DIVERSITYExpanding Awareness and Appreciation of Our Unique Bergen County Community Click here to view and print flyer. Bergen County is home to a demographically and culturally diverse population. We differ in race, age, political ideology, socio-economic status, language, culture, nationality, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity. According to the 2010 United States Census, our residents or their ancestors have come from African, Spanish-speaking, European and Asian countries as well as countries that are part of the Arab world. We practice Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. NCJW BCS is pleased to bring together a distinguished and diverse panel of experts. Our keynote speaker, Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III, and Senate Majority Leader Senator Loretta Weinberg, moderator, will be joined by the following: Esmilda Abreu, PhD, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Title IX Coordinator at Pratt Institute established the first LGBTQ Center in a NJ public university and is an anti-bullying specialist. She received Governor Whitman’s Pride Award for working with diverse populations and is the Board President of the NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking. John Bang Esq, a tax appeal attorney, represents several Bergen County municipalities and is a civic engagement activist who serves on numerous Asian-American organization boards. He is a Commissioner on the Bergen County Improvement Authority, an assistant scout master and a former elected member on the Fort Lee Board of Education. Patricia King-Butler, Executive Director of the Sankofa Institute for Higher Achievement, serves as Chair of the Teaneck Enslaved African Memorial Committee. The memorial seeks to commemorate Africans who were enslaved through international slave trade and whose labor and fortitude built much of Bergen County and New Jersey but never received proper recognition. Imam Mohammed Moutaz Charaf, Elzahra Islamic Center, Midland Park, is active in interfaith dialogues and Friday Jumuah Khateeb (sermon) at various mosques in the tristate area. He is a strong proponent of outreach and engagement through education and community service activities. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Hartford Seminary. Rabbi Adina Lewittes, founder of Sha’ar Communities, serves on the senior rabbinic team at B’nai Jeshurun in NYC, a congregation recognized for its spiritual and social activism. She is a leading voice in the conversation around intermarriage and multi-faith/multi-heritage Jewish family engagement. She has held innumerable leadership positions in the wider community as a speaker, teacher and writer. Please join us for a priceless opportunity to learn about the rich and diverse county that is our home.
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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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