National Council of Jewish Women Dallas Installs New Board and Welcomes Incoming President Kim Schonwald

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dallas, Texas — May 19, 2026 — The National Council of Jewish Women Dallas (NCJW Dallas) proudly celebrated the installation of its new Board of Directors and welcomed incoming President Kim Schonwald during a special ceremony held Tuesday morning.

A longtime Dallas resident with a background in accounting and nonprofit management, Schonwald brings extensive professional and volunteer leadership experience to the role.

Schonwald founded her accounting firm, Bookkeeping in Motion, after many years in accounting and management, helping organizations strengthen operations and build sustainable systems.

Since joining NCJW Dallas in 2016, Schonwald has served as treasurer, vice president of administration, and president-elect, helping strengthen the organization’s operations, volunteer support, and community programs.

“NCJW Dallas has been such a meaningful part of my life,” said Schonwald. “I am honored to serve as president and excited to continue building on the organization’s strong foundation of advocacy, service, and community engagement. Together, we will continue working to improve the lives of women, children, and families throughout Dallas.”

Schonwald has also served in leadership roles with local nonprofit and community organizations across Dallas.

The ceremony recognized incoming and outgoing board members and reaffirmed NCJW Dallas’s commitment to advocacy, community impact, and Jewish values.

Founded in 1893, NCJW Dallas is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW Dallas works to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families and to safeguard individual rights and freedoms through advocacy, education, and community service.

For more information, visit NCJW Dallas.

Founded in 1913, NCJW Dallas has pioneered groundbreaking programs addressing public education, families in crisis, and family wellness. Enacting its progressive values, NCJW Dallas has been a staunch advocate for women and voting rights.

Media Contact: Alex Friedman, Director of Communications

Email: alexf@ncjwdallas.org | Phone: 972-922-6667

Emerging Leader Award 2026

ERICA MATSIL

Erica Matsil is an NCJW Dallas board member and passionate leader advancing advocacy, community engagement, and social justice efforts across the Dallas community. Drawn to NCJW by the women who came before her and all of the amazing work they have done across Dallas, Erica is proud to help continue that legacy through leadership and action. She credits Rabbi Nancy Kasten, Renee Karp, Elaine Bernstein, and Caren Edelstein (of blessed memory) for mentoring her as a leader and advocate.

Professionally, Erica serves as Director of Social Justice and Family Engagement at Temple Emanu-El, where she leads initiatives focused on service, advocacy, community organizing, and family programming.

Before stepping into her current role, Erica was a fifth-grade teacher with Uplift Education and served as a corps member with Teach For America. Her background in education continues to inform her commitment to equity, civic engagement, and community impact.

Erica earned her undergraduate degree in Public Policy from the University of Delaware and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.

In addition to NCJW Dallas, Erica serves on the boards or advisory councils of United to Learn, Faith Commons, and Dallas Area Interfaith.

Janis Levine Music Make-a-Difference Award 2026

LIZ COOPER

Background

Liz Cooper, recipient of the Janis Levine Music Make-a-Difference Award 2026, has built a life defined by service, leadership, and community. Liz grew up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, near Central Park, where she developed an early appreciation for connection and shared spaces.

Liz earned a B.A. in psychology from SUNY Buffalo, where she met her husband, Rusty. In 1979, they moved to Dallas and built a life centered on family and shared purpose.

Professionally, Liz worked as a regional marketing manager, bringing strong organizational and leadership skills to her role. While raising their three children, she stayed deeply involved in school and synagogue life. She served in the PTA and as bookkeeper for the Sisterhood at Congregation Anshai Torah. Liz also led the Hesed Committee for more than a decade, coordinating care and support for congregants in times of need.

NCJW Dallas Involvement

Her involvement with NCJW Dallas began through a connection with Sharan Goldstein and quickly grew into a lasting commitment. As Co-Chair of Food + Fit = Fun, Liz has helped expand the program’s reach. She combines a passion for wellness with thoughtful, hands-on leadership. Liz also helped revise the program manual with Marlene Cohen. During COVID, she produced and directed instructional videos with Robin Zweig to keep the program going. Liz has also served on NCJW Dallas’ Board of Directors.

