Passover and the Pursuit of Justice

Dear Friend,

I am proud to be the new president of the National Council of Jewish Women because we deliver the voice of progressive Jewish women in America. Today, I am asking for your resolve in ensuring that NCJW's distinctive voice is heard -- especially when it comes to women's empowerment.

For the past 18 years, I've had the honor of working with NCJW's grassroots around the country -- women devoted to social justice, empowering other women, and helping those most at risk. This is the NCJW story.
 
One of the great lessons of Passover is that emancipation does not always arrive swiftly. Freedom and justice require unwavering vision, relentless action, and faith in the future. They require that we persevere -- for decades, generations, or even 40 years of wandering and then some. This kind of perseverance has helped shape American history -- from the abolition of slavery to women's suffrage and the Civil Rights Act.

As we gather around our Seder tables to tell again the Passover story and to ask the Four Questions, I propose that we each ask of ourselves one more question: What will I do to empower women in my community to lead lives of freedom, choice, and hope?

Right now, as so many issues about justice and opportunities for women are unresolved, NCJW's voice is crucial.

I ask that you join me in speaking out at every possible table to empower more women -- through the NCJW Action Center, in your communities and the media, in the halls of government, at Town Hall, and at your Seder tables. NCJW needs you. Women need you.

May we ask the questions this Passover that inspire action and empowerment. 

Nancy Ratzan
NCJW President