Talia Shapiro Blank

April marks the annual recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). WRJ is committed to addressing the discrimination many of us, unfortunately, have witnessed or experienced. As we look around our synagogues, it’s important to be aware that if you dig deep enough, you will find many people have stories. When we allow space for vulnerability and sharing, it keeps people from suffering in silence and allows room for change. For that change to make a lasting impact, it takes commitment from all members of a congregation or community.

WRJ and the Women's Rabbinic Network are leaders in the fight for pay equity. As an organization, we are conducting training on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and implicit bias, sexual harassment (WRJ says STOP), and equitable hiring practices. In addition, WRJ will continue mobilizing advocacy for legislative interventions for pay equity.

I think we all can remember where we were the day that Roe V. Wade was overturned. I was at home. I was living in Tennessee at the time, a state with trigger laws. I was flooded with articles and headlines that shook me to my core. The more I read, the more my heart raced. I became sick to my stomach. I remember rumors and questions about what this could mean legally for practitioners, pregnant people, and anyone seeking birth control. I thought about the fact that I hope to bear children one day and felt a direct threat to my life. Our lease was up in a few months, and we had already been considering what to do next. To me, this verdict was the deciding factor.