April 2024

N​EW FORMAT ​- SCROLL DOWN TO READ ALL ARTICLES 

Watch your inbox for event details or visit www.ncjwbcs.org for up-to-date information

No registration required. Free & open to the public. This

nonprofit serving Human Trafficking survivors. Melanie Kopp,

 Meryl Frank will be speaking about her journey to honor the memory of the Holocaust and the meaning of being a memorial candle. Ms. Frank wears many hats. She is the author of the book “Unearthed" and was appointed as the United States Representative and subsequently as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) by President Obama.

THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2024, 9:00 AM

A full lunch will be included.  The price of the tour is $113.00 per person for members and $120 for non-members. To register click here. 

For more information contact Shelly Winner, sswinner888@gmail.com or Paula Schwartz, pkschwartz39@gmail.com. 

We are pleased to announce our 2024 honorees.  

This award was established in 2020 to honor the memory of Jane Abraham, our inspirational Co-President who passed away in 2019 while in office. Jane made advocacy come alive in our Section through her passion and commitment to social justice. This award honors a Section member who has been a leader and instrumental in advancing social change in the community. The recipient must fulfill the following criteria: further the mission of NCJW, exemplify innovation, creativity and courage, serve as a role model in our Section and our community, and raise awareness of NCJW through pioneering efforts, mentoring and motivation of others. 

she learned that Hannah G’s father knew Lois’ great-

In 2021 Lois was accepted into NCJW’s Racial Equity training program, along with 100 participants from around the country. She also served on Section’s committee for the program, “Voices of Jews of Color.” In a subsequent program, Lois and her two daughters shared their family’s lived experiences of “Growing Up Black and Jewish.”

In 2022, Lois established Section’s Committee on Racial Equity and Antisemitism, coordinating the program with ADL’s Abraham Foxman on “Antisemitism in Today’s World.” In 2023, Section became a sponsor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Committee, with Lois as our representative. Recently, she spearheaded the 2024 program “Rising Antisemitism on U.S. College Campuses.”

Lois lives in Hackensack and is the proud mother of two wonderful daughters and proud grandmother of two amazing grandsons. She stated that “my passion for social and racial justice is rooted in my family’s multi-generational commitment to tikkun olam.” Lois will receive her award at our Advocacy Forum on April 9.

It’s not to be missed. This year’s Advocacy Forum will feature the Women’s Rights Information Center, Bergen County’s only federally-funded nonprofit serving Human Trafficking survivors. Lil Corcoran, Executive Director of WRIC, and Melanie Kopp, MD, Human Trafficking Program Coordinator, will share experiences from their first year of operation. Tuesday, April 9^th beginning at 12:30 at Temple Emeth. No registration is required. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Women’s Rights Information Center (WRIC) is a place of support and empowerment for survivors of human trafficking. Their dedicated Human Trafficking Program is a funded program of the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (U.S. DOJ OVC). It provides a range of free services including case management, crisis intervention, safety planning, legal support, counseling, advocacy, and referrals. They are committed to offering victim-centered, trauma-informed care tailored to individual needs.

The Advocacy Committee met on Super Tuesday anticipating that by days end we would likely be fully into the General Election campaign season. We were not wrong! Committee members shared Get Out the Vote strategies which provide many opportunities for involvement. If you would like to join us for any or all of the initiatives, please contact Gina Plotino at verylefty@aol.com to get involved.

With the support of Temple Sinai in Tenafly, NCJW BCS will expand its work for Reproductive Freedom when we launch the After Abortion Care kit project on May 22 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Temple Sinai. The new project is modeled after a program first established by NCJW Essex County Section. We plan to prepare 100 kits for distribution to patients of Bergen County’s two clinics. The goal of the program is to partner with Bergen County synagogues and engage the passions of like-minded individuals in actively, concretely and with real impact, supporting abortion access. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate that despite debilitating and almost daily news reports of more state bans, something impactful can be done!

Please stay tuned for details about how you can contribute and/or volunteer or contact Bari-Lynne Schwartz at barilynnes@verizon.net.

"Decoding Dobbs: The War on Women,"

2021 BCS Woman of the Section Nan Matlick, her daughter Karen Kavalin, and Bari-Lynne Schwartz attended "Decoding Dobbs: The War on Women," at NCJW Essex County Section's Lunch & Learn. Lynne Paltrow, founder of Pregnancy Justice, stated "We cannot legislate abortion without considering the people who have abortions."

Join us at the Women’s Rights

Information Center Gala on Wednesday,

emotional support to women in our community. Here is the link to register where you can indicate you’d like to sit at an NCJW table. Contact Barb Golub for details, barbaragolub@me.com.

*HIPPY means Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters. HIPPY parents learn to be their children’s first teachers.

In March, for the first time in more than 30 years, Bergen County Section prepared delicious dinners for 200 hungry people. Twenty-five volunteers participated. Chair Lois Katz Brown proudly exclaimed that "we have become a well-oiled machine." Dinners consist of salad, baked boneless chicken breasts, pasta, mixed vegetables, rolls and dessert. Our next WIDP date is Tuesday, May 21.

For information contact Lois Katz Brown at lkbrown125@gmail.com.

It’s not too late to contribute to our Annual Stay-at-Home Campaign. So far, we have raised $87,110, $12,000 above last year. Send us your donation and help us to reach our goal of $100,000.  

To Marcia Levin honor of the Bar Mitzvah of her great grandson Brody

Marcia Levy on the bar mitzvah of her great grandson Brody.

Shelly Winner on the b'nai mitzvah of her twin granddaughters Samantha & Taylor Bronson.

Please send your news to our office at office@ncjwbcs.org and include your name, the name of the family member and the occasion. It will appear in the next edition of Council Connections!