Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish News … / Sept. 1, 1987, edition 1 / Page 6
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Page 6-THE NEWS-September, 1987 B’nal B’rith Women Marks Its 90th Anniversary Amy Seligson (L), looks on as Adele Tauber lights candles on a cake celebrating BBW*s 90th birthday. Tauber is the current president of BBW’s first chapter, San Francisco #1, which grew from a group of 34 women who first met together on Aug. 18,1897. Seligson is president of BBW’s Jewish Women’s Network, the newest chapter in San Francisco. B’nai B’rith Women cele brated its 90th anniversary in August. A group of 34 women who gathered in San Francisco on August 18, 1897 were the small beginning of today’s ma jor Jewish women’s organiza tion with 120,000 members throughout the United States and Canada. BBW, uniting Jewish wo men to promote social ad vancement through education, service and action, conducts programs and activities in the U.S. and Israel addressing a wide range of concerns. These include the preservation of Jewish life and values, ad vocacy for women, philan thropy and community service. BBW’s major contribution to Israel for the past 36 years has been its Children’s Home and Group House, residential treatment centers for emo tionally disturbed boys. The facilities have a worldwide reputation for their unique treatment program, which substitutes human contact for drugs 2md offers long-term treatment of five years or more. The continuity and sta bility inherent in this therapy have produced a remarkable recovery rate of 70 percent; more than 1,000 of the Home’s graduates are now productive members of Israeli society as a result. During BBW’s 1987 Mission to Israel last March, members participated in the groundbreaking for a new residential cottage and ex panded facilities at the Children’s home. BBW also sponsors the Arab-Jewish project in Israel, which is administered by the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation at Hebrew University. In or der to foster understanding between Arabs and Jews, this program brings together Arab and Jewish students for meet ings, lectures and outreach programs in Arab villages. Advocacy for and empower ment of women is the major component of BBW’s public affairs agenda. BBW was the first Jewish organization to back the Equal Rights Amendment, and has been a leader in uniting Jewish women’s organizations on issues that affect women at home and in the workplace. Last fall, BBW hosted a Wo-, men & Work conference for the 12-member Leadership Confer ence of National Jewish Wo men’s Organizations, where representatives of two million members agreed to focus their combined efforts on attaining parental/family leave, pay equity and pension reform legislation. BBW produces and distributes educational materials for its members about these and other issues, and conducts a variety of pro grams centered on the needs of Jewish women today. Mem bers also participate in leader ship training, developing skills they can use in their personal and professional lives. In many cities, BBW provides networking opportunities for Jewish career women—often the only Jewish contact they experience. . . , Another constant on the, BBW agenda is community service. Many chapters con duct programs in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other facilities. In cooperation with the March of Dimes, the organization’s Operation Stork program focuses on preven ting teenage pregnancies and promoting prenatal care, and Project Gene provides educa tion on Tay-Sachs and other genetic diseases. Throughout its history, B’nai B’rith Women has re mained firmly connected to its Jewish roots. BBW supports the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and Hillel, which give high school and college students the opportunity to explore their heritage and to socialize with other Jewish youth. BBW also supports and works with the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation League to combat anti- Semitism. A convenor of the Women’s Plea for Soviet Jewry for more than a decade, B’nai B’rith actively seeks freedom for Soviet Jews, and recently launched an “Honor a Refusenik” program which aUows chapters and individual members to purchase honora ry BBW membership for refusenik women. The new “Creating Jewish Memories” program further demonstrates BBW’s conmiit- ment to the preservation of Jewish life and values. The 20-minute slide show features men and women who describe their Jewish memories, at titudes and conflicts in an at tempt to determine what shaped their identity as Jews. The program is being utilized by Jewish community centers, synagogues and schools as weU as by BBW members, to stimulate thought and discus sion about the complex ques tion of how to pass on Jewish values to their children. “As BBW continues to pur sue the rights of women and undertake programs to pre serve Jewish values, it gives its members the unique oppor tunity to express the dual di mensions of their identity as women and as Jews,” said BBW President Irma Gertler. “Over the past 90 years, we have continually met the challenge of change, both in the world around us and in the needs of our members,” she added. “On this important milestone for our organization, we can look .back w^th.gr^t,. pride, on what, we ^ have ac complished, and look forward with confidence to what we will achieve in our next 90 years.” Happy New Year To all of our friends of the Jewish faith: May you find peace during Rosh Hashanah. A time to reaffirm faith, examine past conduct and pray for forgiveness. A time to remind man of the importance of living a God-fearing, God-loving life. Peace to you and your family during this time of Rosh Hashanah. Carmel and Quail Hollow Roads Cotswold Providence Square Sharon Road Quality, Variety And Low Prices
The Charlotte Jewish News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 1, 1987, edition 1
6
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