October is here with lovely weather and the post-High Holiday promise of a sweet new year ahead. Our NCJW Gives Back Committee (a great way to get involved with NCJW! Email president@ncjwcns.org) just met to plan several opportunties during the next programming year for our members and supports to help those with needs in our communities!

Tomorrow is the Rally for Abortion Justice in Washington DC and all over the country. There are a number of marches and rallies in the Chicago area tomorrow. Click here and enter your zip code to search for a rally near you or attend. NCJW is co-sponsoring the Chicago March and speaking at the Glenview March. Look for more details on those events below.

October is an amazing month for programming with the 3-part Salon Series on propganda, Luggage for Freedom Packing and Delivery Day, an amazing program with Shalva and author Lundy Bancroft, and then the launch of NCJW's new abortion access initiative 73Forward! See the information below and join us in October for these amazing opportunities.

When the Supreme Court rejected an emergency request to block Texas's abortion ban, they effectively took the next step towards overturning Roe v. Wade. Simply put: We are witnessing the most dire threat to abortion access in our lifetime. That's why we’re marching in every single state and in our nation's capital Washington, DC - on October 2 before the Supreme Court reconvenes. We need to send an unmistakable message about our fierce opposition to restricting abortion access and overturning Roe v. Wade before it's too late. Check out the events below or click here for a rally near you.

Saturday, Oct 2 11:30am

Daley Plaza. 50 W Washington St Chicago IL 60602

Saturday, Oct 2 10:00am

Jackman Park. 1011 Lehigh Ave Glenview IL 60025

Saturday, Oct 2 2:00pm

Port Clinton. 600 Central Ave HIghland Park IL 60035

Saturday, Oct 2 11:00am

Mike Rylko Park. 951 McHenry Rd. Buffalo Grove IL 60089

Sunday, Oct 3 2:00pm

Naperville Riverwalk Free Speech Pavilion. Webster St and Jackson Ave

Join NCJW Chicago North Shore and NCJW South Cook for a 3- Part Salon Series on Propaganda and Social Media. Learn about the impact of media propaganda in history, the impact of artificial intelligence on propaganda and how it works, and first amendment rights versus regulation.

Visit https://ncjwcns.org/actions/lets-talk/ for more information, speaker bios and to register.

Luggage for Freedom is back! Volunteers are needed to sort items and pack suitcases and backpacks and then deliver donations to local domestic violence shelters. Due to the rapidly changing COVID landscape, all volunteers will be required to register in advance. Visit https://ncjwcns.org/events/lff2021 to register. Ways you can help - because the pandemic prevented us from having our traditional packing and delivery day in 2020, our storage space is almost full and we are unable to accept donations of luggage until after the October event. We are still looking for donations of new toiletries (travel-size preferred), new sheet sets and new towels. Email luggageforfreedom@ncjwcns.org to arrange for drop off or place an order from our Amazon Wish List and have it shipped directly to the LFF chairs. Use this link to view and order: https://a.co/9MKPSkp.

In partnership with NCJW Chicago North Shore and JCFS Chicago, SHALVA is very excited to be hosting Lundy Bancroft, author of “Why Does He Do That” and his new novel “In Custody” for a virtual Domestic Violence Awareness Month Program. Mr. Bancroft has over twenty-five years of experience in the fields of abuse, trauma, and recovery. He has worked with abusive men in his counseling groups and served extensively as a custody evaluator, child abuse investigator, and expert witness. Click here for more information and to register.

It’s one thing to imagine a city where no one is homeless; it’s another to work to make this change happen. Transformation begins with Education. Take the first step and join NCJW Chicago North Shore and its community partners Deborah’s Place and The Night Ministry for a candid conversation about Chicago’s growing homeless community. Our panelists will discuss the challenges facing the homeless they serve and their outreach and supportive services. Click here for more information about the program, our panelists and to register .

Join NCJW CNS for a panel discussion with the Illinois Promote Equity coalition on the voting rights bills currently before Congress. The program will be moderated by Lance Gough, Former Executive Director, Chicago Board of Elections and panelists include: Dr. Barbara Arnwine, Esq., President and Founder, Transformative Justice Coalition, Frederique Desrosiers, Policy Organizer, Chicago Votes, Jay Young, Executive Director, Common Cause and Ami Gandhi, Senior Counsel, Chicago Lawyers for Civil Rights. The program is sponsored by AAUW Naperville, IL NOW, LWV of Naperville, LWV Southside, NAACP of DuPage County, National Association of University Women, NCJW Chicago North Shore, NCJW South Cook, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, SEIU Healthcare IL/ IN/MO/KS, She Votes IL, and Women’s March Chicago. Registration will open in mid-October. Click here for more information as it becomes available.

Click here to find your representative. Registration will open in mid-October. Click here for more information as it becomes available.

Click here to register and then select the Spotlight/s you want.  We invite you to join the Steering Committee. Write to Beth Najberg at chicagosalon@ncjwcns.org. Committee: Merle Gross, Amy Kleinman, Elena Morone, Jan Schwartz.

This month, NCJW is launching 73Forward, a Jewish communal movement with the goal to increase on-the-ground access to abortion care for anyone who needs it. Visit 73Forward for more information and to register for the October 27th launch program.

What’s at Stake: NCJW is outraged by Texas’s S.B. 8 which bans abortion after six weeks into a pregnancy—before many people even know they’re pregnant—and creates a bounty-hunting scheme that encourages the general public to bring costly and harassing lawsuits against anyone who they believe has violated the ban. Disappointingly, the Supreme Court refused to block the bill, effectively banning legal abortion in the State of Texas, and paving the way for other states’ copycat laws. 

