Washington Institute 2022 is a reimagined opportunity for new and seasoned advocates from National Council of Jewish Women to come together in Washington, DC*. Over three days, we will learn new skills and tools, advance our collective mission, and make our voices heard.
It all culminates in The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice on Capitol Hill – sending a powerful message that we are committed to the fight to ensure a just future.
With so much at stake for abortion access, voting rights, childcare, equal pay, and the integrity of the federal courts, it's more important than ever for Jewish people and allies to join forces and build collective power for change.
This is a powerful conference for everyone.
Wherever you are on your justice journey (new or seasoned), our network of activists, advocates, and leaders across the country is a community you can rely on. We’re learning together. We bolster each other’s success and create more powerful change. Join us for Washington Institute 2022.
* Opportunities for virtual participation available.Click Below to Register!
Washington Institute 2022 is a powerful conference for everyone on their justice journey! Whether you’re passionate about NCJW’s education, community service, advocacy work, or all of the above, this conference is for you.
Join us from May 15 - 17 as we take Washington, DC by storm!

Join Us From Home
Experience the power of Washington Institute virtually! From the opening session through our closing at The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice, you’ll have the opportunity to hear directly from changemakers on the frontlines, learn with like-minded advocates in virtual workshops, and gain skills to effectively promote change in your local communities.
The following sessions will be available virtually. For more details on each, see the Conference Agenda above.
Sunday, May 15
- 1:30pm-3:15pm ET: Welcome to Washington Institute: A Conversation on Creative Changemaking and CEO Keynote
- 3:30-6pm ET: Choose Your Interactive Session
- 8:30pm-9:45pm ET: “Oh God, A Show About Abortion” & Dessert Reception
Monday, May 16
- 1pm-2:45pm ET: Identity & Oppression: Navigating Antisemitism in Social Justice Work
- 3:15pm-4:15pm ET: Communities of Practice: Speed Networking
- 7:30pm-10pm ET: We Are All Champions of Change: An Evening of Celebration
Tuesday, May 17
- 9am-11:30am ET: The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice
For too long, the American narrative about religion and abortion has ignored Jewish voices — and it’s past time for that to end. Washington Institute culminates in The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice on Tuesday morning — our opportunity to raise our voices to make it clear that enough is enough.
See more information here.

Washington Institute 2022 is the perfect opportunity to:
- Hear from diverse, prominent, political leaders and changemakers
- Learn how to do more effective education, direct service, and advocacy work to transform your communities
- Connect with and build lasting relationships with NCJW leaders, advocates, and allies from across the nation
- Receive interactive training on diversity, equity, and inclusion, giving you more tools for effective action
- Deepen your knowledge of the most pressing issues facing women, children, and families
- Experience the dynamic energy of our nation’s capital at this pivotal moment
- Make your voice heard at The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice
- Reenergize and ignite your passion for the work ahead
- Leave with real and meaningful skills, ideas, tools, and partners to create change


Who will be speaking at Washington Institute 2022?
Our dynamic speakers will be shared soon. You can expect to hear from diverse, prominent, political leaders and changemakers.
Some of our past speakers include: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Edith Windsor, Melissa Harris Perry, Lilly Ledbetter, and more.
If I’ve already been to a Washington Institute, should I come to this one?
Each Washington Institute includes new information, speakers, and opportunities to engage in our current moment. This year, we are focused on building our collective power as a force for change. We welcome folks who are brand new to NCJW and those who have been with us for decades. We’re stronger together, and we’ll work together to transform our communities.
What are the ticketing options?
$495: Early bird in-person rate (Register by March 20).
$575: In-person rate after March 20
There are in-person ticket options for day passes and individual sessions.
$300: Virtual, recommended rate
Pay-what-you-can ticket options available to ensure price is not a barrier to participation
Please see the Pricing section for more details.
What is included in a virtual conference ticket?
The virtual conference ticket gives you access to the plenary sessions, The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice, and some virtual workshops and networking opportunities. Sessions will be recorded and you’ll have access to them after the conference.
Can I register a group of people at once?
You may register for the conference as yourself and purchase as many tickets as you need in one transaction. Once the transaction is complete, you can transfer each ticket to your group members individually. They can then accept the ticket and complete their registration profiles.
How can I purchase additional registrations?
After registering, please use your custom link in your confirmation email to access your account page and the virtual lobby. Once accessed, follow these next steps:
1. Visit “My Profile”.
2. At the right side of the page, you will see the total amount of tickets you own and the "Buy Tickets" button.
3. Then, they will be redirected to the Registration Form again, but their registered account will remain the same. Therefore, they can choose which tickets they want to buy and the credit card payment option.
Who should I contact if I have questions about registration and the hotel?
Please email the Washington Institute planning team at ncjw@3pillars.co.
Where is the conference? How do I reserve my hotel room?
We’re taking Washington, DC by storm! More specifically, we’ll be meeting at a hotel in the heart of downtown. For security purposes, we are not sharing the name of the hotel publicly, but when you register for the conference, you will receive the hotel details and instructions on how to reserve your room at our discounted rate of $249 per night.
While we’d love to see you in person, there are opportunities to join us online from where you are.
What are the details on the schedule?
Our planned schedule will be released soon! In the meantime, you can expect our programming to begin Sunday, May 15 at 1:30pm ET and wrap up on Tuesday, May 17 around 1:00pm ET.
The schedule will include:
- Interactive workshop trainings to further develop your leadership, advocacy, service, and DEI skills
- Sessions on how to become more effective changemakers, navigate systems of oppression and our identities in our work, and celebrate leading visionaries championing core issues
- The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice on Capitol Hill – an essential moment to make our collective voices heard
Are we lobbying lawmakers this year?
Unfortunately, due to COVID and additional security following the January 6 Capitol attack, the buildings on Capitol Hill are not open to the public. We are disappointed that lobby visits logistically can’t be a part of Washington Institute, and very excited to be hosting The Jewish Rally for Abortion Justice as part of the conference. SPAs and Sections are welcome to contact your lawmakers to see if they’ll meet you outside near their offices (this is a creative way we meet with lawmakers face to face in DC). We are also inviting lawmakers to come to the hotel and join us for Washington Institute.
Do you have a cancellation policy?
Because we understand that making plans in advance right now is tricky, we are happy to provide a 100% refund on registration fees (minus $18 for processing) until March 28. Any cancellation requests received from March 29 - April 25 will be 50% refundable (minus $18 for processing). No refunds will be provided after April 26. All cancellation requests must be made by contacting ncjw@3pillars.co.
What are your COVID safety practices?
We are committed to protecting the health and safety of our community. We are consulting with experts and staying current on official national and local recommendations, and taking measures to ensure your well-being.
All participants are required to be vaccinated and boosted. Rapid testing will be available on-site.
More safety practices and masking policy will be shared closer to the conference. As planning proceeds, we will continue adapting to updates to official public health recommendations and keep you informed every step of the way.
Washington Institute is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the powerful contributions of our advocates, sections, leaders, and changemakers.
Create a meaningful tribute in the Washington Institute 2022 Recognition Book. We can design it for you, or you may create your own.
Deadline to purchase an ad and submit your content is Friday, April 29.
Opportunities include:
-
Premium ad (prominent placing and design; 100 words or less - 7" x 7"): $1,800
-
Full page ad (100 words or less- 7" x 7"): $1,000
-
Half-page ad (50 words or less 6.25" x 3"): $500
The Recognition Book will be produced in a digital format for easy accessibility and some printed copies may be available upon request.
Questions? Reach out to development@ncjw.org.
Apply for the Emerging Leader Scholarship for one FREE in-person registration to Washington Institute 2022
Click below for more details and to apply today.

























































































