Women in contemporary Judaism: Jewish unity and religious diversity — December 2020

Women in contemporary Judaism: Jewish unity and religious diversity — December 2020

The WJC partnered with Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs on 15 December 2020 to bring together Jewish women from across the religious spectrum for an online forum to discuss Women in Contemporary Judaism: Jewish Unity and Religious Diversity.

WJC Treasurer Chella Safra emphasized in her opening remarks that Jews are “one people, and we are much stronger when we are united.” Keynote speakers included Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Omer Yankelevitch and former Knesset Member Dr. Ruth Calderon, who stressed the importance of women in leadership roles, and President of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities Noemi Di Segni, who underscored that society must ask itself what is needed to ensure a Jewish future.

Panels were held on the topics of Religious Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities and Emerging Leaders in an Ever-Changing Jewish Landscape, featuring prominent Jewish officials and clergy, as well as rising young leaders from diverse geographic and religious backgrounds.

The forum concluded with remarks from three WJC Vice Presidents: President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews Marie van der Zyl, President of World WIZO Esther Mor, and Past President of the International Council of Jewish Women Sarah Winkowski.

The full recording is available on the WJC’s website.

OPENING REMARKS

CHELLA SAFRA TREASURER, WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS

DR. RUTH CALDERON FOUNDER, ALMA HOME FOR HEBREW CULTURE; FACULTY MEMBER, MANDEL LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE MINISTER OMER YANKELEVITCH MINISTER OF DIASPORA AFFAIRS

KEYNOTE KEYNOTE

KEYNOTE

NOEMI DI SEGNI PRESIDENT, UNION OF ITALIAN JEWISH COMMUNITIES, MEMBER, WJC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Religious Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities

Rabbi Gesa Ederberg, Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue, Berlin; founder, Masorti Germany Rabbi Dalia Marx (PhD), Rabbi Aaron D. Panken Professor of Liturgy and Midrash, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Jerusalem Rabbi Judith Nowominski, Dean of Students and Professor, Marshall T. Meyer Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, Buenos Aires Rabbanit Dr. Jennie Rosenfeld, Kolech Lamdaniot, Jerusalem Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Journalist, Moderator

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Emerging Leaders in an Ever-Changing Jewish Landscape

Viktoria Bedo, Rabbinical Student, Jewish Theological Seminary of America; Rabbinical Intern, Park Ave Synagogue, New York Vanessa Harper, Rabbinical Student, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; Rabbinical Intern, Congregation Rodeph Sholom, New York Pnina Pfeuffer, CEO, The New Haredim, Israel Rabbanit Leah Sarna, Associate Director of Education and Director of High School Programs, Drisha Institute for Jewish Education, New York Alana Baranov, Moderator, WJC Jewish Diplomatic Corps

CONCLUDING REMARKS

MARIE VAN DER ZYL PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DEPUTIES OF BRITISH JEWS; WJC VICE PRESIDENT ESTHER MOR PRESIDENT, WORLD WIZO; WJC VICE PRESIDENT SARAH WINKOWSKI PAST PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN; WJC VICE PRESIDENT

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder speaking at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, November 2019

Credit: Shahar Azran