Summer 2020 Newsletter~ Racial Justice and Voter Engagement Initiatives, Parents Circle Event, and Digital Annual Conference!

Director’s Note Three women with their heads close together, two in headscarves, smiling at the camera

The past months have been challenging, but the Sisterhood continues to offer new opportunities for connection and engagement. Join us as we strengthen relationships, pursue justice, and stomp out hate.

Now, more than ever, our connections to one another are our strength. Please consider a donation to help co-create the future of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. As always, we welcome your involvement and input. Contact Samantha, Assistant Director, with feedback or questions- [email protected].

Sheryl Olitzky, Co-Founder and Executive Director


Parents Circle-Families Forum Event

Layla is Palestinian. Robi is Israeli. Both mothers have lost a child to the conflict in Israel and Palestine but have made the unique choice to seek peace and reconciliation rather than revenge and hatred.

Join us on Thursday, September 10th at 12:00 PM EDT for a Dialogue with Layla and Robi, who will share their stories of bereavement and hope, followed by a Q&A session. This panel will be moderated by Sisterhood Board member, Sheila Sonnenschein. Registration required.


Call for Conference Sponsors

Our annual conference, Together We Rise, will convene on November 15th. This all-digital event will allow unprecedented access to women from around the world, at substantially lower ticket prices, but also will incur additional costs, including our host web platform, consultation from a tech firm, and accessibility features. We need your support.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at all levels, from purchasing a ticket for a sister otherwise unable to attend, to sponsoring workshops and keynote speakers or becoming a general conference sponsor!

We are open to creative takes on sponsorships. An anonymous sister has generously offered to sponsor two conference workshops in honor of her mother-in-law, who has devoted her life to leading the Jewish community in activism focused on justice in the U.S. and worldwide. Is there someone you’d like to honor through sponsoring a workshop on immigration justice or nonviolent conflict resolution? Perhaps you’d like to come together with a group of sisters to sponsor one of our keynote speakers. Have a connection to a local giving circle, small business, or corporation? Sponsorship packages are available! Contact [email protected] for details. Mark your calendars- conference registration opens September 1st!


Voter Engagement Campaign with iVote Woman in headscarf and sunglasses and smiling woman pose with banner saying I want to have a say in bending my country toward love and unity.

The Sisterhood is partnering with iVote to promote voter engagement. Participating in this campaign is easy! Send a full length photo to [email protected]. iVote’s team will crop out your background and add a frame, “I Vote Because…” with the Sisterhood logo and voter registration information. Share your photo frame on social media and encourage people to vote!

 


Regional Round-Up

We welcome Sheila Sonnenschein, in The Heartland (KS/MO), and Barbara Wexler, in Westchester and Dutchess Counties, New York, as new Regional Coordinators! We are currently looking for Regional Coordinators in several areas. To learn more, contact [email protected].

New York Responds to COVID-19

Together with local partners and area sisters, Metro NYC Regional Coordinators Rokeya Akhter and Lisa Kaplan-Miller organized the distribution of 1,500 boxes of groceries and baby supplies and 800 hot meals to families in need. To be involved with future efforts, please email [email protected].

New Jersey Creates Unity Mandala to Advocate for Social Justice

New Jersey Regional Coordinator Eman El-Badawy organized a unity event at her local Heritage Park. The community created a chalk mandala as a symbol of hope and inclusion, as well as in recognition of our common humanity.


Sisterhood Embarks on a Virtual Civil Rights and Racial Justice Journey

Over 150 sisters are in the midst on a several week journey exploring how the legacy of the Civil Rights movement shapes the fight for justice today. Led by Founder of the Common Ground Project, Dr. Todd Allen, the trip is exploring systemic racism, historic barriers to voting, the significance of Confederate symbolism, the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color, and more. In addition to being a transformative experience, the trip is helping to shape the Sisterhood’s continued commitment to racial and social justice through the newly created Racial Justice Action Group.


Sisterhood Partners with Raise Your Voice Labs and the Jerusalem Youth Chorus25 singing/smiling teen girls in Zoom screens

Our teens are participating in a series of music and dialogue workshops! Each week, they meet with teens from throughout the Sisterhood and across the globe, including Israeli and Palestinian teens, to have discussions on story-telling, conflict resolution, relationship building, and holding difficult conversations. Stay tuned for details on our upcoming Lab series for adults!


 

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