Professionally, Dana is an attorney with a private practice that specializes in employment law. She represents clients both independently and through an affiliation with Ankner & Levy, PC. Prior to starting her own practice, Dana worked at Rosenman & Colin, LLP, in New York City, as well as at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C. and Goodwin Proctor, LLP in Boston, MA. She has also taught legal research and writing at Boston University School of Law, and Judaism and Justice in the Genesis Program at Brandeis University.
Dana received her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Cornell University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Dana is an avid runner who has completed four marathons (three of them in Boston) and also enjoys alpine skiing, tennis, hiking, and spending time with her husband, Jonah Pesner, and their four daughters.

As a guest on NPR’s All Things Considered and Code Switch, with pieces featured in eJewish Philanthropy and The Foundation Review, and an Eli Talk titled Who Counts, Race and the Jewish Future with 36,000 views, Ilana is passionate about all things at the intersection of Jewish community, racial justice, Jews of Color, education, and philanthropy.
Ilana was previously the Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Director, East Bay for the San Francisco, Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council.
A Senior Schusterman Fellow who is always searching Jewish text for discussion of equity and justice, Ilana received her B.A. in Sociology from California State University-Humboldt and her M.A. in Educational Pedagogy from Mills College.

Prior to taking the helm at the National Partnership, Jocelyn served as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress (CAP) where she shaped and advocated for policies focused on women’s economic security, women’s employment, and women’s rights.
Before her time at CAP, Jocelyn spent four years working in the White House under President Obama — serving as deputy assistant to the president and director of policy and special projects for Michelle Obama.
Jocelyn first worked for the National Partnership as a staff attorney, and eventually was named general counsel. She also served on the National Partnership’s board.




Her voice is the nexus between the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement, and Black Lives Matter.
“There is power in my voice! It is a divine gift that I use to connect different worlds. I bridge the philanthropy world to the grassroots community, traditional politics to grassroots politics, and practitioners to the scholarship of movement building.”
LaTosha is the Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. These initiatives are designed to boost Black voter registration and turnout, as well as increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities.
LaTosha is also the Visionary, Founder and Co-Anchor of a regional network called the Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium. This is $100 million, 10-year initiative to invest in organizations that serve Black women and girls. The goal of the consortium is to create a new approach to philanthropy by allowing every component of the program, inception to execution, to be created by Black girls and women in the South.
In 2021 LaTosha Brown was named one of Glamour Magazine's " Women of the Year" after inspiring voter turnout, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of citizens and notched three historic wins for the Democratic Party in the state of Georgia.
Ms. Brown is also the 2020 Hauser Leader at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, the 2020 Leader in Practice at Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program, and a 2020-2021 American Democracy fellow at the Charles Warren Center at Harvard.


Campbell is dedicated to mentoring and providing leadership opportunities for the next generation and believes creating the Black Youth Vote civic leadership, Black male achievement and organizing program at The National Coalition is one of her most rewarding accomplishments. She is equally committed to lifting up Black women and girls’ leadership in the movement for justice, fairness and equality as core to her life’s work, through the Black Women’s Roundtable.
She is a veteran coalition builder and is highly successful in leading and organizing multi-million dollar civic engagement, voter empowerment and issue-based campaigns. Campbell releases an annual Black Women’s Roundtable Report on the status of Black women during its BWR Women of Power National Summit that celebrates Women’s History Month; and presents an annual public policy agenda to Congressional Members on Capitol Hill.
Campbell has served as a featured writer for the National Urban League’s State of Black America and is regularly featured in ESSENCE, Washington Post, MSNBC AMJoy, #RolandMartinUnfiltered, USA Today, Washington Informer, Comcast Newsmakers for Black History Month and highlighted by SEPHORA. She was recently awarded the “Sustainer of the Flame Freedom Flame Award” by The Bridge Crossing Jubilee during the 55th Anniversary of Selma to Montgomery in March 2020.
A native of Mims, Florida, Campbell has a B.A. in Business Administration from Clark Atlanta University, a certificate in non-profit executive management, Georgetown University. She is a member of the Inaugural Class of Progressive Women’s Voices, Women’s Media Center and resident fellow alumni, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Institute of Politics, Harvard University.

First sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate where she originally displayed her philosophy that there is “no task too small, and no goal too big.”
Only two months after her arrival in Congress, Wasserman Schultz became a leading national voice in opposition to President George W. Bush’s involvement in the Terry Schiavo case. Facing a House of Representatives controlled by Republicans, she stood up for civil rights and defended the idea that “Congress is not the appropriate venue to decide end-of-life or any private, personal family dispute.”
Known for vigorously defending her progressive values, the Congresswoman has also demonstrated her ability to pass meaningful legislation in a bipartisan fashion. She teamed up with former Republican Senator Arlen Specter to write a resolution – passed unanimously by both houses of Congress and signed by President Bush – to declare May as Jewish American Heritage Month in an effort to reduce anti-Semitism, hate, and bigotry.
As a mother of three, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz has worked to prioritize the safety and security of our nation’s youth. She authored the first federal pool and spa safety legislation – the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. Since its passage in 2007, there have been no drain entrapment deaths in any public pools in the United States. That same year, she sponsored the PROTECT Our Children Act, which created the largest law enforcement effort ever formed for the protection of our nation’s youth.
After announcing her own battle with breast cancer in 2009, Wasserman Schultz introduced the EARLY Act, a piece of legislation designed to increase breast cancer education and awareness. The EARLY Act became law as part of the Affordable Care Act, signed by President Barack Obama in 2010. Wasserman Schultz also worked with Republican Congresswoman Renee Elmers to write and pass the PALS Act, which helps increase young women’s access to mammograms.
A leading advocate for women and girls, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz introduced the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act to encourage more states to allow women to terminate the parental rights of a rapist, based on clear and convincing evidence. The bill was signed into law by President Obama in 2015.
Currently Wasserman Schultz serves as a Cardinal on the Appropriations Committee, making history as the first-ever woman to Chair the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, where she is committed to ensuring our nation’s veterans have the resources and support they need. In addition, she serves on the Agriculture Subcommittee, as well as the Energy and Water Subcommittee, where Wasserman Schultz is a leading advocate of the efforts to protect the Florida Everglades, take bold action on climate change, and safeguard our air and water.
In the 117th Congress, Wasserman Schultz also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Reform (COR), which has vast jurisdiction over the government and private sector, and plays a key role in overseeing the Biden Administration.
As Chief Deputy Whip of the Democratic Caucus, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz has the unique ability to work with and help lead her colleagues in support of a progressive policy agenda. She has been a tireless defender of Social Security and Medicare and is strongly committed to expanding access to quality and affordable health care, preventing senseless tragedies of gun violence, and defending the fundamental idea that all Americans have the right to be treated equally under the law.
Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz attended the University of Florida where she served as president of the Student Senate and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1988 and a Master’s Degree in 1990. She has been married to Steve Schultz for three decades and together they have three children.
Wasserman Schultz has said that representing the people of Florida’s 23rd district is the greatest privilege of her professional life. A proud South Floridian who represents parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz resides with her family in Weston.

Rep. Slotkin has spent her career in national service. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which took place during her first week of graduate school in New York City, Rep. Slotkin knew that national service would define her career. She was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be a Middle East analyst and went on to devote her career to protecting the United States from national security threats. In her role at the CIA, Rep. Slotkin worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a militia expert. In between her tours in Iraq, Rep. Slotkin held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2011, Rep. Slotkin took a senior position at the Pentagon and, until January 2017, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this role, Rep. Slotkin oversaw policy on Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the Pentagon and participated in negotiations on some of the country’s most pressing national security issues.
It is this same mission-focus that Rep. Slotkin brings to issues affecting citizens of Michigan’s 8th congressional district. For Rep. Slotkin, this means ensuring that everyone has access to healthcare they can afford, lowering the price of prescription drugs, protecting access to clean water and Michigan’s Great Lakes, and returning decency and integrity to politics. Rep. Slotkin’s background in national security contributes to the urgency and passion she brings to increasing government integrity and accountability and passing campaign finance reform.

Before her election to Congress, Kathy worked to expand access to early childhood education, college scholarships, workforce development, and assistance to those in need through nonprofit organizations including the United Way, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the National Conference for Community and Justice, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has also worked tirelessly on major projects to revitalize downtown Greensboro and spur economic development. Kathy was the first woman to chair the Board of the Jewish Federations of North America, one of the largest charitable, faith-based organizations in the world, which provides assistance to communities in need around the world.
In Congress, Kathy is a proud member of the Education and Labor and Foreign Affairs Committees. In North Carolina, Kathy is a strong advocate for affordable health care and prescription drug prices, a quality education for every student, economic opportunity and equal justice for all.

Under Sheila’s leadership, NCJW has responded to threats to abortion access, voting rights, childcare access, equal pay, and other issues of equity through protest, advocacy and new campaigns making it clear where Jewish women and allies stand on the most important issues of the day. Sheila spearheaded the creation of 73Forward, a Jewish movement for abortion justice, and the launch of “Rabbis for Repro,” a network of more than 1,700 Jewish clergy teaching and preaching about reproductive justice and Judaism.
Before coming to NCJW, Sheila led student engagement and leadership at Hillel International, the largest Jewish on-campus community in the world. In her 12 years at Hillel, she founded programs to expand student participation in Jewish and civic life including “Ask Big Questions,” an award-winning national initiative to guide diverse students in meaningful conversations, and MitzVote, Hillel’s successful non-partisan civic engagement campaign.
Sheila holds an M.S. in teaching from Pace University and B.A. in politics from Ithaca College. She is a proud alumna of the Wexner Foundation Field Fellowship and Teach for America. Sheila was named as one of the top 10 faith influencers in 2021 by Religion News Service, as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world in 2020 by the Jerusalem Post and one of 2020’s faith leaders to watch by the Center for American Progress. She has also been featured in the New York Times, Oprah Magazine, the Washington Post, Haaretz and more. She sits on the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University.
You can find Sheila on Twitter @SheilaKatz1 .

Tema Smith is a diversity advocate, writer and Jewish community builder. She is currently the Director of Jewish Outreach & Partnerships for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and a contributing columnist at the Forward. Tema was previously the Director of Professional Development at 18Doors, before which, she spent seven years as a synagogue professional, most recently as Director of Community Engagement at Holy Blossom Temple, Toronto’s oldest synagogue.
A recipient of the 2022 JPro Young Professionals Award, Tema speaks and trains frequently on racial equity, diversity and antisemitism for synagogues, Jewish organizations, and community groups across North America. She is a member of the Nexus Task Force examining the issues at the nexus of Israel and Antisemitism in America and of the inaugural cohort of the Shalom Hartman Institute Seminar & Writers Workshop for Journalists. She was recently elected to the Union for Reform Judaism’s North American Board of Trustees.

Territorial Health Officials. Yolanda was also the Executive Director of Operation Understanding DC, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting understanding, cooperation, and respect while fighting to eradicate racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination.
In Yolanda’s current role she is leading the Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
(REDI) work for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). She is also a member of the
JewVNation cohort, a fellowship sponsored by the URJ, a 2019 Schusterman Senior
Fellow, a member of the Board of Directors for the Federation of Greater
Washington, Capital Jewish Museum and Leading Edge. Yolanda is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; an international Black sorority dedicated to community service and education.
Yolanda is a graduate of Tougaloo College (Sociology) and has a master’s degree in education from Jackson State University.
In her spare time Yolanda loves being outdoors, reading, birdwatching, playing sports and traveling with her family.



