Shira Wajcman is about to become a fourth generation Sisterhood president. Her two-year term at Congregation Beth Shalom begins July 1.
Wajcman comes from a long line of volunteers. Her mother, Toba Maslan, was Sisterhood president at Beth Shalom, as was her grandmother, Betty Brand, who married Arthur Brand, Hyman Brand’s son. Her great-grandmother, Jennie Brown, was Sisterhood president at Kehilath Israel Synagogue.
Wajcman is modest about this accomplishment, and yet also proud that those roots run deep, saying it’s in her genes. She said she has a “village” for support that allows her to be able to be involved in Sisterhood.
“It’s important to me so I make the time for it,” she said. “I grew up at Beth Shalom synagogue and my grandma was president, my mom was president, so I’ve been around Sisterhood most of my life and it just felt natural to want to get involved and be a part of it.”
As a 39-year-old single mother of three young children, who also works part time at her father’s engineering firm, Stephen P. Maslan & Co., she depends on the support of friends and family.
Her husband Michael passed away suddenly at the age of 32 in 2011. Her son Jeremiah is 9 and twins Eitan and Samantha are 7. They attend Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy.
Wajcman said her motivation and that of the women before her is being part of a group of women who are supportive of one another.
“Whatever job they’ve given me, I never felt like I was alone; there was always someone I could go to with questions,” she said. “Someone’s always volunteering to help. It’s a real nice group to be a part of in that way. So I think having that feeling of support around you is a good thing and makes you feel good, so you want to be there.”
Wajcman has been active in Sisterhood for several years. Prior to being elected as president, she served as financial secretary and treasurer. She is also this year’s recipient of the Beth Shalom Past Presidents Leadership Recognition Award.
Linda Lessner, financial adviser and long-range planner of Sisterhood, explained that this award is given to “a long-standing active member who has shown that she has outstanding leadership skills and is deserving of the recognition. It is an honor that is not given every year. Shira showed through her actions that she is a hard worker dedicated to Sisterhood goals.”
In addition to Sisterhood, Wajcman has been involved for many years in the corps of volunteer Torah readers, Haftarah readers and service leaders for Beth Shalom. She also tutors B’nai Mitzvah students, teaching them Hebrew, trope and some of the services.
“When Cantor (David) Barash was here, he asked if any recent Bar or Bat Mitzvah students wanted to learn how to teach Bar and Bat Mitzvah students, so I decided to seize the opportunity and I really enjoy it,” she said.
Wajcman said she wasn’t very active in Sisterhood until someone asked her if she wanted to help assign some honors for the Sisterhood Shabbat.
“So one opportunity would open up and then another and before you know it, they wanted me to be president,” she said.