' The WRJ Southeast District - Action Projects

YES Fund

The YES Fund represents WRJ's commitment to supporting the institutions of Reform Judaism and its future leadership throughout North America and the world.

Annual contributions are the way WRJ provides scholarship assistance for rabbinic students at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, supports activities for high school and college age youth through the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), and contributes to special projects of religious education and leadership development within Sisterhood.

For links to much more information, go to the WRJ website.

How to Directly Contribute to the YES Fund:

Make your Sisterhood a YES Fund Winner!

There are three awards your Sisterhood chapter can be awarded based on YES Fund contributions.

Yes Fund Awards

The following awards are presented to sisterhoods every two years at each WRJ Assembly:

The Kavod ("Honor") Award in Memory of Helen M. Dalsheimer:

Helen M. Dalsheimer served as president of both WRJ (formerly National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods) and her district federation.

The Kavod award acknowledges sisterhoods who have demonstrated exemplary support of the YES Fund for three consecutive Assembly periods (six years). When a sisterhood becomes part of the distinguished Kavod Society, it is exempt from receiving other YES Fund Awards. This enables more sisterhoods an opportunity to be recognized for their support of the YES Fund. To continue as a member of the Kavod Society, a sisterhood must qualify to win or receive honorable mention in at least one YES Fund Award category at each successive Assembly.

If a sisterhood does not qualify to either win or achieve honorable mention of a YES Fund Award, the sisterhood will no longer be a member of the Society and will need to win or achieve honorable mention of a YES Fund Award over three additional consecutive Assemblies to be reinstated into the Kavod Society.

Sisterhoods that are members of the Kavod Society will not receive an award in any other YES Fund category, but will be honored as a member of the Kavod Society for their model support of the YES Fund.

The Achat ["individual"] Award is given to the one sisterhood with the largest per capita contribution through the sale of YES Fund items and/or cash contributions to the YES Fund during the two-year period prior to the Assembly.

The Avodah ["service"] Award is given to the sisterhood in each of four membership size categories that has made the highest total contribution through the sale of YES Fund items and/or cash contributions to the YES Fund during the two-year period prior to the Assembly.

The L'Chaim ["to Life"] Award is given to the sisterhood with the highest percentage of new Lifeline members during the two-year period prior to the Assembly. One winner and two honorable mentions are named.

The Ma'agal ["Circle"] Award is given to the one sisterhood with the highest percentage of new Circle of Service members (at any level other than Lifeline) during the two-year period prior to the Assembly. One winner and two honorable mentions are named.

Individual Participation in the YES Fund:

The Circle of Service

Women of Reform Judaism is committed to meeting the ongoing needs of the Reform/Progressive community. With your help, WRJ can say YES to those who ask for help today.

Contributing annually to Circle of Service links you to the worldwide network of Reform/Progressive Jews who benefit from WRJ's YES Fund (Youth, Education, and Special Projects) scholarships and grants. Visit the YES Fund page for more information on who benefits from the YES Fund. Note that Circle of Service contributions are not counted toward a sisterhood's annual YES Fund contribution.

Pledge to help repair the world of today with your gift to Women of Reform Judaism. Your annual membership in the Circle of Service strengthens Judaism in your community, in Israel, and throughout the world. Through your contributions, Sisterhood women can be part of a never-ending Circle of Service to Reform Judaism, and help ensure the future of the Jewish people.

Lifeline Membership

Lifeline Membership, which is $1800 payable in one, two or four segments, contributes to a special endowment whose annual interest is used to support the YES Fund.

As of January 1, 2009, there will be no converting of previous Lifelines to a new Lifeline level. If a Silver Lifeline donor wishes to contribute a Gold Lifeline, she will contribute $5,000 in four years. When converting a Lifeline, the donor will receive her pin upon completion of payment for the new Lifeline. A donor converting to a new level of Lifeline will be requested to donate her previous level pin to the Living Legacy of Lifelines program in which donated pins will be presented to new Lifeline donors in a meaningful way.

The new levels and time frames for Lifelines are as follows:

You can donate to a Lifeline online at the WRJ website. We thank you for your support of WRJ's Lifeline Endowment Fund and the YES Fund!