terhoods, was created in 1913 and its
Conservative counterpart —the
Women's League for Conservative
Judaism — came together 80 - years
ago. A representative of the Women's
Branch of the Orthodox Union was
unavailable for comment by press
time.
Faye Ullmann, president of the
Michigan branch of the Women's
League for Conservative Judaism and
a member of Shaarey Zedek, says
when Mathilde Schecter formed the
Women's League, "her goal was to set
up an organization ... primarily to
educate women and [make] women be
a part of the synagogue.
"Women's roles in the synagogue
[used] to be in the kitchen or raising
funds to buy new drapes for the social
hall, but we now have a new kind of
sisterhood," Ullmann says.
"Unfortunately, I think a lot of young
people think of the old image."
Today, women join synagogue sis-
terhoods primarily for the friendships_
they generate, yet memberships are
wavering as they compete with corn- -
munity groups, non-Jewish organiza-
tions and full-time careers, for the
limited time women can donate.
The redefined sisterhood is "a
forum for all kinds of women — sin-
gles, single mothers, Jews-by-choice,
different ages, working mothers and
stay-at-home moms, and we try to
meet all of their needs," Ullmann says.
Sisterhoods fund-raise, host onegs,
run the kitchens and gift bazaars, and
plan programs on self-defense, cook-
ing, health and education. They take
part in social action projects and help
out the youth groups.
Temple Israel — one of the three
largest Reform synagogues in the
country — boasts a sisterhood board
of 50-60 women, with a total mem-
bership surpassing 700, says Schiffer.
Shir Shalom's has 50 women, and the
sisterhood at Beth Abraham Hillel
Moses has a presidium of five women,
since no one woman wants to be pres-
ident. At Adat Shalom- Synagogue,
which is big on young adult program-
ming, sisterhood president Joyce
Weingarten is one of the youngest, at
age 40.
"Women join sisterhood to fulfill
educational and social needs, and it's
fun," says Weingarten, who carries a
colorful, organized, overflowing sister-
hood binder. "Being a member of sis-
terhood makes a statement — you're a
community-minded person."
Rita Terebello has been a sisterhood
devotee for 38 years. She has seen the

same handful of women hold leader-
ship positions.
"We'd love to have younger women
— we welcome them. We don't know
how to do it anymore," she says.
Estelle Smith, who belongs to
BAHM's sisterhood with Terebello,
says younger women come to pro-
grams, "but we can't get them
involved."
It's cheap and easy — dues hover
around $20 per year, which usually go
to the national movement or the shul.
Some give free one-year memberships
when you join.
Ruth Shayne, 42, co-president of

B'nai Moshe Sisterhood, says the
members are "mostly older women,
but we are trying to get younger peo-
ple involved. The majority of our
members hold full-time jobs."
Some groups, like the Young Israel
Sisterhood,(which caters to members
of all three Young Israels in metro
Detroit), have replaced monthly sister-
hood meetings with quarterly events.
"We have a very active synagogue,
so the need is not as great," says
Young Israel's Raiselle Snow.
"However there are times when it's
just fun to be together with the
women. We do support the shul —

we just gave them a very large dona-
tion towards the building. We also
support a twin sisterhood in Israel in
the Shomron."
Three young women share the YI
sisterhood presidency. "That's the only
way to continue — if you hand it
down. But I think most organizations
are cutting back, people are tired ... so
we have to trade on three or four
events throughout the year and have
them better attended, rather than try-
ing to get people to come out every
month."
Certainly, some sisterhoods are on
their last legs. HannaIinden, Adat
Shalom sisterhood president from
1961 until 1963, says many sister-
hoods have the "same old guard" at
the helm. "So many organizations
have disbanded because they can't get
the young [women]." _
But some stay vibrant. "As long as
women want to remain committed
to sisterhood, to their synagogue, to
the community, sisterhood will con-
tinue to be strong," says Joyce
Weingarten. ❑

Left: Eating and shmoozing at Adat
Shalom: Shoshana Wolok and Celia
Lubetsky.

Below: Temple Israel Sisterhood members
Juanita Victor and Rose Jacobs listen at
a board meeting.

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1997

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