Return of the Yentas
Way back in December 1996, after the Clinton-Gore re-election campaign, I got hired (along with a lot of the other campaign staff) to work on the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC97). They made me Ops manager for the Events team, so I was responsible for requisitioning office supplies, computers, pagers, etc., for the people who were setting up the parade, the gala event, the balls, etc. We used LotusNotes. It was thrilling. There was a whole separate operation for the "Talent" being invited (i.e. the Hollywood star power), and for the political machinations.
While I was in charge of requesting the computers, I wasn't the one setting them up - that fell to the consultants from AAC. And that's where I met Judy. We hit it off like a house on fire. We worked together -- I pitched in with the computers if I could -- and hung out during those two intense months. Somewhere along the way picked up a third MoT, Valerie, who worked with the PIC management team. [Photo above- Judy, Valerie, and me at Bazaar by Jose Andres in DC]
Judy and I even went to some of the Inaugural Balls together - we both used the same 'secret hiding place' for our drink tickets, since our fancy dresses didn't have pockets. ;)
After the Inauguration week craziness ended, all three of us were hired on to help with 'closeout' -- returning everything the PIC had borrowed or rented (computers, printers, etc), and collecting office supplies to be donated to local schools. There was lots of manual labor involved. At one point we were all sitting on the floor waiting for our next task, and we started laughing... cackling, really. Mike Duffy, who was managing a lot of the closeout work, looked over and accused us of being the Witches of Eastwick -- which only made us laugh harder. But wait, since we're all Jewish, he decided we should be the Yentas of Eastwick!
And poof! The Yentas were born. For many years, we reunited in DC for the Race for the Cure in June to honor our mothers and so many friends who were/are breast cancer survivors. (<-- Photo from 2011 - team "Eye of the Tiger" with our ears!). Over the years, getting all of us together in one place got harder. But after almost 30 years, 3 weddings, births, deaths, moves, and bi-weekly zooms since the pandemic, we're still going strong!
So we decided to spend a couple of days in DC this week catching up before I head off to Spain. There was laughter, tears, hugs, shopping, eating, and reminiscing. And planning for the future!
As Madeleine Albright is fond of saying, "I have long believed that there is a seat of honor reserved for any woman who takes the time to help another woman, and a special place in hell for those who do not." We need each other now more than ever. I LOVE YOU ALL!
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