 | January 2022 Dear Friends, “There is always light. Only if we are brave enough to see it. There is always light. Only if we are brave enough to be it.” This Amanda Gorman quote inspires us to consider ways to initiate a new way forward as we welcome the new year, 2022. As you may recall from previous newsletters, we have been working on many projects, including the Realignment Project, which will chart the course for a refreshed and reinvigorated path for NCJW Pittsburgh through our programming and advocacy efforts. Together with your support, we are learning to become nimble and flexible with our plans towards a successful future. We are excited about these changes as we rise to meet the needs of our community. In the coming weeks, we will share many new and exciting plans for our future, and we hope you will join us for the ride. For now, we are kicking off this year with a number of virtual events, including Repro Shabbat weekend, January 28-30, as part of NCJW, Inc’s 73 Forward campaign, a Jewish movement for abortion justice. We will also be hosting a number of additional webinars covering a variety of topics related to family and financial well being. Below you will find all the details on how you can get involved. As always, we are grateful for your continued support. With a faith in the future and a belief in action,  Teddi Horvitz Sara Segel Board President Interim Executive Director | | | | | |  | Join Us For Repro Shabbat Weekend As we start 2022, we also launch the Pittsburgh Section's participation in 73 Forward, a national advocacy and educational initiative organized by NCJW, Inc., focusing on reproductive freedom and access. On January 28-30 we'll be hosting two guest speakers. | | | | The Changing Landscape of Abortion Rights
Friday, January 28, 2022, 4pm on Zoom
Join us for an open discussion with Professor Greer Donley, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, who will prepare us for the changing landscape on abortion rights. The Supreme Court is reconsidering the fundamental holding of Roe v. Wade. Many legal scholars suspect that the right to abortion as we know it will not exist for long. Professor Donley will explore what a post-Roe world will look like, especially in Pennsylvania. Register here. | | | Jews, the First Amendment, and Abortion Rights
Sunday, January 30, 2022, 2pm on Zoom
Relying on the first amendment, some legal teams in the latter 20th century contended that abortion restrictions violated the rights of religious Americans whose traditions allowed for pregnancy termination. This event, co-sponsored by Dor Hadash, Beth Shalom, and NCJW Pittsburgh, welcomes Dr. Rachel Kranson, Director of the Jewish Studies Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She will discuss the impact of these arguments on the history of reproductive politics and on the political investments of American Jews. Register here. | | | | | |  | Overnight Camp Showcase / Is Your Kid Ready for Overnight Camp?
Thurs, Jan 20, 6-7pm, on Zoom
Summer will be here before you know it. Join CFW and representatives from area overnight camps to learn how these opportunities support your working parenthood and offer enrichment for your children. We'll also cover how to gauge whether your child is ready for overnight camp, and tips for success. Register here. | | | | |  | Top Financial, Legal, and Professional Considerations When You're Adding to Your Family
Thurs, Jan 21, 12-1pm, on Zoom
Understand more about the life-altering experience of adding to your family. Join CFW and our partners JFCS Career Development Center, Neighborhood Legal Services, and Pittsburgh’s Financial Empowerment Center for this important panel discussion examining top considerations for your financial, legal, and professional well-being. We’ll also be talking with Rachel Silver, past NCJW Leadership Development Program participant, for her perspective as a working mother. Register here. | | | | |  | The Risks and Rewards of Gig Work
Friday, Jan 28, 12-1pm, on Zoom
Companies are engaging contingient workers more than ever, with many making the leap to being their own boss as freelancers, consultants, seasonal workers, and other temporary or on-demand professionals. But what are the hidden costs of making this change? Join us to hear more about the risks and rewards of this work, with Pittsburgh's Financial Empowerment Center, the Career Development Center at JFCS, Neighborhood Legal Services Association, and United Steelworkers. Register here. | | | |  | Co-hosted with Jewish Family and Community Services, these three workshops will get you up and running on LinkedIn. Starting with the basics of creating a profile and moving into networking, learning to navigate this powerful job search and networking tool can assist you in your career. Sign up for any number of the learning sessions. Register here. | | | | Creating Your Profile
Weds, Jan 12, 12-2pm, on Zoom
Learn how to build your profile on LinkedIn. This presentation will discuss and demonstrate how to create a professional online presence. | | | Networking Strategies
Weds, Jan 19, 12-2pm, on Zoom
Take your experience and interests into the realm of networking. This presentation will show you how to search for job titles, positions, and for people, as well as strategies for how to connect to them. | | | Searching for Jobs
Weds, Jan 26, 12-1:30pm, on Zoom
This presentation will demonstrate how to search for jobs, apply for positions, and save searches/postings using Linkedin. | | | | | |  | NCJW is a sponsoring organization for the Just Films series with Chatham University’s Women’s Institute. This series of films and discussions on gender and intersectional social justice issues promises to be riveting, with wide-ranging topics like criminal justice, technology, and more. Just Films are free and open to the public. For more information and/or to reserve your tickets click HERE. The next film is: Unapologetic | | | | Postponed until April 13
After two police killings, Black millennial organizers challenge a Chicago administration complicit in state violence against its Black residents. | | | | Told through the lens of Janaé and Bella, two fierce abolitionist leaders, Unapologetic is a deep look into the Movement for Black Lives, from the police murder of Rekia Boyd to the election of mayor Lori Lightfoot. | | | | | Congratulations!
