Opening the Boardroom Doors

Recent studies confirm that women make up fewer than 10% of the boards and executive committees of the major co-ed institutions of Jewish life. To address this shortage—particularly of young leaders—Hadassah has established a program to help women achieve positions of power and use them effectively in Jewish communal life.

The Hadassah Leadership Academy will launch a three-year program in October with a retreat for 150 hand-picked leaders-in-training from ten communities around the United States. According to national chair Renee Resnik, these women already are involved philanthropically in the Jewish community and are looking for expanded volunteer opportunities.

Under Hadassah’s tutelage they will receive one year of Jewish education, one year of Zionist instruction, and a final year learning the nuts and bolts of community organizing, during which they will be asked to create a local social service program.

Stay tuned. It will be interesting to see if this Leadership Academy will provide adequate tools for women to pry open the boardroom doors, or if it is male attitudes (and not female skills) that need improvement.