About this Site
I Waited 96 Years! was created in October 2016 by Sarah Bunin Benor, Roberta Schultz Benor, and Tom Fields-Meyer. The website was inspired by a picture of 98-year-old Estelle L. Schultz (Roberta’s mother and Sarah’s grandmother) displaying her absentee ballot for Hillary Clinton. On Estelle’s request, Roberta took the photo and asked Sarah to share it on Facebook. Within a few days it had over 1,600 likes and many comments that involved tears in people’s eyes. Tom, a friend of Sarah’s, suggested creating a site with similar photos, and this project was born.
I Waited 96 Years! is an independent entity and is not affiliated with or sponsored by any candidate, campaign or political party.
From New York Public Library
Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Linguistics at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. Her award-winning books include Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism and Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps. She is the creator and editor of the Jewish English Lexicon.
Roberta Schultz Benor has worked with ages newborn to 100 years old in her positions as parenting instructor, English teacher, and director of a senior citizen apartment building. She is the author of two books: How to Succeed in Parenting: 120 Ways to Have a Great Family and The Keys to Senior Housing: A Guide for Two Generations. She teaches entertaining and educational classes on these and other topics, and she has a family history business called Let Us Remember.
Tom Fields-Meyer is a Los Angeles writer whose memoir Following Ezra was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. He is coauthor (with Barry Prizant, PhD) of the critically acclaimed Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism. Formerly a senior writer at People magazine, he teaches memoir writing in the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and assists individuals in writing memoirs. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications.
Shawn Fields-Meyer is a Los Angeles-based educator. She serves as School Rabbi at Milken Community Schools and is co-author of the book, A Day Apart: Shabbat at Home. She writes and teaches widely on issues of spirituality, parenting, and technology. She is the creator of Ruach Nashim, an annual women's retreat.
Special thanks to Miriam Benor, Esther Kustanowitz, and Ami Fields-Meyer for their help. Thank you to the women who submitted their photos and words, and thank you to the women who fought — and continue to fight — for equal rights.
If you have any questions, you can reach us at iwaited96years@gmail.com.