Sisterhood Shabbat & Woman of the Year Kiddush Luncheon
Saturday May 4 - Services at 9:30 am, Luncheon at Noon
Don’t miss it!!

For anyone who has spent time behind the mechitza, there is a special joy that comes from experiencing Sisterhood’s all-woman Shabbat Service. Seeing women proudly participating in every part of the service is something many of us would never have dreamed about. A special shout out to Lori Sloane for heading up this year’s Sisterhood Shabbat, but, of course it takes many people to make it all happen. Look for more shout-outs in the next issue. Everyone who attends is invited to stay for our festive Kiddush Luncheon honoring this year’s Sisterhood Woman of the Year, Sherry Padva. Those wishing to help sponsor the Kiddush, with a donation in honor of Sherry, will be acknowledged with table cards at luncheon and in the Hamvaser.
More info @ www.g-h-c.org/sisterhoodshabbat
Questions? Email Lori Sloane - sisterhoodshabbat@g-h-c.org


This year’s Wine & Cheese Schmooze was a great success!

As it happens, Debbie Siskind and Pam Stoller happened to wander into a Sisterhood Board Meeting, just as we were discussing the Wine & Cheese Schmooze. Even though, at the time, Debbie was a very new member of GHC and of Sisterhood, she jumped into the action and volunteered to chair the event. It was her idea to move the Schmooze “off campus.” She approached the Westchester Wine Warehouse who was happy to host the event, providing two Israeli wine experts and more wines to taste than we had ever had before. We had quite a crowd. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and appreciated getting a discount on every bottle they purchased. Oh… and, Sisterhood made some money. All in all, it was a great success (see photos). Special thanks to Debbie for breathing new life into this event and thinking about every detail – it was certainly a job well done. Thanks also to Veronica Mogerman for arranging such beautiful platters and to Robin Rosenberg for shopping and transporting the platters to the event. And, of course, thanks to all of you who participated with your presence and your purchases, we could not have done this without you.

More shout-outs next issue.


More Upcoming Events

Mah Jongg Nite
Thursday May 23 at 8:00 pm
Mah Jongg nites are free and open to players on all levels of expertise.
More info @ www.g-h-c.org/mahjongg
Questions? For the game email Lynn Berliner - mahjongg@g-h-c.org

Sisterhood's Gala End of Year Dinner
Monday June 17 @ 6:30 pm
Sisterhood’s end of the year blast! Save the date!!
More info @ www.g-h-c.org/endofyear

One of the great joys of being Sisterhood president is working with so many amazing and inspiring women. Like the exhausting "woman of valor," they use their gifts for the good of others, and, in doing so, make the world a better place for all of us. It’s good to stop, appreciate what they do and sing their praises. The women highlighted below are an excellent place to start.

Sisterhood Woman of the Year – Sherry Padva

You know Sherry Padva. Sometimes it seems like she is everywhere GHC, and doing everything GHC. Most recently she is GHC’s Executive Vice President, Sisterhood’s immediate Past President and can be found in the kitchen most Shabbat mornings. So, it is with great enthusiasm that Sisterhood has named her this year’s Woman of the Year. Here is a summary of Sherry’s background and some of her many accomplishments:

Sherry Padva was born and raised in the Bronx until she was 16 when her family moved to Rockland County.  Both of her parents were ‘first generation’ Americans and raised Sherry and her sister with a strong Jewish values.

In 1976 Sherry and Ira were married and settled in Westchester County. It was not until 1984 when Amy came along that they decided to join their own Synagogue.  Sherry had remembered driving by a little synagogue called the Greenburgh Hebrew Center. As soon as they found out that it was a Conservative synagogue they knew that this was where we wanted to belong. It was even more fantastic that it had a Nursery School!  One random Shabbat morning they attended services and were immediately taken by the warmth of the welcoming nature of the congregation.

Sherry, Ira and Amy became members in 1986. Being rather shy and quiet, Sherry had thought that she would just be an anonymous congregant. That was certainly was not the case. Sherry’s involvement started with the Nursery School PTA.  Then Vivian Milefsky asked if the Padvas would be a host family for a Kinnus at GHC.  The resume started to grow….Religious School PTA, Jr Congregation Committee, Shalot Manot, Board of Trustees, VP Membership, Executive Secretary, Executive VP, Sisterhood Treasurer, VP of Programming, Sisterhood President, In-house Catering, Gift Shop. The list is endless. Of all her accomplishments (besides her family) Sherry is most proud of being able to serve as Sisterhood President. When she is not at GHC Sherry is an accomplished professional in the field of Sales Promotion and Incentive Merchandising.

