Once upon a time, women did most of the cooking, cleaning, and serving for the Passover seder, while the men dominated the reading and discussion of the Hagaddah.
Thankfully, modern seder tables tend to be more equitable, with women contributing to and often leading the conversation. But too many other tables where critical decisions are made continue to exclude women. That is especially true in Israel, where women are dramatically underrepresented in top leadership roles.
Earlier this month, the Hadassah Foundation co-sponsored the webinar “A Seat at the Table: Women’s Leadership in Israel Through the War and Beyond,” with National Council of Jewish Women and Jewish Funders Network’s Gender Giving Forum. We encourage you to watch the video above discussing the current needs of women and girls in Israel and the collaborative initiative, Connecting for Impact, which is bringing together leading Israeli feminist organizations, many of them Hadassah Foundation grant recipients, to create lasting change.
Learn more in this article in eJewish Philanthropy
Learn more about Connecting for Impact.
With Israel still under attack from Iran, some may view gender equity as a secondary concern. But as the webinar makes clear, gender equity is not a niche issue but a strategic one. As Yael Hasson of the Adva Center, a Hadassah Foundation grant recipient, said, “If we want resilient communities, a strong economy, and a healthy democracy, gender must be integrated into long-term planning, policy design, and philanthropic investment.”
We hope your Passover table is peaceful, filled with loved ones and meaningful conversation.