Sisterhood

Voice Mailbox, 703-425-1880, ext. 243
sisterhood@olamtikvah.org

Meet other interesting women, develop new interests and skills, and make a difference in the synagogue! Want to join? Complete the membership form and survey, and submit both pages with your dues to Olam Tikvah, attention Sisterhood Membership, or leave it in the Sisterhood Membership drawer outside the main office. New OT members are invited to join Sisterhood with a one-year complimentary membership.

Browse our 2009 Annual Report to see what who we are and what we do.

Coming Events

Board Meetings, Sundays, February 21, March 21, and April 18, at 9:30am. All Sisterhood members are invited and encouraged to attend the Board meetings.

Women's League Institute Spring Semester, Wednesdays, February 24 - March 24, 7:30pm- 9:00pm. Women's League for Conservative Judaism in conjunction with the Jewish Theological Seminary presents a program of continuing education for Conservative Women. Sessions will be led by Abigail Kogen, Coordinator of Congregational Education at Chizuk Amuno in Baltimore. The topic will be "Our Heralded Female Heroes" and will explore the power, faith, and strength of female heroes in the Bible. Tuition is $60. Please RSVP by February 15th. Please make check payable to "Seaboard Region, WLCJ" and send to Barbara L. Lichter, Chair, 7111 Park Heights Avenue #204, Baltimore, MD 21215. For more information, please call 410-764-9636 or email leibowitzbarbara@netscape.net.

Torah Fund Campaign High Tea, Sunday, March 21, 3:30 pm. Please come celebrate Women's League for Conservative Judaism Seaboard Region Area-Wide Torah Fund Campaign High Tea at Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, MD. The topic of tea will be "Love in the time of Halacha - How I met and married my b'shert at JTS." JTS clergy who married other JTS clergy share the joys and challenges of finding, dating, and marrying their spouses. The cost to attend the tea and program is $18 with a minimum Torah Fund Pledge of $36. Please RSVP to Jane Behrman at janeyellen@cox.net by March 7. Please make checks payable to OT Sisterhood.

Rosh Chodesh Sivan, Wednesday, May 12, 7:00pm–8:00pm. Sisterhood member, Roz Sloan, will share her learning about the book of Ruth with the women of OT Sisterhood in honor of the upcoming celebration of Shavuot. This event will be held at OT. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Marie Taubman at mrtaubman@gmail.com.

General Membership Meeting, Sunday, May 16, at 9:30am. All Sisterhood members are invited and encouraged to attend.

Tzedakah Projects

Help Us Help Bailey’s and Graham Road Elementary Schools: Bailey’s and Graham Road are local elementary schools with large numbers of children in need. They have asked for desperately needed seasonally appropriate clothing. Please bring new or gently used clothing for the children and their families - all sizes needed. Items can be dropped off in collection boxes in the office lobby of Olam Tikvah or in the OT Religious School Office.

Support Our Military Families. OT Sisterhood and Gesher Jewish Day School are collecting manufacturers' coupons to send to young families overseas to use in their commissaries. There is a collection box in the lobby. Coupons can include health & beauty, baby care, food & paper products, etc. Coupons can be up to two months expired.

Community Service

Mitzvah Meal Prep Help Needed. Diane Fertman is looking for women to help prepare Mitzvah Meals. If you are interesting helping in the kitchen, please contact Diane at n.fertman@verizon.net.

Casseroles for So Others Might Eat (SOME). Sisterhood prepares extra large casseroles each month at OT. All casseroles should be delivered frozen to Olam Tikvah in the morning of the date listed. If you are unable to deliver on that date but would still like to make one, please contact Shirley or John Baer. The casserole drop off/delivery schedule for the next six months is as follows: February 17, March 17, April 14, May 19, June 16, and July 14. For more information about SOME and the casserole recipe, please see our Social Action page.

Fairfax Nursing Center Pesach Seder, Wednesday, March 31, 4:00pm-7:00pm. The Sisterhood Community Service Committee is looking for volunteers to assist with the Pesach Seder at the Fairfax Nursing Center. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Judith Halpern at 703-916-0477 or judithhalpern@verizon.net.

Judaica Shop

The shop is open during Religious School hours, or call Joanne Stryer, 703-425-3237, to make an appointment. See our shop's page.

