On the morning of July 12, 2010/1 Av 5770, I was in the middle of modern Jewish history–standing behind Women of the Wall leader Anat Hoffman as she was arrested for carrying our Torah scroll away from the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem.  That moment was, to quote my dear late mentor Dr. Art Naparstek, “transformative.”  Until that time I was content to be a professional volunteer, then a creative philanthropist.  After witnessing such a flagrant violation of our spiritual civil rights, I found myself weaving together my Jewish communal training and education with my core passion, Jewish music, for one simple purpose:  to become an activist on behalf of the modern Jewish democracy known as the State of Israel and to persuade others to care about religious freedom and gender equality in our Jewish State.  With the help of the FGI Foundation, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the “Sacred Rights, Sacred Song Project” was born.

As the granddaughter of a Jerusalemite, the daughter of one of Akron, Ohio’s most honest and compassionate women, and the mother of four very passionate modern Zionists, I now proudly add the description “artist/activist” to my core identity.  My Federation experiences have enabled me to achieve a sophisticated level of involvement in Israel-Diaspora affairs.  My laser focus on strengthening Israel’s democracy is rooted in my experiences as Partnership 2000 chair and a member of the UJA Young Leadership Cabinet.  Most of the significant relationships I have formed throughout the Jewish world are a result of my engagement with the Federation.  As Art once told me, I have the “three W’s - wisdom, willingness and wealth.”  I add a fourth W - the Way - the Way being the amazing communal infrastructure we have developed over generations.

Today, I express profound gratitude for the gifts I have received from Above.  I also express gratitude for the unwavering support I continue to receive from my Jewish communal home, The Jewish Federation of Cleveland.