Women Helping Women: Judith Hope
December 26, 2008
by Amy Siskind
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There is an old Yiddish Proverb: touch a life, touch a thousand lives. I am one of the lives touched and forever changed by meeting a special mentor to women: Judith Hope.
Judith started her political career as a Town Supervisor in East Hampton. In 1995, she became the Chairwoman of the New York State Democratic Party — becoming the first woman to head a major political party in New York State. In 2001, Judith founded The Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee (ERLC):
Eleanor’s Legacy is dedicated to building a new generation of pro-choice Democratic women leaders in New York State. Since its founding in 2001, Eleanor’s Legacy has elected 412 women to state and local office across New York State and equipped over 600 women with the skills they need to run and win.
Judith was recently quoted in The East Hampton Star, saying:
When I started the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee, I had identified a need. Women candidates needed support, training, and financing.
Judith took time away from ERLC in 2007 to help establish Ambassadors for Hillary, a group of ardent Hillary Clinton supporters from New York who were dispatched all over the country during the primaries to help spread the word about Hillary’s wonderful work in New York State. Judith hosted one of the early Ambassadors meetings at my home in April 2007, and when she left, my friends and neighbors said to me: “now THAT woman could be President.”
Judith always had a smile and a word of encouragement for everyone. She was the first person to pull me aside and encourage me to enter the world of politics in some fashion. Every time I saw Judith, she would give me that big-eyed smile and exclaim, “Hello darling”, in her Southern drawl. She was the first person who introduced me to the media (CNN), and the first person I consulted with on anything political.
ERLC Luncheon, October 2008
I remember how crushed Judith was when Hillary lost. Judith had spent a lifetime fighting to promote women in politics. Still, New York State is only 27th in the country in terms of women in statewide government. But Judith hardly knows how many seeds she has planted. And with time and patience, those seeds will reach up towards sunlight. In establishing The New Agenda, we hope to clear out some of the brush to make room for Judith’s seeds to grow.
As a final note, Judith recently chose to step down as President of the ERLC. At a luncheon in October 2008, more than 1,000 participants signed a petition supporting her inclusion in the National Women’s Hall of Fame, located in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Judith deserves a place at the National Women’s Hall of Fame — she is a true hero: a model of a woman who spent her lifetime helping other women.
Thank you for bringing the work of Judith Hope to my attention.
Wow, what a wonderful and accomplished woman.
She is truly an inspiration.
We need one of these positive women articles on Sarah Palin. The feminist establishment and the corporate media need to continually be reminded that we don’t accept their smear job. Women candidates are not to be mocked. And we still need to drive MSNBC out of business.
Very good. Has a feature yet been done on Sheila Bair, perhaps comparing her bailout policies with Hillary’s?
I agree that we need more on Sarah Palin too. The contract for her pipeline has been signed. I’d like to see more about the details of these complicated high finance issues she’s settled: the pipeline and the non-windfall tax structure for the oil companies.
Some leads are at USA Today “Palin governs from the center” and
http://helpmejoseph.typepad.co.....ement.html
TeamSarah should have some leads also.
On her new state budget:
http://www.alaskajournal.com/s.....1008.shtml
Thanks for Ms. Hope’s bio. Truly admirable. The mettle of a professional woman is how much she reaches out to and helps ‘up’ other women. There are women who achieve a great deal while standing on other women’s heads to get there, and who never acknowledge the help they received from women wearing aprons or punching a time clock. Hell, include clerical staff in various faculties. A male model of success, to my thinking. We called them Queen Bees.
I’d love to see a bio of Palin here. I remember reading the way her hairdresser (we call them that in the boonies) spoke about Palin’s support and encouragement to her, and how Palin modeled what she advised.
I found it so odd that the progressive left (ahem) were so abusive about her lifestyle, while giving such support to any other, preferably overseas, non-white culture that lives similarly. Being perverse, and also poor thus needing free entertainment, I enjoy the spectacle of their hypocrisy, so I say, bring it on.
fsteele,
I did write a piece featuring Bair and Born that was published in The Daily Beast titled “Women Scorned”. You can find it in our media section.
Great article! I had never even heard of her but now I know!
HELP NEEDED!!! (Sorry, off topic)
We need to get over to the Huff Post and respond. It would be a great place to make a comment and a link to the video “Where’s the Line?”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....53394.html
http://thenewagenda.net/2008/1.....-campaign/
(hat tip: Thia)
Love your article about Judith Hope. I live in East Hampton and have known Judith for years. She is one great and I mean great woman. She is also staunchly pro-choice as I wish TNA would be. I love the work TNA is doing but I worry that you will support an anti-choice woman who will destroy all that we’ve worked for. Without the right to control our bodies, our destinies, what have we. Please consider making maintaining choice one of your issues and if you do I’ll work my butt off for you.
[...] the founder of the The Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee, whom we posted about previously in our “Women Who Help Women” feature. Kirsten [...]
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