.
“Any time a study like this comes out, it holds up a mirror to make sure
that what you’re doing is right,” said Rabbi Amy Small, president of the
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and rabbi at Congregation Beth
Hatikvah in Chatham, N.J. If the study
reveals an earnings gender gap in the Conservative movement, “we’d want to go
back and make sure we don’t have that problem” in the Reconstructionist
movement, Small said. Of the 236
Reconstructionist rabbis, 110 are women.
The $25,000 study,
launched with a $17,000 grant from the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York,
in addition to funding from the Rabbinical Assembly and private donors, should
“have broad implications around the country,” said Sherri Greenbach, executive
director of the Jewish Women’s Foundation. The foundation is a private,
non-denominational grant-making group that supports Jewish women and girls.
“Although there is a lot of anecdotal information” about women rabbis, she
said, “to create change there needs to be quantitative information about why
women rabbis are making the choice they’re making.”
The study is still
in the planning stages. The Assembly has hired sociologist Steven M. Cohen of
Hebrew University to head the study. Cohen, who will work with a panel of
Conservative rabbis to formulate the study’s questions, said he will examine
the “career trajectory” of female and male rabbis. “There is an impression that
men have been more likely to have been hired for the more prestigious, larger
congregational posts,” he said. “We don’t know that for a fact, but if it’s
true, the question is why.”
Women face other
issues too, said one member of the rabbinical advisory panel, Rabbi Toni Shy of
Temple Beth Israel in Port Washington, N.Y. The difficulties many career women
face in holding a high-powered job while raising a family are especially acute
for women rabbis, who are expected to be available at all hours of the day, Shy
said. As a result, she said, fewer women with young children are going into the
pulpit.
Rabbi Jerome
Epstein, executive vice president of the United Synagogue, the Conservative
movement’s congregational arm, said congregations need to know “that a rabbi is
going to be there when they need that rabbi.” “I’ve heard congregations say
that if a rabbi is a woman and someone is in the hospital at 3 a.m., she’s not
going to want to leave her children” to attend to that person, he said. At the
same time, he added, congregations need to give women the same respect men
receive. Epstein said the study will be very helpful in helping both synagogues
and rabbis understand each other’s needs.
In 1985, Amy
Eilberg became the first woman ordained at the Conservative movement’s Jewish
Theological Seminary of America, following a protracted debate over women’s
ordination. Today there are 177 women among about 1,500 Conservative rabbis in
all. The telephone survey will attempt to reach all of these women, as well as
177 of their male contemporaries, to capture a “whole generation,” Schonfeld
said.
Rabbi Zari Weiss,
co-president of the Reform movement’s 220-member Women’s Rabbinical Network,
said women generally have had substantial support in the Reform world, though
anecdotal evidence suggests that women rabbis earn less than men. In that
respect, the report’s “results might affect all of us,” Weiss said.
The Reform
movement, which has about 1,700 rabbis — including 373 women who belong to the
Central Conference of American Rabbis — became the first Jewish stream to break
the rabbinic gender barrier when Sally Priesand was ordained in 1972. Since
then, Reform women rabbis have reached leadership ranks in the movement’s
professional organizations. Among them are Rabbi Laura Geller of Temple Emanuel
in Beverly Hills, one of the more notable pulpit positions, and Rabbi Jackie
Koch Ellenson, director of the Women’s Rabbinical Network.
The
Reconstructionist movement ordained its first woman, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, in
1974, though women began occupying leadership positions in Reconstructionism in
the 1960s, Small said.
Schonfeld said
women in all the liberal Jewish movements stand to learn from this study. “We think
that what happens with Conservative women rabbis will have much broader
implications beyond the Conservative movement,” she said.
And here’s a piece from Israel,
where it seems single mothers are besieged from all directions. It’s from Israel Line of Thursday, July 31.
Tel Aviv Takes Unprecedented Measure in Favor
of Gay Couples
According to new
regulations issued by the Tel Aviv municipality, same-sex couples will now be
eligible for the same benefits as married couples, HA'ARETZ reported. Gay couples
who present an affidavit from a lawyer in which they declare that they share a
common domicile will now be able to obtain the same discounts as those enjoyed
by married couples at municipal cultural spots and other facilities. Sources in
the gay community emphasized the legal-historical significance of the new
directives underlining that it was unprecedented for a public institution to
recognize the same-sex family unit in writing. The sources hoped the new
regulation would pave the way for other additional important benefits.
Lawyer Ira Hadar,
an expert in homosexual and lesbian rights who worked for the passage of the
new regulations and is now waging a legal battle to allow a lesbian couple to
adopt each other’s biological children, said this recent decision showed
same-sex families were becoming socially acceptable.
The regulations,
however, may place single mothers in a difficult position. If two lesbian women
raising their children are recognized as a couple, they can potentially lose
the benefits they were eligible to receive as single mothers. However, sources
at city hall said that the city would probably not cross-check people getting
single-parent benefits with those who have signed the shared domicile
declaration, thus solving any problems in the foreseeable future. The new
municipal regulations apply not only to gay couples, but also to all couples
who declare a shared domicile, and those who cannot get married under Orthodox
law.
