As we sat around our Thanksgiving tables with our families, our hearts are with the people in Israel who are waiting for the rest of hostages to be free, whose colleagues, friends and family have lost loved ones are now called into military service, and thousands of people have been displaced from their homes. We also are concerned about growing humanitarian needs in the region.  

During this time, we are cognizant that wartime takes a disproportionately heavy toll on the lives of women and girls – from increased gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse to the loss of crucial livelihoods and psychological stress. This is particularly true for women on the ground in Israel but also for Diaspora leaders who are watching from afar but are no less connected to Israel. They are physically drained and terrified while also frustrated that women's voices are not being heard, supported, or acknowledged, particularly around gender-based violence.

We are grateful to be able to care for the Israeli Elluminate Collective members in our network, and we are so proud of how they pivoted as leaders during this time. Additionally, our Women in the C-Suite community for Jewish women CEOs has been a respite from the fear, PTSD, and grief that all of these leaders share. It is in times like these that the Elluminate network, connecting Jewish women social entrepreneurs and philanthropists, is so very valuable. Whether in person or online, we are proud of the network we've created and continue to build, and we thank you for bringing your strengths, passions, values, and wisdom. 

In this newsletter, you will find:

• A Round-up of Elluminate’s Convening 2023 and an update on the November Collective retreat
• Upcoming Crown JEWEL Conversation on Wednesday, December 13th featuring Shahanna McKinney Baldon
• Spotlight on Orit Sulitzeanu, Executive Director of The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel & Elluminate Collective Member
• Notes from the Field: Updates from Israeli Collective Members 
• Last Call to Join our Visionary Circles
• Save-The-Date for our 2024 Gala Luncheon

Elluminate’s successful Convening 2023 took place on November 2nd, where more than 200 philanthropists, advocates, and individuals came together in NYC and online to grapple with how we as women must navigate our world at this time. It was a day of solidarity, inspiration, and learning!

Over the course of the day, we engaged with women experts at the governmental, policy, and grassroots levels on Israel, Reproductive Rights Policy, Feminist Philanthropy & Building Movements for Impact, and Fighting Anti Semitism in our Educational Institutions. 

Our Plenary Sessions focused on:

• The Price of War: Solidarity with Israel through a Gender Lens
• Reproductive Rights Policy and What we Can Do
• Feminist Philanthropy: Building Movements for Impact
• Fighting Anti-Semitism in our Educational Institutions

We also introduced and highlighted our Elluminate Collective members who tackle a broad range of issues including child marriage, mass incarceration, gun violence, and much more. They led us through breakout conversations focused on Advocacy through a Gender Lens, Shaping an Inclusive and Diverse Jewish Community, and Tackling the Feminization of Poverty.

To learn more, watch videos from the day, or access other resources, visit our Convening Round-up page.

Part of Elluminate's Collective program includes a fall in-person gathering. Prior to The Convening, 17 members of The Collective Cohorts 4 & 5 met in New York for a two-day leadership retreat. The program focused on storytelling for impact. The participants and Elluminate staff also had a joint dinner at Emma’s Torch which is run by Kerry Brodie, Cohort 4 member.

In addition, 25 Board and Visionary Circle members (both current and former) met with those 17 Collective Members to learn about each other’s work and engaged in a round robin that provided an opportunity for all participants to get to know the JEWELs more personally.

Join us for our Crown JEWEL Conversation on Wednesday, December 13th at 11:00am ET on Zoom featuring Shahanna McKinney-Baldon, Founding Executive Director of Edot Midwest Regional Jewish Diversity Collaborative. Shahanna will discuss how investing in the leadership of Jewish People of Color is affirming Jewish racial and ethnic diversity across communities in the Midwest region. Register here.

This is the latest in Elluminate's Crown JEWEL Conversation series with Rachel Weinstein, Elluminate's Immediate Past President. Each month, Elluminate highlights one member of The Collective, our signature leadership advancement program. These conversations focus on today's intractable issues and innovative solutions developed by Jewish women leaders.

Orit Sulitzeanu has been the Executive Director of The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI) since 2013. ARCCI works at the national level to eradicate sexual violence and serves as the umbrella organization for nine regional rape crisis centers in Israel. Under her leadership, ARCCI has initiated 50 laws related to sexual harassment, with each representing a survivor's story. 

