NCJW Greater Dallas Section

The year 2002 brought the formation of Hannah’s Group, our advocacy arm, which proudly represented our organization with the largest group in attendance at the 2002 Women’s Equality Day Commemoration at Dallas City Hall. Nomi Eve, author of The Family Orchard, was the featured speaker at the annual joint meeting. And Safeguards for Seniors found a new home at Jewish Family Service. HIPPY held its first inaugural Home Instructor of the Year Awards luncheon, and the Section, in co-operation with Parkland Hospital, initiated a new community service project, Making the Connection, to promote infant brain development.

Over $1,000,000 has now been raised and distributed to more than forty projects in the Metroplex during the last five years. Once again, the Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians generously supported us as our Presenting Sponsors of the annual gala for the 10th year.

In March 2003, a historic 90th birthday luncheon was held with Coretta Scott King as the guest speaker. Section’s many community partners helped celebrate.

Summer 2003, Making the Connection, a program stressing brain development in the 0 – 3 year old child is launched with an outstanding pamphlet and program being used in several of Parkland Hospital’s clinics.

As the 2003-2004 programming year began, Kevin Ann Wiley, Vice President and Editorial Page Editor, The Dallas Morning News, was the featured speaker at the October opening meeting.

National NCJW President Marsha Atkins visited Dallas. Marsha spoke to members at the opening meeting and Evening Branch’s monthly meeting. She got to see many community service projects in action, including the HIPPY program at Dobie Elementary School. To see pictures of Marsha’s visit, click here.

In October 2003, the exciting Nasher Sculpture Center opened, and NCJW members received the first docent tours.

Robert Miller, Dallas Morning News columnist, sang our praises in his column. Click here to read it.

For our annual gala in November, Mandy Patinkin performed at the Charles W. Eisemann Center in Richardson. Mr. Patinkin presented a wonderful evening of song and comedy. Over $130,000 was raised to support our community service projects.

May 2004 brought Sammie Moshenberg, Director of NCJW’s Washington Operations, to speak at Installation and to Hannah’s Group. Ms. Moshenberg talked about BenchMark: NCJW’s Campaign to Save Roe and about the importance of the upcoming elections.

In perhaps our finest hour, in 2013 NCJW Greater Dallas celebrated, along with our entire community, the 100th anniversary of the section’s founding.

Presidents

• 2000-2002 Julie Lowenberg
• 2002-2004 Kyra Effren
• 2004-2006 Marlene Cohen
• 2006-2008 Sue Tilis
• 2008-2010 Cheryl Pollman
• 2010-2012 Barbara Lee
• 2012-2014 Robin Zweig
• 2014-2016 Caren Edelstein
• 2016-2018 Joyce Rosenfield
• 2018-2020 Renee Karp
• 2020-2022 Elaine Bernstein
• 2022-2024 Debbie Greene
• Current President: Elaine Stillman

In 1990, Mayor Annette Strauss, an NCJW member herself, welcomed the delegates to the last NCJW Southern District Convention. Evening Branch featured Norma McCorvey during a pro-choice program. Professional Branch hosted a Sunday brunch program with investigative journalist Laura Miller, who, in 2002, would become the third Jewish woman to be mayor of Dallas.

The 1992 New Project Search Committee established Safeguards for Seniors, a program that educates seniors on the proper use of their medications, which officially opened its doors in 1993. That same year, NCJW Dallas presented “Juggling Jobs and Family: Making it Work at Work” to honor the National Working Parent Day. The forum was sponsored by DFW Marriott.

Finally, the Parkland Hearing Screening Project dedicated to newborn screening hearing at Parkland Hospital also debuted in 1993 and is still receiving many accolades.

In 1994, NCJW Dallas pioneered KIDS IN COURT, a program to prepare children who must give testimony in criminal trials. The program received an award from the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office for exemplary service to children preparing to give testimony in abuse cases. That year, NCJW Dallas received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the The Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians, Inc.

During the years 1995 to 1999, the Rabin Peace Fund sent three Dallas high school students to Israel. A $10,000 grant from Dallas Southwest Osteopathic Physicians enabled this program.

The Leadership Development Group, featuring fifteen members who immersed themselves in a year of learning about NCJW and the Dallas community, was initiated in 1997. In the following years, new similar groups continued to participate in this hands-on and valuable learning experience.

In 1998, NCJW Dallas and the Junior League convened “Literacy: Can Dallas Read the Future?” and Texas First Lady Laura Bush was the keynote speaker. This conference won the LIFT Key Award for Community Outreach.

Presidents:
1990-1992 Joni Cohan
1992-1994 Phyllis Bernstein
1994-1996 Jody Platt
1996-1998 Maddy Unterberg
1998-2000 Kathy Freeman

In 1970, NCJW Dallas innovated and started funding the first county jail social worker’s salary. In 1971, we initiated the first NCJW Summit meeting in Israel, which included dinner with Golda Meir at the Knesset. Past-president Katherine Bauer, had the honor to represent NCJW Dallas.

