Dear NCJW community,

Shana tovah. I hope you had a meaningful Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

I am writing to share important news about a leadership transition underway at NCJW. After a dynamic six years with the organization, Sheila Katz recently gave us notice of her departure. We know she will continue to contribute her passion and leadership to the Jewish community for many years to come, and have included a note with her reflections below.

During Sheila’s tenure, we remained a powerful voice for women’s rights and social justice. She spearheaded Jews for Abortion Access, engaging more than 2.5 million people in taking action, and launched Rabbis for Repro, mobilizing over 2,000 rabbis to teach about reproductive freedom and Judaism. She ably led our response to October 7th, including hosting a special session at the United Nations. Sheila brought NCJW into new and bold territory across our issues, and we are grateful for her contributions.

As we move forward, I want to assure you that NCJW’s mission and work continue without interruption. We will soon launch a national search for our next CEO.

In the meantime, we have named Jody Rabhan as Executive Vice President to lead NCJW during this transition. Jody has been part of our professional team for more than 20 years and brings deep expertise across every aspect of our organization and its work.

At this critical moment for our democracy — when reproductive rights, voting rights, and so many of our core values face unprecedented challenges — NCJW’s mission is more vital than ever. As antisemitism rises in the United States and around the world, our moral voice is critical to confront this mounting hate and pursue justice for our own community, and inseparably, for all people. We will always continue our unwavering work to protect the rights and advance the wellbeing of women, children, and families.

Our strategic plan, NCJW Forward, continues. Our network of advocates, sections, and supporters remains strong. The work you do in your communities — the organizing, the advocacy, the service — continues to be the heart of what makes NCJW a force for justice.

We will keep you informed about our CEO search process and will share additional updates in the coming weeks.

We wish Sheila well in her next chapter. Below, please find a note from Sheila to the NCJW movement. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to NCJW’s mission. Together, we will meet this moment with strength and purpose.

In partnership,

Laura Monn Ginsburg
Board President
National Council of Jewish Women

A note from Sheila Katz

Dear all,

As I reflect on the past six+ years serving as CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, I am filled with both gratitude and awe. Leading this extraordinary organization has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Together, we have carried forward NCJW’s 133-year legacy while breaking new ground to meet this urgent moment in history.

It is bittersweet to share that I will be moving on from NCJW. I look forward to sharing my exciting next chapter in the Jewish community with you soon. For now, I want to take a moment to honor all that we have accomplished together.

Among other things, over these six years, we:

• Grew our network to more than 250,000 advocates and strengthened partnerships across civil rights, feminist, and Jewish movements.
• Led the Jewish community in a movement for reproductive freedom, including:
  • Launching the Jewish Fund for Abortion Access, which raised more than $1.6 million to help people access health care
  • Creating Repro Shabbat, now embraced by more than 2,000 synagogues and 120 organizational sponsors
• Responded to the horrors of October 7 with compassion:
  • Centering the hostages and all women and children in the region
  • Ensuring the world bore witness to the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas, including hosting a special UN hearing and mobilizing 10 million people
• Successfully organized and advocated for many priorities, including:
  • The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
  • The first whole-of-government US strategy to counter antisemitism
  • The confirmation of federal judges like Nicole Berner, the first Israeli-American and first LGBTQ+ judge on the Fourth Circuit
• Led the Jewish community in marking the 60th anniversary of the Selma bridge crossing carrying forward the legacy of Jewish women in the civil rights movement.

These are not just organizational milestones; they are moments when our Jewish values met the world as it is, and tried to move it closer to the world as it should be.

I am deeply inspired by Jody Rabhan, who will lead NCJW until a new CEO is named. Jody has been a true partner in this work. Her vision and leadership will ensure NCJW continues to thrive as a force for good. And I am grateful to the full NCJW professional team, who have inspired me with their persistence and compassion each and every day.

Thank you for your trust, partnership, courage, and faith in what we can accomplish together. NCJW has shaped me as a leader and as a person, and I will carry these lessons and this community with me always.

Please consider making a donation to NCJW in my honor. 

With gratitude and hope,

Sheila