Please come celebrate Sherry as she is be honored at Women's League’s annual Torah Fund Dinner on Thursday, April 11th at 6:30 pm at the New City Jewish Center and, of course, at our own Sisterhood Shabbat and Woman of the Year Kiddush Luncheon on May 4 (details below.)


Gold Medal Award winner – Lori Sloane

Those of you that have seen Sisterhood’s Embroidered Remembrance Tallit, know what a labor of love it is. A beautiful (and huge) tallit with children’s names hand embroidered on it, used at Simchat Torah celebrations and dedicated to the memory of our beloved member, Evelyth Lewis. The idea originally came from Arlene Krawitz. but it is Lori Sloane, as Sisterhood’s Creative Judaic Arts Chair, who took this great idea and ran with it. Now, GHC is being honored with a Kehilla Recognition Gold Award, in the Jewish Art and Music category, from Metropolitan New York District of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (METNY) for this project and for three other programs in the shul and the religious school on Thursday, May 8 at 7:00 pm at Westchester Jewish Center, 175 Rockland Avenue, Mamaroneck. Yasher Koach, Lori!


Sister Shout-outs:  Two Purim Queens – Vivian Milefsky and Judy Sepinski, Many Princesses and a Prince (or two)

A special thank you to all of you that sponsored this year's Shalach Manot bag distribution. With your support, the bags this year were particularly delicious and generous. We could not have done it without you!!  It takes an army of helpers to provide bags for every member of the GHC family. This army is lead by our VP of Ways and Means, Vivian Milefsky, and her trusty sidekick Judy Sepinski. Between them, they were involved in every aspect of this project, including shopping, promotion, packing, bookkeeping, distribution and more. But something this big requires a team effort and so many came forward to help Shout outs to Sherry Padva for being the data maven and Robin Rosenberg, Linda Markowitz, Robbie Goldberg, Madaline Bruno and Jacqui Walker for member information coordination. To Bernice Strauss, Erica Wolff, Rae Blaer, Linda Shaevitz and Helen Ball for packing bags, boxes and Hamentaschen. To Pat Conlan and Lester Maciolek for helping with storage and logistics. To Erica Wolff, Rae Blaer, Bernice Strauss, Helen Ball, Genie Lehr, Naomi Rosenberg, Eleanor Heller, Lois Greenwald, Joan Fuhrman, Barbara Feibelman, Debbie Jagoda, Helen Sunshine, Gilda Zucker, Robin Rosenberg and Harriet Weissman for help with distribution and delivery. And an extra special shout out to honorary Sister, Brian Sepinski for help with packaging and logistics.

More shout-outs next issue.


Upcoming Events

Intermarriage: Outreach and Welcome - a Candid Conversation
Monday April 22 at 8:00 pm
Come join Rabbi Barry A. Kenter and Sisterhood GHC for a discussion on this very important subject.
Coffee, tea and pareve refreshments will be served. Everyone is invited.
More info @ www.g-h-c.org/intermarriage
Questions? Email sisterhood@g-h-c.org

Mah Jongg Nite
Thursday April 24 at 8:00 pm
Mah Jongg nites are free and open to players on all levels of expertise.
More info @ www.g-h-c.org/mahjongg
Questions? For the game email Lynn Berliner - mahjongg@g-h-c.org

Lord & Taylor Shopping Bash
Friday April 26
Buy a $5 ticket – get 25% off one item, 20% off another item and 15% off on pretty much everything else. Plus Sisterhood raises money. Win-win all around.
See our ad in this edition or our Event Page at www.g-h-c.org/lordtaylor 
Questions? Email Vivian Milefsky - sisterhoodwaysmeans@g-h-c.org