The Right Reverend Doctor John L. Selders, Jr. is an ordained minister serving in the United Church of Christ, the Organizing Pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ, Hartford, CT, former Associate College Chaplain and currently Assistant Dean of Students and Coordinator of Community Standards, Trinity College, Hartford, CT and one of the leaders of Moral Monday CT. For 15 years, he served Executive Director of Zezzo House (an 18-unit housing project) in Hartford, CT.
He is the loving spouse of Pamela and father of two, Alisia (daughter), Jay (son) and grand parent of one, Makenzie (granddaughter). Bishop Selders has done his academic and theological reflection attending Life Christian Bible College, Webster University, Eden Theological Seminary and Anglican Divinity School. In addition to being a talented award-winning songwriter, musician, and performer with local, national, and international credits, he is also the Bishop Presider of The Inter-Denominational Conference of Liberation Congregations and Ministries (ICLCM) and is the Co-Convening Bishop of The Sacred College of Progressive Episcopates (SCPE). Bishop Selders is co-founder of Moral Monday CT, a grassroots statewide organization committed to a wide range of social justice issues.
Bishop Selders has exhibited extraordinary commitment and dedication to a number of efforts that have afforded him the opportunity to travel across the country speaking, lecturing, and conducting workshops in the areas of race, oppression, and reproductive justice. He is a teacher, lecturer, workshop leader, an HIV/AIDS educator and activist with numerous citations for his work. +John worked for 12 years as a Lecturer at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT., was an Adjunct Faculty Member in the Field Education Department of Andover Newton Theological School, was the Dean of Urban Ministry Track for The Anglican Divinity School and was an adjunct faculty member for The Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education. Bishop serves as an Adjunct Faculty Member of Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry currently and is a faculty fellow for the Center for Hartford Engagement and Research at Trinity College. He serves on a number of boards currently serving as member of the board, an executive leadership team of the board and former national Vice President of the Religious Coalition of Reproductive Choice while working with several organizations both locally and nationally whose work is ultimately concerned with the healing of humanity.


Deborah E. Lipstadt was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 30, 2022 as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, with the rank of Ambassador. As Special Envoy, she leads efforts to advance U.S. foreign policy to counter antisemitism throughout the world.
Special Envoy Lipstadt has a storied career as a historian, academic, and author. At Emory University’s Tam Institute for Jewish Studies, which she helped to found, she served as the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies. She has also taught at the University of Washington, UCLA and Occidental College. Special Envoy Lipstadt also served as the director of the Brandeis-Bardin Institute and was a research fellow at the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Antisemitism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Her numerous, award-winning books include: The Eichmann Trial; Denial: Holocaust History on Trial; Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory; and Beyond Belief: The American Press and the Coming of the Holocaust, 1933-1945. She received the National Jewish Book Award three times, most recently in 2019 for Antisemitism: Here and Now. Her biographical study of Golda Meir will be published by Yale University Press in 2023.
Special Envoy Lipstadt is probably best known for having been sued for libel by David Irving, one of the world’s leading Holocaust deniers. The case, which lasted for six years and was heard in court in a twelve-week trial, resulted in Irving being declared by the court to be “a right wing polemicist,” who engages in antisemitism, racism, and misogyny. That trial was depicted in the 2016 film Denial, which was based on her book History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier.
Special Envoy Lipstadt was a historical consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, helping design the section of the Museum dedicated to the American Response to the Holocaust. She has held a Presidential appointment to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council (from Presidents Clinton and Obama) and was asked by President George W. Bush to represent the White House at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Special Envoy Lipstadt holds a BA from the City College of New York and an MA and PhD from Brandeis University.

Ms. Goss Graves, who has served in numerous roles at NWLC for more than a decade, has spent her career fighting to advance opportunities for women and girls. She has a distinguished track record working across a broad set of issues central to women’s lives, including income security, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace fairness. Ms. Goss Graves is among the co-founders of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund.
Prior to becoming President, Ms. Goss Graves served as the Center’s Senior Vice President for Program, where she led the organization’s broad program agenda to advance progress and eliminate barriers in employment, education, health and reproductive rights and lift women and families out of poverty. Prior to that, as the Center’s Vice President for Education and Employment, she led the Center’s anti-discrimination initiatives, including work to promote equal pay, combat harassment and sexual assault at work and at school, and advance equal access to education programs, with a particular focus on outcomes for women and girls of color.
Ms. Goss Graves has authored many articles, including A Victory for Women’s Health Advocates, National Law Journal (2016) and We Must Deal with K-12 Sexual Assault, National Law Journal (2015), and reports, including Unlocking Opportunity for African American Girls: A Call to Action for Educational Equity (2014), Reality Check: Seventeen Million Reasons Low-Wage Workers Need Strong Protections from Harassment (2014), and 50 Years and Counting: The Unfinished Business of Achieving Fair Pay (2013).
Ms. Goss Graves received her B.A. from UCLA in 1998 and her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2001. She began her career as a litigator at the law firm of Mayer Brown LLP after clerking for the Honorable Diane P. Wood of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She currently serves as an advisor on the American Law Institute Project on Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct on Campus and was on the EEOC Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace and a Ford Foundation Public Voices Fellow.
She is widely recognized for her effectiveness in the complex public policy arena at both the state and federal levels, regularly testifies before Congress and federal agencies, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and other public education forums. Ms. Goss Graves appears often in print and on air as a legal expert on issues core to women’s lives, including in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, AP, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, CNN, MSNBC, and NPR. Follow Ms. Goss Graves on Twitter at @fgossgraves.

