New York NCSY Presents “Project Frumway Fashion Show,” March 1

08 Feb 2011

NEW YORK NCSY PULLS OUT RED CARPET FOR “PROJECT FRUMWAY FASHION SHOW,” IN THE FIVE TOWNS, MARCH 1

Ruffles and pleats and belts, oh my! Back by popular demand, New York NCSY presents Project Frumway – the community-wide event which invites young women to compete in a fashion design competition putting their design skills to the test to create the most fashionable, and tzniut (in regulation with Jewish laws of modesty) outfit. The winner’s design is created by a Jewish clothing designer in the New York area and is featured on the Project Frumway runway.

NCSY | Jewish Youth Leadership is the international youth movement of the Orthodox Union.

The winning design will be displayed on Tuesday, March 1, at 7:00 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom, 390 Broadway in Lawrence. The evening will also include tznuit clothing modeled by NCSY participants, donated by sponsoring stores.

Amanda Esraelian, of Roslyn High School, who is also International Teen President of NCSY; and Pamela Goldberg, of Smithtown West High School, will be honored with the “NCSY Young Woman Leadership Award” at this year’s Runway Show.

Participants are students from Bnot Shulamith Of Long Island in Woodmere; HAFTR in Cedarhurst; HANC in Uniondale; Shalhevet High School for Girls in North Woodmere; SKA in Hewlett Bay Park; and Central in Queens. In addition, participants will come from public high school clubs across Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, and Westchester.

According to Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone, New York NCSY Regional Director, “New York NCSY’s Project Frumway is created and run by both yeshiva and public high school girls and promotes positive body image, fashionable modesty, self-confidence, and self-esteem. It is unique in that the teens are empowered to explore not only the “whats,” but also the “whys” of Judaism’s understanding of tzniut. For many of them, this is the first time that tzniut is more about who you are, and not merely rules in a dress code.”

Project Frumway creator Rina Emerson, currently OU Associate Director of Alumni Connections, declared, “The beauty of Project Frumway is that it is a positive environment where women of all ages can learn about Jewish laws of modesty in a fun and non-threatening way. It is an excellent opportunity for teenage girls to express that dressing in a frum manner means that you can look put-together and fashionable.”

Here she is, Miss Tzniut America

Under the direction of Carol Rhine, New York NCSY Chief Operating Officer, and Hanna Sorkin, New York NCSY Special Projects Coordinator, this year’s Project Frumway includes an additional educational component leading up to the March 1 Fashion Show — focusing on proper education for teenage Jewish girls about fashionable modesty in visits to local yeshiva/day schools and Jewish culture clubs in local public schools.

Declared Hanna Sorkin, “We are proud to honor Amanda Esraelian, and Pamela Goldberg, with the “NCSY Young Woman Leadership Award” because they are two highly motivated public high school seniors who have chosen to dress modestly despite the pressures of their surroundings. We want to involve them in the educational component of Project Frumway because they have stayed committed to their frumkeit and proudly express it by maintaining a tzanua lifestyle in a place where they can easily be made fun of or disrespected for their decisions.”

“Amanda and Pamela have inspiring stories to share about the choices they have made in life, and the pride in themselves is self-evident. They connect Jews of all backgrounds, and other students who hear about their Jewish journeys are sure to take away a message of empowerment. Our goal with this program and Project Frumway, is to communicate that Torah values are applicable and relevant in their daily lives now, while making it fun and enjoyable for them.”

Tickets are available at the door, or ordered by phone (516) 569-6279; all proceeds benefit New York NCSY. For more information, contact {encode=”mailto:projectfrumway@nyncsy.com” title=”projectfrumway@nyncsy.com”}.

Participants model the winning tzniut fashion designs at last year’s Project Frumway.

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