Nearly 800 Jewish women from around the world filled Kedma Hall in Neve Ilan on Sunday night for Momentum’s Israeli gala celebration, titled “A Mother’s Heart: The Heart of a Nation.”
The evening capped a two-week program that brought some 1,400 participants from 15 countries to Israel, according to Momentum, a global movement that inspires Jewish mothers to live meaningful lives, to strengthen Jewish identity, faith and resilience at a time of rising antisemitism and national mourning.
For many, the trip included moments of both heartbreak and hope. Simcha Abergel, a Momentum community leader from Singapore, said a highlight was visiting Kibbutz Nir Oz, where a member of her community had lost her parents, both of whom were kidnapped and murdered on Oct. 7. “It was important for us to be there,” she said.
Sunday night’s gathering drew women from Singapore, Guatemala, the United States and across Israel for an evening of music, reflection and solidarity. The program combined inspiration and emotion—culminating in the launch of Momentum’s first Impact Awards honoring women whose leadership has strengthened Jewish life worldwide.
Finding strength in shared stories
Speakers included Mehereta Baruch-Ron, the first Ethiopian-Israeli deputy mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, who said joining Momentum a decade ago was “one of the most meaningful choices” she had ever made, connecting women “to their traditions and to the next generation.”
Batsheva Moshe, general manager of Wix Israel, called the movement “a global embrace,” adding that “seeing women from around the world come to Israel and be part of the Jewish nation is unbelievable.”
Racheli Fraenkel, educator and mother of Naftali Fraenkel, one of three teens kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists in 2014, reminded the audience that hope and unity can emerge from heartbreak.
Their messages set the tone for an evening that celebrated the resilience of Jewish women and the power of community to heal and rebuild.
Honoring women of impact
Momentum founder Lori Palatnik and members of the organization’s public council presented awards to women who have transformed their communities. The inaugural award went to Pamela Claman, who was recognized for her decades of dedication to Jewish unity family empowerment.
Among the honorees was Tzahit Levi of Israel, founder of a network for female IDF veterans. Her remarks came shortly after the announcement that the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, missing since 2014, had been returned to Israel—a moment of shared sorrow and resolve.
International awardees included Cheryl Wise from Canada, Estela Goldberg from Guatemala, and Natalie Ciner from Orange County, California.
Ciner said this year’s experience felt different. “Since Oct. 7, it’s become even more meaningful,” she shared. “One woman in my group sent her kids to a Jewish sleepaway camp. Now she gave herself the Jewish experience she never had growing up.”
On her third Momentum trip since 2019, Wise described her journey from “just a mother” to a mentor and leader. “The Mother to Mother mission changed my life,” she said. “It’s about unity without uniformity; we all have a story to share.”
A spiritual leader and educator, Goldberg has built a vibrant Jewish community in the heart of Latin America. Since first coming to Israel with Momentum in 2014, she has maintained monthly community meetings and projects. “There were so many highlights this trip,” she said, “but the Kotel is always where I feel the deepest connection, and dancing together with everyone, that joy stays with me.”
Moments of tears and joy
The evening’s most emotional moment came when mothers of freed hostages took the stage, including Sylvia Cunio, Julie Kuperstein and Miriam Gertsevsky.
“The embrace we received tonight proves that we are one people with one heart,” declared one of the mothers.
As photographs of hostages and fallen soldiers appeared on screen, the audience rose in a spontaneous ovation before joining Israeli singer Einat Sarouf in a rousing closing song, “We Will Dance Again.”
Hundreds of women joined hands, singing and dancing together, a powerful symbol of faith, joy, and sisterhood. “There was so much estrogen you could almost feel it, in the best possible way,” one participant remarked.
Palatnik closed the evening with a call to action: “Our unity as Jewish women is not a moment—it’s a movement. When we lead from the heart, we transform families, communities and the Jewish future.”
Founded in 2009, Momentum, working closely with Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, says it has reached more than 25,000 women from three dozen countries, helping them to boost Jewish life, community and connection to Israel in their communities. In 2023, Momentum was awarded the Jerusalem Unity Prize for its dedication to promoting unity in Israel and across the Jewish world.
