44th National Convention Held in Chicago March 2008
Barbara Herman (left), NCJW Honorary Vice President and Past President
of the Greater New Orleans Section, and Sammie Moshenberg, Director of
NCJW Washington office, discuss NCJW Resolutions at 44th National Convention in Chicago.
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Phyllis Taylor Receives 42nd Annual Hannah G. Solomon Award
Monday, April 7,2008
MARCH
31, 2008, NEW ORLEANS, LA – Mrs. Phyllis Taylor, Chairman and CEO of
Taylor Energy Company LLC and Chairman and President of the Patrick F.
Taylor Foundation, will receive the 2008 Hannah G. Solomon Award,
presented annually by the National Council of Jewish Women Greater New
Orleans Section (NCJW GNO). Mrs. Taylor earned the award in recognition
of her leadership in a volunteer capacity. The award will be presented
at a luncheon on Monday, April 7, 11:30 AM at the Hotel
InterContinental.
“In everything she does, Mrs.
Taylor leads by example and has made sure our community adheres to the
highest standards,” said NCJW GNO President, Ina Davis. “For all
her efforts, National Council of Jewish Women is grateful and pleased
to present her with our most prestigious community award.”
Mrs.
Taylor and her late husband Patrick have a long history of rewarding
excellence and valuing high standards. Mr. Taylor started the
Taylor Plan that was adopted by the Louisiana Legislature in
1989. Since his death, Mrs. Taylor has continued the effort to
maintain the program in Louisiana and to expand it to other
states. Based on the tenet that all students should have an
opportunity to attend college based on ability to learn, not ability to
pay, the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) provides
college tuition and fees to high school graduates who meet grade and
course standards. Since its inception, nearly 148.500 Louisiana
students have been enrolled in colleges and universities with TOPS
assistance and at least 21 states have adopted similar programs.
“Mrs.
Taylor’s advocacy and community service are remarkable by any measure,
but it’s the manner in which Phyllis Taylor has risen to the challenge
of rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina that NCJW has chosen to
recognize her,” said Madalyn Schenk, NCJW GNO’s Hannah G. Solomon
Nominating Committee Chairwoman and past Hannah G. Solomon Award
recipient.
After Katrina, Mrs. Taylor’s first
priority was to help the community recover by meeting the financial
need of nonprofit organizations that the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation
supported prior to the storm. Numerous organizations were
revitalized, including the New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics
High School as well as United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council and
Success by 6. As an active member of the arts community, Mrs. Taylor
worked to stabilize New Orleans’ cultural economy by helping such
organizations as the New Orleans Ballet Association, the New Orleans
Museum of Art and by sponsoring the first cultural event after the
hurricane – a concert performed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
at St. Louis Cathedral in memory of her late husband Patrick
Taylor.
Mrs. Taylor was a founding board member to
the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, a nonprofit organization
established in Sept 2005 to serve as a human services convening and
coordinating body for the many relief efforts targeting that aspect of
recovery and human need. She successfully advocated for several
public policy initiatives including a tax credit bill that makes
improving standards for childcare centers based on a Quality Rating
System financially viable for childcare providers. Recently, the
Greater New Orleans Foundation named Mrs. Taylor to be the
organization’s next board chairman in 2009. She is presently
working the GNOF community revitalization program.
“Hannah
G. Solomon was a highly motivated and compelling woman who founded a
national organization with high standards focused on overcoming social
injustice through education. For as long as I can remember, NCJW GNO
has worked to improve the lives of women, children and families here in
New Orleans, and I’m honored by their recognition of my efforts to do
the same,” Said Mrs. Taylor.
The National Council of
Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and
advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish
values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of
life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual
rights and freedoms. Since 1968, the Greater New Orleans Section has
selected outstanding community leaders who best exemplify the qualities
of Hannah G. Solomon, founder of the National Council of Jewish Women
over 110 years ago. These leaders have brought about important
community programs and services through their leadership in a volunteer
capacity. Each has been a catalyst for social change in the areas
of education, health care, civil justice and social welfare. .
For information about NCJW GNO, go to www.ncjwneworleans.org.
