 | March 2022 We were pleased to see so many people from the NCJW network join our recent virtual events, including two programs during Repro Shabbat weekend spotlighting the urgency of abortion rights advocacy, and a well-attended lunch and learn event featuring teen leaders from Allderdice’s Black Student Union presenting the effects of systemic racism on health. Within this newsletter you will get more peeks into the new NCJW Pittsburgh Roadmap. In this issue, we’re introducing Mitzvah in a Moment, with this month’s both familiar and updated Project Prom event. On the advocacy front, you’ll see how we can all become more informed about the crisis of child care in our country, just by watching a movie. Boost your knowledge even more by participating in the post-show panel discussion. As the weather warms up and the threat of Omicron wanes, we hope to see more of you in person, including at the NCJW Spring Event on the evening of June 1. Please stay connected for more details. On a more recent note, our hearts are with those in Ukraine. We are praying for the safety of everyone at risk right now. With a faith in the future and a belief in action,  Teddi Horvitz Sara Segel Board President Interim Executive Director | | | | | |  | | |  | Silent Night Sleep Class
March 28, 8-9:30pm, on Zoom
It's hard to function professionally without sleep. If you are struggling, please join us for this live online class for parents of children ages 4-24 months with Board Certified Family Wellness Pediatrician, Dr. Ali Levine that addresses the neurobiological basis for sleep development and gives parents an easy to follow method to stop unwanted/unnecessary nighttime wakings. Participants also get a quick start guide and 5 days of follow-up emails to offer further support. Most families don't need an individual sleep coach or consultant once they have the understanding of how sleep and sleep teaching works in young children. Read more here. To register, click HERE. | | | | |  | Budgeting Basics
March 29, 12-1pm, on Zoom
Is your spending too high? Are your savings too low? Join for this judgment-free hour to learn budgeting basics and get started on your journey to financial well-being. With Erin Weber of The Weber Group, Hefren Tillotson. To register, click HERE. | | | | | | Working Moms Support Group Brown Mamas, the National Council of Jewish Women Pittsburgh Section, and When She Thrives are proud to partner with Ms. Dionna Rojas-Orta to offer free monthly working mom groups in April, May, and June of 2022. We hope these groups will offer you a place to get support personally and network professionally. To read more about our organizations and Ms. Rojas-Orta visit the links below. This is a pilot program. There will also be a monthly drop-in option for interested moms to try it out. | | Please also answer the following questions in this interest form to help us build our cohorts. If you have any questions about the groups, please email Megan at mrose@ncjwpgh.org. | | | | | | | | | |  | 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: No Small Matter
March 9, 5:30 reception, film starts at 6:30pm Beckwith Auditorium, Buhl Hall, Chatham University | | | | NCJW and the Women and Girls Foundation will co-sponsor No Small Matter, the first feature documentary to explore the most overlooked, underestimated and powerful force for change in America today: early childhood education. Through poignant stories and surprising humor, the film lays out the overwhelming evidence for the importance of a child's first five years, and reveals how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American Families and a slow-motion catastrophe for the country. A panel discussion will follow the film. | | | | | |  | Mitzvah in a Moment is community action. Under our new organizational Roadmap we have placed NCJW direct action and volunteerism into the Mitzvah in a Moment category. This updated approach to community service will provide our volunteers with the opportunity for hands-on, limited-commitment engagements to support our partner organizations, while continuing to make an impact in the greater community. Project Prom Mitzvah in a Moment | | | | | | This month, our Mitzvah in a Moment call to action is Project Prom! Since 2017, Project Prom has been a partnership between NCJW Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Project Prom provides new and gently used formal wear and accessories in a pop-up store for students who want to attend prom but who may not be able to afford an outfit. It is a whirlwind week that is fun for both the shoppers and the volunteers who help teens find their perfect prom attire. This year, the Project Prom Shop will be located in Penn Hills with free onsite parking. All volunteers must participate in a virtual racial and gender equity orientation prior to their shift(s). More details about the training will be provided closer to the event. Daytime hours on Monday and Thursday are reserved for student groups with special needs. If you know of any interested groups, please encourage them to contact Shelli Luchs at 412-350-6790. To ensure the safety of all participants, all staff and volunteers are required to wear a face mask. To sign up for a volunteer shift, click HERE. | | Welcome Abby! Please join us in welcoming Abby Kreckel to our NCJW Pittsburgh team as Community Engagement Manager! Abby lives in Squirrel Hill with her partner, Phil, daughters Gina and Anna, and their feline-child, Freya. Abby has experience working with many nonprofits, including the JCC, Glade Run, LifeSpan, Inc, and has an extensive community organizing background with the Complete Streets inititatives through City Council and DOMI, the Gainey campaign, and the Pittsburgh Union of Regional Renters. In her spare time, Abby enjoys writing, biking, and hikes in Frick Park. She studied Slavic Languages and Literatures at Pitt. Abby has a passion for bringing people together to make our region a better place, which is what drew her to NCJW Pittsburgh. Please reach out to her at akreckel@ncjwpgh.org to join her in childcare advocacy work to improve the lives of working moms and those who care about them! | | | | | |  |  | City Charter High School Seniors practicing their retail and fashion merchandising skills at Thriftique. | | | NCJW Thriftique Partnering with City Charter High School Internship Program Starting in January 2022, Thriftique has been participating in an internship program offered to City Charter High School students. Throughout weekly Career Literacy classes, students gain the skills needed to become job-ready. By the time the students are in their Junior and Senior years, they are ready to head out into the community to put their skills into practice. This semester, Thriftique is mentoring three students who have individual interests in pursuing marketing, fashion design and business management. They also have a shared interest in social media and online advertising. This is NCJW Thriftique’s inaugural year as an internship site. We hope that this partnership proves successful and that we will serve many CCHS students in the future. City Charter High School and Thriftique will work to prepare each student to: - Learn about what to expect in the workplace
- The importance of time-management skills and attendance and overall professional work behavior
- Customer service
- Store operations and procedures
- Fashion and Retail merchandising
- Computer literacy—Point-of-Sale training, social media technology
| | | | | | | | | | 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 © 2022 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 | | | | | | | | | |
