Your news Lynne Turry named president of Midwest WRJ

Lynne Turry, former president of the Sisterhood at Temple Chai, a Reform Jewish congregation in Long Grove, is the new president of the Midwest District of the Women of Reform Judaism, which has more than 65,000 members worldwide.

The Midwest District includes Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and northwest Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas.

"My vision and goal is that the district will focus on helping its sisterhoods to become and remain vital to their members," said Turry.

To further her goal, Turry is initiating a project that she calls the "Experiential Cycle," or the 4 E's.

"I want the district to help its sisterhoods to better learn how to entice women to join and then excite all their members with innovative programs so that they will become engaged and participate in what sisterhood has to offer. Sisterhoods also must continually embrace all their members so that they feel welcome at all times,"said Turry.

Turry also said that to help members feel welcome, some sisterhoods may create small Chavurah groups with common social or cultural interests.

"I hope that with the help of the 4 E's adapted for their members, they will develop deep friendships with each other. The district's sisterhoods can then actualize the WRJ motto - 'Stronger Together.'"

Turry maintains that the connecting themes for each of the 4 E's are Relational Judaism and inclusiveness.

"Sisterhood leaders and executive boards must listen to what members and potential members need from their sisterhoods. Then they can respond by designing and redesigning programs that relate to those needs, which may require inviting comments on whether current programs are satisfactory and soliciting new programmatic ideas.

"The leaders in the district's sisterhoods also must embark on an ongoing effort to foster inclusiveness by building relationships with each member, and even with potential members and respecting their diversity."

Turry cited Temple Chai's Sisterhood, where events are being planned to fit the changing demographics of its members.

"Many of the sisterhood's elderly members are reluctant to participate in programs during the evening and younger members are often busy with their jobs and families," she said.

If sisterhood is to be significant to these members, events must be scheduled to accommodate those two groups, and still satisfy the majority of members who are in their 40s and 50s.

"It is an ongoing process to achieve the proper balance in programming. Temple Chai's Sisterhood board is listening to its members to find the right balance," said Turry. "I intend to consistently listen to the ideas and problems of district's sisterhoods so that the district can help them to be successful."

Turry was born in Virginia and grew up in the Chicago area. She earned a master of education degree from Concordia College and taught elementary school for 26 years. She has two daughters, Rachel and Allison, and five grandchildren.

She was a founding member of Temple Chai's sisterhood in the late 70s. Over the years, she has guided it to be essential to the temple with numerous fundraisers and events.

"Being an active member of sisterhood has helped me to recognize and understand the needs of others and has given me an emotional home," she said.

Turry served as first vice president and area director of the WRJ Midwest District. As area director, she helped the district's sisterhoods share ideas and she has conducted leadership seminars. She will now serve on the WRJ International Board.

WRJ recently celebrated 100 years of championing women's rights, combating abuse against women, assisting sisterhoods and funding youth camps and the education of rabbis and cantors. Turry hopes that she will be able to aid the district's sisterhoods to work within a temple's structure and to help temples in the district to understand that thriving sisterhoods are essential to their growth.

"In my experience with Temple Chai's Sisterhood and WRJ, I believe that temples and sisterhoods can most effectively work together when there is a mutual understanding that they have common goals, including the continuation of Reform Judaism," said Turry.

"Temple leaders and members must recognize that a flourishing sisterhood will make the temple vibrant and sisterhoods must strive always to be an integral part of temple life."

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