The Jewish Home | APRIL 7, 2022
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Of Kiddush Hashem Large and Small By Denise RaBinowitz
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OctOber 29, 2015 | the Jewish Home
T
his was the topic for a panel of women at the recent Agudath Israel of America convention held Thanksgiving weekend. There are multiple ways men and women of all occupations can create a lasting impression of integrity and values among the larger community, said the panelists who hailed from Monsey, Lakewood, Cleveland, and the Five Towns. The subject was of great interest to participants and viewers of the broadcast event in the light of the recent finger-pointing at Orthodox Jews during Covid, increased media smears in expanding Jewish communities, and the recent Hollywood series that perpetuated new and old negative stereotypes of Orthodox life. The public work of two of the convention panelists was recently highlighted by members of the New York State Legislature. In their annual Women of Distinction Awards held annually during March which is Women’s History Month, Rivkie Feiner of Monsey was honored by State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick of Rockland County and Faigie Horowitz of Lawrence was honored by Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus of Coney Island. Principal of Feiner Grant Strategies of Airmont, Rivkie Feiner runs a grant development business with offices in several states. She is a board member of the Jewish Federation of Rockland County and has been a tireless advocate for the frum community in the halls of local, state, and federal government. During the recent spate of antisemitic violence in Monsey and the baiting rhetoric of a Lower Hudson paper, she led missions and efforts to promote understanding. Her volunteer work includes Tomchei Shabbos of Rockland and Yeshiva Ohr Reuven. Known as Rebbetzin Faigie in the Five Towns community for her role at Beis Medrash Agudas Achim of Lawrence, Faigie Horowitz has been an executive at nonprofits serving the broader as well as Jewish communities in her roles at the Flatbush Haitian Center, the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Met Council on Jewish Poverty, and Chai Lifeline. Her volunteer roles span organizations serving people with special needs, co-founding Rachel’s Place Shelter, joining the board of the Ani Ledo-
Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz speaking at the Agudah event
di Helpline, and co-founding JWOW!, Jewish Women of Wisdom. Assemblywoman Frontus first met Rebbetzin Faigie at a community health initiative the former spearheaded for the JCC of Greater Coney Island and later when she was a newly elected Assemblywoman. To their surprise, they found they both had worked at the Flatbush Haitian Center where the Assemblywoman was a social worker, long before becoming a professor and politician. Their interests coincided. Faigie Horowitz was developing political support for fair pay for home care as part of her role as director of communications for Caring Professionals Home Care. Dr. Frontus became an early cosponsor of the bill and an advocate for the home care needs of seniors and people with disabilities who choose to live at home. Makor Disabilities Services, formerly known as Women’s League Community Residences, operates a group home for medically frail young women in Seagate which is in the Assemblywoman’s district. As a board member for decades for the organization which cared for her severely disabled sibling, Faigie Horowitz invited the Assemblywoman to come visit and an initiative for employing local residents at the award-winning agency was begun.