Furthermore, on December 1 of this year, the Supreme Court will hear a crucial case that has the potential to pose a serious challenge to Roe v. Wade. The case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization will test whether all state laws that ban pre-viability abortions are unconstitutional.

What is the impact in Illinois:  Thankfully, due to the efforts of NCJW, our Coalition partners and some progressive legislators, Illinois passed the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, protecting reproductive rights in the State of Illinois even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.  Illinois is becoming a “beacon of hope” for pregnant people from other states. Planned Parenthood Illinois is already seeing patients from Texas. 

Actions:  As a long-standing proponent of reproductive rights, we are incensed by these developments and are taking to the streets! On September 18, on the anniversary of RBG’s death, NCJW participated in a Rally for Reproductive Rights in Federal Plaza. With the dramatic Illinois Handmaids in attendance, we were joined on the podium by some powerful legislators and advocates from the communities most impacted. Click here to view the event.

On October 2, NCJW in DC and across the nation, will be cosponsoring The Women’s March, a day of action to mobilize in support of reproductive freedom. In Illinois, the biggest event will be in downtown Chicago at the Daley Center, starting at 11:30 a.m. You can join in person or on Facebook through this link:  Facebook event from Planned Parenthood Illinois Action 

Local events will be held in Buffalo Grove, Glenview, Aurora, and other locations. Check for a local event here:  march near you, 

Advocacy: With so much at stake, it is imperative that we speak up. Our Jewish values compel us to support full access to safe and legal abortion care as basic health care. 

Let’s Repeal PNA in Illinois. Please take a moment to reach out to the governor and leaders of our General Assembly and let them know the time is now to repeal PNA.

Let’s pass WHPA in Congress. On September 24, the House of Representatives took a crucial step to protect abortion access across the United States by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) which protects access to abortion without the intervention of the Supreme Court. 

Make our voices heard on the critical Supreme Court case Hobbs v Jackson. NCJW has prepared an amicus brief for this important case. You can make your personal pledge to affirm that abortion should be expanded and not eliminated here. Click here to read the amicus brief. 

Join 73 Forward. Mark your calendars for the October 27^th launch of NCJW’s new campaign, 73 Forward, a nationwide effort to expand access to abortion services. 

NCJW Chicago North Shore was honored to be asked to present at the (virtual) Highland Park City Council meeting on September 27., the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, and SHALVA shared information about the critical, lifesaving services they provide. At meeting, Mayor Rotering issued a proclamation recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. NCJW CNS presented alongside representatives from A Safe Place, the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic, and SHALVA.

When women lead, change follows. NCJW has been leading the way for over 125 years. But it is not enough to lead unless we also lift – lift up other voices and lift up the next generation. NCJW LIFTS brings together an annual cohort of 8-10 advocates who seek professional growth, relationship-building opportunities, and a higher level of involvement with NCJW and the progressive community. The 2022 cohort will begin in early January and will meet every 3-4 weeks until early June.

Click here for more information about each session as well as the link to apply.

I'm sure we are all following the news of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the resulting refugee crisis. As you know, immigration reform and assisting refugees is one of National NCJW's core issues. Our CNS Section is currently exploring ways to be involved in an impactful way, including communication with HIAS Chicago about local advocacy efforts and Chicago's RefugeeOne about volunteer tutoring or supplies collection opportunities. For websites to follow and CNS Section updates, please email robbie.schreiber08@gmail.com.

Welcoming the stranger — the immigrant, the refugee, the asylum-seeker — is one of Judaism's most core values. For more than 125 years, NCJW has boldly imagined a world where women, children, and families are fully valued and supported. This vision is more important than ever as we remember what the Torah teaches us and heed the moral imperative to do our part to welcome the stranger.

Abortion is a racial justice issue. It is an economic justice issue. It is a public health issue. We must continue to advocate for access to abortion so that everyone, not just those in positions of privilege, can make their own health care decisions with dignity. NCJW has been advocating for reproductive rights, health and justice for over 125 years. And for any donation of $36 or more, we will will send you a Hanger Project charm to symbolize the desperate acts women will take when they don’t have access to safe abortion care. No woman should EVER have to resort to a coat hanger in place of safe, quality healthcare. Click here to donate.

Let’s make our own NCJW CNS Members Family Cookbook. Whether the recipes are traditional Jewish dishes, gourmet delicacies, or just plain delicious, join us in compiling a cookbook we can call our own.

Recipes and stories will be formatted to become a paperback book that will be available on Amazon as an ongoing fundraiser. This memorable collection will be great for your own kitchen and for holiday gifts. Please send your favorite recipe(s) and family stories about the dish (optional) to Jan at vote@ncjwcns.org. I can’t wait to taste all of your entrees.

Annual Member? Most NCJW annual memberships expired on June 30? Click here to join, renew or gift a membership online. If you prefer to mail a check, please send your membership donation to the NCJW Chicago North Shore (NCJWCNS) to: NCJW Chicago North Shore, 5 Revere Drive, Suite 200, Northbrook, IL 60062. Your annual membership donation is only $50 but it helps us make such a difference! And for those 36 and under, we offer a special double chai membership rate of just $36!

Life Member? You're not just a life member because you made that life member donation back in the day - you are a life member because you are the heart and soul of our section! Is there someone in your life that you think would enjoy being a part of our group of motivated, fun, and thoughtful women? A collective of folks connecting with each other and learning together as a community of progressive change-makers. If you do, why not gift them a membership!

Chicago North Shore has several new ways to support our section. As always, you can make a one time donation or purchase a tribute (links are below), you can even purchase an NCJW star necklace or hanger charm or become a monthly donor!