May You Go from Strength to Strength 

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism (WLCJ) offers our Region Executive and Board Members opportunities to grow by asking our women to accept increasingly challenging positions. The current class of thirteen 2021–2024 Torah Fund Vice President (TF VPs) provides a living example. Three class members are joining us again as TF VPs, and two are becoming Region Presidents. We also have Region Exec and Board members, and WLCJ International Board members. 

This group of talented, personable, intelligent, and enthusiastic women has worked hard through the pandemic and beyond for Torah Fund. I was installed in July 2023 as International Torah Fund Chair and Marilyn Berkowitz as Torah Fund Vice-Chair, Finances; we have had the pleasure of monthly meetings with the TF VPs during the third year of their term. As their knowledge and understanding increased, the group offered suggestions and ideas for Torah Fund and our next class of TF VPs. 

For example, we now have Linda Boxer’s link designed to direct donors to the Torah Fund page, Teri Fields and Lauren Pollack’s step-by-step guide for purchasing ecards, and Teri’s beautiful Tzedakah box suggestions for conferences. The group also shared sample donation letters to spur affiliate donations and centerpiece ideas using the Torah Fund shells. 

The TF VPs developed the Jeopardy game used at one of the Torah Fund sessions at the 2023 WLCJ Convention and at many other events since last summer. One VP said, “One of my proudest accomplishments was helping to develop the Jeopardy game. Those of us who worked on it had fun, and I think the workshop attendees learned a lot about Torah Fund in a non-traditional way. “ 

They learned to write and give divrei Torah, write speeches for events, expand their creativity, and develop better public speaking skills. They learned to meet goals and to encourage our affiliates to do the same. The group became better speakers through their efforts by speaking at affiliate and Region events and also by attesting to their strong belief in Torah Fund. 

Thank you to these volunteers who serve as liaisons between the affiliates and the Torah Fund office. These capable women set Torah Fund goals for the affiliates in their regions, meet with the affiliate Torah Fund chairs/vice presidents, answer questions, check on financial discrepancies, plan Region Torah Fund events, maintain Region fundraising records, send monthly financial reports to the affiliates, communicate Torah Fund news through Region Shabbat newsletters, and create and maintain relationships with all the affiliate Torah Fund volunteers. 

I could not write a better summation of their three years of growth, energy and enthusiasm than this quote from the Mid-Atlantic’s Shelley Szwalbenest:   

“At our 2023 region TF event, as each affiliate representative came up to receive their goal certificate (which I had made ‘fancy’ by placing gold seals on those who had made goal), I told a story, compliment, or positive description, unique to each affiliate. We invited each affiliate representative to come up and take a picture. As the event went on, more and more women from their own affiliate joined in to be recognized and be part of the photo! I realized we all benefit from positive reinforcement and being recognized for a job well done. The spirit in the room became ELECTRIC! I was so happy to be part of this successful, competent group of women, and hope it encouraged those affiliates who did not achieve their goal to see the satisfaction in reaching their Torah Fund goal!” 

Torah Fund would not be able to support the five institutes of higher education of Conservative/Masorti Judaism without our 13 Region TF VPs. We thank you for three years of dedication. It has been an honor for me to work with these women over the last year. They have taught me and enriched my life. The future of WLCJ is in good hands. May you go from strength to strength. 

Sincerely,

Teri Fields, BQLI Region 

Rebecca Goldwasser, Central Great Lakes Region 

Nancy Goldberg, Florida Region 

Sue Romanoff, Garden State Region 

Linda Boxer, International Northeast Region 

Mae Levitan, IntraContinental Region 

Cedine Issman, MetroNorth Region 

Shelley Szwalbenest, Mid-Atlantic Region 

Ellen Leonard, North Atlantic Region 

Lorie Abernethy, North by NorthWest Region 

Marcy Melton, Pacific SouthWest Region 

Cheryl Wasserman, Seaboard Region 

Barbara Hellman, Southern Region