November 1, 1999

National Jewish Council for the Disabled to Honor Joan Harrington for Exemplary Kindness in Service to the Developmentally Disabled

Joan Harrington, a Queens resident, will be presented with the National Jewish Council for the Disabled’s (NJCD) Betty Solnica Chesed (Kindness) Award at its annual dinner on Sunday, November 14, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

A veritable expert on federal and state education law and the cumbersome and complex New York City school system, Ms. Harrington helps parents of children with disabilities access appropriate programs and special education services. Throughout her long involvement with NJCD and the Yachad program, which serves adults and children with developmental disabilities, Ms. Harrington has helped hundreds of families obtain the necessary educational support to enable their children to learn and grow.

Rebbetzin Betty Solnica epitomized the essence of gemilut chasadim (acts of kindness). While working tirelessly on behalf of her own son, a Yachad member, she extended her concern and efforts far beyond her own family, to include all Jewish youth with special needs.

"Joan Harrington is a passionate advocate on behalf of children with disabilities. She personifies the ideals of kindness and dedication to children with special needs demonstrated by Rebbetzin Solnica and is a most fitting recipient of this memorial award," said Dr. Jeffery Lichtman, National Director of the NJCD.

With more than 35 chapters throughout the United States and Canada, the NJCD, an agency of the Orthodox Union, is the only national resource center providing guidance, information and referral services to those in the Jewish community who have special needs. Yachad, a division of the NJCD, provides a wide range of social, recreational and religious programs, serving over 1,000 developmentally disabled children and adults.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of America and beyond, is the world leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 200,000 products in 62 countries around the globe.

www.ou.org

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Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Department of Public Relations Sharyn Perlman, Director Main Office: 11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058 E-mail: media@ou.org

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