I.M. Wine
8180 Maple Lawn Boulevard, Fulton, MD 20759 US
Wednesday, February 20, 7:00PM

443.414.6367

Join us at I.M. Wine, the fabulous wine store in Maple Lawn, for a Spanish wine tasting! We'll taste 3 white and 5 red wines from Spain. Light appetizers will be served.

I.M. will donate a percentage of all purchases to NCJW Howard County, as well!

So come support the cause, while learning about some great wines. Hey, the company isn't bad either!

Please RSVP as soon as you can! There are space limitations, so the guest list will be limited to the first 80. Spouses are welcome.

Thank you for signing up for our mailing list. If you ever have questions, feel free to email Wendy.

Look around the website & come back soon!

We are delighted to provide you with the registration materials for the 2007 NCJW Mission to Israel. NCJW’s mission to Israel offers the unique opportunity to put your commitment to progressive social change into action and to experience Israel as you never have before. From October 14 - October 20, 2007 NCJW members, family, and friends will see Israel through the eyes of NCJW as we visit NCJW Israel Granting Program sites, including Yad B’ Yad grantee organizations, and meet students and change-makers of the NCJW Women and Gender Studies Program at Tel Aviv University. We will hear briefings from experts and policy analysts and visit Israel’s most significant sites. Some of our activities will include: a special women’s prayer service at the Western Wall in Jerusalem with the “Women of the Wall”, a tour of Israel’s northern border, and meetings with grassroots activists on the issue of coexistence between Israeli Arabs and Jews and that of advocacy in Israel from a feminist perspective. There will also be free time and many special moments shared as a group.

The cost of the seven day mission is $1950 for land arrangements, including: six nights double occupancy in luxury hotels, breakfast each day, lunch and dinner most days, porterage, an air-conditioned bus and tour guide, and both medical and lost luggage insurance. The price does not include airfare, airport taxes or gratuities, so please make your flight arrangements as soon as possible. All mission participants are expected to contribute a minimum charitable donation of $500 to NCJW Inc, in the 2007 fiscal year (July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007).

Join us for this special opportunity to travel as both an ambassador and tourist—bringing your compassion, commitment, and pioneering NCJW spirit, as you experience all the sights, sounds, and tastes of Israel.

Please feel free to contact Patti Cohen-Hecht at pcohenhecht@aol.com or Judy Mintz at Jsm1806@aol.com with any questions.

We look forward to traveling with you!

If you want to see registration materials, email NCJW Howard County.

Monday, March 19 at 7:30 PM
Vantage House
Columbia on

Come hear Rachel Joseph Marah, Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and a lifetime member of NCJW, speak on the topic "Religion and the Law in the Public Schools."

Ms. Marah brings her wide knowledge of the subject from her job at the Washington-based organization where she lobbies Congress on a variety of religious liberty issues. She was one of the founders of the coalition formed to oppose the Bush Administration "Faith Based" initiative scheme.

Prior to joining Americans United, Ms. Marah served as a lobbyist for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Lobbying legislation on a broad range of issues, including the separation of church and state, education, radical right, and women's issues, Rachel helped formulate the Reform Jewish Movement's legislative action plan in these areas.

Let us find out how we, as mothers and grandmothers of children in the public schools can help maintain the constitutional imperative for the separation of church and state. Our public schools need not be ‘religion free' zones, but school officials need to understand the law and be diligent in their efforts to avoid sponsoring or promoting religious activity on school grounds.

This interesting meeting will be held in the second floor auditorium at Vantage House, on Vantage Point Way in Columbia on Monday, March 19 at 7:30 PM. All members are urged to attend. Please bring a friend!

National NCJW has announced the Yad B'Yad grants for this year....

