Federation Grants Improve Lives of Israeli Women and Girls
“I never did anything alone. Whatever was accomplished in this country was accomplished collectively.”
- Former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir
Thousands of women and girls throughout Israel struggle every day with a variety of difficult issues, including abuse, poverty and unemployment. In 2003, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation created the Women's Amutot Initiative to focus exclusively on those needs, and fund nonprofits (amutot) that promote social justice for women and girls in Israel.
The Women’s Amutot Initiative – a committee of Federation’s Israel and Overseas Department – annually allocates grants to Israeli organizations that provide programs and services for women and deal with economic and societal empowerment, integration and equality, protection against and prevention of violence, and leadership development.
In 2014, a total of $300,000 will be provided to 23 Israeli nonprofits, with funding coming from the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign, as well as additional gifts specified for this use by donors.
Recipients for 2014 include:
- An association of rape crisis centers, advocating legal reform to protect female victims of sexual violence
- Economic empowerment and workplace training programs for Jewish and Arab-Israeli women
- An organization combating human trafficking and prostitution of women and girls
- Public interest and advocacy groups, providing litigation and legal education services for Israeli women and girls
- A legal advocacy and support agency, responding to the needs of Ultra-Orthodox females who are victims of abuse
- Micro-loan institutions for women entrepreneurs in low-income cities
- Leadership-training programs for Ethiopian-Israeli students in universities
Determining which organizations will receive funding through the Women’s Amutot Initiative was not easy. After receiving proposals for funding from 29 Israeli organizations – with requests totaling nearly $748,000 – the committee spent several months hearing from experts about issues that affect women (primarily marginalized women), researching the issues and the organizations, and having lively debates. Ultimately, committee members voted to fund 23 organizations that provide vital services and have the potential to positively change the lives of women across Israel.
According to Women’s Amutot Initiative committee Chair Marsha Soffer, the process gives Miami women an education and greater understanding of the issues affecting women in Israel and gives committee members a collective voice in corresponding funding decisions. In addition, the collective support and encouragement of women’s organizations in Israel has had a ripple effect on the entire State of Israel. “When you support women, you support families and, by extension, you support communities and the nation as a whole,” Soffer said.
“When we started the Women’s Amutot Initiative 11 years ago under the leadership of Sarah Adler, we saw many existing needs in Israel and a general lack of awareness of significant issues among people outside of Israel. Since then, there has been a tremendous amount of education about women’s issues in Israel, which has raised awareness of the need for systemic change.”
While many other Jewish communities support services benefiting women and children, Miami is the only one whose Women’s Amutot Initiative receives a yearly allocation from the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign and focuses exclusively on Israel.
The work of the Women’s Amutot Initiative is shared by Jewish communities throughout North America and Israel in a collaborative effort known as the Shutafot (Partners) Project. Joining the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Women’s Amutot Initiative in this effort are Boston Jewish Community Women’s Fund, Jewish Women’s Foundation of Broward County, Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh, Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit, Jewish Women’s Foundation of New York, Jewish Women’s Foundation of South Palm Beach County, Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Greater Palm Beaches, The Nedivot and Neshamot Funds of UJA-Federation/Westchester Women’s Venture Fund, Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation of Greater Washington, and Women of Vision – The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Philadelphia, as well as Israel Lions of Judah, National Council of Jewish Women Israel Granting Program, The Dafna Fund and The Hadassah Foundation.
For more information about the Women’s Amutot Initiative of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, contact Israel and Overseas Department Director Dahlia Bendavid at [email protected], or 786.866.8445.