As a bookend to the lead article in this newsletter, here is a piece from the New York Times of this past April 12. Our friends at Ma’yan sent it to us. I’ve edited it a bit. Modern Additions to Jewish Rituals By Debra Nussbaum Cohen Passover seder tables will be groaning next week under the weight of the holiday's traditional ritual objects: seder plates, goblets of wine and platters of matzah. But in countless homes this year, set next to the wine-filled Elijah's cup, will be something new: a Miriam's cup. Miriam's cups, filled with spring water symbolizing the wells that the Bible says miraculously appeared to sustain the Israelites in the desert wherever the prophet Miriam went, have been growing in popularity since they were introduced about a decade ago. Today they are a popular hostess gift brought by seder guests as well as a staple of feminist Passover tables, and are sold in just about every Judaica store and catalog. They are just one of the spate of new Jewish ritual objects that are beginning to transform the aesthetic and spiritual landscape of American Judaism. Others include a Queen Esther tambourine and Esther and Vashti flags for Purim, as well as Ushpizot posters bearing images of Judaism's foremothers Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, for hanging on sukkah walls during the autumn holiday to accompany the conventional posters of the forefathers and important (read: male) rabbis. "Each of the holidays is now inviting new ritual objects," says Lori Lefkovitz, professor of gender and Judaism at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia, and academic director of Kolot: The Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies, based there. "A big reason for them has been the enfranchisement of women in Judaism," Professor Lefkovitz says. "Of course there's always invention, liturgical and ritual, in religious life, to meet the needs of any given moment. The trick is to meet a contemporary need in a way that will quickly look like it came down from Sinai." Most of the new creations, spurred by feminists' desire to create a place for women's voices where they have been absent from traditional rituals, are female analogs of male-oriented objects. For the Haman-focused grogger there are now the Queen Esther tambourine, created by the Philadelphia artist Betsy Platkin Teutsch, and the Esther and Vashti flag. A handful of Jewish artists - male and female – have reinterpreted the chair customarily set aside for Elijah the Prophet at the brit milah and created chairs for baby girls, their mothers and grandmothers on the occasion of Simchat Bat welcoming ceremonies. The Esther and Vashti flag is Judaism's newest ritual object. The feminist organization Ma'yan last year commissioned artists to create dozens of versions, which were displayed in the gallery at the Jewish Community Center of Manhattan, and this year it manufactured one for popular use. Ma'yan quickly sold much of its production run. And in synagogues around the country last month, Jews waved the brightly colored flag, its small bells highlighting the names of Purim's heroines as they were read aloud during the holiday. The sweet sound provided a striking counterpoint to the grinding sound of the groggers blotting out Haman's name. Emphasizing Esther and Vashti's roles alongside that of the villain Haman "creates a more open Judaism for everybody, a Judaism that isn't only for and about our sons," says Rabbi Rona Shapiro, senior associate at Ma'yan, which also produced the Ushpizot poster. Along with other new objects, the Esther and Vashti flags are finding homes in liberal synagogues - Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative - but not as much among the Orthodox, whose reverence for tradition generally precludes ritual innovation. Most of the newly created objects are used as part of communal rituals, but others are intensely personal. Sarah Fenner, a childbirth educator in San Francisco and mother of two young sons, was found to have breast cancer last year at age 34. Chemotherapy began almost immediately and the experience nearly overwhelmed her. "It's pretty easy to feel helpless," she says. So she created a chemotherapy siddur, or prayer book, putting prayers written by women, photographs and messages from friends into a pocket photo album, reading it each time she received treatment. She recently completed six weeks of daily radiation treatments, which inspired her next new ritual object, a "radiation Omer counter." The concept is based on the different prayers observant Jews use to count down the 49 days between Passover, which celebrates the Israelites' Exodus, and the Shavuot holiday, which celebrates God's giving them the Torah. As in the traditional Omer counting, readings and prayers on each page of Ms. Fenner's compilation will guide the ritual participant toward greater insight and personal transformation. Undergirding each of these new ritual objects is the idea that something conventional can be adapted to contemporary sensibilities, and that something new can be invented if it is missing from the canon, an ethic rooted in the "do it yourself Judaism" first articulated by the egalitarian Havurah movement born in the late 1960's and early 1970's. It all started with prayer shawls and head coverings. Men and women alike began wearing colorful tallits, rather than the conventional black and white version, Professor Lefkovitz says. And women began fashioning versions from nontraditional, feminine materials. "Classic male garb was reinvented," she says. "That got us used to new possibilities." Though these new ritual objects may start out seeming relevant only to those who create them, the ones that take off seem to easily become part of the fabric of liberal Jewish observance. Professor Lefkovitz saw her first Miriam's Cup in 1992. "A few years ago I had to pause and remember to put one on the table," she says, though it is almost automatic now. "My kids would think something was missing if it wasn't there" for the Passover Seder, Professor Lefkovitz says, adding: "It takes only one generation for things to feel authentic. Because what feels authentic is what we grow up with."