During 1972-1973, NCJW sponsored a daylong seminar -“Justice for Children” – where at least thirty Dallas community service organizations – sponsoers and participants discussed creative use of volunteers. Judge Justine Wise Polier, a New York Family Court Judge was the keynote speaker.

Between 1974-1976 NCJW Dallas held an advisory role with the Committee for the Smooth Transition that guided Dallas Independent School District’s implementation of desegregation policies.

The Community Service marshalled several new initiatives, including The Consumer Alliance Project, day care staff training, Elder Artisan Program (Texas Collectable), the Family Outreach Center, and Community Board Institute.

NCJW Dallas help In Search of Safer Senior Years: A Workshop Against Crime, which led to the publishing and the dissemination of 150,000 “Yardsticks” with telephone numbers and helpful information for senior safety.

During this period, The Working Parents: Concerns and Choices forum celebrated the Bicentennial Year. Co-sponsored by Child Care ’76 of Greater Dallas and the Texas State Department of Public Welfare (DPS), the event featured former White House Press Secretary Liz Carpenter as a keynote speaker.

Notably, in 1976, NCJW Dallas received two prestigious awards: the Texas Department of Public Welfare, recognized our effort on behalf of its clients, and Eastfield College praised our Day Care Staff Training Program.

In order to hold a forum on Status Offenders in Washington D.C., in May 1976, NCJW Dallas awarded a $6,000 grant, which was matched by the Law Enforcement Agency. To follow up, we organized a second forum in Dallas in December that accelareted the formation of the Texas Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

In 1979, NCJW Dallas hosted the 33rd NCJW National Biennial Convention, where over 300 local volunteers participated. A resolution on “gun control” was so controversial that doors were locked to prevent delegates from leaving the session. We also helped organize the Women’s Issues Network and provided the first funding for Family Place, a refuge for victims of domestic violence.

In 1979, NCJW Dallas launched Foster Child Advocate Services (FOCAS) to provide intensive training for volunteers. Now an independent agency, DALLAS CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) serves children in placement through Family Court.

Presidents:

1970-1972 Katherine Bauer*
1972-1974 Janet Newberger*
1974-1976 Bette Miller*
1976-1978 Betty Dreyfus*
1978-1980 Sylvia Lynn Benenson

* of blessed memory

In 1951, NCJW Dallas pioneered the first after-school program. One of our former Vice Presidents who was also a teacher, championed the possibility of an after-school program and, after concerted, efforts we initiated a program in the basement of City Park School.

An SMU student was designated as supervisor and, for five afternoons a week, fifteen volunteers served apples and cookies, directed playground activities, read stories, played games, helped with homework, and engaged in enrichment activities with twenty-five to forty children. As aresult, City Park School was inundated with requests for transfers from other schools.

To engage the younger generation, Evening Branch was created in 1951, and 33 young women joined its ranks. Its first project was a survey of mental hospitals for children, which found that only 35 beds were available at the time. In response, the Evening Branch President was invited to present these findings to the Texas Psychological Association.

Service to the Foreign Born offered both English and citizenship classes, as in 1954, forty students completed their courses and became citizens. 1956-57 brought fourteen Hungarian refugees.

In 1957, Evening Branch was reorganized with an emphasis on newcomers, young mothers, and working women who were not able to attend daytime functions. Programming focused on newcomers, from both various part of the United States and overseas. In partnership with the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Dallas, “Your Key to Big D” was launched. Evening Branch also organized “Know Your Community Club” for Jewish New Americans.

Presidents:

1950-1952 Lorraine Schein*
1952-1954 Sara Waldman*
1954-1956 Edna Cohen*
1956-1958 Marie Bitterman*
1958-1960 Bette Schuttler*

* of blessed memory

During this decade, NCJW Dallas focused on its ongoing project for the blind and purchased an automobile to transport workers. Volunteers operated the Talking Book program and compiled a history of Dallas’ blind for the School Board’s edification.

A volunteer started teaching a five year old, and, by the second year of the Hard of Hearing Project, eight boys were enrolled in class. When in 1939 the School Board eventually became responsible for educating the hearing impaired, nearly 200 were enrolled in sixteen classes, in eleven schools. The program continued to grow, as families from rural areas came to Dallas to work in war related industries, bringing along children whose hearing had never been tested. At the end of the decade, 300 students were benefiting from the project.

Tuberculosis still dominated health concerns, and support for its victims took the form of free milk. NCJW Dallas supplied 4,000 quarts annually at the project’s peak and added oranges and cod liver oil for those in need.

Presidents:

1931-1933 Thekla Brin*
1933-1934 Sarah Strauss*
1934-1936 Amelia Mintz*
1936-1937 Estelle Shaw*
1937-1940 Ruth Koch*

* of blessed memory