Blog
Somehow this year I missed Kristallnacht
When I was younger, I commemorated Kristallnacht, the "Night of Broken Glass," each year. I attended programs at my family's synagogue and later at my college Hillel to observe the night Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools...
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed annually on November 20th to commemorate members of the trans community who have lost their lives to anti-transgender violence. Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a trans rights activist and a transgender woman herself, began...
After a Short 96 Years, the Equal Rights Amendment May Pass Now
“And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, I'm 'a compel him to include women in the sequel!”*When I was a little girl, my mother (and my father and my grandparents) told me that I could do anything and be anyone I wanted to be, if only I gave it everything I had....
Period Poverty: Closer to Home Than You Think
Tomorrow, October 19, marks the first National Period Day. Created by PERIOD: The Menstrual Movement, National Period Day is a day to break the stigma around menstruation and elevate the issue of period poverty. Period poverty occurs when a person is...
Labor Rights for Labor Day
By Natasha Mayer For all of human history, women have worked. Whether they worked on the family farm, in a factory during World War II, or in an office today, women have always been contributing to the economy and the workforce. Women have also been on the...
A Conference with a Conscience
By Rachel Siegel I recently attended the JRPO Network’s conference for Jewish communal professionals in Detroit, Michigan. Over the course of three days I had the opportunity to reset personally and professionally, meet and reconnect with leaders in the...
World Without Exploitation Youth Summit
By Natasha Mayer Last week, I had the privilege of attending World Without Exploitation’s 2nd Annual Youth Summit. Led by Lauren Hersh, World Without Exploitation seeks to create a world where no person is trafficked, sold, or exploited. The event was...
All In for Women and Girls
by Rachel Siegel A new report from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, All In for Women & Girls, explores the characteristics of women’s fund and foundation donors. For example, compared to general donors, they have given to women’s and girls’ causes...
T’ruah Summer Fellows
By Natasha Mayer This morning, JWFNY staff had the honor of attending a breakfast to meet T’ruah’s 2019 Summer Rabbinic Fellows. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, T’ruah’s Executive Director, shared with us how the program trains rabbinical and cantorial students across...
Fostering Safe, Respectful, Equitable Organizations
By Rachel SiegelEarlier this month, JWFNY professionals attended the SafetyRespectEquity Coalition (SRE)’s Spring Summit. The goal of SRE, and the Summit was “shaping a shared agenda to ensure safe, respectful, equitable organizations and communal spaces.”...