NCJW luncheon to honor Nan Levine, Ellie Elbaum

For 113 years, the volunteer members of the Rhode Island Section of the National Council of Jewish Women have joined forces to turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW’s mission is to strive for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. Now, the Rhode Island Section is closing.

On May 20, the Rhode Island Section Board has planned a special luncheon at Laurelmead to honor Ellie Elbaum and Nan Levine, the final co-presidents, who have poured heart and soul into the Council’s mission “forever,” and to reminisce about the highly successful projects that the Rhode Island Section has promoted. Two timely NCJW/RI forums in 2007 and 2014 on human trafficking in Rhode Island were pivotal in the formation and success of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

Belinda Lasky, national NCJW director of community engagement, will attend.  She will help to identify national programs that will enable our members to continue their important advocacy.

In Rhode Island, NCJW has done much through the years. Here is an excerpt from Co-presidents Levine and Elbaum,  from a report to members published in the Spring 2013 newsletter:

“We are writing to you to say ‘thank you’ for your support and for taking part in the many issues NCJW supports. Your voices have been heard.

With your help, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). You made your phone calls, spoke out on the issue, and we got the job done. Passing VAWA was critical to continuing lifesaving programs for all victims of domestic and sexual violence. When President Obama signed the bill into law, he remarked, “This victory shows that when American people make their voices heard, Washington listens.” Sammie Moshenberg, NCJW’s Director of Washington Operations and Nancy Kaufman, NCJW’s CEO were present at the signing.

A major initiative focuses on changes in gun laws, both state and national. Guns are dangerous and have no place in our schools, on our streets and in our communities. NCJW endorses and resolves to work for laws, policies and programs to restrict and regulate firearms and to prevent gun violence. We support measures to require all gun buyers to pass a criminal background check, to close the private sale loophole, to ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to make gun trafficking a federal crime and to increase public safety.

For many Jewish women and their families the immigrant experience is a recent memory. Since its founding in 1893, NCJW has been involved in service and advocacy on behalf of new immigrants. Today NCJW works for comprehensive, humane and equitable immigration and naturalization laws that facilitate and expedite legal status for more individuals. As such, we support comprehensive immigration reform that provides opportunities for hard-working undocumented immigrants to earn legal status and citizenship, expedited family reunification by reducing the waiting periods that keep immigrant families apart, establishment of humane border security policies and policies that ensure immigrant women and families have access to basic human services during the legalization process.

NCJW has long endorsed the protection of every woman’s right to reproductive choices, including safe and legal abortion, access to contraception and the elimination of obstacles that limit reproductive freedom. A woman’s ability to access abortion is critical to respecting her moral agency, her religious liberty and to supporting her economic security. NCJW is committed to ending federal restrictions that unjustly withhold coverage of abortion such as the Hyde Amendment. Hyde and similar policies restrict access for women who receive their health coverage through federal programs. NCJW believes that every woman, regardless of income or type of insurance, should have health insurance that covers abortion. Special regulations for abortion services are driven by a desire to eliminate all access. Its proponents make no secret of their intent. State and federal laws have adopted the views of a minority driven on religious grounds to end access to abortion altogether, regardless of its constitutional status. This isn’t a secret or inferred truth – certain groups have made the elimination of abortion a central point of their policy agendas. We cannot allow this to happen.

We continue to fight for civil rights and civil liberties with a fair and independent judiciary while promoting religious freedom and strengthening the separation between religion and state. And, we promote human rights and peace in support of a secure Israel where its founding principles of social justice and quality of life are realized.

Help us to work for change with our policymakers. Help us to achieve our goals to improve the quality of life for women, children and families and to safeguard individual rights and freedoms. Please sign on to action line (actionline@ncjw.org); you do make a difference.”

As the Rhode Island Section of the National Council of Jewish Women closes,  both life and annual members will automatically become  members of the national organization and will be invoiced from national. The plea to each and every local member remains the same. Continue to support NCJW. Continue to support the important issues. Continue to make your voice heard. Continue to make a difference in the lives of women, children and families.

For information about the May 20 NCJW luncheon contact Judith Litchman at 401-274-2311.

TOBY ROSSNER is a National Council of Jewish Women Rhode Island section member. She was  the director of media services at the Bureau of Jewish Education from 1978 to 2002.