






New York Board of Rabbis – Dayenu! Initiative
Honored Community Leaders for Work to End Family Violence in New York
This year's reception raised funds to support the building of safer communities, one congregation at a time by confronting family violence in faith communities with knowledge and courage.

DAYENU Honored Community Leaders Creating Innovative Programs to End The Cycle
New York, NY – On Wednesday, April 1, 2009, DAYENU! hosted the second Voices of Valor event at Mutual of America – in New York City - at 5:30p.m. The VIP reception began at 5:00 PM with acclaimed actress and screen writer Angela Shelton—the evening’s keynote speaker—and Dr. Mel Schneiderman, Director of Mental Health Services of the NY Foundling.
“Family violence is an ongoing and urgent issue in our society. Every year, 3 million women and one million men are abused by people who claim to love them. The number of abused children is equally staggering! Today’s teenage girls are being abused by their boyfriends—and permitting it—because they lack experience to recognize the warning signs of abusive behavior.”










Diana Monheit Manber, Director, Dayenu! Enough Silence










A Nationally Acclaimed Interfaith Initiative
This Powerful Experience Was An Evening Filled With…
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Disturbing Facts from Angela Shelton as she shares the story behind her documentary Searching for Angela Shelton, and the shocking reality that 60% of the women interviewed who share her name, were survivors of rape, childhood sexual abuse and/or domestic violence.
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Inspiration from a successful prevention model – Brooklyn ChildWatch – developed by Dr. Mel Schneiderman/NY Foundling and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in response to the epidemic of child abuse and murder in New York City.
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Praise for the efforts of SAVI— the revolutionary program which has changed the way that hospitals treat sexual assault victims across the country—developed by Iona Siegel.
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Hope … as you see how leaders from various faith communities are playing a vital role to help end family violence
We Honored Those Dedicated To Making a Difference…
Miriam Award 2009 – Angela Shelton.


Acclaimed speaker, author, model, actress, filmmaker and advocate
Elijah Award 2009 – Dr. Mel Schneiderman
Co-founding Director of the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection at the NY Foundling
Voices of Valor Honorees:
Iona Siegel: Lifetime Achievement Award – Founding Director of SAVI – the Sexual
Assault and Violence Intervention Program, founded 25 years ago at Mt. Sinai Hospital
Shoshannah Frydman: Young Leadership Award – Director of Family Violence
Services at Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
Rabbi Julie Spitzer z”l: Rabbinic Leadership Award – given posthumously for her
legacy of rabbinic leadership in breaking the silence of spousal abuse in Jewish Community