Hannah G. Solomon AwardThis award is named after our founder who in 1893 brought together ninety Jewish women from all over the United States to the Parliament of Religions at the Chicago World’s Fair. By doing this, she formed the first major Jewish Women’s organization, The National Council of Jewish Women, dedicated to faith, humanity and serving unmet human needs. This prestigious award is based on the following criteria:
HANNAH G. SOLOMON AWARD 2020: CHARLOTTE BENNETT SCHOEN
In the early 90’s she was employed by the Bergen County Department of Human Services as Coordinator of the Community Court Watch Projects, organizing volunteers countywide to observe and report courtroom etiquette and responses of judges. The Court Watch II report was published and was part of the national wave of positive change regarding domestic violence laws. Charlotte was honored by the Bergen County Commission on the Status of Women and the State of NJ for her efforts (and the report is still available today). Charlotte also designed the Court Accompaniment Program at Alternatives to Domestic Violence (ADV) and administered it for 14 years. It still exists today. A long-time elected member of the Englewood Democratic Municipal Committee, Charlotte was elected to two terms on the Englewood City Council (2005 through 2010) and served as City Council President in 2007. In 2011 she embraced the concept of Global Justice Advocacy and worked for 3-month periods at NGOs in southeast Asia, serving until 2014, in Lucknow, India; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Yangon, Burma (Myanmar). She worked in the areas of education (training village women to keep girls in school); human rights; healthcare and education for sex workers; and peace-building programs. She employed her diversity of skills as she worked with the staff at SMILE (Smile Education and Development Foundation) and presented original peace projects in the cities of Yangon, Bago and Mandalay. Charlotte continues to collaborate with her Burmese colleagues on peace-building projects. A related exhibit was shown in 2018 at the Kaplen JCC in Tenafly, and she was featured on the front page of the Jewish Standard – Call for Justice (9/21/18). Locally Charlotte also serves as co-president of the Englewood Historical Society, where its advocacy has been expanded and successful city-wide programs have been developed. She is a member of the Englewood Rotary Club and served as District 7490 Chair of Peace and Conflict Resolution 2013-16. Since 2016 Charlotte has focused on advocacy and justice for immigrants who have come to the US for political asylum. In 2014 she attended a NCJW program that presented First Friends of NJ NY, a 20-year-old NGO whose mission is to “uphold the inherent dignity and humanity of detained immigrants and asylum seekers.” She is now a Board member and Development Chair of First Friends, making visits to people in detention and mentoring new volunteers. Since 2009, Charlotte has been a life member of NCJW and served on the Board of Project S.A.R.A.H. which also honored her in 2010. Charlotte has two daughters, Lindsay Mara and Ava Lauren, both of whom are attorneys. This award will be presented to Charlotte at the NCJW BCS Annual Spring Luncheon on June 3.
HANNAH G. SOLOMON AWARD 2019: GURBIR S. GREWALNCJW BCS is proud to name Gurbir S. Grewal as our 2019 Hannah G. Solomon awardee. Governor Philip D. Murphy appointed Gurbir S. Grewal to serve as New Jersey’s 61st Attorney General on December 12, 2017. He was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate and assumed the office on January 16, 2018. Since assuming office Attorney General Grewal has focused his attention on protecting the interests of New Jersey residents by expanding affirmative litigation, strengthening police-community relations, reducing violent crime and fighting the opioid epidemic. Before becoming New Jersey Attorney General, Grewal served as Bergen County Prosecutor, the chief law enforcement officer of the most populous county in New Jersey. As Bergen County Prosecutor, he supervised a staff of 265 and had supervisory authority over approximately 2,700 sworn law enforcement officers across 74 law enforcement agencies. Among other accomplishments during his tenure, he developed and implemented several creative approaches designed to tackle the heroin and opioid crisis, including “Operation Helping Hand,” a program that offers low-level drug offenders treatment options upon arrest. He also established a Community Affairs Unit, which is dedicated to assisting local departments improve police/community relations. From 2010 to 2016, Grewal worked as an Assistant United States Attorney (“AUSA”) in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where he served as Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit from 2014 to 2016 and oversaw the investigation and prosecution of all major white collar and cybercrimes in the District of New Jersey. Before becoming a federal prosecutor in New Jersey, Grewal also served as an AUSA in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York from 2004 to 2007, where he was ultimately assigned to the Business and Securities Fraud Unit. As an AUSA in the Eastern District of New York, he investigated and prosecuted a wide range of narcotics offenses, white collar crimes, and terrorism cases. His significant cases included the successful prosecution of 12 men charged with providing material support to the Tamil Tigers terrorist organization. In addition to his work as a federal prosecutor, Grewal has also worked in private practice from 1999 to 2004 in Washington, D.C., and from 2008 to 2010 in New York, NY. Attorney General Grewal graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1995. He obtained his law degree from the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law in 1999.
HANNAH G. SOLOMON AWARD 2018: DR. SHELLY WIMPFHEIMERDr. Shelly Wimpfheimer is the Executive Director of The Community Chest, a nonprofit organization that has been in existence in Bergen County since 1933. She joined the Chest in April of 2013. Additionally, for the past four years she has served as an Executive Coach to middle and senior management staff of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, New Jersey Department of Children and Families and to the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Previously, Dr. Wimpfheimer served as the Executive Director of PASE, the Partnership for After School Education, and as Vice President of Youth and Family Services of the YMCA of Greater New York. Prior to joining the YMCA, Dr. Wimpfheimer served as the Executive Director of the Division of Family Guidance in Bergen County for 16 years. She is currently an adjunct faculty member in the Rutgers School of Social Work Continuing Education Department and a mentor in the Master’s in Nonprofit Management Program at Fordham University. Dr. Wimpfheimer has also served on several nonprofit boards where she held various leadership positions, including President and Trustee of Bergen Family Center. A leader in several national and statewide professional organizations, she is a current board member of the Network for Social Work Management and a past president of the Network. Dr. Wimpfheimer has a DSW from Hunter College School of Social Work, an MSS from Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research and a BA from Penn State University. She holds an LCSW license in New Jersey and an LMSW license in New York. NCJW BCS is pleased to honor Dr. Wimpfheimer as a leader in the social work profession who has always demonstrated a passionate interest in the well-being of children and families. “I am committed to high quality and ethical practice,” she notes, “to ensure that clients are given the opportunity to have an enhanced quality of life.” Dr. Wimpfheimer and her husband Justin have been married for 48 years. They have two children and four fabulous grandchildren!
HANNAH G. SOLOMON AWARD 2017: MITCH SCHONFELDMitch Schonfeld has been President/CEO of the Bergen Family Center in Englewood since 1992. The organization is the oldest continuously-operating family service agency in Bergen County and currently provides services to 5,000 infants, toddlers, children, youth, families and older adults annually. NCJW Bergen County Section has supported several programs at Bergen Family Center with volunteers and financial aid for many years. These include its popular HIPPY program (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Children), Adult Senior Center (for visually-impaired adults and other seniors), and its newest endeavor, NCJW BCS/Renee Guller Infant-Toddler Center. Hannah G. Solomon Award Past Recipients |
This is the NCJWBCS Archives (January 2013 - May 2021). The current site can be found here.
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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.
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