2020 Convention Special Guests
Our 2020 Convention special guests were:
These dynamic women, along with many others, shared their expertise and experience, and engaged us during Shabbat, Torah study, and workshops.
- WRJ Guests: Susan Bass, WRJ President; Rabbi Marla Feldman, WRJ Executive Director; Lisa Singer, WRJ Treasurer; and Nicole Villalpando, WRJ Secretary
- Clergy: Rabbi Molly Weisel, Associate Rabbi and Religious School Director, Temple B'nai Torah, Bellevue, WA
- Keynote Speaker: Natalie Grumet, Breast Cancer Survivor and Gun Violence Victim
These dynamic women, along with many others, shared their expertise and experience, and engaged us during Shabbat, Torah study, and workshops.
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Susan Bass has been affiliated with Reform Jewish Movement institutions during every phase of her life - as a member of her Temple Youth Group, as Sisterhood President, and on the WRJ Southeast District board, including as President from 1998- 2000. In 1991, she was elected to her first term on the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods (NFTS, now WRJ) Board of Directors. Susan is currently the President of Women of Reform Judaism, having served as an officer of WRJ in several positions. In 2001, Susan was elected to the North American Board of Trustees of the URJ, and has continued to serve since then.
An Atlanta native, she moved to Houston, TX in August 2004. Professionally, Susan was a teacher for eight years, spent seven years planning and helping to stage the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and then worked for management consulting firms as an administrative manager. |
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Rabbi Marla Feldman, Executive Director of Women of Reform Judaism since 2012, was previously Director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism and Director of Development for the URJ. She is a Reform rabbi (HUC-JIR, New York) and lawyer (JD, Univ. of Fla). Previously, Rabbi Feldman worked in the Jewish community relations field in Detroit and Delaware and served Reform congregations in Sarasota and Orlando, Florida.
Rabbi Feldman’s articles and op-eds have appeared in Jewish publications and newspapers nationwide. She served as guest editor of the CCAR Reform Jewish Quarterly symposia on pay equity and single gender programs and is the author of several Reform Movement action manuals. Rabbi Feldman also writes modern Midrash, which have been published in numerous publications. |
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Lisa D. Singer is the WRJ Treasurer and has been on the WRJ Board of Directors since 2013. She serves on the Budget Committee, Finance Committee, and the Investment Committee. Lisa served as Treasurer and Area Director for the WRJ Central District and currently holds a seat on the District’s Executive Committee. She is active at her congregation, Temple Israel in Akron, Ohio.
In her professional life, Lisa is an accountant specializing in government accounting and bookkeeping for small businesses. |
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Nicole Villalpando is the Secretary of Women of Reform Judaism, and the past president of the Southwest District and of her sisterhood at Congregation Beth Israel in Austin, TX. She has served on the WRJ Board since 2009.
Nicole grew up in Orange County, CA, Albuquerque, NM, and Franklin, TN. She's a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Today, she works for the Austin American-Statesman newspaper as an editor and reporter on families, health and home improvement as well as the paper's annual charity campaign chair. She also leads several meetings a week as a WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) coach. |
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Tragedy happens when you least expect it. On October 1, 2017, Natalie Grumet was at the Harvest Music festival in Las Vegas, when a man, using high powered riffles, began shooting the 22,000 people that were there to celebrate music. Natalie’s jaw was hit with such force it shattered her jaw and damaged her motor and sensory nerves. She was bleeding, injured and scared. But she knew she had to get up and run for cover. 58 people were killed and hundreds, like her, were injured.
Recovery was difficult both physically and mentally. But Natalie did not back away from the challenges. She faced her surgeries, recuperation and fears, knowing that in order to recover she couldn’t be a bystander. She created a “I am a Warrior” Facebook page to be able to share with others her experiences and to listen to those of others. “I feel like sharing my story has connected me with people that have gone through similar traumatic things, and it makes me feel less alone, and it makes them feel less alone…I hope that when people read this, that they realize that there is always hope.” Read Natalie's Bio here. |
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Rabbi Molly Weisel is the new Associate Rabbi and Religious School Director at Temple B'nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington. Rabbi Molly attended HUC-JIR in Los Angeles and was ordained in 2015. While at HUC, she pursued her interest in the intersection of Judaism and the environment by spending several summers working for Adamah Adventures, a Jewish outdoor adventure camp based out of Atlanta. She also interned as a hospice chaplain and previously worked at Camp Kalsman.
In her most recent role as Director of Education at Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame, California, Rabbi Molly was a creative educator and capable administrator who led their school of 250 students through a time of transition and transformation. She also ran the B’nai Mitzvah program and loves to chant Torah and lead text study. She lives in Lynnwood with her husband, Noah, and their young twins, Alice and Milo. |
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