At Bergen County courthouse, new rooms to safeguard domestic-abuse victims, handle kidsWEDNESDAY MAY 29, 2013, 7:02 PM Domestic violence victims awaiting hearings in the Bergen County courthouse now have a place to go to avoid encountering those they have accused. And the courthouse now has a restored place where parents can safely drop off their children as they attend to court matters. The efforts of the courthouse staff and a supporting private group to provide those secure areas were on display Wednesday with the ceremonial opening of the Waiting Room and the reopening of the Children’s Court Care Center at the courthouse. The Waiting Room’s importance to those facing the trauma of domestic crisis and its ensuing legal actions was noted by Superior Court Assignment Judge Peter E. Doyne. “It provides victims a separate area in the courthouse to try to reduce further difficulties,” Doyne said. “When someone comes to the courthouse, we want them to feel secure.” He said that, on average, about 10 domestic violence complaints are filed each day in the county — a total of about 3,650 yearly. “It’s truly an alarming number,” he said. In consultation with the Bergen Family Court and Bonnie Mizdol, presiding judge of the court’s Chancery Division-Family Part, as well as the Bergen County domestic violence services providers, the need for a separate waiting area was determined. The National Council of Jewish Women Bergen Count Section (NCJW BCS), an organization of volunteers and advocates striving for social justice, had a huge impact in the opening of the Waiting Room. The organization donated everything from the furniture to the flooring and is providing volunteers to serve as a comforting and protective presence. There also is information about county social services readily available on a TV loop and in brochures provided in the room. The Waiting Room was set to open in October 2012, but Superstorm Sandy struck and the opening was postponed. The storm also severely damaged the Children’s Court Care Center to such an extent that it needed to be closed and completely restored. The Center is a supervised play area for children of litigants involved in court proceedings. It opened in 1998 as the first of its kind in New Jersey. “The center was destroyed,” said Phyllis Becker, a NCJW BCS co-chairwoman of the children’s center. “Everything had to be redone. It was a disaster.” Kathy Andreano, a full-time employee of the center, said that during the storm, water came into the children’s center from a conjoined courtroom that was entirely underwater. “We had about four inches of water in here,” she said. “Everything in here except for three small wooden tables had to be thrown away.” The children’s center is designed for children as young as a few weeks old to age 10, but will watch over older children if the courtroom asks it to do so. The center has colorful children’s artwork covering the walls, an enormous variety of toys to play with and even strollers and changing tables to handle toddlers and infants. Organizers also gave NCJW BCS co-president Carole Benson and the Benson Family Fund credit for tremendously aiding the children’s center reopening by restoring Sandy-related damage and replacing ruined items such as furniture. Becker said that the center also receives ongoing financial support from the Bergen Bar Association and Women Lawyers in Bergen. Both the Waiting Room and the Children’s Court Care Center will operate in conjunction with the Bergen County courthouse’s normal business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. The significance of Wednesday’s event was given added weight by formal comments offered by other speakers including Trial Administrator Jon Goodman, Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan, state Senate Majority Leader. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), Benson and NCJW BCS co-president Elaine Pollock, former NCJW president Ellen Jacobs and Waiting Room co-chairwomen Ina Miller-Silverstein and Joan Snider.
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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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