by Wendy Wagenheim, NCJW life member

Hillary Clinton, Valerie Jarrett (the most dynamic woman in the White House next to Michelle), Nancy Pelosi (the most powerful woman in Congress), Lilly Ledbetter and Dorothy Height (two women who changed all of our lives).  How often do you get to see the movers and shakers of a woman’s world?  The truth is that you can do it every three years at Washington Institute. It is, hands down, the best conference I go to.  Every time, I leave feeling excited, energized and loaded with information I can use.  But WI isn’t just about the well-known speakers. It’s about being with NCJW women – the best and the brightest from all over the country.

Remember “Jerry Maguire”?  WI “had me at hello” in 1993. My first meeting was at a meeting full of SPA’s…trying to figure out what an SPA is…what an SPA does and meeting Sammie for the first time. Funny, but I was actually scared.  I remember thinking, what am I doing here, can I really fit in? All these women seemed to be on another plane. Even though I had done some politically active things in my own community, I started to wonder if I were out of my league. I was a volunteer at-home mom thrown into the social justice arena. I met some amazing people, heard some amazing speakers, and, just plainly, had an amazing trip to Washington.

It was really the beginning of a life changing transformation. I give NCJW the credit for giving me a place to test my leadership skills and the confidence to see them through. Just two years later, I had a job. I was the Michigan ACLU Legislative Director driving to Lansing every day.  What an unexpected opportunity! Just thinking about it makes me smile. Never underestimate the power of Washington Institute. An NCJW education is priceless. (By the way, if you don’t know already, an SPA is the State Policy Advocacy Chair for each section.)

But I need to confess that my greatest memory of Washington Institute is about a man. Not just any man, it involved President Clinton. It was 1998. Let’s just say it was a rather tumultuous time in his life and he was facing a group of 600 women. Anybody else might have been intimidated, but we’re talking about President Bill Clinton. Not a man easily shaken.

But after his speech, I had the chance to shake his hand for about 15 seconds, long enough to say, “Mr. President, it’s so nice to meet you, but I have to tell you that it’s my daughter’s birthday, and she’s upset that I’m here with you and not with her.” Without skipping a beat, he asked her name and when I said “Jillian,” he asked, “with a J or a G?”  Seriously, who thinks like that? He told me to wait and someone would bring something to me. About five minutes later, an aide came out with a card that read, “Happy Birthday, Jillian, Forgive your mom for being here.” – signed, Bill Clinton, 2/24/98.  It’s now framed, hanging in her apartment, and I’ve been forgiven.

That was 15 years ago and a memory that I’ll never forget. It’s not that there aren’t hundreds of other memories, but I think you can see why this one stands out. I can’t wait to see what happens inMarch… I can’t wait to hear Sandra Fluke and Melissa Harris-Perry. But more than that, I’m rooming with an old friend and fellow veteran SPA whom I haven’t seen in too long, and I’ll be with a whole lot of other incredible women who are coming to honor the greatest advocate that NCJW, or Washington, for that matter, will ever have – Sammie Moshenberg.  If you really want to be inspired, this is the year to be at Washington Institute.  I’m confident that it may even surpass my moment with Bill.