Karen Fryd and Maritza Ejenbaum were less than thrilled when they found out they would be receiving the ''Woman of Valor'' awards from the National Council of Jewish Women's Greater Miami Section.

The two women will receive the awards at the chapter's annual luncheon Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Four Seasons in Miami, 1435 Brickell Ave.

Fryd and Ejenbaum will be recognized for their work improving the lives of those who are impoverished and underserved.

The two honorees don't like the limelight, preferring to stay under the radar.

''They ambushed me,'' said Fryd, 49, who works with inner-city youth. ``I am very honored, but very, very uncomfortable.''

Sharon Yudewitz, the administrator of the National Council for Jewish Women's Greater Miami section, says both women are extremely modest.

''The thought of them getting an award for something that comes naturally was so appalling to them,'' said Yudewitz, who lives in North Miami Beach.

Inspired by Jewish values, the National Council for Jewish Women is a grass-roots organization that strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

Each year, the Woman of Valor award focuses on a particular theme. This year, the organization is recognizing women who work on behalf of the impoverished and underserved.

''These are extraordinary women who don't look for anything extraordinary. They are just doing what needs to be done,'' said Alissa Pardo Stein, the chapter's president.

Born in Cuba, Ejenbaum came to the United States in 1960 at the age of 7. She grew up on Miami Beach.

Ejenbaum, 55, is the program coordinator for the Thelma Gibson Health Initiative, a Coconut Grove nonprofit that provides healthcare, educational and other social services to diverse and underserved populations.

Ejenbaum says she is driven by the Jewish principal of tikkun olam which means to ``repair the world.''

''I feel that I've been privileged and blessed in my life,'' Ejenbaum said. ``I want to use the power that I have, in a responsible, respectable way, to empower those who are disempowered.''

Recipients of the Woman of Valor Award do not have to be members of NCJW. Both Ejenbaum and Fryd are members, however. Ejenbaum says that her love of Judaism and her passion for social justice is embodied in NCJW.

''It is an organization that has a global concern for people,'' she said. ``It is very clear that it's an organization that does its best to promote social justice for a broad spectrum of humanity.''

Ejenbaum particularly loves participating in the work that the local chapter does with Shalom Bayit, the Jewish community's response to domestic violence.

Ejenbaum is a founding member of a grass-roots organization, Latin Jewish Women's Empowerment Group, which addresses the specific cultural needs of the Latin Jewish community with regard to domestic violence.

Fryd, also a Latin Jew, moved from Colombia to the United States when she was 14. She moved to Miami in her 20s.

When a teacher friend working at Frederick Douglass Elementary School in Miami told Fryd about how her students did not have enough school supplies, Fryd decided to help out. She not only outfitted the friend's classroom but the entire school with supplies.

That led Fryd to establish the South Florida Youth Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides inner city kids with everything from school uniforms to musical instruments. When Fryd sees a need, she creates a program or provides the resource -- whether it is starting a midnight basketball program in Overtown or helping mentally handicapped kids at Booker T. Washington High School create a kitchen so they can learn to work and transition into the job world.

Fryd spends a large portion of her time in Liberty City and Overtown often collaborating with schools and the police department.

''We have a parallel world eight minutes from my house where there are a lot of obstacles,'' said Fryd, who lives in Miami Beach.

Fryd said she is a part of NCJW because it is a group of women that take action. Fryd is currently on the local NCJW Public Affairs and Community Service Committee, PACS, which allocates money to worthwhile causes in the community.

When Curley's House, a community food bank in Miami, was burglarized and totally wiped out in October, Fryd said her first call was to NCJW.

'They ponied up and asked, `What do you need? How can we help?' '' she said. ``It's about really rolling up your sleeves and working. I don't want to sit on those ghost boards and just talk about doing things.''

Stein says Fryd and Ejenbaum are truly ``doers.''

''They are like bridges,'' said Stein who lives in Miami Beach. ``They find people in need and they make the connection.''

Stein says that ''yes'' is part of the vocabularies of both women.

'It's not a boundary-less `yes,' '' she said. 'It's a thoughtful `If this is within my means, I will do my darnedest yes.' ''

For information or to go to the $150-a-plate luncheon, call Sharon Yudewitz at 305-538-4744.

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