Working at CHANA wasn’t something Dr. Nancy Aiken wasnecessarily looking for back in 2001. She happened to notice a newspaperadvertisement for the executive director position at the Counseling, Helplineand Aid Network.
It turned out to be a perfectfit.
“When I started at CHANA, there were really no rules,” recalledAiken, who retired from the organization last fall and now serves as itsexecutive director emerita. “There were just these clients who would call andneed our help. With each client, we learned there was another gap in ourcommunity, and we took it upon ourselves to address those problems.”
For her dedication and stewardship of CHANA over the years,Aiken, 60, will be honored May 23 by the Federation of Jewish Women’sOrganizations of Maryland with its E.B. Hirsh Lifetime Achievement Award.
Aiken, who provides training sessions at CHANA and serves as an advisor to her successor, Lauren Shaivitz, will receive the award at the federation’s 103rd annual convention at Pikesville’s Temple Oheb Shalom. The theme of this year’s convention is “Women’s Empowerment: Past, Present and Future.”
“By honoring me, the organization is really honoring theclients that have come to CHANA,” said Aiken. “By acknowledging my work, theyare acknowledging the importance of bringing to light issues of domesticviolence and abuse.”
Linda Boteach, the federation’s president, praised Aiken forher longtime service to victims of abuse and the Jewish community.
“For the last 18 years, she has helped provide a Jewishresponse to abuse and trauma,” Boteach said. “Prior to CHANA, a lot of people weren’taware of how much this was happening within our own community. The leadershipNancy has provided for CHANA has left our community in a much better place.CHANA gives women who are abused and whose voices aren’t heard a place to beheard and to get help. The organization helps women empower themselves so theycan go on to be strong for themselves and their families.”
Founded in 1995 as a Jewish response to domestic violence bycommunal leader Brenda Brown Rever and other advocates, CHANA began as a hotlineand safe house for women and children in the Jewish community. Upon Aiken’sarrival, the organization operated with only one staff member and a committedgroup of volunteers.
Under her leadership, CHANA’s staff grew to 11 and itsmandate expanded to provide culturally sensitive services to victims ofphysical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect, trauma and elder abuse.
CHANA, which is a program of The Associated: JewishFederation of Baltimore, also now educates the community about all forms ofabuse.
An Annapolis native, Aiken began her career as the clinicaldirector of the Harbel Prevention and Recovery Center, then based in a Dundalkchurch.
“My passion is to work with paraprofessionals in the community,”said Aiken. ““Working at Harbel Prevention and Recovery Center taught me how toapproach a problem with a firm vocation and that you can do objective clinicalmental health work while still keeping your feet grounded in personal values. Ithink that lesson helped me understand the force CHANA could be in my owncommunity.”
Over the years, Aiken has worked in several social servicecapacities besides helming CHANA. For example, she was part of a team of mentalhealth professionals who provided services to soldiers returning to Marylandafter serving in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
Currently, Aiken, a mother of two and grandmother of threewho lives in northern Baltimore County, serves as a consulting supervisor atthe Glenwood Life Counseling Center, a local methadone maintenance clinic.
“I felt I wanted to dosomething to address the opioid crisis,” she said. “I review their charts andprovide training to the staff to help improve the quality of care provided toour patients.”
Aiken said she is greatly honored to receive an award namedafter the late E.B. Hirsh, a local community leader, activist, philanthropistand founder of the E.B. Hirsh Early Childhood Center at Baltimore HebrewCongregation.
“It’s really humbling and hard to think of myself as thekind of leader E.B. was,” Aiken said. “E.B. was a woman who was a pioneer andleader when many women weren’t taking those bold steps. I feel humbled andgrateful, but this award isn’t just about me. It’s about all the leaders thatstarted CHANA and all the leaders of the domestic violence movement whose footstepsI follow in.
“Receiving this award isn’t something I expected in amillion years,” she said. “The Federation of Jewish Women’s Organizations ofMaryland is a group I have incredible respect for. As an organization, theyfill every gap you can think of, dealing with all issues women face and theyhave done so for over 100 years. I love that this is a community of womencoming together to accomplish things, and to be recognized for doing my part isvery gratifying.”
Also to be honored at the convention, with their constituent agencies, are Toby Essrog, Nancy Feierstein, Laury Scharff, Judi Snyder, Penny Kafka, Ellen Karp, Judy Stein, Diane Israel, Margie Simon, Beth Schlein, Barbara Black, Linda Roedel, Rochel Ziman, Angela Krozy, Saundra Ehrlich, Babs Galonoy, Rozzie Brilliant, Nadine Weinstein, Marcia Greenfield, Abby Sattell, Helen Davidson, Feigi Oberstein, Sen. Barbara Robinson, Allison Hoffman, Marcia Bornfriend, CeCe Rund and Gwyn Sirota.
For information, visit jewishwomensfed.org and chanabaltimore.org.
Aliza Friedlander is aBaltimore-based freelance writer.
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