On Thursday, December 9, we welcomed a wonderful group of Center for Women founders, supporters, advocates, partners, volunteers, and friends for a celebration to showcase where CFW started, its achievements, and evolution. Congratulations to the Center for Women on all its accomplishments and to Megan Rose, Director, who has steered the ship so thoughtfully and so well during the pandemic. | | | | | | | | | |  | Trying Together is a childcare, early learning center, and early childhood educator support organization focusing on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, with the goal of creating systems change to eradicate racism at our children’s earliest entry points of social interactions and learning. It is a national leader in “coordinating and connecting systems at the neighborhood, local, and regional levels to support early childhood development and early learning.” | | | | They seek to be the “premier provider of in-person and online professional growth opportunities for home, center, and school-based professionals to ensure that every child has access to high-quality early childhood and early learning experiences.” Continued disruptions to child care and in-person schooling have contributed to the lowest labor participation rate for women since 1988. According to the National Women’s Law Center, 32% of women aged 25-44 said child care was the reason for unemployment in a New York Times survey. To address this disruption and engage working mothers to strengthen and stabilize child care, NCJW’s Center for Women continues to work closely with Trying Together’s policy team. In 2022, CFW will continue convening working mothers (and those who care about them) to connect even more people to advocacy opportunities that increase access to child care, affordability of child care, and compensation for early childhood educators. If you’d like to join the efforts, please contact Megan at mrose@ncjwpgh.org. | | | | Realignment Project Update | | Realignment Project Goal: To evaluate and make recommendations for NCJW’s approach to community service and impact in context of both the historic and current strengths & capacity of the organization and within a racial & gender justice framework. The Realignment Project Task Force is nearing the end of its work together, although the recommendations to be made to the Board this month are just the beginning of a new era for our work in the community. Stay tuned for more details, and stay connected with us to learn more about how you can get involved. As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to Sara Segel. | | | |  | Student Helpers at Thriftique For many years, Thriftique has been providing students from the Pittsburgh Conroy School a warm and nurturing environment to practice vocational and social skills. The students, along with their Life Skill Support teacher, have been helping the store thrive in many ways; from hanging clothes and tidying up, to sharing jokes and dances with the Thriftique staff. We look forward to these amazing students every year. Many of the students have gone on to work at other retail stores using the training they learned at Thriftique. Pictured above are members of the Class of 2022, giving us their best holiday smiles, under their masks, of course. | | | | We want your stuff! At Thriftique, we accept new and gently used clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories and home décor items. All items must be clean and free of excessive wear or damage in order to be considered for resale. If you would lend it to a friend, we can use it. We have tax receipts for your donations on site. We greatly appreciate your donations, which allow us to continue our mission of serving women, children and families in our community through community service, advocacy, education and philanthropy. For more information on what we accept, see our website. | | | | | | NCJW Pittsburgh counts on donors like you. Please support our work. | | | | | |  | The National Council of Jewish Women is a volunteer organization that has been at the forefront of social change for over a century. Inspired by the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam (“healing the world”), NCJW courageously takes a progressive stance on issues such as child welfare, women’s rights, and reproductive freedom. And we encourage everyone—people of all faiths—to join us. | | | | Copyright © 2020 NCJW Pittsburgh Section, All rights reserved. National Council of Jewish Women - Pittsburgh Section
1620 Murray Ave | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217
412-421-6118 | info@ncjwpgh.org | | | | | | | | | |