Liz embodies the spirit of the Janis Levine Music Award. Her work promotes connection, well-being, and joy across the community.

Personal Life

Beyond her formal roles, Liz is known for her care for others. She prepares nearly everything from scratch. She knits and crochets baby blankets for growing families. She encourages healthy, joyful living and believes exercise should be something to look forward to—not a chore. She also enjoys reading and Broadway musicals.

Liz and Rusty are the proud parents of three and grandparents of six, with a seventh grandchild on the way. She looks forward to more time with family, travel, and continued service to the Dallas community.

Hannah G. Solomon Award 2026

Carol Weinstein

Carol Weinstein exemplifies the mission and values of NCJW Dallas through decades of leadership, volunteerism, philanthropy, and advocacy.

Her lifelong commitment to strengthening Jewish communal life, advancing civic engagement, and supporting vulnerable communities makes Carol a very deserving recipient of the 2026 Hannah G. Solomon Award.

Carol’s family moved to Dallas when she was just 15 months old, and aside from completing her undergraduate and graduate studies out of state, she has called Dallas home ever since. After returning, she earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and became the first local recruit selected for the fast-track program at Texas Instruments.

Carol later joined her family’s business, helping manage one of the largest industrial battery recycling companies in the United States. Working as a woman in leadership within the scrap and recycling industry was another pioneering role in her career.

A Lifetime of Leadership and Service

Carol’s connection to NCJW Dallas began early. As the daughter of NCJW Dallas Past President Janet Newberger, she grew up attending NCJW events and learning the values of service, advocacy, and community leadership.

Over the years, Carol has remained deeply involved in NCJW Dallas through Councilettes, Professional Branch, PACE, and many leadership roles.

Today, Carol serves as the following:

Chair of the SHARE Endowment Fund
Member of the NCJW Dallas Executive Board
Member of the Awards Committee
Member of the Budget & Finance Committee
Member of the Strategic Planning Committee

Her leadership has helped strengthen NCJW Dallas’ long-term financial sustainability and organizational planning.

Community Impact Beyond NCJW Dallas

Carol’s volunteer work extends throughout the Dallas community.

She is actively involved with the Vickery Meadow Food Pantry, where she serves as treasurer, management committee member, day leader, and co-editor of the organization’s newsletter.

Carol’s broader volunteer and leadership work has included:

Co-founder and first President of The Wise Academy
Leadership roles with the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas
Board service with Jewish Family Service
Longtime service with the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation

Carol has also dedicated significant time to refugee and immigrant support, including the following:

Refugee Support Network and Pro Se Asylum Clinic volunteer coordination
Family preparedness workshops for undocumented families
DACA-related volunteer work
Get Out the Vote initiatives through NCJW Dallas

Personal Life

Carol and her husband, Jon, have two sons, Ben and Andrew, both of whom live in Austin.

When she’s not volunteering, Carol enjoys reading, gardening, and creating bead tapestries and jewelry. She is also an avid baker—and once made her signature chocolate cake for Julia Child.

Diverse Coalition Champions Religious Freedom in Texas Public Schools

A statewide coalition of diverse organizations and Texans across the state successfully empowered Texas families to defend the religious freedom of millions of Texas public school students from Senate Bill 11, the state-organized prayer in school law.

March 10, 2026 12:00 am

Media Contact:
Kristi Gross, ACLU of Texas, media@aclutx.org
Steve Feldman, URJ & RAC, smfeldman@urj.org
Karlee Marshall, BJC & Christians Against Christian Nationalism, kmarshall@bjconline.org
Imelda Mejia, Texas Freedom Network, media@tfn.org
Bee Moorhead, Texas Impact, bee@texasimpact.org
Rev. Charles Foster Johnson, Pastors for Texas Children, johnson.cfj@gmail.com
Marco Guajardo, American Federations of Teachers-Texas, mguajardo@texasaft.org
Moisés Serrano, Americans United, media@au.org
Amit Pal, Freedom From Religion Foundation, apal@ffrf.org
Shannon Morse, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) Dallas, execdirector@ncjwdallas.org
Cameron Samuels, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), press@studentsengaged.org

AUSTIN, Texas – A statewide coalition of diverse organizations and Texans across the state successfully empowered Texas families to defend the religious freedom of millions of Texas public school students from Senate Bill 11, the state-organized prayer in school law. Passed in the 2025 legislative session, S.B. 11 required school districts to vote on whether to adopt periods of state-organized prayer and religious study during the school day. The deadline to vote was March 1.

