Shalom sisters, 

Sisterhood refers to a community of sisters; a solidarity of women based on shared conditions, experience and concerns. Why is the term so prevalent within Jewish circles? Because Jewish women have had a very strong need to stick together, especially in the Diaspora.

The UMJC Sisterhood is now named Achot, Hebrew for sister. Achot will emphasize caring, loving, and being connected. The singular form-"sister" rather than "sisters"-was chosen to show that every sister is vital to the makeup of the sisterhood. We hope that you find this concept to be something that you can be a part of. 

The annual UMJC conference is coming soon, July 25th-28th, in Chicago. We invite you to a reception for all the women at the conference, after the opening night service on Wednesday, July 25th.

During the conference we will offer a seminar on Tikkun Olam called "Restoration of the Soul", presented by Merryl Eaton, on Thursday, July 26th at 2 p.m.  Malkah Forbes will be presenting a session on Friday, July 27th at 9 a.m called "Tikkun Olam, Mandlebrot and You - The Smallest Piece of the Puzzle is the Greatest." The sessions will be uplifting and informative, so plan on being there! 

At Thursday's session we will give an update on our S.M.I.L.E. Project, which is helping provide dental care for the Ethiopian community in Israel. Not only does this project fulfill the mitzvah of reaching out to those in need, but it is also a great way to inspire your congregational sisterhood.

Achot is your sisterhood and you are invited to take an active role in its leadership and direction. Hope to see you in Chicago! 

Looking forward to the great things that we can accomplish together, 

Linda Lieber, Merryl Eaton, Sherry Moore, and Malkah Forbes