Jewish Women's Archive Honors Unsung Local Heroes

BROOKLINE, MA, Feb 25, 2003—The Jewish Women's Archive (JWA) is honoring Chicago women who have dared to stand up for the rights of others. Together with the Jewish Women's Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, the Women's Division of the Jewish United Fund, and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, JWA is co-sponsoring a Women's History Month Women Who Dared luncheon on March 19, 2003 at the Spertus Institute. Dr. Karla Goldman, author and Historian in Residence for the Jewish Women's Archive, will speak at the event. In addition to being honored at the event, the honorees will be added to a multimedia exhibit on the Jewish Women's Archive website jwa.org /wwd, featuring in-depth interviews, biographical information, and photographs.

The honorees are:

• Dr. Ruth Rothstein, Chief of the Cook County Bureau of Health Services and director of Cook County Hospital, has dedicated her career to the principle that quality healthcare is a right, not a privilege. She has created what have become national models for access and delivery of health care services for residents of disadvantaged and economically unviable communities. Most, recently, she has led a non-partisan coalition—in an extremely partisan political climate—to plan and build a new, $551 million state-of-the-art Cook County Hospital.
• The SHALVA Founders: SHALVA is a JUF-partner organization and a grantee of the Jewish Women's Foundation, which educates the community about abuse in Jewish homes, legitimizes its discussion, and provides a full array of services to help survivors heal from abuse. SHALVA offers educational programming, advocacy, counseling, legal aid, financial assistance, rabbinical intervention, and other supportive services.

"Honoring these women recognizes the possibilities for us all," said Rachel Sagan, Women Who Dared Program Director.

"It is inspiring to learn about the daring of women who seek to assure a just and dignified life for others," said JWA Executive Director Gail Twersky Reimer. "These women are role models for us all--women and girls, men and boys."

The luncheon will be held at noon, Wednesday, March 19, at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, 618 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago. Tickets cost $25.00, which includes lunch (dietary laws observed). The event is free to students with valid student I.D.

The Jewish Women's Archive is a national organization based in Brookline. JWA is simultaneously co-sponsoring the fourth annual Boston Women Who Dared program on March 19, 2003. A Baltimore Women Who Dared program was held by JWA in December 2002. JWA has worked previously with the Community Foundation for Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago, bringing Jewish women's history into the classroom, and has been a grantee of the Jewish Women's Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago.

The mission of the Jewish Women's Archive is to uncover, chronicle and transmit the rich legacy of Jewish women and their contributions to our families and our communities, to our people and our world. JWA uses traditional methods and emerging technologies to accomplish this mission. The JWA website is at jwa.org .