Jewish Women International (JWI) is a Jewish advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on domestic violence prevention, women’s empowerment, and left-of-center causes like abortion advocacy and gun control. JWI claims that its mission is to champion “everyone who experiences the world as female” of “every race, culture, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.” ¹

Founding and History

Jewish Women’s International was originally founded as Ruth Lodge No. 1, the Daughters of Judah in 1897, an auxiliary of B’nai B’rith, an international Jewish service organization. By 1909, the group began to be known as B’nai B’rith Women, with the first permanent group founded in San Francisco. ²

Throughout the 20^th century, B’nai B’rith Women was focused on women’s and Jewish activism. In the 1930s and 40s, BBW raised funds for the relief of Jews in Europe and established support facilities for Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem. In the 1960 and 70s, the group advocated in favor of left-wing priorities include the Equal Rights Amendment and the legalization of abortion. In 1995, B’nai B’rith Women formally split from B’nai B’rith and renamed itself the Jewish Women International and founded the magazine Jewish Woman. ³

To support its vision of women’s empowerment, JWI focuses on reducing “gender-based” violence, supporting financial literacy and job training for women, and mentoring young women to become future leaders. ⁴

Activism

Jewish Women International is explicitly left-wing. The organization reports it is “inspired by our legacy of progressive Jewish women’s leadership.” ⁵

During the Trump administration, JWI participated in left-wing protests including the Women’s March, the anti-Second Amendment March for Our Lives, and the anti-immigration restriction Families Belong Together March. ⁶

In recent years, JWI has adopted left-wing views on gender. The organization claims to champion “women and girls,” while making it clear that “when we say ‘women and girls,’ we mean everyone who experiences the world as female.” ⁷

JWI also conducts national political advocacy focused on five issues: gender-based violence, economics, gun violence, abortion, and civil rights. ⁸ In recent years, JWI advocated in favor of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, a bill authored by Democrats in the wake of the killing of George Floyd to combat the racial bias believed to be endemic in policing; the Equality Act, legislation that would elevate gender identity as a special category of legal protection; and multiple pieces of legislation to restrict Second Amendment gun rights. ⁹ JWI also lobbies Congress to pass legislation supporting equal pay and workplace protections for those who feel they are female. ¹⁰

Funders

Jewish Women International receives financial support from left-wing, Jewish, and governmental organizations. These include Bender Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, the Hadassah Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Jewish Women’s Foundation of Broward County, Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh, Jewish Women’s Foundation of San Diego, Joan Margolius Cherner Women’s Empowerment Fund, Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, Propel, Rose Community Foundation, Russell Berrie Foundation, the Senser Foundation, Seed the Dream Foundation, Safety Respect Equity (SRE), and the Wagner-Barenberg Family Foundation. ¹¹

People

The CEO of Jewish Women International is Meredith Jacobs. Jacobs is the author of two books: Just Between Us, an interactive mother-daughter journal, and The Modern Jewish Mom’s Guide to Shabbat, a practical guide to bringing family together for the weekly Jewish Shabbat dinner. Jacobs was previously the editor in chief of Washington Jewish Weekly. ¹²

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