LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the
National Council of Jewish Women, Peninsula Section, and honoring Joan
Riegel, recipient of its prestigious Hannah G. Solomon Award

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend organizations and individuals of worthy cause and enduring
commitment who devote their purposeful energies in service to their
family, faith and community and to enhancing the quality of life of
others; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 75th Anniversary of the National Council of Jewish Women
(NCJW), Peninsula Section, which will be celebrated with events through-
out the year including a Founder's Day and 75th Anniversary Celebration,
to be held at the Woodmere Club in Woodmere, New York on Thursday, June
2, 2011; and
WHEREAS, On this auspicious occasion, the National Council of Jewish
Women, Peninsula Section, will, in addition, honor Past President Joan
Riegel with its esteemed Hannah G. Solomon Award named in tribute to
NCJW's founder; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1893, the National Council of Jewish Women is the
oldest, major Jewish women's organization in the United States; a volun-
teer organization, it has been at the forefront of social change for
over a century; inspired by Jewish values, NCJW addresses such issues as
child welfare and women's rights across the United States and in Israel;
and
WHEREAS, Higher Ground, NCJW's Domestic Violence Campaign is a
national effort to end domestic violence by improving the economic
status of women; grounded in the understanding that economic security is
critical to women's safety, Higher Ground educates and mobilizes advo-
cates, community members, and decision-makers to promote progressive
policy solutions which champion women's economic autonomy; and
WHEREAS, The National Council of Jewish Women's Work in Israel direct-
ly mirrors its work to create progressive social change in the United
States; its pioneering programs in Israel foster and support education,
promote empowerment of women, and bridge the gaps in society for
Israel's vulnerable women, children, and families; and
WHEREAS, NCJW has 90,000 members and supporters who are active at the
grassroots level in more than 135 Sections in some 500 communities; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1936, the Peninsula Section is the organizational
home of some 1800 interested and active women and men who work dili-
gently to achieve the mission of NCJW within Long Island's Five Towns
and surrounding communities; and
WHEREAS, NCJW, Peninsula Section, a grassroots organization under the
leadership of volunteer chairwomen working in cooperation with profes-
sional agencies in the Five Towns, has devoted its efforts and funding
to vital community services; and
WHEREAS, With great pride and exemplary success, NCJW, Peninsula
Section has, for 75 years, been dedicated to empowering women, children
and families through education, advocacy and community action; over the
years, 100,000 Peninsula Section women and men have contributed thou-
sands of volunteer hours and raised funds for services in the community
and for projects in Israel; and
WHEREAS, In an organization such as NCJW, Peninsula Section, where
exceptional women are the rule, Joan Riegel, honored recipient of the
Hannah G. Solomon Award, stands out; and

WHEREAS, A graduate of Brooklyn College of The City University of New
York, her resume is most impressive; she has ably served as a New York
City English teacher, Long Island representative of the Stanley H.
Kaplan Educational Center, and Executive Director of the Brooklyn Tech
Alumni Association; and
WHEREAS, Joan Riegel joined the Evening Branch of Peninsula Section in
1968; her talents were quickly recognized and she has served the Section
as Bulletin Editor and Coordinator of Public Affairs and Membership; and
WHEREAS, As a member of the Section Board as well, she was an
outstanding Thrift Shop Treasurer and Section Treasurer and, under her
leadership during her term of office as President, Peninsula Section
flourished; and
WHEREAS, It did not take long for NCJW's National Office to discover
such a rising star; Joan Riegel has been a National Board member since
2004; her achievements serving the organization on the national level
reflect her capabilities serving on the National Finance Committee, as
Insurance Chair and as Chair of the Personnel Practices Committee; and
WHEREAS, Remarkably, in addition to her many professional, family and
community responsibilities, this amazing woman, Joan Riegel, has always
made the time to be an extraordinary friend, wife, mother of three and
grandmother, and to be a sous chef at NCJW, Peninsula Section's annual
Passover Cooking Class and, it is with great pride and gratitude that
Peninsula Section presents her with its prestigious Hannah G. Solomon
Award on Founder's Day; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions and individuals of such noble aims and accomplishment are brought
to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the
citizens of the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the National Council of Jewish
Women, Peninsula Section, and to honor Joan Riegel, recipient of its
prestigious Hannah G. Solomon Award at its Founder's Day and 75th Anni-
versary Celebration on June 2, 2011; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the National Council of Jewish Women, Peninsula Section, and
to Joan Riegel.