2025 VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARD RECIPIENTS (scroll to read)

Cheryl Gordon, Arline B. Pritcher Award Recipient

Cheryl Gordon joined NCJW/CLE after meeting  Elaine Geller at a community event and soon found herself drawn to the opportunity to work alongside smart, passionate professional women making a difference.  Cheryl’s involvement in NCJW/CLE began when she volunteered to help resurrect “Hello Israel” in area schools.  She’s helped at many events and chaired last spring’s  BreadLove/NCJWCLE Challah Bake.  Now she participates in our Greater Cleveland Congregations initiative. She is best known for Newish and Jewish, a beloved program, now in it’s ninth year,  that draws a loyal following eager to delve into all things “Jewish.” On our board for the past two years, she is now working to help kick off the new Partnership Shabbat Program and to join the Marketing Committee.

Originally from Chicago, Cheryl earned a BA in Secondary Education and an MA in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Illinois, Urbana. She later earned an MS in Jewish Studies from Spertus Institute in Chicago.

Cheryl’s first career was in the field of “use-oriented” second language services, ultimately  owning her own training company, Language Plus, that assisted  US and international companies/agencies in need of pragmatic language services.  (Test her Spanish!)   After selling Language Plus in 2001, she became a Jewish communal professional, working in several capacities, culminating in Director of the Jewish Federation of El Paso (2007-2014.)

To be nearer family Cheryl and her husband, Norman, moved to Beachwood in 2014. They are the proud parents of Josh (and Ilyssa,) who live locally with their 15-year-old twins, Noah and Adina, and of Ben (and Leah,) who have three sons: Akiva (26), married to Alison with a baby son, Moshe; Ezra (23), engaged to Sara; and Gedalya (18). Cheryl will be happy to brag about any of this.  Just ask.

In addition to her NCJW/CLE service, Cheryl regularly teaches a variety of Jewish-related classes to adults in multiple local and virtual venues. After serving as a board member of Mandel JDS for six years, she and Norm now sponsor their annual ChochmaRAMA (Jewish Knowledge) Contest.  She also volunteers with our Jewish Federation as a campaign worker and as a co-chair of Kesharim, a Women in Philanthropy networking initiative.

Reflecting on her NCJW/CLE experience, Cheryl shares, “It is important to me to make a difference. I’ve come to appreciate that NCJW/CLE and its people enable opportunities to do this in many different ways.”

Julie Moss, Alice and Eugene Weiss Esteemed Service Recipient