Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago awards:

The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (JWF) announced, this past December, that they would provide an unprecedented $427,000 in grants to empower women and girls in 2025 and beyond. This historic allocation is the result of a collective grantmaking process deeply rooted in Jewish values and viewed through a gender lens.

JWF trustees work together as funders and decision-makers to determine how resources are allocated. Operating as a large-scale giving circle, they evaluate proposals and vote on which projects to fund. Through this process, trustees also learn about timely issues affecting women and girls, and gain knowledge about effective philanthropic practices.

The participatory JWF experience is especially resonant for Chicago’s Jewish women as they seek to make a meaningful impact and find a sense of connection and purpose after the events of 10/7. In the face of rising antisemitism, trustees are gaining strength and resilience through JWF’s close spirit of community.

JWF trustees approached the complex nature of the current moment with a combination of purpose and inspiration which is reflected in the multifaceted 2024 docket.

The 22 new grants promote strategic approaches to both nascent issues and longstanding challenges through local, domestic, and international initiatives. Many of the projects address the war in Israel and antisemitism at home. Additionally, the grants protect women’s rights, prevent intimate partner violence and sexual abuse, bolster diverse Jewish communities, and nurture the next generation of Jewish feminist leaders.

• In response to the silence of feminist organizations around the world following 10/7, the Israel Women’s Network is working to strengthen global relations and foster international solidarity between Israeli women and world-wide feminist groups.
• The Abraham Initiatives is promoting Israel’s mixed cities as inclusive spaces for Jewish and Arab coexistence by investing in local female officials to create scalable models of collaboration.
• Marva is raising awareness about elder abuse in Israel, addressing its root causes to break ongoing cycles.
• ASLI is preventing violence against women by teaching men to actively make their relationships and communities safer.
• ELI is partnering with the IDF to combat sexual abuse of female soldiers by training officers to identify, report, and break cycles of abuse within the military.
• Metro Chicago Hillel is empowering young Jewish women to build strong identities and communities, making them resilient against antisemitism on campus and beyond.

The full 2024 docket of JWF grants can be found at jwfchicago.org .

Ellen Carmell is the Executive Director of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. For more information, email her at [email protected].