{"id":41614,"date":"2018-03-14T22:43:06","date_gmt":"2018-03-15T04:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=41614"},"modified":"2020-01-11T21:34:29","modified_gmt":"2020-01-12T03:34:29","slug":"ncjw-holds-gala-at-nopsi-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/ncjw-holds-gala-at-nopsi-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"NCJW Holds Gala at NOPSI Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By NICHOLAS HAMBURGER, <em>Special\u00a0to the CCJN<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Greater New Orleans section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) held its annual gala on Saturday, March 10 from 7-10 PM, entertaining guests with cocktails, a three-course dinner, a live funk band and a silent auction at the recently renovated NOPSI Hotel.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_41617\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41617\" class=\"wp-image-41617 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"Emcee Dave Bernard goes over his notes while NCJW vice president Barbara Greenberg steps in for the absent president Barbara Kaplinsky. (Photo by Nicholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-768x561.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-1024x748.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/219;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41617\" class=\"wp-image-41617 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"Emcee Dave Bernard goes over his notes while NCJW vice president Barbara Greenberg steps in for the absent president Barbara Kaplinsky. (Photo by Nicholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-768x561.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW2-1024x748.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-41617\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">NCJW vice president Barbara Greenberg speaks in place of absent president Barbara Kaplinsky (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cYour presence tonight makes our job successful because all the funds that we get go right back into the community,\u201d said Barbara Greenberg, the NCJW vice president. Greenberg spoke on Saturday night in place of NCJW president Barbara Klapinsky, who was unable to attend due to an emergency visit to the hospital.<\/p>\n<p>NCJW is a grassroots organization of volunteers that provides various services for women and children across 28 states. In addition to membership dues, legacy trusts, and grants, the Greater New Orleans section of the organization depends on fundraising to finance its programs.<\/p>\n<p>Of the 14 services that NCJW supports, FOX 8 Defenders is the most well-known. Staffed by NCJW volunteers, FOX 8 Defenders consists of a telephone information service committed to assisting callers by connecting them with the relevant agency or company.<\/p>\n<p>The program, referred to as \u201cthe service that gives us all the pizzazz around the city\u201d by Greenberg, was founded by the late Babs Isaacson on WDSU before shifting to WVUE FOX 8, which NCJW underwrites. That partnership was on display Saturday night, as David Bernard, the chief meteorologist of WVUE FOX 8, served as the gala\u2019s master of ceremonies.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_41618\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41618\" class=\"wp-image-41618 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-300x206.jpg\" alt=\"Event co-chairs Patty Barnett, left, and June Leopold. (Photo by Nicholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-768x527.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-1024x703.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/206;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41618\" class=\"wp-image-41618 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-300x206.jpg\" alt=\"Event co-chairs Patty Barnett, left, and June Leopold. (Photo by Nicholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-768x527.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW3-1024x703.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-41618\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Event co-chairs Patty Barnett, left, and June Leopold (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Other services supported by NCJW include STAIR, a children\u2019s literacy program;\u00a0Nola4Women, a social action group dedicated to the improvement of women\u2019s lives; and Court Watch, an advocacy group that observes and reports on the fairness and transparency of the Orleans Parish Criminal Court system.<\/p>\n<p>Greenberg also highlighted NCJW\u2019s involvement in the exhibit \u201cL\u2019Dor V\u2019Dor: From Generation to Generation,\u201d open to the public at Longue Vue House and Gardens through April 29. The exhibit chronicles the history of Jewish women in New Orleans from 1895 to 2005, and, in doing so, prominently features past and present members of NCJW.<\/p>\n<p>Created in 1897, four years after Hannah Solomon founded the national organization in Chicago, the local section of NCJW has been entwined with New Orleans\u2019s social history since its inception. \u201cWhen immigrants came over after the second World War, and this is a very big port, the New Orleans community went to meet them, to bring them back to the JCC,\u201d gala co-chair June Leopold offered in an interview with the CCJN. \u201cNCJW was a big part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the longevity of NCJW\u2019s commitment to progressive action was at the core of Leopold\u2019s message on Saturday. \u201cAs yet, these goals are the same goals that we had 121 years ago,&#8221; she said to the gala&#8217;s attendees at the beginning of the evening. &#8220;Good family values, education for everyone, opportunity for all and, certainly, justice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_41619\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41619\" class=\"wp-image-41619 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg at NCJW Electrifying Event. (Photo by NIcholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/225;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41619\" class=\"wp-image-41619 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg at NCJW Electrifying Event. (Photo by NIcholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/IMG_5020-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-41619\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg of Beth Israel (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Patty Barnett, who co-chaired the gala with Leopold, attributed NCJW\u2019s abiding activeness in the community to its Jewish principles. \u201cIt\u2019s the <i>tikkun olam<\/i>, repair the world,\u201d Barnett said in an interview, referring to a Jewish concept often interpreted as an impetus for community service or philanthropy.<\/p>\n<p>Both Leopold and Barnett have spent the majority of their lives as members of NCJW. Leopold, a former president and vice president of the section, came to New Orleans over 40 years ago and has participated in the organization ever since, while Barnett, who previously served on the chapter\u2019s board, joined in her 20s. \u201cOnce people join, they\u2019re here &#8212; like me,\u201d Leopold said.<\/p>\n<p>In this way, the organization\u2019s longevity manifests itself on an individual, as well as historical, scale. It comes as no surprise, then, that Kenneth Hoffman, the executive director of the soon-to-open Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, concluded the night as the gala\u2019s guest speaker. Hoffman declared his intention to preserve and recount the histories of Southern Jewish individuals at the museum, which is set to open in 2019. \u201cWe\u2019re collecting stories, oral histories,\u201d Hoffman said. \u201cIf you have a Southern Jewish story to tell, I\u2019m gonna want to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_41620\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41620\" class=\"wp-image-41620 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience executive director Kenneth Hoffman speaking on the opening of the museum. (Photo by Nicholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-1024x766.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/224;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41620\" class=\"wp-image-41620 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-300x224.jpg\" alt=\"Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience executive director Kenneth Hoffman speaking on the opening of the museum. (Photo by Nicholas Hamburger)\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/NCJW1-1024x766.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-41620\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience executive director Kenneth Hoffman speaking about the opening of the museum (photo by Nicholas Hamburger)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The museum will collaborate with the firm Gallagher &amp; Associates, which designed many of the exhibits at the acclaimed National World War II Museum, where Hoffman recently completed an 18-year stint as the director of education. The Museum of Southern Jewish Experience will be located at 818 Howard Avenue, a short walk down Baronne Street from Saturday night\u2019s venue.<\/p>\n<p>Before its transformation into a luxury hotel, the building of the NOPSI Hotel housed the city\u2019s now-defunct gas and electricity provider, New Orleans Public Service Inc. As a nod to the venue\u2019s history, NCJW\u2019s gala committee selected a fitting theme for the evening &#8211; \u201cAn Electrifying Event.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople who have been here or who have lived here for a very long time, they can relate to that kind of thing,\u201d Leopold explained. On a night celebrating another year in NCJW\u2019s long history of community service, the organization continued to find new contexts &#8211; be it the current exhibit \u201cFrom Generation to Generation,\u201d the upcoming Museum of Southern Jewish Experience, or the restored NOPSI Hotel &#8211; to share its enduring impact in New Orleans.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"NCJW%20Holds%20Gala%20at%20NOPSI%20Hotel\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":41617,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[8790,8795,8710,9229,8861,8788],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41614"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41614"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52864,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41614\/revisions\/52864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}