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As we hope for the continued release of Israeli hostages, and the sustainability of the ceasefire, we remain aware that Israel must also focus on the rebuilding and strengthening of its civil society. This is a critical and pinnacle moment for Israeli women as women’s rights and leadership must be central to this work. Yet efforts over the past two years have been aimed at rolling back women’s rights, and the lack of women in leadership positions is stark and historic.
Elluminate was made for this moment. The entrepreneurial women in our Israeli cohort need our support more than ever. They are running key organizations across the spectrum of Israeli civil society, aiming to influence and shape policy, power and culture shifts through a gender lens. From supporting women running for office, and elevating the Ethiopian community and minority rights … to healing victims of violence and trauma, and enhancing shared society between Israelis and Palestinians … and more — now is their moment.
Our women around the world are standing strong and bold as efforts increase to threaten gains made by the feminist community.
Late last year, for example, the Texas Attorney General initiated legal action against the founder of Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine (ACT) — an organization in Elluminate’s Collective that works with clinicians to provide telemedicine abortion care and medication. And on a recent segment of our Crown JEWEL Conversation, we heard from Ruth Zakarin — Executive Director of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, and a member of our Collective — about threats to dismantle hard-won gun violence prevention laws.
We are dedicated to our Jewish values and our intention of achieving gender equity through feminist leadership. Elluminate is empowering its leaders to use their moral courage as they work for social change for women’s advancement and to help the most marginalized. This can only be done with women working together to mobilize and lead and be effective. Now is the time.
We need your support to grow and scale to meet this moment, and we invite you to join our community and to give genderosity. It makes a difference.
Warmly,
Melanie Roth Gorelick
Elluminate CEO
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Visionary Circle Philanthropic Education | |
Elluminate’s Visionary Circle (VC) will soon choose the changemaking women leaders who will make up Cohort 7 of The Collective, to be announced this spring. VC members began their work in December with philanthropic education sessions, the first focusing on Jewish values and social change, and featuring Ruth Messinger in conversation with Rabbi Hilly Haber of Central Synagogue. In January, the topic was Grantmaking for Equity: Gender and Social Change, featuring Sharon Dwek from Jewish Funders Network and Bess Rothenberg from Ford Foundation. | |
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Elluminate at the Harmonie Club, January 29th. Join Us! | |
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Elluminate will be featured at a special program — Israeli Women’s Leadership Post-October 7th — on Wednesday, January 29th at 6:00 pm at the Harmonie Club in New York.
On October 7th, the world changed when Hamas brutally attacked Israel, massacring innocent civilians and committing horrific, gender-based sexual crimes. Fifteen months later, as we look to remaining hostages being released and a ceasefire taking hold, Israeli women leaders are on the frontlines of Israeli civil society rising to meet the challenges of this critical moment and working to strengthen Israeli women’s leadership and impact. Join us for a compelling discussion from Israeli women leaders about their lived experiences and where we go from here.
To learn more and register, email info@elluminatewomen.org.
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This program is part of an Elluminate series on this topic — the next on January 30 at Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains, NY. To register click here. We are also organizing meetings in NJ, Florida and New York. If you are interested in learning more, reach out to Jodi@elluminatewomen.org. | |
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Our next Crown JEWEL Conversation — February 6 at 12 pm ET — will feature a compelling conversation with Avital Blonder, CEO and Founder of Jindas - Social Urban Vitalization, which is creating interdisciplinary models for sustainable, thriving communities to boost social mobility and alleviate poverty in Israel. To register and receive our Zoom link, click here.
Our January Crown JEWEL Conversation featured Ruth Zakarin, CEO of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. Ruth shared why she believes gun violence is a feminist issue, and that homicide is now the leading cause of death among pregnant and postpartum women — three quarters of which are perpetrated by a gun. To watch the video and learn more about Ruth and her work and impact, click here.
Elluminate’s Crown Jewel Conversations monthly webcast highlights members of our Collective — visionary leaders focusing on today’s most emergent issues. To see the full line-up of Crown JEWEL Conversations in 2025, click here.
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News from Our Collective Field | | |
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Julia Jassey, CEO of Jewish on Campus and Collective Cohort 6 member, was a featured speaker during the Leiman Maisel Family Shabbaton, hosted by Park Avenue Synagogue in New York on January 24-25 and focused on the rise of antisemitism on American college campuses. Julia spoke about her grassroots movement powered by students to strengthen Jewish identity and combat hate. | | |
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“Fire is one of the many forces that can be used for blessing or for curse. We are called, in this time, to use our collective power to work toward blessing,” writes Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Founder and CEO of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, and Collective Cohort 3 member, in a January 9 thought piece in The Forward. Rabbi Rosenn, observing the devastating conflagrations in and around Los Angeles, states that this is the time for Jewish community not only to come together in crisis, but also to build collective action against climate change. | | |
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Mazel Tov! … to Nina Smith, Former CEO of GoodWeave International and member of our Collective Cohort 4, who became a Bat Mitzvah on January 18 at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, DC. “Becoming a Bat Mitzvah is about widening and deepening connection to my community and culture,” Nina wrote in her program, also citing her participation in the Elluminate community. And in a moving recognition of that connection, Nina encouraged guests to make a donation to Unchained At Last, led by fellow cohort member Fraidy Reiss, and brought in Emma’s Torch, led by cohort colleague Kerry Brodie, for catering. | |
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month | |
The US Department of State reports that nearly 30 million people worldwide — both adults and children — are subjected to human trafficking for forced labor and sex, undermining rule of law, robbing people of dignity and freedom, enriching criminal and terrorist networks and threatening public safety. Elluminate recognizes the passion and impact of three of our Collective members working tirelessly in this field to raise awareness and end human trafficking: Jamie Beck, Founder and President of Free to Thrive (Cohort 5); Lori Cohen, CEO of Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT) (Cohort 6); and Lauren Hersh, Founding Co-Chair and National Director of World Without Exploitation (Cohort 1). | |
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