Webinar recordings and additional resources
January 11: What Judaism Really Teaches About Abortion
Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value. Our tradition not only permits the termination of pregnancy, but even requires it when the life of the pregnant person is at stake. It’s time to reclaim the narrative around religion and access to abortion. Now, more than ever, we need to show that supporting reproductive health, rights, and justice is an issue of moral concern, of religious concern, and of Jewish concern. Join Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, NCJW’s Scholar in Residence, to learn how to make the Jewish case for abortion access, so that you can speak about our tradition’s approach from a place of deep knowledge and understanding. In preparation for NCJW’s inaugural Repro Shabbat (Feb. 12-13), you will also gain tools to get involved, partner locally with other organizations, and plan a Repro Shabbat program.
November 19: Staying in the Fight for Racial Justice
Our long-term commitment to showing up in meaningful ways in the work for racial justice must be unwavering. What can and should this look like? And how do our fight for racial justice and our work combating antisemitism intersect? Join Eric Ward, Executive Director of the Western States Center, and Yavilah McCoy, CEO of Dimensions Educational Consulting to discuss how we show up and stay in this critical work, and to affirm the crucial truth that Black lives matter.
October 16: NCJW, Hadassah, and JWI Present: Jewish Women Vote
Come together with Jewish women and allies across America for a special hour-long celebration of voting. Join us to welcome Shabbat and get excited about our voting in the final weeks before the 2020 election. Our vote is our voice and it is incumbent on all of us to do everything in our power to ensure every voice is heard in our democracy.
September 15: A Conversation with Stacey Abrams
Watch Stacey Abrams and NCJW CEO Sheila Katz discuss the importance of the upcoming election, ways to combat voter suppression efforts, and the importance of the 2020 Census.
July 23: National Council of Jewish Women Town Hall
Join NCJW CEO Sheila Katz, NCJW President Dana S. Gershon, NCJW Greater New Orleans Section president Susan Hess, and NCJW Greater Rochester Section’s Vancy Boyar for a town hall meeting and Q & A.
July 20: After the Dust has Settled: The Supreme Court Term in Review – with Dahlia Lithwick
With a blockbuster Supreme Court term — the first with Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the bench — join NCJW President Dana Gershon and courts expert Dahlia Lithwick for a webinar breaking down the cases and learn what’s at stake based on the decisions issued this term. We’ll also highlight cases to watch when the next term opens on October 5.
July 14: Israeli Women Overcoming Challenges During Coronavirus
As Israel enters the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, women and genderqueer individuals face larger economic barriers than ever before. Domestic violence, specifically against women, is also on the rise. Feminist leaders in Israel are taking action, building creative solutions to advance gender equality, and reduce domestic violence.
Additional resources:
July 2: A Faithful Response to June Medical Services v Russo
As people of faith, we refuse to remain idle while the moral autonomy, health, and lives are at stake. Join organizational leadership from Catholics for Choice, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Women of Reform Judaism, and the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice for A Faithful Response to June Medical Services v. Russo. This webinar features Scott Ruskay-Kidd, Senior Attorney for Judicial Strategy, U.S. Legal Program at the Center for Reproductive Rights, who will explain the case ruling and its implications for the future of abortion rights and access. Finally, we will provide YOU with the tools you will need to take action on this critical issue. Webinar recording here.
June 2: A Conversation with Congresswoman Robin Kelly
Our communities are in crisis. On top of the global pandemic that continues to disproportionately impact Black and Brown people, the horrific continuance of police violence against Black people has sparked a nationwide outcry for racial justice. This week, we also commemorate #WearOrange on June 5th, in support of survivors of gun violence — and that includes survivors of domestic violence and firearms.
We are honored and grateful to have Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) join us for a timely, urgent, and important conversation about the ongoing safety and health crises that affect Americans across the country right now. Learn about the dangerous intersection between domestic and sexual violence and guns, hear thoughtful remarks and calls to action about the ongoing protests and the pandemic, and understand what you can do to help those at risk and on the front lines right now.
