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2023 WRJ Pacific District Convention
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The Pacific District 2023 Convention in Bellevue, Washington – “Reimagining Traditions: Finding Harmony and Balance” was the Pacific District's 56th Convention and thanks to the efforts of our convention planning team and our local convention host, Temple B’nai Torah, it lived up to the promise of a fun and educational four days!
This convention was held as a hybrid event, so several of the main sessions were broadcast on livestream and one workshop in each block was available for virtual attendance. Most of us attended in person and experienced the full value of convention and connection with our sisters from across the district. Convention is all about sisterhood, spirituality and social justice: Meeting new people, seeing friends we have made over the years, learning about everyone’s challenges and successes, gathering new ideas and information, getting involved, giving back, and just having fun together.
This convention was held as a hybrid event, so several of the main sessions were broadcast on livestream and one workshop in each block was available for virtual attendance. Most of us attended in person and experienced the full value of convention and connection with our sisters from across the district. Convention is all about sisterhood, spirituality and social justice: Meeting new people, seeing friends we have made over the years, learning about everyone’s challenges and successes, gathering new ideas and information, getting involved, giving back, and just having fun together.
At the Opening Session on Thursday evening, we heard from our dynamic keynote speaker, Amelia Cramer. Ms. Cramer is a member of the Women of Kol Ami in Tucson, Arizona and is a retired attorney with a breadth of diverse experience practicing law in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. During her legal career, she actively promoted civil rights for LGBTQ people. Additionally, she served for nearly 15 years as a reform-minded prosecutor in the position of Chief Deputy Pima County Attorney in Tucson, Arizona.
We offered a great line-up of diverse workshops, many involving teachings from our local rabbis. Our Workshop Committee, led by Evelyn Lever and Tina Wolfe, developed an engaging series of learning opportunities to touch our souls, reimagine traditions through a women’s lens, and help us find harmony and balance in our lives, interspersed with nuts-and-bolts informational workshops to help each of us as well as our sisterhoods/women’s groups thrive.
The WRJ PD Action & Advocacy Team planned a special social justice track of workshops, including sessions on Judaism and Environmental Justice, a panel on the new WRJ Says Stop Initiative, Hot Topics in Social Justice, and a virtual program on the struggle for gender equality and religious pluralism in Israel featuring Yochi Rappeport, Executive Director of Women of the Wall.
Our Social Action project supported refugee resettlement efforts in collaboration with Jewish Family Service of Seattle by donating gift cards to the organization or contributing to the JFS Amazon Wish List.
A highlight of convention for many was the time to celebrate Shabbat together! Friday evening, we convened at Temple B’nai Torah, our host congregation, for a special worship service and catered dinner. TBT created a musical service with a middle Eastern flavor that included musicians and singers (some of our Sisterhood members). The service was a blend of the annual Sisterhood Shabbat service and the musicians. Saturday morning, Janice Brumer planned a meaningful and moving Shabbat morning service for us, with local service leader Mikayla Goodkin and including the beautiful voices of our WRJ PD Choir organized and led by Annette Kozicki.
WRJ Pacific District Past President Ellen Bick, along with other past District Presidents, planned the installation of our newly elected District Board which coincided with our beautiful Havdalah service to end Shabbat. We are so very lucky to have such caring, resourceful and dedicated women who choose to lead our District.
We honored sisterhoods and women’s groups with Kavod Awards (district) and Or Ami Awards (WRJ). We heard from several inspiring speakers. We were excited to welcome our WRJ Guest, Jane Taves, WRJ Vice President of Engagement, from Madison, Wisconsin, who shared her wisdom with us in various ways during the course of the weekend. Rabbis from around our district joined us to lead Torah study sessions as well as workshops and worship.
Saturday evening, we enjoyed a live comedy improv show with Jet City Improv and a special sing-along song session with Annette Kozicki and Celia Curran Amancio.
This was an in-person event, but a fully virtual option was offered for those unable to travel or attend in person. Kudos to our amazing Tech Team – Shoshana Lewin Fischer, Julia Weinstein, Melissa Jakubowitz, and Lori Glasky – for helping to make this a truly hybrid event! Virtual Convention attendees had access to all live-streamed plenary sessions, Torah study, worship services, and the beautiful Installation service. There was also be a dedicated virtual workshop track, pre-Convention webinars, and special Zoom chat rooms during Convention.
And as with all our conventions, it was a time to do the business of our Pacific District in our plenary sessions. We voted on the new officers for our district, discussed and passed some changes to our bylaws to stay current, heard of our accomplishments from our President, Cher Krichmar, heard the vision from our incoming President, Carol Schuster, and much more.
And of course, we needed volunteers to help. A special thank you to our volunteers who facilitated workshops, provided tech support, and provided general support along with a welcoming smile. A special thank you to Debbie Braymer, our Volunteer Coordinator.
We were thrilled to be able to join together again in-person for our 2023 Pacific District Convention. And hope to see you again at our next convention!
