Grantee Spotlight: Meet Women’s Rabbinic Network
SRE Network invests in strengthening the capacity of Jewish organizations through grantmaking so that Jewish communities will be strengthened, become more cohesive, experience healing, and have deeper trust in each other, their institutions, and leaders. Over the past six years, SRE has invested over $6.5M across 108 projects and 52 organizations through its grantmaking, technical assistance, and partnerships.
Throughout the year, we provide grants to outstanding Jewish organizations whose organizations and projects focus on advancing the safety, respect, and equity across North America’s Jewish communal landscape. Over the coming weeks, we will shine the spotlight on SRE's twelve extraordinary spring 2024 field building grant recipients.
We are excited to introduce you to Women’s Rabbinic Network (WRN).
About WRN
WRN is the organization of Reform female-identified, nonbinary, genderfluid rabbis, supporting members and advocating for the physical, emotional, and financial health for all in the Jewish community.
About the Grant
With a one-year grant, WRN will work to advance paid family and medical leave rights, and therefore pay equity, for all employees within Reform Jewish institutions by conducting and disseminating research, developing educational resources, and engaging in ongoing advocacy efforts to promote equity and systemic change.
Q&A with Women's Rabbinic Network (WRN)
SRE: Why is WRN excited to receive this grant? What change do you hope this grant will bring to your organization and the important work it does?
WRN: The new research supported by this SRE grant will allow WRN to delve deeper into the current landscape of leave policies and experiences specific to the Reform Movement. We will focus on developing a more intersectional understanding, considering various demographic factors (e.g., gender, race, socioeconomic status) and stakeholder needs to shape utilization of leave policies. This new research will enable us to more powerfully advocate for policy changes and institutional support tailored to the Jewish community, including further development of customized resources to empower institutional leaders to enact policy improvements and enable individuals with diverse identities and needs to navigate leave periods with confidence and support.
SRE: How has being a member of SRE Network impacted WRN?
WRN: SRE has impacted WRN in three vital dimensions – it has provided critical financial support for our impactful work, it has played an indispensable role in convening Jewish organizations working on safety and equity issues, and it has created a meaningful, supportive, and strong community of those working to improve Jewish communal workplaces. SRE’s role in the Jewish community is foundational to sustained change.
SRE: What is your hope for the future of the broader Jewish nonprofit landscape?
WRN: WRN’s mission not only addresses immediate needs but also lays the foundation for long-term cultural shifts that prioritize the wellbeing and advancement of all members of our communities. We envision, and are committed to bringing about, a transformative shift in which safe communities, equitable pay, and access to paid and supported family and medical leave becomes an inherent right for every employee of Reform institutions. By making our work outward-facing and providing consultations to groups beyond our immediate community, WRN strives to support and inspire broader efforts to promote safety and equity in the greater Jewish community.
SRE Network promotes Jewish workplaces and communal spaces in becoming safe, respectful, and equitable through network building, resource sharing, and community investments. As a network of over 175 Jewish organizations, we are working towards a Jewish communal landscape where people are free from abuse, engage one another with dignity, and are treated fairly. Learn more at: www.srenetwork.org.
Photos provided by WRN staff.