May 26: The Jewish Case For Abortion Access
The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is proud to debut the Abortion and Jewish Values Toolkit, an extraordinary new resource designed to offer tremendous support and insight into our work to protect and expand abortion rights and access for all. For over 125 years, we have boldly imagined a world where every person can make their own moral and faith-informed decisions about their body, health, and future. Now, in the face of false narratives and appalling rhetoric concerning this critical issue, it is more important than ever to lift up the voices of people of faith who advocate for bodily autonomy because of our religion, not in spite of it. Webinar recording here
May 20: #VoteSafe Digital Lobby Day
On May 20 we joined together online to urge lawmakers to ensure funding to implement comprehensive policies that expand voter registration, no-excuse absentee voting by mail, voter education, and safe in-person voting for remaining primaries and on Election Day. Recordings of the opening program and closing program
May 5: Weaponizing White Supremacy during COVID-19
White supremacists and far-right extremists are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to peddle disinformation and hate online – and plan real-world terror. Join Integrity First for America Executive Director Amy Spitalnick and leading litigators Roberta Kaplan and Karen Dunn – the team prosecuting the neo-Nazis and white supremacists responsible for the Charlottesville violence – on this webinar to understand the current landscape of hate and learn how to identify disinformation and push back against bigotry. Webinar recording here
April 28: Advocating for At-Risk Populations Amid a Pandemic
As lawmakers continue to debate the extent of resources allocated to those over 65 and those with disabilities and underlying health issues in the COVID-19 epidemic, advocacy for these at-risk populations is more important than ever. Learn from experts about what’s at stake in this critical moment and what you can do to impact this vitally important conversation and push for a just and inclusive coronavirus response. Join Disability Rights Activist, Judith Heumann, JFNA Director of Government Affairs Darcy Hirsh, Vice President of Programs, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Mia Hubbard, NCJW St. Louis Section CEO Ellen Alper, and NCJW Board Member Sharon Lipton. Webinar recording here
- Center for Public Representation has put together a general COVID19 page where you can get to each of the individual web pages below.
- Here is information about the legislation that has been passed and introduced. This webpage describes the disability community advocacy for the forthcoming COVID19 relief package, with a focus on HCBS. This is a short document explaining the bill.
- Here is an entire webpage about medical rationing, including both the federal advocacy with HHS’ Office of Civil Rights and the state-based coalition advocacy. Email: dart@disasterstrategies.org for more information
- Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA) action page:
https://www.jewishtogether.org/how-to-help
- MAZON’s action page for SNAP and COVID-19:
https://mazon.org/take-action/covid
- USDA’s website on COVID policies changes and state options:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19
- Call your lawmakers (#202-224-3121) & urge them to make needed improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) so millions of families can put food on the table. In particular, the next COVID-19 response bill must:
- Boost the maximum SNAP benefit by 15%
- Increase the minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30 per month
- Suspend all harmful SNAP administrative rule changes
April 21: Direct Service in the Age of Coronavirus
The need for social distancing has pushed direct service providers into uncharted territory. On the one hand, it is imperative that we remain home. But on the other, there are still needs to be met, and people who will suffer if on-the-ground volunteers don’t show up. Particularly on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is vital to consider how we can live out our obligations to one another, even at this time. Join Sheila Katz, National Council of Jewish Women CEO, Cindy Greenberg, Repair the World CEO, and Ruth Messinger, Global Ambassador for AJWS, for a conversation about their work to provide direct service both in-person and at-home during this difficult time and lessons you can apply in your communities. Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
Examples of Direct Service from NCJW Sections
April 14: Protecting Abortion Access During a Pandemic
Join Planned Parenthood Acting President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue, NCJW board member Lauren Garfunkel and Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg for this week’s webinar. Judaism not only permits abortion but sometimes requires it in cases where it would save the life of the pregnant person, and our understanding of when life begins is entirely different from some other faiths. These differences matter more than ever as abortion rights and access are under attack both in the Supreme Court and in the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis. Join us to understand the critical issues around abortion access at this moment. Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
- Urge your lawmaker to support the EACH Woman Act (HR 1692/S 758):
- NCJW petition on coronavirus response legislative priorities
- Share our #AbortionIs is graphics on your Twitter and Facebook
April 7: Resistance Lessons From the Heroines of the Passover Story
Despite the fact that not a single woman is mentioned in the Haggadah, no less than five brave women open the Exodus story in the Torah. Each of them, in fact, takes great risks to resist tyranny, and their stories show us a number of ways that we, too, can work for a more just world. Join us for a lively, interactive Zoom session on the lessons we can learn from the midwives Shifra and Puah, from Miriam and Yoheved, and from Pharoah’s daughter–and how they can shape our understanding of freedom during this year’s difficult time. Join Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, NCJW Board Member Robin Roger, and Sherry Frank of National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section (NCJW) to discuss: “Resistance Lessons From the Heroines of the Passover Story” Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
- Haggadah Selections for Women’s Mini Sedar 2020 – brought to you by NCJW Atlanta and Congregation Or Hadash March 26, 2020
- Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg source sheet
March 31: Protecting and Promoting the Vote During a Pandemic
Voter mobilization often involves knocking on doors, engaging people face-to-face, driving those who need to the polls, and standing on crowded lines together to vote. The current pandemic we are in changes how we engage others in voting and perhaps, the very way we will vote. Join Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ashley Allison, Executive Vice President of Campaigns and Programs at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Myrna Pérez, Director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, Laura Monn Ginsburg, President, NCJW Minnesota, Lesley Frost, MD Action Team, and Dr. Leigh Wallace Tabak, NCJW Milwaukee to learn how you can continue to Get Out the Vote and protect our elections during a pandemic. Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
- NCJW’s Promote the Vote, Protect the Vote 2020 Campaign
- Register to vote through NCJW’s TurboVote resource
- Leadership Conference Letter to Lawmakers: Protect Voting Rights and Public Safety in Response to COVID-19, and Congress Must Appropriate $2 Billion To Protect Voting Rights;
- Brennan Center for Justice: How to Protect the 2020 Vote from the Coronavirus; and Preparing Your State for an Election Under Pandemic Conditions.
