Wow, what an incredible end to our 2025–2026 year! I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us on May 14th for our annual Sisterhood Election and Program. It was a truly spectacular evening filled with community, shared purpose, and inspiration.
A special thank you goes to Joy Weinstein for putting together such a wonderful program. And Chef Michelle’s delicious refreshments. We were absolutely captivated by our guest speaker, Lauren New, North Texas’s first female Mohel(et) and a Certified Nurse Midwife. Her presentation, “Mom - Midwife – Mohel,” sharing her diverse experiences raising Jewish children and facilitating surrogacy, was deeply moving and thoroughly engaging.
During the meeting, we approved the new slate of officers. Please join me in offering a warm welcome to our newly elected 2026–2027 Executive Board:
President: Rhonda Duchin
VP of Membership (1st VP): Leah White
VP of Programming (2nd VP): Joy Weinstein
VP of Communications (3rd VP): Robyn Rose
VP of Finance/Treasurer: Evelyn Utay
VP of Recording/Corresponding Secretary: Rona Kesselman
VPs of Catering: Vikki Silvis & Lynda Markowitz
Gift Shop Manager: Sherry Zorinsky
Let’s also extend a huge thank you to our departing At-Large board members, Gayle Hill and Kimber Miller, for their exceptional leadership, and extend a warm Sisterhood welcome to our incoming At-Large board members, Donna Leibow and Sandi Bodzin Jordan!
Important Business: Upcoming By-Laws Vote
Before we completely shift our focus to summer, one more piece of important business needs to be taken care of. Our new, updated by-laws need to be voted on by the membership.
The Review: The proposed by-laws will be sent out to everyone in a separate email shortly so you have plenty of time to review them.
The Vote: Keep an eye on your inbox following that email, as we will be sending out a link for a dedicated Zoom call where we will officially come together to vote on them.
I am immensely grateful to Lynda Markowitz, Evelyn Utay, Robyn Rose, and Rona Kesselman for their hard work, dedication, and incredible guidance in drafting these updates to ensure our Sisterhood continues to run smoothly!
Mark Your Calendars: Exciting Things Coming Up!
Though summer is a time for family vacations and making memories, your new board is already hitting the ground running to plan an extraordinary year ahead. We are focusing on dynamic programming, diverse interest groups, and deep general connections. Here is a sneak peek at what we have on the horizon:
Details: We are officially launching our next program year with our beloved annual Sisterhood Shabbat Dinner and Services! This is always a beautiful multigenerational evening of spiritual connection, incredible camaraderie, and a delicious meal. Registration details will be out later this summer—make sure to save the date so you don't miss it!
Fall Feature: Joint Sisterhood & Men's Club Breakfast
Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas
Details: We’ve already secured an amazing speaker for our November joint breakfast! Ms. Bartkowski has led over 19,000 girls annually, spearheaded fundraisers, and developed a STEM Center of Excellence (and yes, she knows a thing or two about cookies!). Come join us for lox, bagels, and trailblazing stories.
The Return of Special Interest Groups (SIGS)
Our various SIGS will be kicking into high gear as well! Ellen Schachter will be launching a major kickoff event early next fiscal year for Knit Night, continuing her amazing work knitting beanies for underserved schools. Stay tuned for upcoming dates from our Sisterhood Book Club, Torah Study Group, Ladies Who Lunch, and Girls Night Out!
Support Our Sisterhood
As we prepare for the year ahead, please remember that our community thrives because of members like you.
Join or Renew Your Membership: Be a part of a multigenerational group of accomplished, unique women. Fill out the membership form online to renew your dues or join for the first time. The link to renew will go out in July.
High Holiday Sponsorships: Sisterhood proudly provides the bimah flowers during the High Holidays and coordinates the beautiful Break-the-Fast after Yom Kippur. Consider making a donation online to help defray these costs.
Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and memory-filled summer!
Knit Night/Ellen is taking a break and will restart Knit Night with a kickoff event early next fiscal year. She has been knitting beanies for an underserved school and has been doing this for awhile and has donated over 100 beanies.
Sisterhood Board Meeting
Board Retreat Meeting on June 14, Rhonda's house, 10 AM
