Women's League Shabbat

2026/5786 – January 17/28 Tevet

Parashat Vaera

 

You are invited to tailor the following texts to meet the needs and goals of your Women’s League Shabbat committee. We are pleased to offer a collection of poems, songs/music videos, articles, rabbinic excerpts, readings based on the current Torah Fund theme of Oseh Shalom, and many more materials related to the next Women’s League Shabbat. 

Various D’var Torah are included exploring different ideas and themes, including a dedicated D’var Torah for Parashat Vaera to be used specifically on January 17, 2026.

 

Please stay tuned for additional materials that may be read at your services: letter of greeting from Women’s League Executive Director Rabbi Ellen Wolintz-Fields.

Upcoming Opportunities

Torah Fund

Click the image to read Torah Fund’s message about the Creating New Spaces campaign!

WL Leadership Institute - January 2026

IN-PERSON

Sunday, January 25 - Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism – committed to developing skilled and dedicated leaders – invites you to attend an inspiring Leadership Institute that will expand your skills as a leader and enhance your knowledge as a Jewish woman while strengthening your connection to Women’s League, your Sisterhood Affiliate, your community, and Klal Yisrael.

 

The next Women’s League Leadership Institute is scheduled for January 25-27, 2026 at Temple Sinai in Hollywood, FL.

 

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE?

A multi-day workshop that will enhance your personal style of communication with interactive exercises and role-playing, and will help you discover tips and techniques for using language that motivates, stimulates and encourages women to volunteer. An opportunity to network with other women, master goal-setting, time management and team-building. Learn the secret of keeping yourself challenged.

WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT THAN OTHER LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS? 

The Leadership Institute’s unique format allows participants to build a personal program to expand Jewish knowledge and leadership skills.

 

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

$299 includes materials, programming, and meals. This fee does not include hotel or transportation to Temple Sinai in Hollywood, FL.

 

Registration for the hotel is $134/single and $144/double + tax per night. Click here to reserve a room in the Leadership Institute room block at the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham in Hollywood, FL. Make sure that your check-in/check-out dates are listed appropriately. According to WLCJ guidelines, please do not travel on Shabbat. These rooms can be accommodated into double occupancy. Before booking, please let us know who you will be sharing the room with for our records and explain how split payment will be handled.  

 

The learning and sense of community created during the Institute comes both from the shared experiences during the formal program and the unstructured time together at the hotel. To facilitate this, we strongly urge local participants to stay with the rest of the group at the hotel.

LAST CALL! REGISTER TODAY!

QUESTIONS?

Debbie Zimmerman

WLCJ Leadership Institute Logistics Chair

dzimmerman@wlcj.org

WL Individual Membership

ONLINE

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

7:15 pm ET | 4:15 pm PT

Meet Jerilynn Payne:

Her Journey to Judaism, amid a Life of Service and Activism

 

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Jerilynn Payne, a Sisterhood Affiliate member, a “Jew by Choice,” and WLCJ Board Member, serving as Co-Chair of the Women’s League Cares Program.

Jerilynn will share her unique path to Judaism, along with stories from her varied careers, passions, and extensive volunteer work. Known for being “all-in” in everything she does, Jerilynn’s vibrant energy and dedication make her story one you won’t want to miss.

 

Discover how faith, service, and activism can come together in a life well-lived—come hear Jerilynn’s journey!

QUESTIONS?

Susan Farber                Vivian Leber

WLCJ Individual Membership Co-Chairs

sfarber@wlcj.org          vleber@wlcj.org

 

Doreen Bornfreund

WLCJ Membership Chair

dbornfreund@wlcj.org

Spring 2026 WLCJ Classes: Learn Hebrew, from the Siddur to the Torah

ONLINE

Registration Is Open

for All Spring Semester Classes

If you would like to expand your Jewish literacy skills, and/or improve your ability to read Biblical Hebrew, you should take one of our classes.

 

Classes begin on February 4, 2026.

 

Our Level 2+ is for students who have previously taken this class before and do not yet read smoothly. Prayers from Shabbat and holidays will be used to improve reading fluency and understanding.

Our Level 3+ class is for students who have taken this class before and wish to continue at this level.

 

Our Level 4 - Chumash class is for proficient Hebrew readers who want to strengthen their skills and learn vocabulary through the weekly Torah and Haftarah portions.

 

Our Level 4 - Advanced Siddur class is for students who previously took our Level 3 Grammar class and members with strong Hebrew reading ability. This class will delve into prayers by examining word roots, prefixes, suffixes and essential grammar. 

 

A minimum of 6 students is required for each class.

QUESTIONS?

Rachel Ferber

rferber@wlcj.org

Hebrew Course Chair

Jews and 1970s Hollywood Musicals

ONLINE

Monday, February 9, 2026

3:00 pm ET | 12:00 pm PT

All That Jazz and More—Jews and 1970s Hollywood Musicals

Explore the Jewish connections behind iconic 1970s Hollywood musicals. Through film clips and visuals, these stand-alone sessions highlight the Jewish actors, composers, writers, and directors who shaped films like CabaretFiddler on the RoofA Star Is Born, and Saturday Night Fever. A must for movie and music lovers alike.