JWC COOKS
During the Days of Awe, it’s a mitzvah to say Shehechianu as often as possible. That’s why it’s a tradition to buy something new to wear for the Chagim. Nowadays, when we can get virtually any food we want all year around, it’s harder to find opportunities to say Shehechianu over individual foods. But you can always try a new recipe! Best wishes for a good and sweet year from the JWC.
Chicken
with Lemon and Olives* 6 servings
1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime
juice 1/2
cup olive oil
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar 3 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp.
dried 1 onion, chopped
1 tbs. chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp.
dried 4 garlic
cloves, chopped
3 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth 1/2
tsp. turmeric
24 olives Greek and/or Kalmata olives, pitted 1
large lemon, thinly sliced
6 large chicken breast
halves, skinned if you prefer
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade; pat dry with a paper towel. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large Dutch oven over high heat. Working in batches, add chicken skin, or meaty side, down, and brown well, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium; add the onion and garlic to Dutch oven; cook until onion is tender, stirring often, 3-5 minutes. Watch that the garlic does not burn. Add turmeric; stir 1 minute. Add stock, lemon and olives. Raise heat and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add the chicken breasts, cover with the juice and cover the pot. Bake in oven until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Using tongs, place chicken in a clean bowl. Cover to keep warm. Boil cooking liquid in the Dutch oven, on top of the stove, until the liquid is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Serve, passing the remaining cooking liquid separately.
*Note: If salt is a problem, omit the
olives—it's an equally delicious dish!
Topping:2 pears peeled and thinly sliced (firm type like Bosc suggested)1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons grated orange peel1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup honey Cake:1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup honey1 egg 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice2 tablespoons butter or pareve margarine, meltedadditional butter or margarine for pan Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare 9-inch square pan by coating lightly with butter or margarine. Arrange pear slices, overlapping slices somewhat, in the bottom of the prepared pan. (It may not be necessary to use all the pear slices to cover the pan. On the other hand, you may prefer a thicker fruit layer and want to use all the slices.) Sprinkle the fruit with flour, the orange peel and cinnamon. Drizzle the honey evenly over the fruit layer. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mixing well. In a separate bowl, combine honey, egg, butter, and orange juice, mixing well. Add the honey mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just blended. Spread the dough evenly over the pears. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until browned. Remove pan from oven and allow cake to cool slightly on a wire rack. To serve, invert the cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm. adapted from the Palm Beach Jewish Times, 9/98
JWC MISSION STATEMENT
The Jewish Women’s Center is a
community of women of all backgrounds that provides educational opportunities
and spiritual experiences rooted in Jewish values and feminist ideals. The JWC is a supportive environment for
broadening our knowledge and involvement in Jewish life. The programs and resources of the JWC create
opportunities for Jewish women’s learning, leadership, spiritual growth and
ritual practice.
Gayle Abrams Ritual/Program/Archive (412) 421-6912
Barbara Baumann Memberhsip (412) 421-9713
Pat Cluss President (412) 421-2219
Melissa Conn-Jones Library/Good and Welfare (412) 799-0132
Lynne Feinberg Ritual/Program/Archives (412) 242-6601
Malke Frank Ritual/Program/Archives (412) 422-8044
Elizabeth Gordon Publicity (412) 661-5020
Laura Horowitz Communications (412) 421-2044
Larissa Mysakovsky Membership (412) 344-8899
Miri Rabinowitz Treasurer (412) 241-8131
Julie Newman (ex officio) Rosh Shira (412) 366-6154
JEWISH WOMEN’S CENTER
of PITTSBURGH
P.O. BOX 81924 Pittsburgh, PA 15217
jwcpgh@yahoo.com www.trfn.clpgh.org/jwc
(412) 422-8044
CONFIRMING, CONFRONTING,
CREATING:
JEWISH WOMEN EXPLORE
RITUAL
Sukkot Sunday, October 12 TBA
Potluck Dinner 5:30 PM
Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan Sunday, October 26 LZC*
Interfaith Program 7:30 PM
Rosh Chodesh Kislev Tuesday, November 25 TBA**
Jewish Women’s Readings 7:30 PM
Rosh Chodesh Tevet Thursday, December 25 LZC
Chanukah
Rosh Chodesh Sh’vat Friday, January 23 LZC
Family Shabbat Dinner I 6 PM
Women’s Shabbat Service Saturday, February 7 JCC
Parshat Beshalach 9:30 AM
Rosh Chodesh Adar Sunday, February 22 JCC
Mikvah Project Gallery Tour 10:30 AM
Ta’anit Esther Thursday, March 4 LZC
7:30 PM
Rosh Chodesh Nisan Monday, March 22 LZC
7:30 PM
Women’s Pesach Seder Sunday, April 11 LZC
6:30 PM
Rosh Chodesh Iyar Wednesday, April 21 LZC
7:30 PM
Rosh Chodesh Sivan Thursday, May 20 LZC
Annual Meeting 7:30 PM
Rosh Chodesh Tammuz Friday, June 18 LZC
Family Shabbat Dinner II 6 PM
Rosh Chodesh Elul Monday, August 16 TBA
Women’s Picnic 6:30 PM
*The Labor Zionist Center is located at 6328 Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill.
** Optional dinner before the readings at 6 PM, location TBA.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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