From ensuring that Israel’s laws against gender segregation are enforced to supporting Jewish women struggling with fertility challenges, the Hadassah Foundation’s grant recipients are addressing today’s needs and laying the groundwork for a better future for women and girls. Below are just a few examples of our grantees’ work — each name in bold is a grantee organization.
Learn about all our grant recipients here and see even more news on the Hadassah Foundation’s Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook pages.
Fighting Women’s Exclusion in Israel
In Israel, excluding women from public spaces is illegal. However, this kind of discrimination – often done at the insistence of Haredi leaders – has been happening more and more frequently in recent years. The Israel Women’s Network (IWN) responds to complaints about these kinds of cases, which include things like requiring women visitors to public recreational spaces to sit separately from men, defacing photos of women and girls, and demanding that women and girls dress modestly on public transportation.
This summer, IWN published a report (in Hebrew only) together with the Center for Citizens Empowerment, examining the implementation of government laws that were passed in 2011 and 2014. The laws established mechanisms for reporting and addressing gender-exclusion complaints, but IWN and CCE found that more than half of the laws’ recommendations have not been implemented at all, and 14 percent have been implemented only partially. Meanwhile, the government is actively supporting gender-segregated events and pushing for legislation that reverses the earlier laws.
“The report highlights laws about gender segregation that the government is legally bound to comply with but has not yet implemented,” said IWN CEO Tal Hochman. “The purpose of this report is to hold the government responsible, to pressure the relevant ministries to do their work of public service, and to make sure that they enforce these laws as they are supposed to do.”
Yuliya Levitt Photography for jGirls+ Magazine
Essay Contest for Self-Identifying Jewish Girls and Nonbinary Teens
JGirls+ Magazine and our friends at Hadassah Magazine have launched their sixth annual teen essay contest. A program of Moving Traditions that is funded in part by the Hadassah Foundation, jGirls+ is an online community and magazine written by and for self-identifying Jewish girls, young women, and nonbinary teens. The contest, open to self-identifying Jewish girls, young women and nonbinary teens between the ages of 13 and 19, is for essays that share an experience of Jewish joy and/or pride. The winner will receive a $300 scholarship, and the winning essay will be published in both Hadassah Magazine and jGirls+ Magazine. The deadline for submission is October 24, 2025. Learn more here and read last year’s winning essay by Gabrielle Siegel.
Resources for Women Navigating Fertility Challenges
I Was Supposed to Have a Baby, which is based in the U.S. and provides hope, community, and vital information to Jewish individuals and families who are navigating fertility challenges, now offers 13 monthly online support groups free of charge – with plans to add even more later this year. Each group is for people with particular experiences in common, such as specific types of infertility or pregnancy loss. Two are tailored for English-speaking Israelis. Learn more and sign up here: https://iwassupposedtohaveababy.org/support-groups
The group’s “Talking Away the Taboo” podcast, hosted by its CEO Dr. Aimee Baron, has released more than 180 episodes and was featured in Million Podcasts’ “Best Fertility Podcasts of 2025” list. A space for “raw, real, and deeply Jewish conversations about infertility, loss, and everything in between,” it addresses a wide range of topics, including several recent episodes offering tips to ensure childless families feel welcomed at Jewish holiday celebrations. Download and subscribe here,
Get Ready for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the U.S., and Jewish Women International has prepared a toolkit to help Jewish organizations educate people about domestic violence and stand in solidarity with survivors. The toolkit includes a variety of social media content, calls to action, and other resources, such as guidance for talking to teens about healthy relationships and tips for ensuring survivors feel welcome in Jewish spaces.