Debby Kahm said she didn’t think twice about joining the sisterhood at the Lake Success Jewish Center when she moved to North Shore Towers 25 years ago.
“I think we joined the temple before we moved in,” Kahm, 95, said.
Within a year of joining the Lake Success Jewish Center, she found herself involved in the temple’s sisterhood—an organization of women who support the temple’s activities.
“As a member of the temple and as a woman, you work with the temple activities,” Kahm said. “It was a given that I would join sisterhood. There was no ‘Well, should I or shouldn’t I?’”
That call to service is not unique to Kahm, though. Local women join the sisterhood to support the temple’s fund-raisers, events and regular happenings.
Kahm, who also serves on the temple’s Board of Trustees, described herself as the informal leader of the temple’s sisterhood, taking over after the former sisterhood president, Robin Levine, moved away. Kahm said another active member looked over at Kahm and told her the position was hers from then on.
“I bowed and I said ‘Yes, ma’am,’” Kahm said with a laugh.
Although the position was handed to her, Kahm said she isn’t the formal leader. The sisterhood does not have official officers, but other key leaders include the informal First Vice President Charlotte Balsam and book club leader Irene Nejatheim.
The sisterhood’s activities include fund-raising for the Lake Success Jewish Center as well as the book club. Kahm described it as an “arm of the temple” that supports its activities, promotes membership and helps run it overall.
Recent successful fund-raising events included their event for Purim, where the sisterhood mailed the congregation asking if individuals would be interested in sending a gift to a loved one. The sisterhood then assembled beautiful boxes filled with goodies, which they organized for members to pick up.
She said their efforts are successful in serving the synagogue’s congregants and also help spread the word to attract new members.
While the sisterhood provides a direct way for women to be involved in the temple and have their voices heard, Kahm said it has never been an issue at the Lake Success Jewish Center for women to be involved in significant ways.
“We are very much part of all temple activities,” Kahm said. “We have never had a problem as far as representation and working as part of the temple. We have always been an integral part of the temple.”
When asked how participating in the sisterhood makes her feel, Kahm said she had a hard time finding an answer. This went back to her reason for joining: it was her duty and it was simply something she expected herself to do.
“This is part of the workings of synagogue, and you have to support it,” Kahm said. “The synagogue must be supported and this is part of supporting the synagogue.”
