Posts in Women's Issues
“Do you mind muting?”

by Marissa Freeman

Hear Our Voice is a mindset I carry with me everyday, and up until a month ago, I was showing up for my voice and my voice was showing up for me. Then, quarantine. Doors shut, everyone packed up, and the entire world shrunk to the size of my 13” MacBook. What do we do now that our theme, Hear Our Voice, is met with challenging times and physical mask coverage? We need to turn up its volume to maximum levels.

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It's Time for Menstrual Equity for All

By Brianna Elgart

In addition to the #NationalPeriodDay movement, there is a huge push by Platform and other partner organizations advocating for the Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2019, which was first introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng back in March. The Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2019 will help to make menstrual hygiene products more accessible and affordable, especially in communities that face disproportionate access to reproductive health care services and products.

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Student D'Vars Bring New Perspectives to Ancient Texts

Our Change the Culture Student Ambassador Program empowers students to be activists, bringing conversations about healthy relationships to their campuses. One way they do this is through Healthy Relationship Shabbats - where students are brought together over dinner for activities and discussion on the qualities of a healthy relationship in a Jewish context. These student d’vars show how students are engaging closely with JWI’s work, and framing their college experience through ancient text.

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Hanukkah and the Normalization of Violence

By Rabbi Donna Kirshbaum

As Hanukkah approaches, we are reminded that we are not the first generation of Jews who have had to balance the desire for peace with the necessity of force.  We gather around hanukiot,  kindling light against the many kinds of darkness that threaten our sense of safety, security and shelter.

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On Friend’s Day, Honoring an interfaith friendship.

By Steph Black

There are holidays for everything—National Hug Your Cat Day is June 4; National Ice Cream Day is July 1; and World Emoji Day is July 17. While I certainly love my cat, Goose, eat my share of ice cream and appreciate a good emoji as much as the next gal, I am also happy that there’s a day to honor friendship—June 8, national friends day.

I’d like to tell you about a friend who has impacted my life in an unexpected way.

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Building Shalom Bayit into Your Daily Life

By Courtney Pories

“Shalom bayit” can mean something different to everyone, which is why after writing my first piece for JW magazine, I became curious about how other people create peace in their homes. Monica Edelman, the well-travelled coordinator of JWI’s Los Angeles Young Women’s Leadership Network, shared her story, revealing insights on global Jewry, identity, mutual respect, and expressing your values within your relationships.

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How We're Working to #ChangeTheCulture - and you can join us.

Last week, we asked men why it's important to be leaders in their communities to support survivors and fight sexual assault. This week, we asked: How are you working to #ChangetheCulture to prevent sexual assault? The individuals you'll hear from below reaffirm that there are so many ways to advocate - creating cultural changes in the workplace, teaching children that they have control over their bodies, modeling healthy relationships, simply having a conversation about #MeToo - and more. 

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Building Shalom Bayit as a DC Twenty-Something

By Courtney Pories

As a young adult who has lived in her first apartment for just a year now, it’s interesting to reflect on how I’ve made my home Jewish. Living with a few other twenty-something Jewish girls, we’re always running between working and socializing, trying to figure out how this whole “adulting” thing works - how do we take the time to build a home?

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Getting Past Gaslighting

by Sue Tomchin

Psychologist Robin Stern is committed to empowering us to break free from the spell of manipulative relationships—whether in the public sphere or in personal lives. Her advice is something we all need to listen to.

On March 15, Stern spoke to an audience of over 200 shelter professionals taking part in one of JWI’s monthly webinars, educating them about the signs of gaslighting and how they can help clients recover from its effects.

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