November 19: Staying in the Fight for Racial Justice
October 16: NCJW, Hadassah, and JWI Present: Jewish Women Vote
Come together with Jewish women and allies across America for a special hour-long celebration of voting. Join us to welcome Shabbat and get excited about our voting in the final weeks before the 2020 election. Our vote is our voice and it is incumbent on all of us to do everything in our power to ensure every voice is heard in our democracy.
September 15: A Conversation with Stacey Abrams
Watch Stacey Abrams and NCJW CEO Sheila Katz discuss the importance of the upcoming election, ways to combat voter suppression efforts, and the importance of the 2020 Census.
July 23: National Council of Jewish Women Town Hall
Join NCJW CEO Sheila Katz, NCJW President Dana S. Gershon, NCJW Greater New Orleans Section president Susan Hess, and NCJW Greater Rochester Section’s Vancy Boyar for a town hall meeting and Q & A.
July 20: After the Dust has Settled: The Supreme Court Term in Review – with Dahlia Lithwick
With a blockbuster Supreme Court term — the first with Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the bench — join NCJW President Dana Gershon and courts expert Dahlia Lithwick for a webinar breaking down the cases and learn what’s at stake based on the decisions issued this term. We’ll also highlight cases to watch when the next term opens on October 5.
July 14: Israeli Women Overcoming Challenges During Coronavirus
As Israel enters the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, women and genderqueer individuals face larger economic barriers than ever before. Domestic violence, specifically against women, is also on the rise. Feminist leaders in Israel are taking action, building creative solutions to advance gender equality, and reduce domestic violence.
Additional resources:
July 2: A Faithful Response to June Medical Services v Russo
June 2: A Conversation with Congresswoman Robin Kelly
Our communities are in crisis. On top of the global pandemic that continues to disproportionately impact Black and Brown people, the horrific continuance of police violence against Black people has sparked a nationwide outcry for racial justice. This week, we also commemorate #WearOrange on June 5th, in support of survivors of gun violence — and that includes survivors of domestic violence and firearms.
We are honored and grateful to have Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) join us for a timely, urgent, and important conversation about the ongoing safety and health crises that affect Americans across the country right now. Learn about the dangerous intersection between domestic and sexual violence and guns, hear thoughtful remarks and calls to action about the ongoing protests and the pandemic, and understand what you can do to help those at risk and on the front lines right now.
May 26: The Jewish Case For Abortion Access
The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is proud to debut the Abortion and Jewish Values Toolkit, an extraordinary new resource designed to offer tremendous support and insight into our work to protect and expand abortion rights and access for all. For over 125 years, we have boldly imagined a world where every person can make their own moral and faith-informed decisions about their body, health, and future. Now, in the face of false narratives and appalling rhetoric concerning this critical issue, it is more important than ever to lift up the voices of people of faith who advocate for bodily autonomy because of our religion, not in spite of it. Webinar recording here
May 20: #VoteSafe Digital Lobby Day
On May 20 we joined together online to urge lawmakers to ensure funding to implement comprehensive policies that expand voter registration, no-excuse absentee voting by mail, voter education, and safe in-person voting for remaining primaries and on Election Day. Recordings of the opening program and closing program
May 5: Weaponizing White Supremacy during COVID-19
White supremacists and far-right extremists are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to peddle disinformation and hate online – and plan real-world terror. Join Integrity First for America Executive Director Amy Spitalnick and leading litigators Roberta Kaplan and Karen Dunn – the team prosecuting the neo-Nazis and white supremacists responsible for the Charlottesville violence – on this webinar to understand the current landscape of hate and learn how to identify disinformation and push back against bigotry. Webinar recording here
April 28: Advocating for At-Risk Populations Amid a Pandemic
As lawmakers continue to debate the extent of resources allocated to those over 65 and those with disabilities and underlying health issues in the COVID-19 epidemic, advocacy for these at-risk populations is more important than ever. Learn from experts about what’s at stake in this critical moment and what you can do to impact this vitally important conversation and push for a just and inclusive coronavirus response. Join Disability Rights Activist, Judith Heumann, JFNA Director of Government Affairs Darcy Hirsh, Vice President of Programs, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger Mia Hubbard, NCJW St. Louis Section CEO Ellen Alper, and NCJW Board Member Sharon Lipton. Webinar recording here
- Center for Public Representation has put together a general COVID19 page where you can get to each of the individual web pages below.