The coalition, comprising both religious and secular voices, empowered community leaders and school boards to reaffirm the value of religious diversity and the essential separation of religion and government in our democracy. Parents, students, teachers, clergy, and more spoke up in districts across the state. As the Texas Tribune reports, nearly all of Texas’s 1,200 school districts rejected S.B. 11. This includes many who adopted a coalition-supported alternative resolution emphasizing religious freedoms already present in public schools. As a result, millions of students in Texas are protected from coercive, divisive, and overbroad state-sponsored expressions of religion in schools.

This effort was organized in partnership between RAC-TX, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC), Christians Against Christian Nationalism, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, American Federation of Teachers-Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), National Council of Jewish Women Dallas, Texas Freedom Network, Texas Impact, Pastors for Texas Children, Faith Commons, and Freedom From Religion Foundation.

“School districts across the state overwhelmingly rejected S.B. 11 because inviting state-organized prayer into public schools would cause division, pressure students to conform, and distract schools from their core educational mission,” said Caro Achar (she/her), engagement coordinator for free speech and pluralism at the ACLU of Texas. “Texas students already have robust rights to pray and read religious texts on their own during the school day. This law didn’t address a real problem. Instead, it threatened to create new problems by blurring the line between church and state — putting students’ and families’ constitutional rights at risk.”

“S.B. 11 is part of an ongoing effort to undermine public institutions, especially our schools, in favor of Christian nationalist policies that govern based on a distorted version of one religion’s teachings,” said RAC Texas Field Organizer Blake Ziegler (he/him). “Reform Jews in Texas proudly stood alongside our interfaith and secular friends against this violation of religious freedom. S.B. 11 would hurt our Jewish students, excluding them from their peers instead of promoting the religious pluralism essential to our democracy.”

“The people of Texas aren’t buying what SB11 was selling,” said Rabbi David Segal, Policy Counsel at Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC). “This massive rejection of state-organized prayer proves that Texans value the separation of church and state. Student led prayer is already allowed in our public schools, it just shouldn’t be a government-run program. We are proud to see districts across the state stand up for the religious freedom of every student, regardless of their faith tradition.”

“This is what democracy looks like,” said Carisa Lopez, deputy executive director of the Texas Freedom Network. “Across Texas, people of every faith – and no faith – came together to protect our shared right to practice religion freely, without the government telling our children when, how, and what to believe. SB 11 handed the state the power to organize prayer in public schools and put teachers in the impossible position of refereeing religious participation. Worst of all, it asked families to sign away their constitutional rights just to opt out. We are grateful to every school board member, parent, and coalition partner who showed up to protect our public school students and their religious freedom. Together we’ll continue fighting for the Texas we all deserve.”

From Texas Impact: “Texas Impact has always fought for religious freedom, and in the case of Senate Bill 11, that meant preventing Christianity from being pushed into public schools. Every student in Texas has the right to pray on their own time in any public school. Senate Bill 11 attempts to overstep by inserting prayer into our schools, per the advice of our Attorney General Paxton. We should let Texan families and faith communities lead religious education, not our elected officials.”

“Texas public schools serve all children from every conceivable faith tradition, and no faith tradition. They are public institutions that must not favor, advance, or establish any religion. Religion is for the congregation, home, and individual. When it becomes a tool of the state, both get corrupted. Every single time,” said Rev. Charles Foster Johnson, Executive Director at Pastors for Texas Children.

“SB 11 is just another in a long line of culture war bills meant to drive a wedge between us to keep people distracted from the bigger picture,” said Texas AFT President Zeph Capo. “School districts are just affirming what we know to be true: our students already enjoy religious freedom and SB 11’s prayer period imposes a specific agenda that would alienate students and educators alike. The brave organizers and students on the ground that advocated against SB 11 at school boards across the state deserve special recognition and Texas AFT is in this fight with them.”