She was the founding Director and is now President of the Midwest Academy, training social change leaders and organizers. She has been involved in and managed political campaigns and was the Training Director of the Democratic National Committee. In 2000, she was the Director of the NAACP National Voter Fund, which helped to increase African American election turnout. She was the lead consultant, directing the founding of the Campaign for Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2005.
In 2008, she was the director of the Health Care Campaign for the AFL-CIO. In 2009, she directed the campaign passing President Obama’s first budget. In 2010 she was the founding director of Americans for Financial Reform, fighting to regulate the financial industry. She was the national coordinator for the coalition around marriage equality and the 2013 Supreme Court decision. She was strategic advisor to the Alliance for Citizenship (the largest coalition of the immigration reform campaign). She was the field director for the 2017 campaign to stop the tax giveaways to millionaires and billionaires She directed Progressive and Seniors Outreach for the Biden/Harris campaign. She has been a consultant on many other issues and with many other organizations.
There is a film about her life in organizing, "Heather Booth: Changing the World." It has been shown on PBS/World Channel stations around the country



Naomi Adler joined Hadassah with more than 18 years’ experience leading large nonprofit organizations. As President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, she led a team that served the sixth-largest Jewish population in the United States. Prior to her tenure at the Philadelphia Federation, she was President and CEO of two United Way organizations in New York State for a total of 13 years.
After graduating from Mount Holyoke College and SUNY Buffalo School of Law, Naomi worked first in private practice and then as Assistant District Attorney for Monroe County, New York. Her reputation as a successful prosecutor in cases of violence against women and children, and later as a community advocate for families living in poverty, earned her several honors.
Naomi has testified as an expert on charitable giving, antisemitism and global public health in local and national legislative forums, including the Ways and Means Committee of the United States Congress. She was recognized by President Obama for her efforts during Hurricane Sandy and by FEMA for her service to the community during Hurricanes Irene and Lee.


Among many achievements, Naomi is proud to have spearheaded the "Law for the Rights of Women Who Resided in Battered Women's Shelters", which was passed by Israel's Knesset in 2017.
Naomi holds BA and MA degrees in English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Magna Cum Laude) and has been certified in the Program in Organizational Consultation and Development, under the auspices of the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations.




An acclaimed Torah and halakha scholar, Rabbi Linzer has been a leading rabbinic voice in the Modern Orthodox community for over 25 years. He has published over 100 teshuvot (responsa) and scholarly Torah articles, and hosts a number of highly popular Torah podcasts.
In his capacity as a mentor, Rabbi Linzer provides religious guidance to the yeshiva’s students and the over 150 YCT-ordained rabbis who are serving in the field. He answers hundreds of halakhic questions from YCT rabbis and broader community each year, which are available to the public on his blog, psak.yctorah.org.

Rabbi Person was ordained in 1998 from HUC-JIR, after graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Amherst College (1986) and receiving an MA in Fine Arts from New York University/International Center of Photography (1992).
She served as Educator at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue from 1990-1996, and was the Adjunct Rabbi there from 1998-2019. Since 1998, Rabbi Person has been the High Holy Day Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Olam, Fire Island Pines, NY.
Before coming to the CCAR, Rabbi Person was the Editor-in-Chief of URJ Books and Music, where she was responsible for the revision of The Torah: A Modern Commentary (2005) and the publication of many significant projects, including the Aleph Isn’t Tough adult Hebrew series and Mitkadem: Hebrew for Youth as well as several award-winning children’s books. While at URJ, she was also the Managing Editor of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, named the National Jewish Book Award Book of the Year in 2008.
Rabbi Person is also the co-author of Stories of Heaven and Earth: Bible Heroes in Contemporary Children’s Literature and as well as co-editor of That You May Live Long: Caring for Your Aging Parents, Caring for Yourself, and Editor of The Mitzvah of Healing. Her essays and poems have been published in various anthologies and journals, including Bridges: A Jewish Feminist Journal, upstreet, Encyclopedia of Jewish American Popular Culture, Women and Judaism, The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature, and The Women’s Haftarah Commentary. Links to her many OpEds are listed below.
Rabbi Person lives in Brooklyn, NY, and is the mother of two young adults.


Rabbi Fixler was ordained at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. In his final two years at HUC, he served as the Rabbinic Intern at Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah, NJ. While at HUC, he also completed a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Rabbi Fixler has been privileged to have participated in a number of leadership training programs which have contributed to his professional and spiritual growth, including the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and the Tisch Rabbinical Fellowship. Joshua graduated from the University of Maryland in 2007 with a degree in Organizational Development and Community Leadership.
Rabbi Fixler's article, Mishpatim -- Stricken from the Text: Sacred Stories of Reproductive Justice, which he co-authored with Rabbi Emily Langowitz is featured in the Social Justice Torah Commentary from the CCAR Press.

Rabbi Levy is a past president of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. She has also participated in multiple community and state-level committees, such as the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Clergy Advisory Council, the SACReD Gathering Planning committee and Interim Steering Committee, Austin city leader for the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, the Admissions Committee for the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Pastoral Advisory Committee for Scott & White Hospital, and the Religious Action Center of Texas’ core leadership team.




A union organizer, human rights activist, workforce policy expert and green energy entrepreneur, Congressman Andy Levin has spent his career fighting for an equitable and inclusive future for all people. He’s bringing that fight to Congress as the proud representative for Michigan’s 9th District.
Andy has been advocating for working families since the 1980s, when he organized hundreds of health care workers for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). After working with Haitian immigrant workers, Andy co-founded an organization to assist immigrants with challenges posed by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
Continuing his work to strengthen organized labor, Andy worked in Washington, D.C. as a staff attorney to the presidential Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations and also in the secretary’s office of the U.S. Department of Labor. Andy worked with unions and employers on legislation critical for workers’ rights including the National Labor Relations Act, the proposed TEAM Act, the Federal Transit’s Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
From 1995-2006, Andy served as Assistant Director of Organizing at the national AFL-CIO, where he created and ran Union Summer, helped many unions with collaborative organizing campaigns around the country, and created and led the Voice@Work Campaign, which organized the national movement to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
Andy took his advocacy work to the Michigan state government, where he created and ran the state’s No Work Left Behind initiative that helped more than 160,000 unemployed and underemployed Michiganders go back to school during the Great Recession. On a mission to unite sustainability and workforce development, Andy also helped create Michigan’s Green Jobs Initiative in 2008 and the Green Jobs Report in 2009. Andy went on to create the Michigan Academy for Green Mobility Alliance (MAGMA), which trained hundreds of unemployed and incumbent engineers to electrify cars.
In 2011, Andy founded Levin Energy Partners LLC as an entrepreneurial force to help shape Michigan’s and America’s energy future. Andy created and ran a statewide market to finance clean energy building improvements called Lean & Green Michigan, which has become one of the most innovative Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs in the US. In 2018, Andy’s program helped a wide variety of building owners initiate $17,900,000 in clean energy projects.
Andy has worked on human rights for decades, including doing legal work for asylum seekers in the US and investigating and reporting on human rights abuses in Haiti, China and Tibet.
Born in Detroit and raised in Berkley, MI, Andy is an honors graduate of Williams College and Harvard Law School and holds a Masters Degree from the University of Michigan in Asian Languages and Cultures, where he was a Mellon Fellow in the Humanities.
Andy has long been active in the spiritual and social justice life of the Jewish community. Until his election to Congress, he served as president of a Reconstructionist Jewish synagogue, Congregation T’chiyah, and as chair of the steering committee of Detroit Jews for Justice, an organization he helped create to fight for racial and economic justice in Detroit.
Andy married his high school sweetheart Mary Freeman in 1991. They have four children — Koby, Saul, Ben, and Molly — and live in Bloomfield Township.
Andy learned and worked in Haitian Creole and Tibetan and also studied French, Sanskrit, and Hindi. He remains an avid ice hockey player and enjoys yoga, mountain biking, canoeing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and other wilderness adventures.

