Sisterhood 2016-2017

Where women discover, develop and deepen their knowledge, talents, commitment and friendships.

Tzedakah... 

making a difference by providing funds for synagogue needs, including education and kitchen equipment.

Community... 

exchanging ideas, skills and knowledge. Sisterhood presents quality programming for members and our community - listening, laughing and learning together.

Awareness... 

meeting to study and discuss issues which make a difference in our lives as Jews.

Program Calendar

September 11, 2016: Membership Brunch 
Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Naomi Silverman’s home
Event Chair: Carol Brooks

October 29, 30 & 31, 2016: WLCJ Leadership Institute 
Saturday evening, Sunday & Monday in Des Moines

November 13, 2016: Ohev Favorites Pick-up
Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Ohev Sholom
Fundraising Chairs: Ruth Roth & Mary Birnbaum

January 2017: Social Action Program 
A social action initiative (tbd) within our community.

February 5, 2017: At the Movies with Village Shalom 
Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Village Shalom
Event Chair: Melanie Allmayer

February 19, 26 & March 5, 2017: Hamantashen baking & Pick-up
Sundays from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at Ohev Sholom
Fundraising Chair: Mari Anne Birnbaum

March 2017: WLCJ Regional Conference
Saturday evening & Sunday - Tuesday in Minneapolis

March 26, 2017: Mah Jongg Tournament
Sunday from 10:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Ohev Sholom
Event Chair: Elaine Friedman

April 30, 2017: Pushke Reflection
Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

June 2017: Siyyum 
(celebrate completion of year’s study) with Women of Wisdom
Event details to be determined.

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Sisterhood programming strives to inspire and help women move up the ladder of knowledge, observance, service and mitzvot in a supportive community of friends. Join us by returning the attached application:

Ohev Sholom Sisterhood Contacts

President Terri Herman

(tovah.intent@gmail.com)

Fundraising V.P. Ruth Roth

(ruthr42@icloud.com)

Membership V.P. Rita Brown

(ritabessbrown@yahoo.com)

Membership V.P. Lisa Litchman

(lisalitchman@yahoo.com)

Programming V.P. Melanie Allmayer

(mallmayer@earthlink.net)

Treasurer Mari Anne Birnbaum

(mabirnbaum@outlook.com)

Sunshine & Talmud Torah Cards Shirlee Ernstein

(shirlee@ernstein.com)

Recording Secretary and Counselor

(naomisilverman@att.net)

Congregation Ohev Sholom

5311 W 75th St, Prairie Village, KS 66208

(913) 642-6460

The Sisterhood Pushke Pottery Painting Party

A few things to keep in mind:

First, join us Wednesday, May 18 (with Chai tea) for our annual Pushke party. This year we will meet at Ceramic Cafe on Mission near 95th from 6-9:00 pm. 

Second, remember this is not meant to be drudgery, but to be fun! Bring food to pass; join friends to share your creative talents, your spirit and your determination with; and come with an open mind.

A pushke to aspire to; although, you may not want to try this as you pottery project!

Third, we’re bringing our donations for a good cause… the Torah Fund Campaign of Women’s League in support of The Jewish Theological Seminary (New York, NY), Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies (Los Angeles, CA) and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies (Jerusalem). Civia will share a few thoughts about this with us.

Plan out something meaningful to write.

Fourth, remember that a little planning will help you create and take away most of the worry. I like to look for ideas before I go to paint. Hopefully some of these ideas will inspire you.

Find a cute picture to copy onto a mug.

A simple, practical idea. What kind of bowl do you need?

Metallic Sharpie's... another easy that idea!

I've not seen so much line work done before.
I'm not sure what tool they drew with; but, researching new ideas is always fun.

I believe these painted dots are added using the back side of the brush.

More fun with dots, lines and circles. Remember, straight lines are the hardest things to draw.

Something a bit more difficult, but lovely.
Maybe you have a fabric you like at home and want to copy?

We will also go over Sisterhood nominations and take ideas for next year's programming. Please RSVP and let me know what you plan to bring. Email me at tovah.intent@gmail.com. See you there!

Passover Seder and Sisterhood

As leaders, we can learn a few things from running a Passover Seder. Seder means order or procedure. In order to get all of the required elements integrated, most of what we do to celebrate the holiday is prepare. The guest list needs to be set, the cupboards need to be cleaned, the Seder plate needs to be pulled down off the high and dusty shelf. While we physically do this process, we mentally assess our lives over the past year. If you’re like me and haven’t hosted a Seder for a few years, you’re scrutinizing a much longer period of time. I think back to the last Seder we hosted with family who are now far away.

Since there are many complicated parts involved in orchestrating the event, your preparation each year gets a little easier. Over time you gather more of the items needed, each of them adding flavor and rhythm to the event. A month ahead you start buying the special food when you see it in the store while avoiding chumatz. As these items pile up on your cupboard, you’re reminded to clean a spot for them. You dig out your dishes to clean and make a spot for, bring out the props, the decorations, and the haggadot. Do you have enough of everything? How will you present the many items you’ve accumulated this year?