- Here is information about the legislation that has been passed and introduced. This webpage describes the disability community advocacy for the forthcoming COVID19 relief package, with a focus on HCBS. This is a short document explaining the bill.
- Here is an entire webpage about medical rationing, including both the federal advocacy with HHS’ Office of Civil Rights and the state-based coalition advocacy. Email: dart@disasterstrategies.org for more information
- Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA) action page:
https://www.jewishtogether.org/how-to-help - MAZON’s action page for SNAP and COVID-19:
https://mazon.org/take-action/covid - USDA’s website on COVID policies changes and state options:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19 - Call your lawmakers (#202-224-3121) & urge them to make needed improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) so millions of families can put food on the table. In particular, the next COVID-19 response bill must:
- Boost the maximum SNAP benefit by 15%
- Increase the minimum SNAP benefit from $16 to $30 per month
- Suspend all harmful SNAP administrative rule changes
April 21: Direct Service in the Age of Coronavirus
The need for social distancing has pushed direct service providers into uncharted territory. On the one hand, it is imperative that we remain home. But on the other, there are still needs to be met, and people who will suffer if on-the-ground volunteers don’t show up. Particularly on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is vital to consider how we can live out our obligations to one another, even at this time. Join Sheila Katz, National Council of Jewish Women CEO, Cindy Greenberg, Repair the World CEO, and Ruth Messinger, Global Ambassador for AJWS, for a conversation about their work to provide direct service both in-person and at-home during this difficult time and lessons you can apply in your communities. Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
Examples of Direct Service from NCJW Sections
April 14: Protecting Abortion Access During a Pandemic
Join Planned Parenthood Acting President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue, NCJW board member Lauren Garfunkel and Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg for this week’s webinar. Judaism not only permits abortion but sometimes requires it in cases where it would save the life of the pregnant person, and our understanding of when life begins is entirely different from some other faiths. These differences matter more than ever as abortion rights and access are under attack both in the Supreme Court and in the government’s response to the coronavirus crisis. Join us to understand the critical issues around abortion access at this moment. Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
- Urge your lawmaker to support the EACH Woman Act (HR 1692/S 758):
- NCJW petition on coronavirus response legislative priorities
- Share our #AbortionIs is graphics on your Twitter and Facebook
April 7: Resistance Lessons From the Heroines of the Passover Story
Despite the fact that not a single woman is mentioned in the Haggadah, no less than five brave women open the Exodus story in the Torah. Each of them, in fact, takes great risks to resist tyranny, and their stories show us a number of ways that we, too, can work for a more just world. Join us for a lively, interactive Zoom session on the lessons we can learn from the midwives Shifra and Puah, from Miriam and Yoheved, and from Pharoah’s daughter–and how they can shape our understanding of freedom during this year’s difficult time. Join Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, NCJW Board Member Robin Roger, and Sherry Frank of National Council of Jewish Women Atlanta Section (NCJW) to discuss: “Resistance Lessons From the Heroines of the Passover Story” Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
- Haggadah Selections for Women’s Mini Sedar 2020 – brought to you by NCJW Atlanta and Congregation Or Hadash March 26, 2020
- Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg source sheet
March 31: Protecting and Promoting the Vote During a Pandemic
Voter mobilization often involves knocking on doors, engaging people face-to-face, driving those who need to the polls, and standing on crowded lines together to vote. The current pandemic we are in changes how we engage others in voting and perhaps, the very way we will vote. Join Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ashley Allison, Executive Vice President of Campaigns and Programs at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Myrna Pérez, Director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, Laura Monn Ginsburg, President, NCJW Minnesota, Lesley Frost, MD Action Team, and Dr. Leigh Wallace Tabak, NCJW Milwaukee to learn how you can continue to Get Out the Vote and protect our elections during a pandemic. Webinar recording here
Additional resources:
- NCJW’s Promote the Vote, Protect the Vote 2020 Campaign
- Register to vote through NCJW’s TurboVote resource
- Leadership Conference Letter to Lawmakers: Protect Voting Rights and Public Safety in Response to COVID-19, and Congress Must Appropriate $2 Billion To Protect Voting Rights;
- Brennan Center for Justice: How to Protect the 2020 Vote from the Coronavirus; and Preparing Your State for an Election Under Pandemic Conditions.