Before being elected to Congress, Congresswoman Stevens served as the Chief of Staff to the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force, the federal initiative responsible for saving General Motors, Chrysler, and 200,000 Michigan Jobs. She also played a key role in setting up the Office of Recovery for Automotive Communities and Workers, and the White House Office of Manufacturing Policy. After serving in the Obama Administration, Congresswoman Stevens worked in a manufacturing research lab focused on the future of work in the digital age.
Congresswoman Haley Stevens sits on the House Committee on Education & Labor, and the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, where she also serves as Chairwoman of the Research & Technology Subcommittee. On these Committees, Congresswoman Stevens works to protect access to healthcare, promote manufacturing, expand educational opportunity, stand up for workers’ rights, and increase investment in critical research and development.
Congresswoman Stevens resides in Waterford and attends Kensington Church in Troy.

She proudly represents California’s 14th Congressional District, stretching from the southern portion of San Francisco through San Mateo County to East Palo Alto. Speier serves on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), where she is the Chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, and on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where also she serves as Chair of the Strategic Technologies and Advanced Research (STAR) Subcommittee and serves on the Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation (C3) Subcommittee. Additionally, she serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, where she serves on the Subcommittees on National Security and Economic and Consumer Policy. Speier is also Co-Chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus (DWC), the Congressional Armenian Caucus, the Bipartisan Task Force To End Sexual Violence, and the Gunviolence Prevention Task Force.

Schakowsky serves in the House Democratic Leadership as a Senior Chief Deputy Whip. She is a member of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, House Budget Committee, as well as the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and as a member of the Environment and Oversight & Investigations Subcommittees.
In 2010, Speaker Pelosi appointed Schakowsky to serve on President Obama's 18-member National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. She opposed the deficit reduction proposal presented by co-chairs Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson and offered her own approach, which reached the same fiscal goals without cutting Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. The Schakowsky plan addressed the real and growing problem of income disparity – which is at its greatest level since 1928 – and protects middle-class families.
In Congress, Schakowsky focuses on health care and senior issues. She was a leader in passing the historic Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide healthcare coverage to all Americans. Schakowsky was responsible for provisions in the law to require improved review of insurance company premiums, nursing home quality protections, and initiatives to increase the number of health care providers, which benefit seniors and all Americans. A champion for the nation's seniors, Schakowsky continues the fight to prevent the privatization of Social Security and Medicare, and to make prescription drugs more affordable. She spearheaded the creation of the Seniors Task Force in the 111th Congress and continues to serve as Co-Chair in the 116th Congress in the now-renamed Task Force on Aging and Families.
Schakowsky believes the number one priority in this Congress is to create jobs and restore a vibrant middle class. She has introduced the Patriot Corporations of America Act to reward companies that hire American workers and to eliminate tax incentives to businesses for sending jobs overseas. She introduced the Fairness in Taxation Act to create higher tax brackets for millionaires and billionaires.
A leading advocate for women's issues in Congress, Schakowsky has long been involved in the fight to protect women's reproductive freedom. She continues her work to prevent violence against immigrant women, achieve economic parity, and establish transitional housing for women and children who are victims of abuse. Schakowsky is the sponsor of the International Violence Against Women Act, which would make the safety of women and girls around the world a long-overdue U.S. foreign policy priority.
Schakowsky has consistently voted for measures to support Israel's peace and security. She strongly supports helping Israel reach a negotiated two-state solution with the Palestinians. As a Jewish Congresswoman, Schakowsky has a deep personal connection to the State of Israel and pledges a continued friendship. Schakowsky also worked closely with President Barack Obama to assure completion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) designed to cut off all Iranian pathways to a nuclear weapon.
Throughout her time in Congress, Schakowsky has won major legislative victories. These include important provisions in the Affordable Care Act, as well as laws that protect seniors, from abusive terms in reverse mortgages, require greater transparency for military contractors, require the strongest possible mandatory safety standards and testing for infant and toddler products – including high chairs, cribs and bath seats – and require strict car safety measures to protect children.
A longtime grassroots organizer and consumer advocate, Schakowsky began her leadership career in 1969 when she led the fight that put freshness dates on products sold in the supermarket. Prior to her election to Congress, Schakowsky represented the 18th District in the Illinois General Assembly for eight years. She served as a Democratic Floor Leader and as Secretary of the Conference of Women Legislators.
For twenty years before her election to the Illinois State House, Schakowsky fought for the public interest and rights of Illinois citizens. As Program Director of Illinois Public Action from 1976 to 1985 – the state's largest public interest organization – Schakowsky fought for energy reform and stronger protection from toxic chemicals. As Director of the Illinois State Council of Senior Citizens from 1985 to 1990, she organized across the state for lower cost prescription drugs and tax relief for seniors, financial protection for the spouses of nursing home residents and other benefits for the elderly.
Jan lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband Robert Creamer and their two energetic rescue dogs, Franklin and Eleanor (Frankie and Ellie for short). She has three children, Ian, Mary, and stepdaughter Lauren Travers, and six grandchildren, Isaac, Eve, Lucy, William, Aidan and Alice. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1965 with a B.S. in Elementary Education.

