National Council of Jewish Women is pleased to announce the appointment of Jody Rabhan as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. This appointment reflects both continuity and momentum for the organization as it advances NCJW Forward, its bold, multi-year strategy to strengthen infrastructure, expand participation, and build a movement of one million changemakers ready to meet the urgency of this moment.

Jody brings decades of deep institutional knowledge, strategic leadership experience, and a clear vision for how NCJW translates Jewish values into real-world impact for women, children, and families across the United States and Israel.

“Jody is exactly the leader NCJW needs right now,” said Laura Monn Ginsburg, president and board chair of NCJW. “She brings moral clarity, strategic discipline, and a profound understanding of how this organization creates real impact every single day. The board has complete confidence in Jody’s ability to guide NCJW forward with strength, purpose, and care.”

“I came to NCJW for the issues, but I stayed for the advocacy. NCJW is the place where being Jewish, being a woman, and fighting for a more just world come together — nothing has to be checked at the door,” said Jody Rabhan, NCJW Chief Executive Officer.

Read our full statement

About Jody Rabhan

Jody Rabhan is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), bringing decades of leadership and deep commitment to advancing justice through Jewish values. She has served in senior leadership roles across the organization — most recently as Executive Vice President — guiding NCJW through major transition, strategic growth, and expanded impact.

In her prior roles at NCJW, Jody provided strategic direction for policy, advocacy, organizational systems, and national-local infrastructure. She oversaw major operational functions including finance, human resources, strategy and planning, government relations, partnerships, program delivery, and grassroots campaign strategy.

Throughout her tenure, she has continually helped NCJW evolve to meet the moment. Under her leadership, NCJW expanded and formalized its State Policy Advocacy (SPA) Network, a national infrastructure of advocates advancing NCJW’s priorities in statehouses across the country. She has shaped NCJW’s initiatives on judicial nominations, reproductive freedom, economic justice, civil rights, gun violence prevention, and religious liberty.

A recognized expert on public policy and advocacy strategy, Jody has regularly represented NCJW in media, national coalitions, and at major conferences. She is widely respected as a trainer, speaker, and coalition partner.

Jody holds dual master’s degrees in Social Work and Jewish Studies, as well as a Certificate in Jewish Communal Service from the Baltimore Institute for Jewish Communal Service. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Boston University. A proud member of Cohort 5 of the Schusterman Fellowship leadership development program, Jody is the mom of two boys and a cat, lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and teaches fitness classes in her spare time.

About NCJW Forward

NCJW Forward, our five-year strategic plan, is a bold recommitment to our mission and values. Through this strategy, NCJW is meeting this moment with power and purpose — guided by an audacious goal to engage one million changemakers across the country to improve the lives of women, children, and families in the United States and in Israel.

At its core, NCJW Forward is about impact. It is designed to ensure that our advocacy is focused, our organization is strong, and our movement is activated to drive real change.

NCJW Forward is built around three simple, game-changing objectives:

1. Align all advocacy efforts with clear strategic priorities to maximize impact.
2. Advance the organization’s staffing, systems, and infrastructure to support sustained growth and effectiveness.
3. Activate changemakers nationwide with accessible pathways to advocacy and leadership.

Together, these priorities ensure that NCJW meets people where they are, removes barriers to participation, and builds a movement capable of influencing policy and creating lasting change — now and for generations to come.

Support NCJW’s next chapter

This moment of leadership and organizational momentum is made possible by changemakers like you. If you are inspired to mark this chapter, please consider making a gift in honor of Jody Rabhan’s appointment or in support of NCJW Forward. Your generosity helps fuel advocacy, leadership development, and enduring impact.

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