Past Presidents, SPA’s, and Award Winners
PAST PRESIDENTS, SPA’s, & AWARD WINNERS
Presidents of the Louisville Section
1886-1910 Mrs. J.B. Judah*
Part of 1910 Mrs. Henry Klauber*
1910-12 Mrs. L. Levy*
1912-16 Mrs. R.D. Bakrow*
1916-19 Mrs. H.E. Ottenheimer*
1919-21 Mrs. Alfred Joseph Sr.*
1921-23 Mrs. Jacob Zellner*
1923-25 Mrs. E.H. Wehle*
1925-31 Mrs. J.M. Fuhrman*
1931-34 Mrs. E.C. Kaufman*
1934-36 Mrs. J.M. Fuhrman*
1936-39 Mrs. J. Harry Rosenbaum*
1939-42 Mrs. Herman Handmaker*
1942-45 Mrs. J.M. Fuhrman*
1945-48 Mrs. Jessie Grauman*
1948-51 Mrs. Marshall Bensinger*
1951-53 Mrs. Carl Hellman*
1953-55 Ms. Betty S. Fleischaker
1955-57 Mrs. David Traub*
1957-59 Mrs. M.T. Fliegelman
1959-61 Mrs. Max Bornstein*
Part of 1961 Mrs. Lewis Hirsch*
1961-63 Mrs. Edward Frank*
1963-67 Mrs. S.P. Auerbach*
1967-69 Mrs. S.T. Fish*
1969-70 Mrs. Lloyd Greenebaum*
1970-73 Mrs. David Neustadt
1973-75 Nancy Abrams
1975-77 Mrs. Ronald Abrams
1977-79 Jane Emke
1979-81 Rita Steinberg
1981-83 Jean Lee Bensinger*
1983-85 Marcia L.Roth
1985-87 Renee Loeb
1987-89 Elaine Weinberg
1989-91 Lynn Meckler
1991-93 Helene Banks
1993-95 Betty Pohn
1995-97 Phyllis Present
1997-99 Ellen Prizant
1999-2003 Shellie Benovitz
2003-05 Sandi Friedson*
2005-07 Sandi Weiss
2007-09 Ellen Rosenbloom
2009-11 Leni Sweet
2011-13 Mindy Klein
2013-15 Sue Paul
2015-present Joyce Bridge
*Of Blessed Memory
State Policy Advocates (SPA) of the Louisville Section
Marie Abrams
Carolyn Balleisen*
Sonia Levine
Marsha Weinstein
Linda Engel
Leni Sweet
Sandi Friedson*
Beth Salamon
*Of Blessed Memory
Hannah G. Solomon Award Recipients
This national award is presented to an outstanding person in the community who has made a significant contribution in the fields of education, family life, and tikkun olam (repairing the world).
1966 Jeanne Frank*
1967 Betty Jane Fleischaker*
1968 Til Meyer*
1969 Helen Helman*
1970 Minx Auerbach*
1971 Maud Fliegelman*
1972 Louise Flarsheim*
1973 Fanny Rose Rosenbaum*
1974 Minna Cole*
1976 Selma & Arthur Kling*
1977 Carolyn Neustadt
1978 Jane Greenebaum*
1979 Alexander Erlen*
1980 Carolyn Balleisen*
1981 Marie Abrams
1983 Lewis Cole*
1984 Irving Lipetz*
1986 Rita Steinberg
1990 David Richart*
1993 Jerry Abramson
1997 Marcia Roth
1999 Marsha Weinstein
2001 Ellen Prizant
2004 Jane Emke
2010 Madeline Abramson
2022 Joyce Bridge
*Of Blessed Memory
Henrietta Herzfeld Award Recipients
Created in 1976, this award is presented to a member of the Louisville Section who, by her service to NCJW, has been a model to all.
1976 Miriam Weil*
1977 Sylvia Goldstein*
1978 Ilma Hirsch*
1980 Helen Helman*
1983 Sonia Levine
1985 Marilyn Bornstein*
1988 Jean Lee Bensinger*
1989 Jane Weinberg*
1991 Ellen Shapira
1994 Audrey Pohn*
1997 Maud Fliegelman*
1999 Shellie Benovitz
2001 Connie Fox
2002 Ellen Rosenbloom
2006 Judy Shapira
2008 Elaine Weinberg
2014 Sandi Friedson*
*Of Blessed Memory
NCJW Award for Emerging Leader
This national award is given to someone who currently serves on the Section Board, has served fewer than five years, and shows potential future leadership.
1988 Lynn Meckler
1990 Helene Banks & Carol Tullman
1991 Phyllis Present
1995 Joyce Finkelstein & Kate Rudd Sarfin
1996 Carol Leibson* & Judy Shapira
1999 Sandi Friedson* & Susie Pomerance
2001 Madeline Abramson & Jill Goldberg
2002 Judy Borinstein & Marlene Schaffer
2004 Harriet R. Behr & Mona Schramko
2006 Nikki Russman
2008 Marcia Frank & Diane Graeter
2012 Sue Paul & Beth Salamon
*Of Blessed Memory
Sonia and Dr. Ronald Levine Jewish Voice for Choice Award
Created in 2023, this award is presented to an outstanding person or people who have demonstrated courage of action and/or have made a significant contribution in the efforts of reproductive rights and healthcare justice in the commonwealth of Kentucky – guided by the Jewish values of tikkun olam, repairing the world, and kavod ha’briyot, respect for human dignity.
This award is named in honor of Sonia and Dr. Ronald Levine, long-standing members of NCJW, Louisville Section for their efforts to support women’s reproductive healthcare. NCJW is grateful to Sonia and Ronald for their decades-long service to carry forward NCJW’s mission to improve the quality of life for women, children, and families by using progressive Jewish ideals for social justice.
Both Sonia and Ronald have been volunteers in the community as working members for many Louisville organizations. Sonia has been an active member of NCJW for many years, where she has chaired the Legislative Committee and Women’s Issues Committee of NCJW and was appointed by the National Organization of NCJW as the Kentucky State Public Affairs Chair for over six years. She was also a founding committee member of the Louisville Area Family Planning Council. Sonia currently presides as an NCJW, Louisville Section Board Member. Sonia and Ron both were founding committee members of the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights. Ronald was an OBGYN physician in private practice for over thirty years. During his medical career, he was Medical Director of Louisville Planned Parenthood and a board member. He also served on the Medical Advisory Committee of the Great Lakes Regions, was the Chairman of the Medical Committee of the Southeast Region of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and was President of the OBGYN Society of Louisville. After private practice, he became Section Head of Gynecologic Surgery at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
Before Roe vs Wade, Ronald saw the devastating results of botched illegal abortions and would send women needing abortion care to New York where it was possible to have an abortion. Both Sonia and Ronald testified before committees of the Kentucky Legislature and wrote articles and held study groups to support a women’s right to choose what happens to her body in accordance with her beliefs. They feel strongly that according to the U.S. Constitution, the religious beliefs of the majority should never be imposed on those who have different beliefs.
2023: Sarah Baron, Jessica Kalb, Lisa Sobel