Top Row, from left to right: Judy Sorin, Susan Hochman, Robyn Sperling (Event Co-Chair), Olga Meshoe Washington (Keynote Speaker), Dana Shapiro Spaeth, Beth Danziger (Event Co-Chair), Cheryl Fulton (Women for Israel Committee Chair), Julie Franklin, Ellen Hunt, Samantha Schwab, Amanda Marks, Beth Sher. Middle Row, from left to right: Ginny Belofsky (JNF-USA Director, Donor Relations), Amanda Septimus. Bottom Row, from left to right: Melanie Susswein, Chayla Furlong (JNF-USA Director, Central Texas), Tania Pons Allon (JNF-USA Director, Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water, Energy Security), Marci Dell, Jennifer Greenblum, Val Newberg. Credit: Alex Dickerson.

By Allison Teegardin 

On May 2, Jewish National Fund-USA hosted more than 200 women at its annual Women for Israel Luncheon at the Dell Jewish Community Center in Austin, TX, featuring Olga Meshoe Washington, a South African Christian Zionist and CEO of Defend, Embrace, Invest (in), Support Israel (DEISI).

The event began with welcoming remarks from the event co-chairs Beth Danziger and Robyn Sperling who set the tone for the event by saying, “Women get it done!” Local female clergy participated as Hamotzi was lead by Rabbi Amy B. Cohen, chief social services officer of Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service and Rabbi Kelly Levy of Congregation Beth Israel. Rabbi Gail Swedroe of Congregation Agudas Achim offered a prayer for the State of Israel; Rabbi Cantor Marie Betcher, Austin Police Department senior chaplain sang the Star-Spangled Banner; and Cantor Abby Gostein of Temple Beth Shalom and Cantorial Soloist Sarah Avner of Congregation Beth Israel sang Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem.

In celebration of female-driven philanthropy, the luncheon explored the driving forces behind why women from different backgrounds proudly stand up for Israel. As the keynote speaker, Washington shared her personal journey to becoming a vocal advocate for Israel and what Zionists can do to amplify their voices within their communities.

Following the keynote, Arava resident Tania Pons Allon, Jewish National Fund-USA’s Director of the Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water, and Energy Security, spoke about the future of Israel.

In closing, women were inspired to continue their philanthropy as they are writing just one of many chapters in Jewish history and were asked to consider, “What will be your legacy?”