Jewish Women's Round Table
The 29th Annual Song of Miriam Awards Brunch honoring women volunteers was held on Sunday, June 9th, at Mittleman Jewish Community Center. 
The event, put on by the Jewish Women’s Round Table, honored 18 women who volunteer for Jewish and community organizations. More than 260 people attended the brunch. 
Marki Maizels, JWRT President and Toby Blake, a past honoree and JWRT member, presented the awards to:

Laura Bergstrom, honored by Beit Haverim
Laura has been on the Beit Haverim Board of Trustees for seven years, serving in multiple roles including board secretary and treasurer. 
When Zoom became a mainstay during the Covid era, Laura jumped in to help with the technology to enable online services. She continues to run the tech booth so that Beit Haverim can broadcast live Shabbat services.

Ruth Bolliger, honored by the Next Generations Group
Ruth is honored for her work supporting the mission of Next Generations: to keep the personal histories and lessons of the Holocaust alive for today’s world.
Ruth helped plan for and build the Holocaust Memorial in Washington Park, and traveled with a group to Poland to bring back soil from concentration camps to bury there.  She continues to be an educator about the Holocaust, relating her story of fleeing Czechoslovakia and being in hiding for six years.  

Chava Mirel Daitchman, honored by Congregation Kesser Israel
Chava Mirel is part of the team that revived the Sisterhood at Kesser Israel by running monthly women’s events. She organizes “group gifts” from members for special occasions like weddings; she does the same for orders for shul needs.  She also organizes women’s learning sessions and Shabbos socials for girls.
In the Jewish community, Chava Mirel is an attendant at Rachel’s Well Mikvah, and is a member of the Chevra Kadisha, which prepares bodies for burial.

Laura Dawson, honored by Temple Beth Sholom of Salem
Laura currently organizes a quarterly meal for homeless families through Family Promise, a local non-profit that works with faith communities to help the homeless. She also volunteers monthly at Marion-Polk Food Share. 
Laura also helps lead the twice-monthly “Secular Shmecular” meetings that provide a way for religious and non-religious Jews to connect and socialize. 

Carlie Dunn, honored by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
Carlie began volunteering for the Oregon Holocaust Resource Center in 2002, driving survivors to give presentations about their Holocaust experiences. 
Since then, she has led tours for museum visitors, facilitated workshops in connection with exhibitions, and processed photographs for the collection. She also participated on the Education Committee.

Nadine Gartner, honored by Portland Jewish Academy
Nadine Gartner is the President of the PJA Board, a role in which she works to build relationships and reach consensus. She has also volunteered for the school as a class representative, PJA Admission Ambassador, and as parent of two students. 
She is an alumnus of thr Wexner Heritage program that trains lay leaders.

Margaret Gotesman, honored by Cedar Sinai Park
Margaret began volunteering at the Rose Schnitzer Manor’s Stop ‘N Shop 12 years ago. She now assesses supplies, goes shopping for what’s needed, and arranges and prices items. She also volunteers to work in the store. 

Jan Lieberman, honored by Congregation Kol Ami
Jan was instrumental in establishing the Jewish Community Association of Southwest Washington in 1991, and then helping it grow to become Congregation Kol Ami.  
Jan first served as Trustee of the Association, then as Vice President and President. Jan is also an active member of Kol Ami Women of Reform Judaism.

Karen Maher, honored by P’nai Or
In 2019, Karen was elected to P’nai Or’s Council and was appointed secretary. In addition to that role, in 2020 she became one of the co-presidents of the congregation. 
Karen has also served on various committees and represented the congregation on the Secure Community Network, which helps to ensure the safety of the congregation.  

Rose Marshall, honored by Women of Reform Judaism, Beth Israel Sisterhood
Rose takes care of the Sisterhood newsletter, sends out monthly emails about events, as well as working on the webpage and coordinating social media.
She also helps with Mitzvah Days, the Community Seder, Shabbat on the Plaza, and as a greeter, welcoming others into Sisterhood.

Sheryl Martel, honored by Jewish Family & Child Service 
Sheryl has been a nurse for 30 years and a decades-long volunteer in the Jewish community.  She volunteered for Jewish Family & Child Service as the lead on its program providing social outings for adults with special needs. 
Currently, Sheryl helps pack and deliver holiday food boxes to JFCS clients who are isolated, and drives Holocaust Survivors to and from social events. 

Bonnie Newman, honored by Jewish Federation of Greater Portland
Bonnie is the second chair of the Portland chapter of Dignity Grows, which is leading the fight against Period Poverty.  
As a participant in the Climate Action Committee, she helped organize the James Recycling Event at MJCC in 2022, and wrote “Climate Corner” columns in The Jewish Review. 

Rachel Peck, honored by Beit Am of Corvallis
Rachel regularly leads parts of Beit Am services, chants Torah, and organizes chanters for High Holiday services. 
She is the current chair of the Safety and Security Committee, and regularly volunteers as a greeter at services and events. She also tutors B’nai Mitzvah students, proofs the Beit Am newsletter, and volunteers at Stone Soup Food Kitchen and the Men’s Homeless Shelter. 

Sara Radcliffe, honored by Eastside Jewish Commons
Sara has served as Eastside Jewish Commons’ board secretary for three years.
She is an effective conduit for timely and concise communications between board and staff, handles recordkeeping, and dispenses valuable advice on organizational and membership structure and development.

Doria Raetz, honored by Congregation Shalom Bayit of Bend
Doria was a board member and an essential contributor to Congregation Shalom Bayit during an uncertain time just before the Covid pandemic. 
After the congregation lost its long-time Rabbi, she undertook the process of affiliating with the Reconstructing Judaism movement, and then steered the process of trying to find a new Rabbi. 

Vicki Rotstein, honored by Congregation Neveh Shalom
For ten years Vickie prepared 6th graders to lead services at their B’nei Mitzvah. After retiring, she found she missed being with kids and returned as a tutor.
She was a driving force behind “Soup to the Streets,” which prepared food for the homeless, and has been a volunteer for Friends of Seasonal and Service Workers for 23 years.

Rose Schneier, honored by Shaarie Torah Sisterhood
Rose has been the Manager of the Diane Nemer Sisterhood Gift Shop since moving here from Texas in 2022. In that time she has overhauled the shop’s website, its point-of-sale system, the merchandise selection and publicity.  
She also volunteers remotely as a support-group facilitator at the Austin, Texas, Center for Grief and Loss, and as a mentor for elementary-school students through Austin’s “Communities in Schools” program. 

Sarah Shine, honored by  Havurah Shalom 
Sarah has committed her time to promoting and facilitating a family-friendly Friday night service that has become a mainstay for families with young children.
She co-chaired Havurah’s music committee and has become very involved in leading services. She also tutors B’nai Mitvah students.