“The resistance to implementing S.B. 11’s state-organized prayer periods in Texas public schools should send a message to state legislators that Texans don’t support the Christian Nationalist agenda of imposing one set of religious views on all public school children,” said Rachel Laser (she/her), president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Our Constitution’s promise of church-state separation means that students and their families – not politicians – get to decide if, when and how public school children engage with religion.”

“SB 11 is a transparent attempt to erode the constitutional separation between church and state by promoting religious activity in public schools,” said Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor (she/her). “Our classrooms must remain secular spaces that respect students of all beliefs and none.”

“I want my granddaughter to be able to go to school and be herself. I want her to not feel left out, or ‘othered,’ when she doesn’t participate in a state-organized prayer time, ” said Robyn C., NCJW Dallas Advocacy Committee member. “I want every child to feel included, regardless of their faith or lack thereof.”

“Students across Texas showed up to speak for themselves and their classmates. In places like El Paso, Bastrop, Katy, and many others, we saw students testify and share how important it is that public schools remain welcoming to people of every faith and those not observing a particular religion. The decisions by these districts to reject state-organized prayer periods reaffirm that religious freedom means everyone has a seat at the table. Our schools should be spaces where diversity is respected and no student feels pressured to participate in someone else’s religious practice,” said SEAT Senior Policy Associate Azeemah Sadiq, a high school student in Alief ISD.

NCJW Dallas Advocates Stand Up for Religious Freedom in Public Schools

No Voice Is Too Soft: NCJW Dallas Advocates Stand Up for Religious Freedom in Public Schools

“Fight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg

That is exactly what NCJW Dallas members and interfaith advocates did this month.

As Texas school districts faced a March 1st deadline to decide on how to implement SB 11, Andi, Robyn, Debra, and Terry showed up, spoke out, and helped lead others to join them.

WHAT IS SB 11?

SB 11 instructs public school districts in Texas to vote to set aside a designated period during the school day for prayer and Bible reading. Districts must opt in through a board vote, and they were required to decide before March 1 whether to implement these structured prayer periods.

Supporters describe it as voluntary and student-led. But here’s the key distinction: students already have the constitutional right to pray individually or in groups during non-instructional time. That freedom has long been protected. Ultimately, what SB 11 introduces is a school-structured, officially designated prayer time—something that raises serious concerns about church-state separation and student inclusion.

NORTH TEXAS SCHOOL DISTRICTS SAY NO

Your voice matters. In district after district across North Texas, trustees listened to their communities, rejecting the carving of prayer and Bible reading periods in their schools. Those decisions, however, didn’t happen in a vacuum. They happened because people like Andi, Robyn, Debra, and Terry showed up and because people of all faiths stood together.

COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS

For Robyn, speaking at the school board meeting was a first. “I’d never done anything like that before, and I was nervous,” she shared.

The room was packed. Emotions were high, but when her turn came, Robyn stood up anyway. She calmly addressed the board. She thanked them for their time and introduced herself as a person of faith, a synagogue member in Dallas, a grandmother with family in that school district.

And then she made it personal:

“I want my granddaughter to be able to go to school and be herself. I want her to not feel left out, or ‘othered,’ when she doesn’t participate in a state-organized prayer time.”

With eloquence, Robyn reminded trustees that not all children pray the same way—or at all. An organized prayer period, even with opt-in or opt-out provisions, risks creating division.

“I want every child to feel included, regardless of their faith or lack thereof.”

Her closing was simple but strong:

“Please vote NO on SB 11, but preserve the freedom children already have to pray or not pray at school, as we teach them in our homes.”

After she finished, Robyn smiled, and people clapped loudly. As she walked back to her seat, several attendees told her, “Good job,” as an echo of what Justice Ginsburg meant: fighting for what you care about in a way that invites others in.

Momentum built. In the end, the trustees voted unanimously against SB 11.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Religious freedom protects everyone.

It protects students who pray.
It protects students who pray differently.
It protects students who do not pray at all.

It’s worth showing up for.

“We can’t just hope for a brighter day; we have to work for a brighter day.” — Dolly Parton.

That brighter day—one where every child feels safe and included in public school—requires participation. It requires courage in uncomfortable rooms. It requires steady, principled voices. And, as Janna Cachola reminds us, “No voice is too soft when that voice speaks for others.”