Sisterhood Cookbook: Try a new recipe! You can order the Sisterhood's cookbook, With Love and Best Dishes, or pick up a copy at the Judaica Shop or in OT's main office.

Torah Fund

5770 Pin

Torah Fund 5770 pin.

Ensure our legacy to future generations of Conservative Jews. The Torah Fund provides rabbis, cantors, educators, administrators, social workers, scholars and lay leaders to synagogues, day schools, and synagogue schools. Please make your check payable to WLCJ-Torah Fund and mail it to Olam Tikvah Sisterhood.

Le'avdah ul-shamrah: To Plant and Preserve - The 5770 Theme

In Genesis 2:15, after God completed the Creation and placed humans in the garden, the first command was "to plant and preserve" their bountiful home. This divine directive to protect the environment is as appropriate today as it was at the beginning of recorded time. As the recipients of God's command, le'avdah ul-shamrah, we became and continue to be partners in the ongoing process of creation. Your support of The Jewish Theological Semi- nary, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, and Seminario Rabrnico Latinoamericano ensures the solid and healthy future of Conservative/Masorti Judaism.

You are Torah Fund-at any level!

Keter Kavod - $5000
Scholarship Patron - $2500
Patron - $1200
Associate Patron - $600
Guardian - $300
Benefactor - $180

Receive the 5770 pin in recognition of your generous support. See the flyer for more information.

Other Services from Sisterhood

Challah for Shabbat. Plain braided challahs are $7.50 per pair. For more information, contact Deb Gould, (703) 356-3825 or send an e-mail to otchallah@yahoo.com.

Personalized candelabra rentals, invitations, kippot. Rent a candelabra for lighting at your simcha, order invitations and kippot at a discount. Contact Lisa Shankman or OT's main office for more information. Proceeds benefit Sisterhood.

Need a mitzvah meal? Contact Diane Fertman or the OT main office if you or someone you know needs a mitzvah meal (a complete Shabbat dinner) delivered to the home.

Simcha Catering. For all your special occasions at Olam Tikvah. We can provide an Oneg or Kiddush following your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, baby naming or aufruf. For information, contact Leona Shoon in the main OT office, (703) 425-1880.

Sisterhood Officers at the Volunteer Luncheon. Photo by Susan Coren

How We Help

We support our Olam Tikvah community:

• Our Mitzvah Corps provides Shabbat meals to OT members when a new baby arrives, someone is ill or an immediate family member has passed away. This classic Shabbat meal includes chicken, kugel, vegetables and a challah. Donations to the Sisterhood Mitzvah Corps are greatly appreciated, or you can join a dedicated team responsible for preparing and distributing the meals. Please call Diane Fertman or the OT office if you need a Mitzvah meal or know of someone who would like one, or if you would like to help.

• The Bikkur Holim committee arranges for visits to congregants who are ill or homebound.

• Our fundraising activities help support the religious school, youth groups, Israel Quest, and synagogue activities and building improvements.

We help the greater community by:

• Sponsoring Shabbat meals at George Mason University and Virginia Tech Hillel.

• Supporting Fairfax County high school alcohol-free graduation parties.

• Visiting residents of the Fairfax Nursing Center.

• Making casseroles for a homeless shelter every month.

• Supporting the Jewish Theological Seminary through donations to the Torah Fund.

Women's League for Conservative Judaism

Olam Tikvah Sisterhood is affiliated with the Women's League for Conservative Judaism. We received the Seaboard Branch Membership Award in 1998. At the new Women's League web site you can:

• Check out news and information for Sisterhood Members.

• Easily update your profile, including any changes to your home or e-mail address.

• Log in to access personal profile using your Women’s League ID number.

• All Sisterhood members have an ID number on their preprinted form. All new members will be assigned an ID from Women's League.

To log in for the first time: use your ID number preceded by usr_. If an ID number is 123456, the login is usr_123456. The password you will need for the first time you access your account is the same number preceded by pwd_ (example: pwd_123456). Passwords should be changed after the first time you log in.

3800 Glenbrook Road · Fairfax, Virginia 22031 · phone 703-425-1880 · fax 703-425-0835 · info@olamtikvah.org