This summer, Let’s Connect brought women together through an unusually varied season of programming, with each event offering a different reason to gather and a different way to connect. Some evenings were creative and relaxed, others practical or deeply moving. There was Torah, personal history, beauty, games, music, and plenty of conversation throughout.

We began the summer with Ceramic Painting, led by Paula Flax Siskind. Around tables filled with brushes, color, and ceramic pieces, women had the chance to create while enjoying an easy evening together. It was the kind of setting where conversation happens naturally, whether between longtime friends or women meeting for the first time.

Our next program, Be Aware. Be Prepared., took on a very different subject. Esti Rossberg presented a practical evening on situational awareness and personal safety, addressing situations women encounter in everyday life, from parking lots and public spaces to home, shul, Shabbos, and Yom Tov. The focus was not on fear, but on awareness, preparation, and developing habits that help us recognize when something feels wrong and know how to respond.

During the Three Weeks, Let’s Connect presented a two-part series, From Galus to Geula, that brought powerful personal stories into the room. In the first program, Leah Schiermeyer shared The Beauty I Found Converting to Judaism, recounting her journey from Christianity to an observant Jewish life. Her perspective offered the audience the opportunity to see familiar parts of Jewish life through the eyes of someone who had searched for them, discovered them, and ultimately chosen them. It was a reminder of how much richness can sometimes be overlooked simply because it has always been part of our lives.

The second evening featured Penina Lewis, who shared the extraordinary story of her family’s journey from Yemen to Israel. She told of her father, orphaned at only six years old, escaping the threat of Yemen’s Orphans’ Decree and eventually making his way toward Eretz Yisrael. Her family’s story included enormous hardship, including the disappearance of two siblings during the early years in Israel, but what stood out most was the emunah and bitachon with which her parents lived. Their story connected the larger themes of galus and geula to the lived experience of one Jewish family.

August brought yet another change of pace with The Beauty Edit, featuring Pam Kanter and Stacy Spiegelman. The evening focused on practical skin care, sheitel care, styling, and the choices that help women feel polished and comfortable in their own personal style. It was useful, enjoyable, and gave women plenty to talk about both during and after the program.

Then came Game Night, built around one of the simplest forms of connection: sitting around a table together. With games, conversation, laughter, and a relaxed atmosphere, the evening made it easy to come with a friend, meet someone new, and simply enjoy being together. Not every meaningful gathering needs a speaker or a formal program. Sometimes connection grows best when there is something fun to do together and plenty of room for conversation.

The summer concluded with Heartstrings: An Evening of Music, an evening that became far more than a performance.Sharon Galkin served as MC, guiding the evening with warmth and humor. Rebbetzin Chasida Teichman shared words of inspiration, accompanied by violinist Chani Wecker. Michelle Anflick performed her original song Be the One, and Lisa Aronson Friedman and the Kol Zimrah Choir filled the room with music.

But what made Heartstrings especially memorable was the way the audience became part of the evening. Women joined in singing and harmonizing, and the program gradually moved into a shared kumzitz dedicated in memory of Dina Blaustein ע״ה. By the final song, L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim, women were singing and dancing together.

Looking back at the summer as a whole, the range of programming is striking. We painted. We learned practical tools for staying safe. We listened to stories of faith, history, and Jewish identity. We explored beauty and personal style. We played. We sang. Yet the real thread running through all of it was not the activity itself. It was the opportunity to bring women together in ways that encourage connection, growth, discovery, contribution, and purpose.

That is what Let’s Connect is continuing to build. A community where women can keep learning, experiencing, participating, sharing what they know, discovering new interests, and forming meaningful connections with one another.Our summer programming showed just how many different forms that can take.