National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis will honor Rev. Traci Blackmon and Rabbi Andrea Goldstein with the organization’s Hannah G. Solomon Founder’s Award, during its Celebrating Women event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at City Place One (Lake Level). 

The Celebrating Women event recognizes the volunteer efforts of NCJW’s members. The Hannah G. Solomon award recognizes recipients who “exemplify the NCJW mission of improving the quality of life for women, children and families. 

Blackmon and Goldstein “have provided leadership that has motivated others to fight for progress and enlightenment in our community,” according to a statement from NCJW. “Both have been loud voices for equity in their own congregations, in St. Louis and to broader national audiences.” 

Blackmon is the Executive Minister of Justice and Local Church Ministries for the United Church of Christ and Senior Pastor of Christ the King United Church of Christ in Florissant. Blackmon’s life work focuses on the communal resistance to systematic injustice. Her response in Ferguson to the killing of Michael Brown gained her many audiences from the White House to the Carter Center to the Vatican. Appointed to the Ferguson Commission by Governor Jay Nixon and to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships for the White House by President Barack Obama, she is the recipient of the NAACP Rosa Parks Award, The Urban League of St. Louis Women in Leadership Award and the National Planned Parenthood Faith Leader Award.

Goldstein has been a rabbi at Congregation Shaare Emeth for the past 20 years. Her rabbinate is centered around the call for social justice and the cultivation of spiritual practices. She currently serves on the Union of Reform Judaism’s Commission on Social Action and the Central Conference of American Rabbis’ Justice Team. She is a board member of Nishmah and Metropolitan Congregations United and serves on the NCJW Advisory Council. Goldstein is also the founder and director of the Jewish Mindfulness Center of St. Louis.

Past Hannah G. Solomon Founder’s Award recipients include Judge Susan Block, Frankie Freeman, Denise Lieberman and Maxine Clark.

The cost to attend Celebrating Women is $36 for NCJW members and $50 for non-members. Other sponsorship opportunities are available. There will be a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception following the program. 

Registration is available at www.ncjwstl.org or by calling 314-993-5181. RSVP’s are requested by Monday, October 8.

The Celebrating Women event is co-chaired by Jan Goldman and Beth Kodner.