A Conversation with Sheila Katz & Ilana Kaufman
In the wake of the pivotal election and as we continue to grapple with the post-October 7th reality, Jewish funders and nonprofit professionals across the U.S. are facing a rapidly shifting landscape. How can we continue to live our values, stay resilient, and support each other as we navigate these changing dynamics?
Join JFN’s Gender Lens Philanthropy Peer Network and SRE Network for a unique opportunity to learn from two visionary leaders who are shaping the future of gender equity and social justice work. Sheila Katz, CEO of NCJW, and Ilana Kaufman, CEO of the Jews of Color Initiative, will discuss the threats and opportunities facing our shared values–specifically around reproductive justice, women’s rights, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
This program is open to JFN and SRE Network members and will be recorded.
About the Speakers
Sheila Katz
Sheila (she/her) is the CEO of National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), a 130-year-old Jewish feminist civil rights organization with over 210,000 advocates working for the full equity and safety of women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. Under Sheila’s leadership, NCJW has responded to threats to abortion access, voting rights, childcare access, equal pay, and other issues of equity through protest, advocacy and new campaigns making it clear where Jewish women and allies stand on the most important issues of the day. Sheila spearheaded the creation of Jews for Abortion Access, engaging more than 2.5 million people taking action. She also launched Rabbis for Repro, a network of more than 2,500 rabbis across every denomination teaching about reproductive freedom and Judaism. Prior to NCJW, Sheila was the Vice President of Student Engagement and Leadership at Hillel International, the largest Jewish on-campus community in the world. Sheila was named as one of the top 10 faith influencers by Religion News Service and as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by the Jerusalem Post. She sits on the board of governors of Tel Aviv University.
Ilana Kaufman
Ilana (she/her) is the CEO of the Jews of Color Initiative (JOCI). Her work sits at the center of Jewish community, racial equity, and justice, is anchored by the voices and experience of Jews of Color, and is focused on grantmaking, research and field building, and community education.
As a guest on NPR’s All Things Considered and Code Switch, with pieces featured in eJewish Philanthropy and The Foundation Review, and an Eli Talk titled Who Counts, Race and the Jewish Future with over 45,000 views, Ilana is passionate about all things at the intersection of Jewish community, racial justice, Jews of Color, education, and philanthropy. Ilana was previously the Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Director, East Bay for the San Francisco, Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council. A Senior Schusterman Fellow who is always searching Jewish text for discussion of equity and justice, Ilana received her B.A. in Sociology from California State University-Humboldt and her M.A. in Educational Pedagogy from Mills College.
For questions, email info@srenetwork.org.