NCJW celebrates Hannah G. Solomon recipients

The National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Hartford Section, will honor Judy G. Singer of West Hartford and Audra Weisel of Avon, with the Hannah G. Solomon award for outstanding service to NCJW and the community on Sunday, Sept. 30 with a donor buffet brunch at the Belle Terrace of the Avon Old Farms Inn.  

Hannah G. Solomon was a founding member of the organization now known as National Council of Jewish Women, created in 1893, and was a strong believer in women's suffrage and the problems of poverty, immigration, ignorance, disease, illiteracy and political inequality.  Obviously a woman of great fortitude and vision, Hannah G. Solomon's legacy award has been bestowed on such extraordinary woman throughout the NCJW Greater Hartford's section's 102 years.  In giving two awards this year, both Judy and Audra have excelled equally in earning this outstanding honor.

Judy Singer, a Section President in 1988-1990, served as Vice Chairman of NCJW's Connecticut State Public Affairs from 1993-1995 and Chairman from 1995-2005.  In 2002 she joined the NCJW National Board as their representative to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a nationwide umbrella organization of the Jewish community and served on that board as well.  She fought for such diverse issues as banning drive- through mastectomies, defeating proposals to use public funds for religious education (vouchers) and promoting gun control.  Continuing her advocacy for women, Judy became the first Chairman of Plan A, a NCJW National Board Campaign for Contraceptive Access.  In 2002 and again in 2005, she served on the NCJW National Resolution Committee.  In addition she served on the NCJW National By-laws Committee and the NCJW National Nominating Committee.  As a spokeswoman for Benchmark, NCJW's Campaign to Save Roe, Judy made numerous appearances in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast speaking about Presidential appointments of judges to the federal bench.  At present she is the Chairman of the Jewish Community Relations Council for the Greater Hartford Jewish Federation continuing her long involvement in community volunteering.

Audra Weisel, originally an NCJW Danbury section member, moved to the Hartford area and joined the Greater Hartford section.  She developed the award winning Women Who Dare to Make a Difference calendar, recognizing great women who have bettered lives, particularly during her tenure as Section President from 2000-2002.  Following Judy's example, Audra also served as Vice Chairman and then Chairman of State Public Affairs.  From 2005-2011 as NCJW Connecticut State Public Affairs Chairman, she advocated for emergency contraception for rape victims in all Connecticut hospitals and helped to defeat proposed mergers of public and Catholic hospitals, which threatened reproductive choice.  Audra served on several NCJW national committees and led the Connecticut delegation at the Washington Institute advocating for NCJW's positions on various issues to members of Congress.  Locally she spearheaded the Greater Hartford Section Teen Battle Chef Program at Billings Forge Community Works, which empowers youth with culinary skills as well as leadership, team building, tolerance and cultural awareness and is still actively involved.

The donor buffet brunch begins at 11:30 a.m. and all are invited to attend and celebrate these two extraordinary women.