31 May 2020

New Israel Fund Australia affirmed its commitment to gender equality and inclusion today by announcing its support for the #MakeSpaceForHer campaign.

“We commend the National Council of Jewish Women for its leadership on this issue and are proud to join in its efforts to create a more inclusive Jewish community for women and gender diverse members,” said president of NIF Australia Dr Ilana Snyder.

She continued: “I’m proud that NIF is among the minority of Jewish organisations in Australia with a gender balanced board. Our efforts are part of a strategy that all organisations must adopt to ensure the voices of women are amplified in the community.”

NIF has committed itself to a number of initiatives ensuring:

• At least an equal number of women represented on the NIF Australia board
• Gender balance among guest speakers NIF brings to Australia
• Gender balance among NIF board members and staff who speak/present at events
• Gender balance among participants in NIF’s programs
• Funding projects in Israel through a gender lens to combat the rise of sexual violence and promote education and training for women

In addition to supporting the NCJW campaign, NIF’s board has also committed to ensuring its events and programs are welcoming for gender diverse members of the community.

NIF president Dr Ilana Snyder said: “NIF acknowledges that transgender and non-binary community members have unique experiences and face particular hurdles to inclusion in the Jewish community. We know that often the world can seem binary, especially when working with a language like Hebrew, and NIF is committed to being an open and welcoming place to every community member, regardless of their gender expression.”

NIF looks forward to engaging with NCJW and other stakeholders in the future to further inclusion and diversity in the Jewish community.

For more information contact NIF executive director Liam Getreu at [email protected].