In 1933, the Kansas City Section of National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) awarded the first Liberman Scholarships for high school students going to college in the fall.
Since that small start 90 years ago, almost 1,000 students in the Kansas City metro area have received scholarships from hundreds of donors. Some donors provide just a few dollars each year, and others endow continuing scholarship funds that have lasted for decades and new ones that should last for decades more.
In the early years of NCJW, providing scholarships to high school students entering college was a program offered by almost all the NCJW sections throughout the country. Over the years, this number has fallen. In the Kansas City area, the NCJW Section once offered three different scholarships/fellowships, including a scholarship for mothers who planned to complete their college education and a fellowship for Jewish women who wanted to complete a master’s degree. The funding for the fellowship ran out in 2008, and since no one had applied for the continuing education scholarship for many years, that money was added to the regular scholarship fund.
At the Kansas City Section, the scholarship committee is still active and helping high school students afford to attend college. The scholarship is based on academic achievement and financial need. Once, students received small stipends, but now students can receive between $500 and $2,000 a year for four years of college if they maintain good grades, carry at least 12 credits each semester and still have financial need. Eligible students must attend high schools in the metro Kansas City area and can be of any religion, ethnic, gender or race.
“I started volunteering on the Scholarship Committee 38 years ago,” said Ellen Portnoy, the Kansas City Section scholarship chair. “When I started, we gave out scholarships of $250 to $1,000 to about 30 students each year. Now, we provide more money to fewer students. Currently, we have 15 students who are receiving NCJW scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $1,500.”
There has been a long line of devoted volunteers who have chaired the scholarship committee or served on the committee.
“When I started, Betty Jo Marder was the committee chair,” Portnoy said. “I then served under Ro Jacobson, who was the one who determined that I should take over the committee about 10 years ago. I know that Serina Lorsch, Marjorie Vogel and Millie Krasne all served as committee chairs.
“Thanks to the devotion of these families,” Portnoy continued, “we have continued to have income for the scholarships. Serina Lorsch’s son, Jay, has donated funds for many years; the Krasne family has an endowed fund; Ro Jacobson has an endowed fund in memory of her parents; and many others continue to donate to funds created by their families. These endowments and others will help us continue to give scholarships for many more years. However, the committee will now limit the new scholarships to just two students per year.”
Today, 14 women, including Portnoy, serve on the committee. Sonny Singer, Ro Jacobson and Jane Duggan are the longest-term members. Other members are Carla Oppenheimer, Joan Jacobson, Naomi Kauffman, Bonnie Buchbinder, Lynn Murray, Berenice Haberman, Connie Simon, Laura Gilman, Amy Shapiro and Jessica Shea.
Anyone interested in joining the scholarship committee or donating money to help continue NCJW’s 90-year tradition can contact the NCJW office at (913) 648-0747 or visit kansascity.section.ncjw.org/programs/ncjw-scholarships.
