Join a sisterhood group!
Sisterhood has a variety of small women’s groups which were originally started by a few Sisterhood members with special interests who wanted to pursue them with other Sisterhood members. The groups have grown in size and number over the years and now each group arranges its own schedule of activities and keeps its members notified of meetings by email.
Each group very much welcomes new members and you are invited to join one or more of them! This is a wonderful opportunity for you to get to know Temple women in a small setting while enjoying an activity.
Book & A Bite
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Join Sisterhood members six times during the year to discuss books chosen in advance by the group. The books, which include both fiction and non-fiction, are selected by a poll of members and cover a broad range of interests and experience.
New members are welcome. We offer a Tuesday evening meeting at 7:00 pm by zoom, and a Wednesday morning meeting held at Temple at 10:30 am.
Coordinators: Dale Wormeli & Barbara Brezer
Story & Shmooze
The focus of this book group is on romance novels aka “rom com” books with a Jewish main character or love interest! Discussions can be about such things as: How is the main character’s Jewishness represented? How does being Jewish inform the characters’ point of view and their search for a romantic partner? What clichés/tropes about being Jewish make their way into the story? Does the author being Jewish or not affect your experience of reading the book? We meet at a group member’s home on a rotating basis on a weeknight every two months.
Coordinator: Marielle Solan
Sisterhood Meet Up Groups
Join other Sisterhood members for a social get together once a month with either the Richmond, West Side, or Appys and Yappys Meet Up Groups. Watch for announcements in the Sisterhood newsletter.
Richmond Sisterhood Meet Up Group
Our Sisterhood in Richmond group was started as an informal meet-up once a month at Village Books and Coffee House in Steveston. We now meet at parks and members’ homes in Richmond.
Coordinator: Alisa Streat
West Side Sisterhood Meet Up Group
Our West Side Sisterhood group is actively growing, and is now meeting at Truffles in Van Deusen Botanic Gardens. Meetings are every first Thursday of the month at 1:30 pm and there is no agenda. This group gets together to chat and hang out! If you are looking to socialize with a great group of ladies, then please register.
Coordinators: Iris Dayson & Reesa Devlin
Appys and Yappys Meet Up Group
Craving a night out to have fun, meet new friends, and share a few laughs? We've got you! Drop in for an hour or stay for the evening. Sisterhood members of all ages and stages are welcome! This event is held the third Wednesday of each month at restaurants and pubs in different neighborhoods.
Coordinators: Rachel Roubini and Laura Tuan
Rosh Chodesh Renewal
Join Sisterhood members as we meet to study Torah, using “The Torah, A Women’s Commentary” published by Women of Reform Judaism in 2007.
The Rosh Chodesh Renewal group has two study meetings per month. After completing the study of the Torah using the Women’s Commentary in 2021, some wished to start again at the beginning, so there is now a Zoom meeting for this purpose on the first Monday of the month.
Other members of the group wanted to explore other books of the bible. We have studied Joshua and parts of Judges. This group meets on one Saturday a month closest to Rosh Chodesh, at noon following services at Temple Sholom.
You are welcome to attend both monthly meetings, and all meetings are lay led.
Coordinator: Kathy Jones
WRJ Lilith Salons
The Power of Jewish Women’s Conversations – Join Sisterhood members four times a year to discuss articles published in Lilith magazine, a US publication which describes itself as “Independent, Jewish & Frankly Feminist” in its byline. You can subscribe to a print edition of Lilith magazine and/or review articles from the current issue online through its website: www.lilith.org. We hold one salon for each quarterly issue, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
What’s a Lilith salon?
It’s a gathering where you’ll encounter new ideas and new people when you come together to talk about the original and provocative thinking you find in each new issue.
What’s it like?
The conversations—with women like and unlike yourself—are more free-flowing than a book group (with fewer pages to read), more feminist than your typical social action group, less spiritual than a rosh hodesh group, and more participatory than a lecture—with enough ideas to keep the conversation flowing.
The group is polled to determine the date, and the salons are held at Temple Sholom on a weekday morning. We start with “Meet & Greet” and then discussion of four or more articles. You are welcome to bring a lunch and continue socializing after discussion finishes.
Subscribe to Lilith through its website: Lilith Magazine-Lilith.org (ezsubscription.com). Lilith does post some of its magazine articles on its website under “Current Issue” free of charge but not all of them.
Coordinator: Donna Ornstein
Tikun Olam Gogos
An estimated 18 million children have been orphaned by the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Tikun Olam Gogos, sponsored by the Sisterhood of Temple Sholom, is part of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign that supports the Stephen Lewis Foundation to raise funds and listen to African grandmothers to support them and help turn the tide of AIDS in Africa.
Our group meets at Temple Sholom on the 2nd Thursday of every month from 9:30 to 2:00 p.m. with a lunch break in the middle. We start the morning with a 1 hour meeting and then move on to preparing the kits that will be sewn into our famous and popular tote bags. Even if you can’t sew everyone helps to do something and also by volunteering to sell at the craft fairs each autumn. We always welcome new members. Tikun Olam Gogos is part of the Greater Vancouver Gogos, which includes more than 25 groups in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and the Sunshine Coast.
May 2021 marked 10 years since the founding of our group. On July 8, 2021 we met in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic and together we celebrated our 10 year anniversary.
Coordinator: Marie Henry
Soup Shvesters
Need some TLC?
Are you a Temple member who is recovering from surgery or experiencing an illness or disability that makes it hard for you to get out? Our dedicated Sisterhood Soup Shvesters committee would be pleased to deliver delicious homemade healing soup to your door, along with a short visit (if you're up for it).
To receive a soup delivery, or to suggest a Temple member who would benefit from soup delivery, please contact the committee through Sisterhood by email. Please include your name, address and phone number so we can reach out to make delivery arrangements.
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