The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (JWF) on Monday announced grants totaling $345,500 to 21 outstanding projects that improve the lives of Jewish women and girls in Chicago and around the world. One of the recipients is the Tel Aviv Sexual Assault Crisis Center: Sexual Assault Testimony Project, which “helps liberate survivors of sexual violence from their hidden trauma through audiovisual documentation of their personal testimonies of sexual assault.”
According to JWF, for many survivors this may be the first time they feel they have received emotional acknowledgement or validation of their experiences. Documentation also serves as a tool to show victims that they are not alone in their suffering.
“There is no stopping a bunch of smart women coming together to tackle issues such as violence against women across the globe,” said Shari Slavin, JWF Grants Chair. “Our balanced docket represents the power of providing Jewish women with meaningful, multigenerational involvement at the philanthropic table.”
In addition, JWF has awarded a new two-year multi-year grant to the Jewish Women’s Funding Network, to support collaborative and effective efforts for women’s rights and gender equality in Israel with a focus on labor rights.
“At its core, JWF is about social change philanthropy; we use both a gender lens and a Jewish lens to determine our grantmaking priorities,” said JWF Chair Nancy Kohn. “As trustees, we use our combined voices and philanthropic dollars as a catalyst to effect positive change-and that is a powerful experience.”