Adva Center is a grassroots advocacy organization that promotes equality for all of Israel's citizens. This grant funds a program to create a coalition of feminists in Israel whose work will involve advocating for government-allocation of funds for gender-based programs for women and educating Israel's lawmakers on women's issues.
Eden is an award-winning organization that develops educational and social projects in southern Israel. This grant will help EDEN provide girls at its rehabilitation hostel with the tools, skills, and knowledge to succeed in society.
Hotline for Migrant Workers is an organization that works to eliminate trafficking and promote the civil and human rights of migrant workers in Israel. This grant helps fund an education, legal action, and advocacy initiative to combat trafficking in Israel.
ICAR: International Coalition of Agunot Rights educates and advocates for the rights of women world-wide who are denied a "get," or religious divorce. NCJW is a coalition member organization of ICAR. This grant will be used towards an event held on International Agunot Day that will bring tremendous post-event opportunities for exposure to ICAR's work.
Isha L'Isha -- Haifa Feminist Center is a leading organization promoting the rights of women in Israel. This grant funds a project called "Women Leading Peace," which advocates for the implementation of UN Resolution 1325, mandating that all conflict resolution teams in Israel include women.
Israel Family Planning Association promotes family planning and healthy, responsible sexual behavior. This grant funds a project to empower, strengthen, and educate at-risk girls in several central-Israel towns, many of whom are immigrants from Ethiopia and the Former Soviet Union.
Israel Venture Network partners the Israeli business community with Israel's government agencies to create social change in Israel. This grant provides funding for a program to develop leadership skills among Ethiopian girls and promote their involvement in volunteer work to benefit their local community, which is part of a broader effort to bridge the gaps between these immigrants and Israeli society.
ITACH -- Women Lawyers for Social Justice is an organization that advocates for civil rights and provides access to Israel's legal system on behalf of disadvantaged women. This grant funds a program called "Legal Leaders: Community-Based Change," which empowers poor and low-income women to create change for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Mahapach is a grassroots organization that works to provide opportunities for at-risk groups and create local leadership in neighborhoods where it is lacking. The grant is for a program in Kiryat Shemona, an already vulnerable town that was directly affected by this summer's war in Israel. The program funded by this grant is designed to help families in Kiryat Shemona break out of the cycle of poverty by empowering children and their families through education and community action.
NCJW Women Studies Forum at Tel Aviv University convenes a group of professors who are dedicated to feminism, women’s empowerment, and shaping the next generation of scholars. This grant provides funding for "The Information and Support Hotline for Victims of Sexual Harassment on Campus," which is the first hotline of its kind to be created on an Israeli university campus.
Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED) is an affiliate organization of Negev College that promotes peace and development by focusing on civil society. This grant funds a pilot program designed to promote civil responsibility and improve math skills among 5th graders in Bedouin villages in the Negev.
Neve Yaakov Community Center is located in Jerusalem. This grant is for a Haetgar early-education program operated by the NCJW Research Institute for Innovation in Education, for ultra-orthodox women and children served by the community center.
Rosh Ha'Ayin Women's Forum plans workshops and leadership programs to promote the interests of women and strengthen the connection and cooperation between the older Yemenite community and newer middle-class neighborhoods in the town of Rosh Ha'Ayin. This grant funds a program teaching the women of Rosh Ha'Ayin computer skills.
Shatil is the New Israel Fund's Empowerment and Training Center. Shatil empowers at-risk communities to improve their lives through its work as a capacity-building center for grassroots and social-change organizations in Israel. This grant provides funding for a program to empower women in a vulnerable neighborhood in Haifa to advocate for and strengthen their local community.
Upper Galilee Rape Crisis Center, located in Kiryat Shemona, is an organization that serves Israel's northern region -- the same region that faces the challenges of rebuilding after this summer's war in Israel. This grant funds a pilot program that recognizes the male role in sexual violence prevention and will train men to be facilitators at the Rape Crisis Center and educators in schools.
Woman to Woman Jerusalem Shelter for Battered Women assists battered women and their children escape from a cycle of domestic violence and helps them rebuild their lives by providing tools for independence. This grant provides funding for a program that economically empowers women at the shelter-run halfway house through education, counseling, and mentoring.
Yedid -- The Association for Community Empowerment empowers Israelis to break out of the cycle of poverty through educational initiatives, advocacy for policy reform, and free legal and social assistance. This grant is funds Yedid's MILIM program in the community of Ofakim. MILIM provides education support to Ethiopian children while teaching their parents the life skills needed to succeed in Israeli society.