Sisterhood Shabbat & Woman of the Year Kiddush Luncheon
Saturday May 4 - Services at 9:30 am, Luncheon at Noon
Join Sisterhood for our all-woman Shabbat Service, and stay for our festive Kiddush Luncheon honoring this year’s Sisterhood Woman of the Year, Sherry Padva.
Those wishing to help sponsor the Kiddush, with a donation in honor of Sherry, will be acknowledged with table cards at luncheon and in the Hamvaser.
More info @ www.g-h-c.org/sisterhoodshabbat
Questions? Email Lori Sloane - sisterhoodshabbat@g-h-c.org

Shalach Manot – it’s a Mitzvah (yes, it really is)
Every year Sisterhood purchases yummy snacks and other fun stuff, prepares Purim gift bags and distributes a gift bag or cards to every GHC family. It is a huge undertaking. If you can imagine the taste of that first bite of Hamentashen, please help Sisterhood continue this wonderful tradition. What can you do? Sponsor bags for friends, GHC professionals and others for as little as $1.75 per family. Volunteer to deliver bags to those who cannot pick them up. There are jobs both big and small. Email Vivian Milefsky at sisterhoodwaysmeans@g-h-c.org and let her know how you would like to help.

Sisterhood Woman of the Year – Sherry Padva
Sherry is the immediate Sisterhood Past President, the GHC Executive Vice President and so much more. I am delighted to announce that she is now also Sisterhood Woman of the Year Sherry will be officially honored at our Sisterhood Shabbat to be held on May 4. Save the date – more details to come.

Leagram Program expanded to include more Simchas
Leagrams are now being sent to all members of the GHC family  for more weddings, births and special anniversaries and birthdays. See our webpage at www.g-h-c.org/leagram for full information. And a reminder, your support is crucial to continue this program. You do not need to be a Sisterhood member to receive a Leagram or to be a sponsor – just a caring member of the GHC family. Your donation of $40 per year gets you notification (by your choice of phone call or email) of these important GHC family life cycle events, and your name on every Leagram that is sent. If you have not yet sent your donation, please do so now. If you have any questions, email Vivian Milefsky at sisterhoodwaysmeans@g-h-c.org.

Upcoming Events

Sisterhood/Men's Club Comedy Breakfast
Sunday January 13
It’s an Open Mike Breakfast at GHC. Come with your best jokes or come to be entertained. There will be prizes and laughter to chase away the Winter gloom. Oh, yeah, and Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas. This event is free and open to everyone, but please RSVP .
See our ad in this issue or our Event Page at www.g-h-c.org/jokecontest
Questions? Email – sisterhood@g-h-c.org or Morris Cohen at mensclub@g-h-c.org

Mah Jongg Nite
Thursdays January 24 & February 7
Mah Jongg nites are free and open to players on all levels of expertise.
See our ad in this edition, or our Event Page at www.g-h-c.org/mahjongg
Also, we are now taking orders for the 2013 Cards, see info elsewhere in this issue.
Questions? For the game email Lynn Berliner - mahjongg@g-h-c.org.
To order cards email Phyllis Hutter at mahjonggcard@g-h-c.org

Shalach Manot
Order Deadline – January 24
Pickup at Megillah Readings – February 23 & 24
See our ad in this issue or our Page at www.g-h-c.org/purimbag
Questions? Email Vivian Milefsky – sisterhoodwaysmeans@g-h-c.org

Wine & Cheese Schmooze
Thursday March 14
Come Schmooze, have a Nosh, take home your wine for Passover
More details next issue or our Event Page at www.g-h-c.org/wine
Questions? Email Debbie Siskind and Pam Stoller– wine@g-h-c.org


Sister Shout-outs

Those of you who were able to attend Breakfast with Delia Ephron know what a terrific program it was. Thanks so much to GHC VP Education Arlene Krawitz, Nancy Nager, Books@GHC Chair and Rabbi Kenter for arranging for this incredible speaker. Yasher Koach to Hospitality Chair Veronica Mogerman and the Hospitality Committee -  Johnna Freud, Arlene Krawitz, Linda Markowitz, Vivian Milefsky, Naomi Rosenberg, Robin Rosenberg, Lori Sloane, and Sharon Weiss - for a spectacular breakfast. It was delicious and so beautifully presented, I was asked for the name of our caterer!

More shout-outs next issue.


Reminder – if you haven’t already – please send in your dues and/or Leagram donations today!! If you have – thank you!!!