Session One—Monday, February 9, 2026Fiddler on the Roof and Tradition—Traditional musicals

Upcoming sessions:

Session Two—Monday, March 9, 2026No Laughing Matters—Dramatically themed musicals

Session Three—Monday, April 13, 2026Not Your Parents’ Kind of Musicals—Rock and contemporary musicals

QUESTIONS?

Lois Silverman

lsilverman@wlcj.org

WL Health & Wellness

ONLINE

Sunday, February 22, 2026

7:30 pm ET | 4:30 pm PT

Join us for a meaningful and engaging conversation with Nina Manolson, M.A., NBC-HWC, a renowned Body-Peace Coach who helps women end the war with food and their bodies—and create lasting peace.

 

With over 30 years of experience, Nina supports smart, capable women who often know what they should do to care for themselves, yet struggle to truly nourish themselves in the way they deserve.

For Jewish women, our relationship with food is complex and deeply layered—shaped by tradition, ritual, survival, history, and plenty of family meshugas. That complexity makes this conversation both powerful and necessary.

 

In this program, we’ll explore:

  • Why our relationship with food can feel so complicated
  • The unique role food plays in the lives of Jewish women
  • How expectations, stress, and mixed messages shape our experiences
  • Where to go from here—and how to create more ease, compassion, and peace with our food, bodies, and legacy

Come curious. Leave with insight. Begin creating a more peaceful relationship with food and your body.

QUESTIONS?

Debbie Bettan

Health & Wellness Chair

dbettan@wlcj.org

WL Reads

ONLINE

Sunday, April 12, 2026

1:00 pm ET | 10:00 am PT

Join WL Reads for a conversation with international bestselling author Randy Susan Meyers, whose novels—three named "Must-Read Books" by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Library of Congress—are known for their clear, captivating voice.

Her latest novel, The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone (released in 2024), explores bold questions about altruism, justice, and what we’re willing to sacrifice to create a more equitable world.

 

Read along with your sisters and join us on Sunday, April 12 at 1:00 pm Eastern Time. Even if you haven’t read the book yet, we encourage you to attend—this promises to be a thoughtful and engaging discussion.

QUESTIONS?

Karen Block

WL Reads Chair

kblock@wlcj.org

Masorti Women's Days of Study 2026

Save the Dates - Click the image to learn more. Registration opens soon.

Sunday, February 8, 2026

In-Person Program

Monday, March 9, 2026

On Zoom Program

WLCJ Convention 2026

Shabbaton: Friday–Saturday, July 10–11, 2026 

Convention: Sunday–Wednesday, July 12–15, 2026

The Hilton Alexandria Mark Center

5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22311

Click here or on the image to go to the online application or here for PDF version.

NEW - Click here to view the video of the application procedure.

Previously Promoted — Revisit the Details

Still need to register?

Click the image to explore each Zoom program. We’d be delighted to have you join us.

Tues. Jan. 27, 2026

at 11:00 am ET

Thurs. Feb 5, 2026

at 7:30 pm ET

Feb. 13-14, 2026

Ongoing Google Group

Region / Sisterhood Affiliates Events

ONLINE

Seaboard Region

Meet the Authors

Select Mondays at 7:30pm ET

ONLINE

Garden State Region

Sun. Jan 11, 2026

at 11:00am ET

ONLINE

International Northeast Region

Mon. Jan 12, 2026 at 7:30pm ET

ONLINE

BQLI Region

Weds. Jan 14, 2026 at 7:30pm ET

ONLINE

North Atlantic Region

Tues. Jan 20, 2026 at 7:00pm ET

ONLINE

Seaboard Region

Weds. Jan 21, 2026 at 7:30pm ET

ONLINE

Pacific Southwest & North by Northwest Regions

Sun. Jan 25, 2026 at 9:00am PT

REGISTER

Does your Region/Sisterhood Affiliate have any upcoming programs that are virtual or hybrid?

If so, please send the details to info@wlcj.org so we can include them in an upcoming edition of WL Week.

Makom B'Yachad

ONLINE

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday

12 noon ET, 9am PT, 10am MT, and 11am CT

A virtual service for our WLCJ Sisters to recite Mishaberach (the Prayer for Healing) and Psalms, and study Kaddish.

 

Zoom link can be found in WL Week. Please email info@wlcj.org if you are not in our mailing list.

Weekly Words of Torah

The WWOT, the Weekly Words of Torah, each week through the end of June 2026, will connect to the 2025-2026 / 5786 Torah Fund general campaign, Oseh Shalom – Maker of Peace. To read more Weekly Words of Torah, click here.

 

Parashat Shemot January 10, 2026

 

This week we begin the study of Exodus, the second book of the Torah. It opens with a listing of the names of the sons of Jacob who had come down to Egypt. With the passage of time, Joseph was forgotten and his descendants were enslaved by Pharaoh, who commanded the midwives who attended the Hebrew women to drown all the baby boys in the Nile River. They refused to comply, meriting a great reward from God . . . 

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WLCJ 5786 Calendar Diaries

Order Today!

Calendar Diaries are available.

Order yours today!

Pocket Size = $12.00

Planner Size = $26.00

Additional Resources and Shortcuts

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