Forum Unites Jewish Women

By Brad Barth

Filling up the synagogue of the Woodbury Jewish Center to its capacity on Wednesday, December 2, Jewish women, over 500 strong, attended the fourth annual Long Island Jewish Women's Forum, an empowerment and self-improvement program featuring day and evening workshops with experts as well as representatives from 15 organizations.

A project based out of Syosset and coordinated by the Long Island Women's Campaign for UJA-Federation, the forum was an opportunity for participants to discover their identities as Jewish women, and perhaps join an organization or religious affiliation such as those which cosponsored the conference and passed out literature in the Jewish Center.

The Forum was conceived by a UJA-Federation worker, Rita Happberg, who sought to create an outreach program for the community that involved women. "It's really an opportunity for women to empower themselves, learn about their spirituality and educate themselves," said Carrie Abolafia, marketing and communications manager for UJA-Federation. "It always focuses on Jewish women and the strength that we have together, and what we can achieve."

A team works year-round to help plan the forum. Nita Goldberg was the event chairwoman, while Sandra Mintz was the forum coordinator. Said Mintz, "The reason that we started this was [the] feeling that there's conviction and strength in unity among women when they come together, and it was to help establish a cohesive network discussing concerns and aspirations of Jewish women." Mintz said the forum is an "opportunity for women to discuss issues of Jewish continuity...and to empower women within the Jewish community."

"You put 500 Jewish women in one room, and it's powerful," she continued.

"We are women from all of the religious branches of Judaism...brought together," said Goldberg. At such an event as the forum, the different sects of the religion blend together under a united cause, she said.

The 1997 theme was "Jewish Women: In Search of Ourselves. Reality, Image, Vision." The workshops, which referred to that theme, addressed topics such as the changing images of Jewish women in contemporary literature, mother-daughter relationships and Jewish continuity and survival.

The latter, said Nita Goldberg, is particularly crucial to understand. "Continuity and survival is almost an ongoing theme for Jews, and that's really the crux of why we do something like this," she said. Goldberg said that, as an effort to strengthen women's Jewish identities, she would encourage non-affiliated women at the forum to join an organization or a branch of Judaism.

This year's keynote speaker, also a workshop lecturer, was Arna Poupko, respected Jewish lecturer and educator, whose insightful and witty commentary on the identity of being female and Jewish was well-received from the crowd.

The event also marked the 50th anniversary of Israel, Jerusalem's 30-year anniversary of reunification and 100 years of Zionism with a special celebratory luncheon.

Represented at the event were the American Jewish Congress (Commission for Women's Equality), Amit Women, Conference of Jewish Organizations of Nassau County, Hadassah, Jewish Women International, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation of Greater New York, Na'Amat, National Council of Jewish Women, State of Israel Bonds (Women's Division), Suffolk Association for Jews Educational Services, Suffolk Jewish Communal Planning Council, Women's American ORT, Women's League for Conservative Judaism and Women of Reform Judaism.