Rep. Nadler began his career in public service in 1976 in the New York State Assembly. Representing the Upper West Side, he served as a Democratic Assemblyman for 16 years and played a significant role in shaping New York State law concerning child support enforcement and domestic abuse, as well as making major contributions to housing, transportation and consumer protection policy in the state. In 1992, Rep. Nadler was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election and has served in Congress ever since. He was re-elected to his fourteenth full term in 2018.
The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Nadler served as Chairman or Ranking Member of its Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties for 13 years and also served as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Nadler led two successful impeachments of former President Donald J. Trump, the only person ever impeached twice.
Rep. Nadler is a graduate of Crown Heights Yeshiva, Stuyvesant High School, Columbia University and Fordham Law School. He lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife, Joyce Miller.

Rep. Chu currently serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over legislation pertaining to taxes, revenues, Social Security, and Medicare. In that Committee, Rep. Chu is a member of the Subcommittees on Health, giving her oversight over healthcare reform and crucial safety net programs, Worker and Family Support, and Oversight.
She also serves on the House Small Business Committee, which has oversight of the Small Business Administration, as well as the House Budget Committee.
Chu was first elected to the Board of Education for Garvey School District in 1985. From there, she was elected to the Monterey Park City Council, where she served as Mayor three times. She then was elected to the State Assembly and then California’s elected tax board, known as the State Board of Equalization. In 2009, she became the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress in history.

rights, Representative Pramila Jayapal was recently re-elected to Congress for a third term with
more votes than any Member of the House of Representatives. In 2016, she became the first
South Asian American woman ever elected to the House. She came to the United States alone
at the age of 16, and went on to start the largest immigrant rights organization in Washington
state before becoming one of only 14 immigrants serving in Congress today. As the Chair of the
Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Jayapal is the lead sponsor of the Medicare
for All Act, the College for All Act, the Housing is a Human Right Act, the Ultra-Millionaire Tax
Act, and the Roadmap to Freedom immigration resolution. She currently serves on the
Judiciary, Budget, and Education and Labor committees. Congresswoman Jayapal lives in West
Seattle with her husband Steve.

Is the Chief Principle and Visionary officer of the newly launched Envision Justice, a Social Justice Consulting Firm.
She is a licensed ordained interfaith minister specializing in all topics that center around reproductive justice and freedom. She is the individual clergy plaintiff in the Texas federal lawsuit of Senate Bill 8, a case currently in request for hearing by the U.S. Supreme Court that centers on banning abortion in the state of Texas.
She is the co- architect of the first and only national reproductive freedom congregation designation set up for churches to support and affirm the reproductive rights of women across the country. In 2021 she was the only clergy to speak in front of over 15,000 marchers at the national women’s march for reproductive justice in Washington, DC. She has written Opt-Ed for The New York Times, been a guest expert on RJ on several MSNBC network news shows. Her work has been highlighted in national and international magazines, news and social media broadcasts. She’s been featured in Elle Magazine and the BBC religious affairs department. She sits on numerous councils and national tables that are shaping and crafting the vision and narrative on reproductive justice for the future. She has a degree in Education and a Masters in World Religions. envsionjustice.com/about

Senator Blumenthal served an unprecedented five terms as Connecticut’s Attorney General, fighting for people against large and powerful special interests. His aggressive law enforcement for consumer protection, environmental stewardship, labor rights, and personal privacy has helped reshape the role of state attorneys general nationwide, and resulted in the recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars for Connecticut taxpayers and consumers each year.
A key player in the national fight against Big Tobacco, he helped bring an end to deceptive marketing aimed at children – a victory significantly lowering youth smoking rates, and compelling a multi-billion dollar settlement for Connecticut taxpayers. He also helped lead a coalition of all 50 states that culminated in historic agreements with social networking sites to better protect children from Internet predators.
As Attorney General, he advocated for reforms in the health insurance industry to assure critical health care coverage and lower pharmaceutical drug prices. He has worked relentlessly to eradicate corruption in state government and make state contracting accountable, fair, honest, and transparent.
His vigorous investigation and legal action against insurance industry abuses has successfully forced financial restitution and reform, compelled greater disclosure by insurers and brokers to consumers, and recovered millions of dollars for the state, municipalities, and individuals. He has successfully fought unfair utility rate charges, air pollution causing acid rain, general environmental wrongdoing, as well as a wide array of consumer scams and frauds.
Senator Blumenthal has personally argued several major cases in court, including his successful effort to uphold the Connecticut sex offender registry in the Supreme Court. He has fought and sued the federal government for failing to follow or enforce environmental laws and energy statutes, as well as imposing multimillion dollar unfunded mandates on local taxpayers under the No Child Left Behind Act.
From 1977 to 1981, Senator Blumenthal served as a U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, prosecuting drug trafficking, organized and white collar crime, civil rights violations, consumer fraud, and environmental pollution. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984 to 1987, and the Connecticut State Senate from 1987 to 1990. As a volunteer attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Senator Blumenthal saved the life of an innocent, wrongly convicted death row inmate who came within hours of execution.
Prior to his position as U.S. Attorney, Senator Blumenthal also served as Administrative Assistant to U.S. Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff, aide to former U.S. Senator Daniel P. Moynihan when Moynihan was Assistant to the President of the United States, and law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun.
Senator Blumenthal graduated from Harvard College (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude), and Yale Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal. From 1970 to 1976 he served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant.
Senator Blumenthal lives in Connecticut with his wife, Cynthia, and their four children.



Beth helps people bring their best selves to their professional and personal lives. Over the last thirty years, Beth has trained, consulted and coached both volunteer and professional leaders for local and national organizations including Hillel, ACHARAI: The Shoshana S. Cardin Jewish Leadership Institute, and Camp Ramah.
Outside of her professional life, Beth finds great fulfillment as a traveler, cook, reader, theatre patron, and mother.


Before joining The Leadership Conference and The Education Fund, Cedric was the development director of the United States Student Association and its foundation as well as a field organizer for various local candidate campaigns. Cedric is also a founding member of Black Youth Project 100. Cedric has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


Deitra is an alumna of Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program and holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology from The University of Wisconsin-Madison.