Advocacy 101 – Session 1

WHAT IS ADVOCACY? FROM VALUES TO ACTION

Thursday, October 23 ◾Temple Shalom, Dallas

Join us at Temple Shalom for the first session of ADVOCACY 101. This FREE EVENT is a four-part series designed to empower women to advocate for justice through community, conversation, and action. The series will feature community and faith leaders, local officials, and legislators.

The first session will engage participants about different types of advocacy, levels of government, and the ways in which our core-values compel action.

EVENT GUESTS

Debra Levy-Fritts – Temple Shalom Past President and Tikkun Olam Chair.

Debra Levy-Fritts is a passionate advocate, community leader, and a true partner in organizing today’s event. Debra is the Past President and Tikkun Olam Chair at Temple Shalom, a life NCJW Dallas member, and a former President and Director of Advocacy at Mothers & More. Her deep experience spans nonprofit leadership, education, and hands-on service—always rooted in Jewish values and a belief in collective responsibility.

Liz Morse — Former Chief Government Affairs Officer at Richardson ISD

Liz is a powerhouse in public education advocacy and government relations. Until this summer, Liz was the Chief Government Affairs Officer for Richardson ISD. For nearly a decade, she’s worked at the intersection of policy and public education, helping shape legislative priorities that impact nearly 40,000 students.

With a background spanning strategic communications, nonprofit leadership, and legislative consulting, she brings deep insight into how to navigate—and influence—systems at the local, state, and federal levels.

TX-Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos (D-102)

Ana‑Maria Ramos, State Representative for Texas House District 102. Born the daughter of immigrants in Dallas, she overcame early life obstacles—including becoming a young mother at fifteen—and returned to school, earning her GED, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s in communications, an MBA, and a law degree.

Before serving in the legislature, Ramos ran her own Dallas law firm, taught at a community college, and led efforts in community revitalization and education access.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER LEARNING RESOURCES.

Past President Renee Karp Receives Prestigious SMU Award

Past President Renee Karp has been recognized, with the 2025 Gail Reese Ward Award for Excellence in Mentorship, at the SMU Women’s Symposium.

The Gail Reese Ward Excellence in Mentoring Award commemorates Gail Ward, 1950-2003, who coordinated the SMU Women’s Symposium from 2000 to 2003 and created the Profiles in Leadership Awards program. It recognizes an award recipient for especially significant contributions as a mentor to girls and women.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS AMAZING RECOGNITION!

Past President Renee Karp briefly taught at Akiba Academy and later became a member of the professional staff at Temple Emanu-El, where she served for 33 years. Renee has been part of the education staff from 1975-1985, then Program Director from 1985-2008, and has continued teaching the Introduction to Judaism program until last year. Renee’s credentials include a bachelors degree, a master’s degree and leadership training certifications from the Union for Reform Judaism and The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Around 1980, Renee joined the National Council of Jewish Women, where she held various committee chair positions, board positions, executive committee positions, and served as section president from 2018-2020. Currently, she sits on the National Board.

Renee Karp’s CV includes numerous organization, commission, and board positions focused on Jewish education, leadership, or public service, striving to educate and improve the quality of life in our world. Renee also serves as a member of the City of Dallas Senior Affairs Commission (SAC) for District 11. 

NCJW Dallas Opposes Mass Deportation and Detention

NCJW Dallas stands with the other 88 Jewish organizations in opposing the Trump administration mass deportation and detention policies. These policies fail to address the root causes of migration and are driven by a desire to exclude “undesirable” groups through stigmatizing an entire population or ethnicity. Mass detention and deportation always lead to trauma and abuse, racial profiling, and significant financial costs.

The Jewish experience, including forced expulsions and deportations during the Holocaust, highlights the devastating impact of such practices. U.S. history also provides painful examples, such as the removal of Native Americans, the deportation of Mexicans during the Great Depression and Operation Wetback, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II—all of which caused lasting trauma and loss.

For 112 years, we have been advocates for humane immigration policies that protect the dignity and rights of all people, and we will continue to do so. NEVER AGAIN IS NOW.

READ THE LETTER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP HERE.