Karen Goldberg and Robin Plotnik, 2023 Convention Co-Chairs
We offered a great line-up of diverse workshops, many involving teachings from our local rabbis. Our Workshop Committee, led by Evelyn Lever and Tina Wolfe, developed an engaging series of learning opportunities to touch our souls, reimagine traditions through a women’s lens, and help us find harmony and balance in our lives, interspersed with nuts-and-bolts informational workshops to help each of us as well as our sisterhoods/women’s groups thrive.
The WRJ PD Action & Advocacy Team planned a special social justice track of workshops, including sessions on Judaism and Environmental Justice, a panel on the new WRJ Says Stop Initiative, Hot Topics in Social Justice, and a virtual program on the struggle for gender equality and religious pluralism in Israel featuring Yochi Rappeport, Executive Director of Women of the Wall.
Our Social Action project supported refugee resettlement efforts in collaboration with Jewish Family Service of Seattle by donating gift cards to the organization or contributing to the JFS Amazon Wish List.
A highlight of convention for many was the time to celebrate Shabbat together! Friday evening, we convened at Temple B’nai Torah, our host congregation, for a special worship service and catered dinner. TBT created a musical service with a middle Eastern flavor that included musicians and singers (some of our Sisterhood members). The service was a blend of the annual Sisterhood Shabbat service and the musicians. Saturday morning, Janice Brumer planned a meaningful and moving Shabbat morning service for us, with local service leader Mikayla Goodkin and including the beautiful voices of our WRJ PD Choir organized and led by Annette Kozicki.
WRJ Pacific District Past President Ellen Bick, along with other past District Presidents, planned the installation of our newly elected District Board which coincided with our beautiful Havdalah service to end Shabbat. We are so very lucky to have such caring, resourceful and dedicated women who choose to lead our District.
We honored sisterhoods and women’s groups with Kavod Awards (district) and Or Ami Awards (WRJ). We heard from several inspiring speakers. We were excited to welcome our WRJ Guest, Jane Taves, WRJ Vice President of Engagement, from Madison, Wisconsin, who shared her wisdom with us in various ways during the course of the weekend. Rabbis from around our district joined us to lead Torah study sessions as well as workshops and worship.
Saturday evening, we enjoyed a live comedy improv show with Jet City Improv and a special sing-along song session with Annette Kozicki and Celia Curran Amancio.
This was an in-person event, but a fully virtual option was offered for those unable to travel or attend in person. Kudos to our amazing Tech Team – Shoshana Lewin Fischer, Julia Weinstein, Melissa Jakubowitz, and Lori Glasky – for helping to make this a truly hybrid event! Virtual Convention attendees had access to all live-streamed plenary sessions, Torah study, worship services, and the beautiful Installation service. There was also be a dedicated virtual workshop track, pre-Convention webinars, and special Zoom chat rooms during Convention.
And as with all our conventions, it was a time to do the business of our Pacific District in our plenary sessions. We voted on the new officers for our district, discussed and passed some changes to our bylaws to stay current, heard of our accomplishments from our President, Cher Krichmar, heard the vision from our incoming President, Carol Schuster, and much more.
And of course, we needed volunteers to help. A special thank you to our volunteers who facilitated workshops, provided tech support, and provided general support along with a welcoming smile. A special thank you to Debbie Braymer, our Volunteer Coordinator.
We were thrilled to be able to join together again in-person for our 2023 Pacific District Convention. And hope to see you again at our next convention!
Karen Goldberg and Robin Plotnik, 2023 Convention Co-Chairs
Check out the 2023 PD Convention on Mighty Networks, Twitter, Facebook with the tag #WRJPD2023
My Favorite Convention Memories
Lillian Burkenheim Silver
My favorite Convention memories are being with my Sisters exploring new experiences. My first Convention was in Oakland. We flew into San Francisco Airport and took the BART to Oakland. It was my first time leaving my family and trekking on a girls’ trip. And it was exciting, informative and fun. The seasoned members of our Sisterhood held nightly slumber parties for everyone, where we met and talked about what we learned, our lives and everything under the sun. There were so many exciting programs and ideas I remember being excited to come home and recreate some of them at our Sisterhood.
My second favorite Convention memory was at the Convention in Portland. There is just something so incredibly warm and embracing about being with friends you only see at Convention. The city, the convention, the people. I was inspired. Phyllis Bigelson gave a speech about getting involved with the District. I talked with her about opportunities and by the time we landed back in LA I was involved in planning the next Convention.
This year, there were no flights, no hotel, but there was still lots of opportunities to learn and connect. Can’t wait to find my next Convention memory!
My second favorite Convention memory was at the Convention in Portland. There is just something so incredibly warm and embracing about being with friends you only see at Convention. The city, the convention, the people. I was inspired. Phyllis Bigelson gave a speech about getting involved with the District. I talked with her about opportunities and by the time we landed back in LA I was involved in planning the next Convention.
This year, there were no flights, no hotel, but there was still lots of opportunities to learn and connect. Can’t wait to find my next Convention memory!