As a DACA recipient and someone who has immersed with the Jewish tradition, Eddie finds his passion for justice through his late

Gloria leads the gun control campaign at MomsRising, where she is also responsible for national member engagement and tech-based campaign innovations. She currently serves on the board of directors of The Movement Cooperative.
Prior to MomsRising, Gloria was principal for Internet communications strategy at Turner Strategies, where she launched the firm’s new media practice, shifting focus from top-down to cross-media strategy. At Turner, she helped launch the Moms Clean Air Force, a project of the Environmental Defense Fund, and worked on issues ranging from economic security and the climate change to women’s health and democracy.
Gloria conceived and helped found the influential 2009 Fem2.0 conference and the Fem2.0 online community. As communications director for the media futures think tank, the Institute for the Connected Society (iFOCOS), she helped launch the We Media conferences, a must-attend event for the media vanguard.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Gloria was a Wall Street currency trader.






Her racial equity analysis is informed by theory, work experience, and her identity as an immigrant of Asian descent, born in Latin America. In addition, she grew up working-class in Chicanx Los Angeles and came out as a lesbian and brings in additional intersectional lenses for analysis.
Before becoming an independent consultant, she served as acting executive director and other senior leadership in organizations such as Amnesty International, American Friends Service Committee, the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, and others. She holds a BA from Yale University, an executive education certificate from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Certified Professional Coaching designation from Coaching for Transformation, an accredited program of the International Coaching Federation. She engages in body, movement, and energy practices that have included Aikido, yoga, dance, and meditation.

Sam is a proud alumnus of Repair the World’s Fellowship, Avodah’s Justice Fellowship, as well as a certified Brooklyn Urban Gardener. Outside of work, you can find him fermenting vegetables in his apartment, volunteering at local gardens and parks, and organizing alumni from his high school.


Zameret is responsible for the general coordination of the work at Isha L’Isha.


As a dedicated advocate for social justice and a believer in the power of grassroots activism, Cathy Cantor has found her ideal volunteer position as State Policy Advocate for National Council of Jewish Women. Cathy has served for the past ten years as Co-SPA for Michigan, a National NCJW appointment. In this capacity, Cathy is an integral part of many coalitions that work to improve the lives of women, children, and families – the mission of NCJW – by advocating for equal pay, gun violence prevention, LGBTQ rights, elimination of human trafficking, protecting women’s health, supporting a fair and independent judiciary, defending voters’ rights and getting out the vote, stemming global warming, and working to reduce racism.
A Life Member of NCJW, Cathy served as President of the Michigan Section from 2008 – 2010, and has served as chair or co-chair of many committees including Human Trafficking Awareness, NCJW Green, and Governance. She served on the local Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee for eight years.
Proud graduates of the University of Michigan, Cathy and her husband David have three married children and eight grandchildren.


Darien has had a long affiliation with NCJW, and rejoined the NCJW Board in May 2006. She became involved in Advocacy as liaison to the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures and served as the VP-Advocacy from 2008 to 2009. She held the national appointment as Missouri State Policy Advocacy Chair from 2009 through 2014, and was then installed as NCJWSTL Board President for a two-year term. Darien, with her four other co-chairs, just completed the 125th Anniversary celebration for the Section. Her portfolio in the 125th Anniversary was the establishment of an Endowment Fund, “Partners for Our Future,” which has exceeded its initial goal. She received the NCJW Advocacy Award in 2007 and the Leadership Award in 2009.
Darien was involved with Solomon Schechter Day School as a past officer, Board member and Capital Campaign leadership and received the Leo I. Mirowitz Distinguished Service award in 1997. She also has served on the Board of the Jewish Federation Women's Division, and at Shaare Zedek Synagogue (now Kol Rinah). She has studied in the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School program, and is currently a member of The Pioneers, a literary group. In addition to reading and Judaic studies, in her spare time she enjoys cooking, travel and bridge.
Darien considers her joyous, 40-year marriage to her husband Steve as “one of life’s true blessings,” and they have two grown sons, Jon and Ben.




She is a graduate of Newcomb College of Tulane University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy with a specialization in Urban Government. Ellen is also a graduate of the CORO Foundation's Fellowship in Public Affairs, which is a nine month fellowship based on experiential learning in the areas of politics, labor, government, business, not for profits, media and corporate affairs. She completed the program after having served two years on President Carter's staff in Washington D.C. in the Office of Presidential Personnel. Ellen also traveled as a leadership consultant for Delta Phi Epsilon.
She is married to Steve and has three daughters, Emily, an RN, Melissa, an MSW and a CORO Fellows alumna, and Andi, an attorney. Ellen is an active community volunteer, having served as a board member and officer of the Delta Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation, and as a Past President of the Business and Professional Women's Division of Jewish Federation. She is a member of the National Women’s Political Caucus, National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, the American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters, Metropolitan Volunteer Managers Association, SLEVAWN and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She most recently served as a co-chair of the Ladue High School Class of 1976 reunion. Ellen previously serves on the CORO Program Advisory Committee and currently serves on the non-profit Books for STL Kids Board of Directors.


Harriet has also been active as a senior leader in the National Council of Jewish Women, Valencia Shores as a past co-president and currently the vice president of Advocacy. She currently serves in a role for NCJW National as a member of the Section Advisory Committee.

As COO, Jenkins promotes NCJW’s culture of collaboration, transparency, accountability, and empowerment and spearheads NCJW’s rapid growth efforts, ensuring and measuring the success of ongoing change management plans.
Jenkins has spent her career developing leaders and empowering staff in both the private and public sectors, using her talents to improve the lives of marginalized groups. She most recently served as President of Operations for the St. Louis region of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), a network of schools focused on closing the achievement gap in low-income communities.
Born and raised in Detroit, Jenkins earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan, later going on to the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business to earn her Masters in Business Administration. She has also earned a Masters in Educational Leadership from The Broad Residency Center for School System Management.
Jenkins also finds joy in writing poetry, traveling, dancing and engaging with fellow sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, a public service organization. She is a proud aunt of six and resides in Washington, D.C.


Shira is passionate about bringing people together around a shared purpose and having fun while at it. A Washington D.C. native, Shira earned a Master’s degree in Education from SUNY University at Buffalo and a B.A. from Goucher College in English literature and Judaic Studies. As a student-teacher in a Buffalo city public high school Shira witnessed firsthand the racial and economic inequity at play in our country, fueling her passion for and commitment to the work of social justice. When not getting into good trouble and fighting for a just world, Shira enjoys curating feminist yard signs for her front lawn, listening to news and politics podcasts, and working on seasonal craft projects–preferably with her two young kids.