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6th
Generation New Orleanian, Joel Myers, Receives National Pioneer
Award from National Council of Jewish Women at National Convention
March
17, 2008, NEW ORLEANS, LA – Long-time New Orleans community activist
Joel Myers was awarded the "2008 Outstanding Pioneer Award" at the
National Council of Jewish Women's (NCJW) 44th national convention,
which took place in Chicago last week. The award honors an
individual NCJW member who has been instrumental in moving her section
toward accomplishing NCJW's mission in an identifiable and pioneering
way.
"Joel is an active member and has been a benevolent
supporter of the NCJW mission for many decades. Her advocacy on
behalf of women, children and families has made her an invaluable
member of the Greater New Orleans section," said NCJW, Greater New
Orleans (GNO) Section President Ina Davis. "There isn't a City
Council member or community leader who doesn't know and respect her and
she's one of the reasons why NCJW is so well known in our community."
Mrs.
Myers has served several terms as Vice President, Public Affairs of
NCJW, GNO, which celebrated its 110th birthday in 2007 and is one of
the national organization's oldest sections. In her acceptance
speech before a national audience of NCJW leaders, Mrs. Myers brought
attention to New Orleans' continued struggle to rebuild in the
aftermath of Katrina. She also thanked the thousands of
volunteers who have given their time and support to New Orleans.
Mrs.
Myers' tireless efforts as a public affairs leader in New Orleans is
what distinguished her among her NCJW national peers. For over 50
years, she has been instrumental in promoting civic involvement,
educating New Orleanians about advocacy, and encouraging people of all
ages to become involved in the democratic and legislative process.
Most
recently, since 2006, in her position as NCJW, GNO Public Affairs Vice
President, Mrs. Myers took a leadership role in organizing several
public forums and debates during election season that were co-sponsored
by NCJW. These included a "Constitutional Amendments Forum," a
"Gubernatorial Issues Forum," the "Louisiana Gubernatorial TV Debate,"
and the "New Orleans Mayoral Debate," which attracted over a thousand
people and was viewed nationwide by concerned U.S. citizens.
Mrs.
Myers' volunteerism, this year alone, with NCJW, GNO extends to
creating community service programs such as the new "Yoga Class for
Children" at the New Orleans Public Library and an "Elementary Tutoring
Program" at the New Orleans' Children's Resource Center.
A
retired civics and social studies teacher in New Orleans schools, Mrs.
Myers has spent the last 50 years working for numerous New Orleans city
initiatives, civic programs and non-profit organizations.
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NCJW Volunteer Teaches Yoga at N.O. Public Library
Justin Grisson and instructor Susan Kierr work on the Warrior Pose
during the free youth yoga classes held every Tuesday in the Main Library's Children's Room.
On
Tuesday afternoons, the children's room at the main library is very
relaxed. You may hear a low buzzing noise "OOOMMM." Thanks to the
National Council of Jewish Women, the library is the setting for a free
weekly yoga class for children 8 to 16. Parents can participate as well.
Classes
begin at 4 p.m. with gentle stretches and move on to the warrior pose
and other balancing positions. Students learn breathing techniques and
practice a variety of mental-focus techniques.
Yoga students can
walk in and try it out. No equipment is needed, but you might want to
wear loose clothing and take off your shoes.
Teacher
Susan Kierr is a professional dance therapist. She was born in New
Orleans, but now lives on the north shore. Happy to work with children
who are new to yoga, she has a wonderful way of saying "Stretch ALL the
way" that motivates them to reach higher.
We are fortunate to
have such a highly qualified and enthusiastic volunteer for our kids.
Kierr has studied children, psychology, dance and movement therapy as
well as yoga.
She has worked with children of all
ages, adults and senior citizens. Kierr has published articles on dance
therapy, including a chapter on "Dance Therapy in an After-School
Program in Healing the Inner City Child: Creative Arts Therapies with
At-Risk Youth" in 2007.
I have seen Kierr work with
children. She shows them yoga techniques for balancing, for
strengthening, for mental clarity, for relaxation, for relieving
stiffness. They in turn twist themselves into human pretzels. At the
end of class, everyone puts their palms together and says "namaste,"
which means "peace."
Story Excerpted from The Times Picayune
Thursday, February 07, 2008
K.G. Wilkins
Photo courtesy of New Orleans Public Library Photo Corner
For full story please see the following link:
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/library-141/120236532283780.xml&coll=1
National Council of Jewish Women
A Faith in the Future. A belief in Action.