Submit to Or Ami Awards
WRJ Women’s Groups and WRJ Districts: Share Your Programs and Projects!
The guidelines and application for the Or Ami Award are available to download on the WRJ website at www.wrj.org/orami. Please be sure to submit your applications as soon as you can. It is best to complete and send it in right after your program; there is no need to wait! All award-winning programs and projects will be available on the Women of Reform Judaism website and in other WRJ resources. The program ideas will be available for all WRJ-affiliated women’s groups and WRJ Districts to use, and will reflect our work together to fulfill the traditional Jewish mandate of Tikkun Olam, working towards healing our fractured world.We urge you to submit your successful programs and projects for consideration for an Or Ami Award. Bring recognition to your women’s group or WRJ District and share your special achievements with all Women of Reform Judaism! If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Feldman at 866-WRJ-5924 or 212-650-4054 or afeldman@wrj.org.
We look forward to receiving your submissions!
The guidelines and application for the Or Ami Award are available to download on the WRJ website at www.wrj.org/orami. Please be sure to submit your applications as soon as you can. It is best to complete and send it in right after your program; there is no need to wait! All award-winning programs and projects will be available on the Women of Reform Judaism website and in other WRJ resources. The program ideas will be available for all WRJ-affiliated women’s groups and WRJ Districts to use, and will reflect our work together to fulfill the traditional Jewish mandate of Tikkun Olam, working towards healing our fractured world.We urge you to submit your successful programs and projects for consideration for an Or Ami Award. Bring recognition to your women’s group or WRJ District and share your special achievements with all Women of Reform Judaism! If you have any questions, please contact Amanda Feldman at 866-WRJ-5924 or 212-650-4054 or afeldman@wrj.org.
We look forward to receiving your submissions!
Pacific District Sisterhoods Winner of 3 Or Ami Awards
By Ellen Bick
The Or Ami “Light of My People” Award was established in 1973 by WRJ to recognize outstanding programs in social justice, community service, and education. These projects are solicited from sisterhoods and districts all over North America with the goal for the project to serve as a model for duplication. These awards are given every two years at the WRJ Assembly. In Toronto, the Pacific District was distinctly honored to receive three of the five awards as winners. There is also recognition for other submitted projects in categories of honorable mention, commendation, and special appreciation, with 59 total projects submitted.
Contact information for all 59 of these projects is available on the WRJ website: http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/
Here is a summary of the three award winning Or Ami projects:
WRJ/ Beth Israel Sisterhood, Portland, OR
Beth Israel Sisterhood Shabbaton: Wise-Hearted Women
Contact: Ellen Bick ellenbick@comcast.net
The sisterhood held an erev Shabbat service, followed by a day of worship and study with Dr. Judith R. Baskin, an editor of WRJ’s new publication The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, as the scholar-in-residence. The day was planned to enable members of the sisterhood, congregation, and community to explore the new Commentary, beginning with Torah study, morning service, and lunch with a keynote speech. Participants also explored the sisterhood’s role as “wise-hearted” Jewish women in creating and sustaining the Jewish world. The day included a series of afternoon workshop sessions led by local clergy and teachers that creatively responded to the Torah reading. The day concluded with a havdalah service led by the high school youth group. The event was open to all, and publicized extensively in the congregation, and in the Jewish and general press.
Temple Sholom Sisterhood, Vancouver, B.C.
Dedication of 226 Copies of “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary” to Our Temple and Establishment of a New Sisterhood Program, “Rosh Chodesh Renewal”
Contact: Donna Ornstein
Temple Sholom Sisterhood carried out an extensive promotion for purchase of The Torah, A Women’s Commentary for donation to the temple and for personal use, through flyers, bulletin articles, bima announcements, and emails, which culminated in placing an order for 226 copies. Following receipt of the Commentary, the sisterhood developed a new Rosh Chodesh Renewal group, inviting women to study Torah together using the Women’s Commentary.
Sisterhood of Temple B’nai Torah, Bellevue, WA
To Life, The Journey of Addiction and Recovery in our Jewish Community
Contact: Shana Aucsmith shanaauc@yahoo.com
Acting on WRJ’s 46th Assembly adoption of a resolution calling for a change in public drug abuse policy from a criminal justice to a medical/social paradigm, the B’nai Torah Sisterhood held a conference on substance abuse to increase awareness of addiction as a disease, and provide hope and information about recovery. Partnering with Jewish Family Service of Seattle, the Sisterhood held a conference attended by about 175 professionals, lay people, and clergy. The conference focused on addiction in the Jewish community, addiction as a disease, concurrent disorders, the impact on the family, how to access help, and recovery.
The Or Ami “Light of My People” Award was established in 1973 by WRJ to recognize outstanding programs in social justice, community service, and education. These projects are solicited from sisterhoods and districts all over North America with the goal for the project to serve as a model for duplication. These awards are given every two years at the WRJ Assembly. In Toronto, the Pacific District was distinctly honored to receive three of the five awards as winners. There is also recognition for other submitted projects in categories of honorable mention, commendation, and special appreciation, with 59 total projects submitted.
Contact information for all 59 of these projects is available on the WRJ website: http://www.womenofreformjudaism.org/
Here is a summary of the three award winning Or Ami projects:
WRJ/ Beth Israel Sisterhood, Portland, OR
Beth Israel Sisterhood Shabbaton: Wise-Hearted Women
Contact: Ellen Bick ellenbick@comcast.net
The sisterhood held an erev Shabbat service, followed by a day of worship and study with Dr. Judith R. Baskin, an editor of WRJ’s new publication The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, as the scholar-in-residence. The day was planned to enable members of the sisterhood, congregation, and community to explore the new Commentary, beginning with Torah study, morning service, and lunch with a keynote speech. Participants also explored the sisterhood’s role as “wise-hearted” Jewish women in creating and sustaining the Jewish world. The day included a series of afternoon workshop sessions led by local clergy and teachers that creatively responded to the Torah reading. The day concluded with a havdalah service led by the high school youth group. The event was open to all, and publicized extensively in the congregation, and in the Jewish and general press.
Temple Sholom Sisterhood, Vancouver, B.C.
Dedication of 226 Copies of “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary” to Our Temple and Establishment of a New Sisterhood Program, “Rosh Chodesh Renewal”
Contact: Donna Ornstein
Temple Sholom Sisterhood carried out an extensive promotion for purchase of The Torah, A Women’s Commentary for donation to the temple and for personal use, through flyers, bulletin articles, bima announcements, and emails, which culminated in placing an order for 226 copies. Following receipt of the Commentary, the sisterhood developed a new Rosh Chodesh Renewal group, inviting women to study Torah together using the Women’s Commentary.
Sisterhood of Temple B’nai Torah, Bellevue, WA
To Life, The Journey of Addiction and Recovery in our Jewish Community
Contact: Shana Aucsmith shanaauc@yahoo.com
Acting on WRJ’s 46th Assembly adoption of a resolution calling for a change in public drug abuse policy from a criminal justice to a medical/social paradigm, the B’nai Torah Sisterhood held a conference on substance abuse to increase awareness of addiction as a disease, and provide hope and information about recovery. Partnering with Jewish Family Service of Seattle, the Sisterhood held a conference attended by about 175 professionals, lay people, and clergy. The conference focused on addiction in the Jewish community, addiction as a disease, concurrent disorders, the impact on the family, how to access help, and recovery.
