Elluminate E-News May 2024



Message from our CEO 

Earlier this month, we came together as Jewish women leaders, philanthropists, advocates and friends envisioning the world in which we want to live. At our 2024 Annual Luncheon and our Collective Retreat, we boldly recognized our Elluminate community as one committed to empowering and investing in transformational Jewish women leaders and advancing their visions for equality, social justice and change. This is their moment!

And we said “Hineni” … We are here! With Israel in an existential war, and anti-Israel and antisemitic acts taking place on campuses and beyond, we stood together in New York to honor and support our Israeli Collective leaders — 13 extraordinary and determined women who have deepened their commitment to their work, all the while caring for their families and communities during this immensely challenging time.

Our Collective members who are part of our global network are doing such meaningful work in the realms of ending human trafficking, ensuring food security, advancing women's leadership, holding up the most marginalized, and much, much more. Individually and collectively, they are envisioning and practicing solutions to the most intractable issues through a Jewish and gender lens.

This is what makes Elluminate’s work so unique. We believe Jewish women leaders can change the world — and that provided the opportunity to come together, they forge partnerships and synergies that bring closer the goals of equity and justice, and better civil society.

At our Collective Retreat held directly before the Luncheon, members asked that Elluminate continue to raise awareness that less than 2 percent of charitable dollars go to women’s causes, and that during times of crisis such as now, funds are rerouted, making less resources available, even when it is women on the frontlines. 

We are grateful to the more than 400 women who attended our Annual Luncheon — in support of Elluminate and our mission to empower Jewish women leaders — and making this centerpiece event as successful and meaningful as it was.

Warmly,

Melanie Roth Gorelick

CEO, Elluminate

PS - On a related side note, I recently attended the premiere of Sheryl Sandberg’s documentary Screams Before Silence, codifying eyewitness accounts of the heinous sexual crimes perpetrated by terrorists on October 7th in Israel. It is of course devastating that this film needed to be made at all, but it’s well done and a vehicle for raising awareness. I encourage you to organize opportunities to view the film and discuss it.

400-plus Women Honor Elluminate Board Member Aela Morgan and Israeli Collective Members at 2024 Annual Luncheon

More than 400 women — all committed to Jewish women’s leadership and the positive impact it creates across the breadth of society — gathered in NYC on May 7 for Elluminate’s 2024 Annual Luncheon.

The Luncheon is one of Elluminate’s centerpiece events of the year, reflecting the commitment of our community to supporting and elevating Jewish women leaders and approaching challenging social, legal and economic issues through a Jewish and gender lens.

Attendees honored Elluminate Board Member and Visionary Philanthropist Aela Morgan, who spoke movingly about how her Israeli, American and Jewish identities have fueled her journey to a leadership role and a view of how change is pursued and accomplished, wedded to the central and driving value of tikkun olam.

And significantly, against the sobering backdrop of Israel at war, attendees honored 13 of the extraordinary Israeli women non-profit CEOs who are members of Elluminate’s Collective, our signature women’s leadership platform. We recognized how Israeli women are facing enormous and unprecedented challenges since October 7th, but also how these 13 leaders are demonstrating the power of Jewish women’s vision to deepen impact and reconstruct an equitable Israeli civil society. 

Three of them — Ela Alon of Itach Ma'aki, Rina Ayalin-Gorelik of the Association of Ethiopian Jews, and Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll of Chochmat Nashim — silenced the room as each described new and unexpected short and long-term challenges, but also opportunity to reimagine and reenvision, and expressing immense gratitude to the ongoing support and embrace of the Elluminate community. Click on their names above to view their presentations.

Thank you so much to our generous Event Chairs, Host Committee, and corporate sponsors! Your support makes Elluminate's work possible.

Elluminate Collective Annual Retreat Takes Place in NYC

Elluminate’s Annual Retreat brought together over 30 Collective members who have participated in our Fellowship over the past five years and make up our global Jewish women’s leadership network. On our first day, the current Fellowship participants took a deep dive into adaptable leadership — a critical topic as they and their organizations and communities are all impacted by current events.

On the second day, Jewish women CEOs from the US and Israel tackled issues they are facing working for social change during wartime in Israel, growing antisemitism around the world, and other immense challenges. Leaders underscored the imperative to maintain and strengthen this network, and to help elevate the importance that the Jewish community allocate philanthropic funds through a gender lens.

Elluminate celebrated the graduates of Cohorts 3 and 4 at a special dinner with Visionary Circle members, our Board and other Collective members. In addition to presentations, we had a special poetry reading by feminist Israeli poet Maya Tevet Dayan, who also spoke at our Annual Luncheon. Everyone in attendance departed more connected and empowered by the power of our Elluminate community.

Advancing Dialogue and Shared Values

Elluminate Co-Treasurer Roberta Elliott also serves as President of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, which works to build trust, respect and relationships between Jewish and Muslim women of all ages — a critical mission, especially at this time.

Recently, Roberta appeared with Atiya Aftab, Co-founder and Chair Emerita of the Sisterhood, at a program — Israel and Palestine: Dialogue and Relationships Across Divides — presented by the prestigious Chautauqua Institution. We are sharing the link to a recording of the event and thank Roberta for her work advancing dialogue and shared values in the furthering of peace. To watch the recording, click here.

Crown Jewel Conversations

Elluminate’s Crown JEWEL Conversations monthly webcast highlights one of our Collective members who share their personal story, issue area, and how they are creating change. We are spotlighting two amazing webcasts for your viewing in case you missed them. 

On April 4th, we welcomed SooJi Min-Maranda, Executive Director of ALEPH: The Alliance for Jewish Renewal, based in Philadelphia. SooJi described how ALEPH is revitalizing Judaism and bringing spiritual vitality and meaningful engagement to communities around the world. You can view SooJi and Elluminate Immediate Past President Rachel Weinstein in conversation here.

And on May 2nd, we featured Lela Klein, Co-Executive Director of Co-op Dayton. Lela discussed how her organization is incubating worker- and community-owned businesses in her hometown, and breaking cycles of generational poverty for families and greater communities. You can find Lela and Rachel here.

SAVE THE DATE! 

ERA Briefing

June 24, 2024 — 5:30 to 7 pm ET

Location to be announced

Nearly 100 years after its introduction, there is a renewed movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and make it part of the US Constitution — a significant and long overdue step toward ensuring women’s full equality. 

Join us on Monday, June 24, 5:30 to 7 pm ET, as we talk with Marcy Syms, Co-Founder, and Ting Ting Cheng, Director, ERA Project at Columbia Law School. We’ll explore the future of the ERA and what it could mean for the status and protection of American women. 

The issue is not only present on the federal level, but on the state level too. On Election Day in November, New York State voters will vote on whether the state amends its constitution to include an equal rights amendment.

Please join us so that you are informed with the latest developments and are equipped to advocate for women’s equality. RSVP here and for more information, email info@elluminatewomen.org.

Please consider making a generous gift to support Elluminate’s work and programming during this critical and challenging time.

Elluminate

elluminatewomen.org