The Hadassah Foundation
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Contact: Stephanie Blumenkranz
Director, The Hadassah Foundation
afriedman@hadassah.org
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hadassahfoundation@hadassah.org

 August 24, 2020 – The Hadassah Foundation, a public charity that awards grants to social change programming that empowers women and girls in Israel and the United States, is pleased to announce its 2020 grant recipients in Israel and the United states that are making it possible for women to advance in all spheres of their life.  

These grants come at a time when women’s leadership is desperately needed. Women are being especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Internationally, women are facing an increased rate of job loss as compared to men, are a disproportionate number of essential workers in frontline-health and caretaking jobs, undergoing more mental health ramifications,  and are experiencing increased rates of sexual exploitation, forced marriage, and domestic violence. Despite these facts, in the US and Israel, there is a staggeringly low number of women, if any, appointed to COVID-19 taskforces.

Sue Beller, Hadassah Foundation Board Chair, exclaims: "The pandemic has heightened the needs of, and at the same time, made it more challenging to find funds for organizations that focus on the issues of women and girls.  I am thrilled that the Hadassah Foundation is able to support, in a meaningful way, these outstanding organizations doing critical work, especially during these times."

Grant awards range from $50,000 to $70,000 paid-out over a two-year grant period and are directed toward organizations and programs that seek to address root causes of social issues. In the United States, first-time recipient Gender Equity in Hiring Project and long-time grantee Moving Traditions are selected as this year’s grant recipients: 

• Gender Equity in Hiring Project: Established in 2019, GEiHP aims to remove gender bias from the hiring processes in Jewish organizational life to help women rise to positions of leadership. Funds will support education, advocacy, and coaching to align hiring practices with the Jewish values of equality and fairness. 
  
  Because women are disproportionately losing their jobs, suffering from pay cuts, and facing increased caregiving responsibilities as a result of COVID-19, GEiHP has expanded its focus. GEiHP is listening to their constituents and partners to design tools that respond to the needs around unemployment, hiring, and workplace culture. Their work will help make sure that especially during and after the pandemic, organizations and the community at large uphold core values that drive gender equality. 

• Moving Traditions: An organization that emboldens teens by fostering self-discovery, challenging sexism, and inspiring a commitment to Jewish life and learning. By promoting a more inclusive and expansive view of gender for Jewish girls, boys, and transgender and nonbinary teens, Moving Traditions creates a more vibrant, engaging Judaism that helps all teens to flourish. Funds support Kol Koleinu (All Our Voices), a national fellowship that invites Jewish teen girls to explore and deepen their feminist knowledge, channel their voices to share their beliefs, and use their skills to create tangible change in their communities.
  
  Due to the isolation that comes with COVID-19, a virtual leadership program for teen girls is increasingly needed and in very high demand. In addition to Moving Traditions pivoting all of their programs to be able to meet virtually, they have added elements to their programming that specifically address the challenges teens face as a result of COVID-19. 

These organizations join the 2020 Israel grant recipients announced earlier this year, as well as the ongoing COVID-19 response grants that specifically address the sharp-rise of domestic violence in Israel: 

• AJEEC-NISPED is a team of Jews and Arabs working together to promote socio-economic development and peace-building. Funds support the Taliyah Gap Year Program for young Arab women in the Negev Bedouin community. Taliyah provides participants with the skills and support to break glass ceilings as some of the first women in their community to hold advanced degrees and professional careers.
• Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI) is the national umbrella organization for Israel’s network of rape crisis centers that advocates on behalf of policies and practices that promote women’s safety. Funds underwrite a pilot initiative to research and implement university-wide policies to prevent and regulate instances of sexual harassment in academic settings.  
• Jasmine promotes the growth and professional development of Israel’s Jewish and Arab women business owners and leaders. Funds support the Izun (Balance) Project that helps women business owners obtain positions as board members in public companies and government agencies. 
• Nivcharot is the first and only organization in Israel focusing on Haredi women and their integration into public, social, and political life. Funds help Nivcharot raise awareness of the unique needs of Haredi women and girls and support their programming that provides Haredi women with the tools, knowledge, and self-perception necessary to lead in Israeli secular society.
• The Ruth and Emanuel Rackman Center, operating at Bar-Ilan University, provides legal representation, related academic expertise, and reform recommendations to increase gender equality in Israel’s laws and policies. Funds support initiatives to increase women’s rights in Israel’s family court system that significantly limits women’s access to justice and negatively impact their children.
• WePower advances women’s leadership to the highest levels of decision-making and elected positions. Funding supports The Incubator for Council Members and Women Mayors, offering women in their first term of office with training, support, and a  network of women in government throughout Israel. The goal of the incubator is to increase the number of women who continue in their government positions for a second term. 

For a complete list of this year’s grant recipients, including the organizations that received COVID-19 response grants, and the organizations receiving funding for a second consecutive year, go to www.hadassahfoundation.org. 

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The Hadassah Foundation invests in social change, granting over a half million dollars each year to organizations in Israel and the United States. The Foundation’s grantmaking and programs enable women and girls to: advance in positions of leadership, break glass ceilings in fields not predominately led by women or people of their background, increase their political involvement and representation, and eliminate religious barriers that create unequal or separate playing fields. As one of the largest Jewish women’s funds in the United States, the Hadassah Foundation has awarded $10 million in grants to over 110 non-profit organizations. To learn more, visit www.hadassahfoundation.org.