Southern Branch, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Records

Southern Branch, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism was formed as a "Branch in Training" in 1958. Southern Branch Women’s League for Conservative Judaism was organized to further the preservation of traditional Judaism and recognized that the home, the synagogue and its religious school are necessary to reach those goals. The Women’s League for Conservative Judaism is a religious organization affiliated with the Conservative Movement and recognizes its responsibility to its membership to formulate ideas of leadership. The first sisterhood to affiliate with the newly organized Southern Branch in Training was Ahavath Achim. They held their first conference in 1959 in Nashville, TN, with eleven Sisterhoods participating. At this meeting the women elected Phyllis Weinstein as leader/president. The National Women’s League officially accepted the Southern Branch organization at the 1960 Convention. The first fall board meeting took place in Birmingham, AL, featuring a formal board and Speakers Training with then National past President Helen Sussman. The first conference as a Branch was in Columbus, GA, which Shearith Israel Sisterhood hosted. The first organization conference began a "Decade of Dedication". Atlanta was the site of the next conference. Ahavath Achim and Beth El sisterhoods were conference hosts. The preceding conference was a two-day Leadership Training Course given by National President Helen Sussman. By 1970 membership had grown to 4000. The organization continues to grow and change. In 2007, they changed the organization name and became Southern Region. Today they have affiliates in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee with 25 Sisterhood affiliates. Conferences are held in many cities such as: Asheville, Charleston, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Columbia, Columbus, Greenville-Spartanburg, Knoxville, Macon, Marietta, Memphis, Mobile, Nashville, New Orleans, and Savannah.