Participating in the Jan. 22 roundtable on Jewish women’s involvement in the political process are, from left, Linda Greenstein, Pat Sebold, Loretta Weinberg, Sharon Weiner, and Barbara Buono. Photo by Jane Gardner
January 31, 2008
A Jan. 22 roundtable on Jewish women’s involvement in the political process has led to the establishment of a Jewish women’s bipartisan network.
The meeting was organized as part of JWIN, Jewish Women’s Involvement in the Political Process, a project sponsored by United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ’s Community Relations Committee in collaboration with the National Council of Jewish Women’s Essex County Section and the Northern NJ Region of Hadassah.
The JWIN network, for Jewish women elected officials, will aim to mentor women interested in running for office in governing strategy and fund-raising tips and will explore public policy issues from a Jewish woman’s perspective.
The project is a chance “to create a collective power base for Jewish women in New Jersey to learn more about the common issues that are specific to Jewish women as a group in the political process, and to encourage more Jewish female participation in NJ politics,” said project cochair Sharon Weiner, president of the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey and a former mayor of Livingston.
The meeting was held at the Leon & Toby Cooperman JCC, Ross Family Campus, West Orange.
The project, made possible by a grant from the Jewish Women’s Foundation of New Jersey, was created in response to data indicating that in 2007 New Jersey was the 35th-lowest state in women’s political participation.
Also participating were State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Dist. 18), State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Dist. 37), Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Dist. 14), Essex County Freeholder-at-large Patricia Sebold (a project cochair), former Livingston Mayor Eleonore Kessler Cohen, Highland Park Mayor Meryl Frank, former Springfield Mayor Clara Harlik, Closter Mayor Sophie Heymann; Millburn Mayor Sandra Hirsch Haimoff and Councilwoman Ellen Steinberg, Princeton Mayor Phyllis Marchand, Englewood Councilwoman Charlotte Bennett Schoen, and Ridgewood Councilwoman Kim Ringler Shagin.
JWIN will present “Politics, Power, and Jewish Women,” a forum open to the entire community, on Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. at the West Orange JCC. To RSVP or for more information, contact Jane Gardner or call 973-929-3064.