A Season of Action: Hanukkah Wishes from NCJW

Last month, I traveled with fellow NCJW members on our 2009 Mission to Israel to engage with women who are shaping the future of Israel. There, I was proud to witness firsthand the impact of our efforts in communities throughout Israel. We visited NCJW grant recipients, met with young entrepreneurs, engaged with Knesset leaders and grassroots activists, studied with feminist educators, met with the first female President of the Israeli Supreme Court. On this trip, we reaffirmed the enduring value of our work, the multitude of ways that this work serves as a catalyst for progressive social change, and how our actions have inspired others to pursue their dreams. So many of the women we interacted with reinforced the same message: it is up to us, women who believe in great dreams, to make a difference in this world.
 
Here in the United States, a dynamic network of big dreamers who have found their home in NCJW is also thriving. Our strength and our commitment to our ideas and dreams are more critical than ever. As I write this message, we face the most egregious assault to reproductive rights and the well-being of women and families in three decades as a result of amendments introduced under the auspices of health care reform. I believe this time is a defining moment in the pursuit and protection of women's rights. And I believe that this moment presents us with an extraordinary opportunity and a responsibility to act.
 
We are answering that call to action.
 
On the Mission to Israel, I met dynamic, powerful women who are shaping the future of Israel. Here, we are shaping the future. NCJW is being called to the table to provide leadership in Washington DC and around the country on the issues of women's rights, health care reform, violence against women, religious liberty, and many other fundamental rights. Individuals like you are standing up and speaking out with courage, compassion, and power. Together, we are the torchbearers of this fight. And it is up to us to illuminate the path and inspire others to create positive, lasting social change.   
 
In the spirit of Hanukkah, I ask you to be the shamash -- the lead candle that ignites others -- by sharing this message with eight people  so that they can sign up for the NCJW Action Center and join our community of advocates working on behalf of women, children, and families. Give your friends and family the ability to turn their ideals into action; share with them the torch of social action. And let us come together to make the light of a grassroots movement see us through to a brighter future.
 
Happy Hanukkah!

Nancy Ratzan
NCJW President