For the actual Seder dinner, you need to formulate a game plan. Who’s going to be the head coach and call all the plays? Who’s going to be the cheerleader and lead the music? Who’s going to gather all the required items and make the meal? Are you going to have a theme or request audience preparation? All these need to be determined ahead of time – realizing that no Seder is ever exactly what you plan. Just like a basketball game during March Madness, you can never foresee the outcome… that’s part of a Seder’s charm.

Then you have the commanded requirements… putting the symbolic items on the Seder plate and fulfilling the order of the readings. Reading over the Hagaddah ahead of time as you prepare makes this seem like a laborious task. How will you possibly accomplish everything that needs to be done? Luckily during the lengthy, extensive, all-embracing, story you are given plenty of wine to drink and pillows to lounge on. Then the tiniest seemingly insignificant item, the Matzah, takes a leading role – starting the meal and ending it.

Running a Sisterhood takes a procedure. It involves tradition, but builds in new and innovative ways to gather together. We evaluate our roles and plan a year of activities using new and fresh ideas. How do we pull everything together? Who will step up to make it brilliant? Reading our mission statement and the by-laws can seem laborious, but together we make it work… the leading roles and the small seemingly insignificant ones are all essential. The most significant part of Passover and of Sisterhood is the fact that we are sharing the experience with others; because of this, the story never gets old.

Upcoming Sisterhood Events

Please note the embedded calendar at the right. 

Hopefully this will help everyone figure out dates of upcoming events. 

"Arranged" the Movie with Village Shalom

Sunday, February 7 from 2-4:00 pm. Two friends in Brooklyn (a Muslim and a Jew) navigate their traditional and religious customs as they rely on each other through their difficulties. No charge & refreshments will be served. Discussion to follow. RSVP to Melanie at 816-674-7073.

"Arranged" the Movie

Hamentashen with Ohev

Spring is coming and it will soon be that time again... time to place your orders for the best Hamentashen in town! Stay tuned for more details, but right now you can sign up to cook. Call the synagogue office for more details at 913-642-6460.

Ohev Sisterhood Hamantashen

Ohev Mah Jongg Tournament

Congregation Ohev Sholom Sisterhood is proud to announce their first annual Mah Jongg tournament. The event will be held Sunday, April 10 from 10:30 am until 3:30 pm in Asner Hall, featuring a continental breakfast at check in, three rounds of play (12 games total), a gourmet brunch, a decadent dessert bar and door prizes galore!

For more information, please go online at Ohev Sholom Maj.  The entry form is available for download. You may also contact Elaine Friedman at VEF1954.ef@gmail.com. Don’t miss out on the only Mah Jongg tournament in the KC area.

Surviving an Active Shooter

Speaker James Dawkins, Overland Park Police SWAT Officer, leads a stimulating discussion at the Overland Park Fire Adminstration & Training Center.

BRAVO to Ohev Sholom Sisterhood with the 'Bev Levine and Fran Kanter' team bringing us yet another provocative presentation.

Active shooter events are a tragic, unpredictable reality and one that’s becoming more prevalent. These mass killings are occurring in schools, shopping malls, movie theaters, and in public and private buildings.  Even if an armed officer is in the facility, the officer is minutes, not seconds away. What can you do to survive?

James E. Dawkins provides valuable strategies with discussion about the fact that a plan of action can help save your life.  Officer Dawkins has taught “Active Shooter” courses for local schools, houses of worship and businesses and currently serves as a Bomb Tech and Sniper on the department’s SWAT Team.

Over 40 people in attendance listened with eagerness as we learned the three steps to take in the event of an armed intruder:

1. Run! Run away from the shooter. So many times when calamity strikes, people panic and freeze or try to justify that nothing is wrong. Try to convince those with you to run as well, but don't wait for them. 
2. Hide! You should find a safe place with more than one exit in case the shooter follows. Hide under or behind objects that could block gun shots.
3. Fight back! If you are left with nowhere else to go, give it all you've got and fight back. Arm yourself with a chair, a fire extinguisher, a knife... whatever is available and be prepared to use it.

This video online is similar to one we watched at the presentation: www.fbi.gov/about-us/cirg/active-shooter-and-mass-casualty-incidents/run-hide-fight-video

When you are able, contact 911 and give them the facts you know. When help does arrive, remember that an officer doesn't know that you are a safe person. Don't run at him, especially carrying an item in your hand (like a cell phone) that he could mistake for a gun.

Luckily many businesses, shopping malls, movie theatres and schools are planning what to do in the event of an active shooter. If there is not a plan, ask about it. Look in your office. Where are the best places to hide? Do the doors lock? Where are the fire extinguishers? The next time you go into a shopping mall, notice where the exits are. Since public buildings have started fire drills, far fewer die in a fire. This same planning could help save your life.