At her Crown JEWEL Conversation on December 13th, Orit shared how the current war in Israel has changed ARCCI's work as they try to influence policymakers who are focused on managing the hostage crisis and work with survivors. She spoke about a "tsunami of need," a nationwide mental health system that is not equipped to manage a crisis of this magnitude. There is public disbelief that rape is occuring, despite the evidence and experts like Orit affirming cases. The survivors Orit works with have lost their sense of security, have feelings of guilt for surviving the attacks, and many victims of sexual violence have been triggered by the violent attacks on October 7th.



• To learn more about Orit, watch the video of Orit’s Crown JEWEL Conversation on November 13th, or to share it, click here. 
• Orit was also a guest of the Maimonides Society (Harvard Medical School and Dental School Jewish Organization), Harvard Jewish Law Students Association, and the Harvard Business School Jewish Students Association, where she discussed gender-based violence on October 7th. To view the video of that program, click here.

Elluminate Israeli Collective members are on the front lines and have shared some insights regarding what is happening on the ground. Of the 50 women in whom we have invested to date, 25% are Israeli, and 4 of the 10 in our newest cohort are working in Israel. Since the October 7th attacks in Israel, these leaders have been busy working with their various constituencies to ensure community safety, provide necessities and support. 

We have been in touch with them regularly and are well aware of the emotional burden that this unspeakable violence has on them individually and on their families. We are sharing with you updates from them  as we all try to understand the depth of these tragedies at a personal level and for the country as a whole.

• Avital Blonder of Jindas – Social Urban Vitalization shared that 100% of the people she works with do not have access to shelters. The organization is focusing its work on two neighborhoods in Ofakim and Ashkelon, where socio-economically marginalized families are exceptionally vulnerable and exposed. Jindas is leading the construction of roughly 500 new apartments in each neighborhood, one third of which will be designated for rent, and the improvement/construction of new public services.
• Dana Talmi of Yahel - Israel Service Learning launched a crowdfunding campaign aimed at directly addressing local needs in Israel. The 350,000 Shekels raised are supporting Yahel's partners in providing food for soldiers, supporting evacuees and children, and providing emotional support activities. To hear from Dana and Yahel's partners, watch this webinar (Passcode: Xg0C2P&*). 
• Dina Shalev of Lada'at - Choose Well's Arab-language counseling center works with women from East Jerusalem and the Palestinian Authority seeking emergency services in Israel, such as those dealing with unplanned pregnancies. Since October 7th, entry for Palestinians from the West Bank into Israel is prohibited, and Lad'aat has been unable to assist women living under the Palestinian Authority at this time.
• Ela Alon and Itach-Maaki - Women Lawyers for Social Justice is working with families from Bedouin society in the Negev desert who have been severely affected by the war. These 140,000 citizens are not protected by the Iron Dome and do not have access to bomb shelters. Itach-Maaki is providing solutions to their most urgent needs, including distributing food packages and providing emotional support. Read more about their work in The New York Times. 
• Karyn Grossman Gershon and Project Kesher's Israel office are running around-the-clock Russian language programming - with more than 44,000 views over the past month. Programs include hearing from a clinical psychologist about the rise of gender violence in wartime and offering support and resources, bedtime stories in Ukrainian for children, pilates and yoga, and Kabbalat Shabbat. Read more about their work in The Associated Press.
• Mazal Shaul of WePower shared that there are 500 women in the organization's alumni network that are missing. She and wePower members have been working to connect with them since the war began. WePower has decided to move forward with their regular programming to support women's leadership. 
• Rina Ayalin-Gorelik and The Association of Ethiopian Jews is acting as a central information hub for civil society volunteer efforts to serve the Ethiopian-Israeli community, which faces socio-economic challenges which have been exacerbated by the ongoing war.
• Susan Weiss and the Center for Women's Justice is hosting a podcast series, "Voices of Women at Wartime," which examines how women affect war and how war affects women. Listen here.

LAST CALL - Limited Spaces Remaining!

Each year, Elluminate convenes Visionary Circles, select groups of feminist philanthropists, to help choose the next cohort of The Collective.

Are you interested in:

• Growing in your philanthropic education around giving through Jewish values, a gender lens, feminist leadership, and pursuing social change?
• Becoming part of a dynamic network of women supporting women?
• Investing in the future of Jewish feminist leaders?  
• Making an impact?

If yes, then the Visionary Circles might be right for you! To learn more, reach out to Eva Stern ASAP at Eva@ElluminateWomen.org.

Elluminate brings together feminist philanthropists and Jewish women social entrepreneur executives to create social change through a Jewish and gender lens. Please consider making a generous gift to support our important programming. Thanks to your genderosity, Elluminate is where women's leadership is valued. 

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