The Hadassah Foundation is committed to ongoing learning about the field of gender equity, the needs of women and girls in Israel and the United States, and the best practices in philanthropy. And we are committed to sharing what we learn in order to strengthen and grow the ecosystem of feminist organizations. As part of this work, we have curated several recent news articles that are relevant to the work we do.
In this post we explore articles about ongoing issues in the United States. Find recent articles about Israel here. Please note that the Hadassah Foundation does not endorse every view expressed in the articles below.
Jewish Fertility Foundation Sees ‘Unprecedented’ Demand for IVF Grants as Funding Cuts Rock D.C.
eJewish Philanthropy, March 24
Jewish women affected by federal layoffs and funding cuts are turning to the Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF) — an Atlanta-based nonprofit that provides grants, education, and emotional support to women struggling with fertility. Several are in the middle of IVF treatments they can no longer afford or are facing the loss of employer-provided health insurance.
Before Nita Lowey Died, Trump’s DOGE Eviscerated the $250M Middle East Peace Fund Named for Her
JTA, March 18
When longtime Jewish lawmaker Nita Lowey died earlier this month, U.S. Jewish groups praised her for pushing the Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, which had bipartisan support and provided funding to Israeli-Palestinian peace-building initiatives. But all of the groups supported through the MEPPA fund have had their grants canceled amid the Trump administration’s slashing of USAID, and it’s unclear whether restoring them is possible. Scores of Israeli nonprofits (including several recent grant recipients of the Hadassah Foundation) have been affected.
Isolated and Excluded: New Survey Highlights Challenges of Global LGBTQ+ Jews of Color
Times of Israel, March 13
A study by Keshet, a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ Jews (and past grant recipient of the Hadassah Foundation), calls for Jewish communities to do a better job of providing support and allyship for LGBTQ+ Jews of Color, noting that many feel unwelcome or report encountering numerous microaggressions in Jewish spaces.
Leading, Impact and Moving Forward: Reflections from Four Pioneering Jewish Community Executives
eJewish Philanthropy, March 4
Podcast host Michelle W. Malkin brings together four successful female Jewish community CEOs who recently stepped down “at the pinnacle of their success”: Idit Klein of Keshet, Jodi Bromberg of 18Doors, Aliza Kline of OneTable, and Dori Frumin Kirshner of Matan. All four agreed that “success isn’t solely measured by growth metrics or fundraising achievements. It’s also about cultivating a thriving internal culture, fostering a sense of ‘we’ within their organizations and witnessing the ripple effects of their leadership in unexpected places.”
‘We’re Disaster Planning’: Trump’s Funding Freeze Rattles Domestic Violence Nonprofits
Politico, March 1
Trump administration funding cuts aimed at federal programs promoting DEI are destabilizing organizations that serve survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Jewish Women’s Foundation Empowers Handy Women and Others with Grants
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 26
Pittsburgh’s daily newspaper highlights the work – and 25-year legacy – of our friends at the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Pittsburgh. (Learn more about them and other Jewish women’s foundations here.)
Transgender Jews and their Families Search for Safety as Trump Takes Aim at their Rights
JTA, February 3
President Trump’s executive order seeking to outlaw gender-affirming medical care (puberty blockers and other interventions) for transgender youth is spurring Jewish parents of transgender children to explore contingency plans. One Jewish mother told JTA, “We are now very scared to point that we’re packing go-bags. We have mapped a route to drive out of the country if something goes crazy.”