The global Jewish women’s movement Momentum recently hosted a transformative three-day Leadership Development Summit in Panama City, Panama, bringing together approximately 100 Jewish women leaders from across Latin America, the United States and Europe. As part of Momentum’s global fellowship program, this summit provided a unique opportunity for women from diverse and often isolated Jewish communities to connect, grow and shape the future of Jewish leadership in the region.
Momentum, which works closely with the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, brings Jewish parents from around the world — the majority of whom are mothers — to Israel and empowers them to be change agents in their respective Jewish communities.
During the fellowship, participants came from at least eight countries—including Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Guatemala, Argentina, Colombia, Spain and the United States (including from New York and Los Angeles)—representing 28 grassroots and established organizations. The Panama summit marked the third Spanish-language Fellowship event, following powerful gatherings in Argentina and Mexico.
“This summit reflected the extraordinary dedication of women who are leading Jewish life in regions where resources are limited, communities are small, and connection to global Jewry and Israel can feel distant,” said Galia Rubinstein, associate director for Ibero-America, Africa and Australia at Momentum. “These women invested time, energy and personal resources to come together in Panama and grow as leaders. That speaks volumes.”
While Panama is home to a relatively strong Jewish community of approximately 8,000 people, many of the participants arrived from countries with much smaller Jewish populations, such as Colombia with 3,000 Jews, or Guatemala with even fewer. Argentina, once a stronghold of Jewish life in Latin America, has seen its population drop from 500,000 to 100,000 due to assimilation and instability. Across the region, communities have been grappling with rising antisemitism, political uncertainty and dwindling engagement—issues that the summit directly addressed through skill-building and collaboration.
The summit’s agenda was structured as a powerful journey of personal and collective leadership, inspired by the timeless teaching of Hillel in Pirkei Avot: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? And if not now, when?”
Day 1: Jewish Communal Leadership and Me: Participants focused on self-activation, uncovering their individual leadership strengths, passions and purpose.
Day 2: Elevating the We to Lead Communities with Intention: The summit shifted from individual to collective leadership, exploring how to strengthen trust, navigate conflict, and lead with empathy and vision within their communities.
Day 3: From Insight to Impact: Fellows synthesized their learning into actionable leadership plans, equipping themselves to mobilize others and drive meaningful change within their organizations.
“Many of the women who attended represented grassroots organizations with few formal leadership pipelines,” said Rubinstein. “They were yearning for training, support and a sense of global connection. Momentum provided all of that—plus, a powerful network of women who believe in building the Jewish future, together.”
One of those women was Monika Kachlon, a Los Angeles-based member of Jewish Latinas United. Born in LA and raised in Mexico, Monika converted to Judaism and said Momentum gave her a deeply personal bridge to Israel and Jewish identity.
“I had been to Israel before, but I never went on Birthright, and I never had a connection like this,” said Kachlon, who traveled on a Momentum trip to Israel in November 2023 during the height of the war. “Everyone told me not to go, but I wanted to set an example for my daughters about showing up during hard times. The trip was unbelievable. It changed my life.”
Through Jewish Latinas United, founded by Karina Gordon, Kachlon found a community that helped her grow as a Jewish woman, mother and leader. “Growing up not Jewish and raising two daughters, I was searching for a deeper connection. I was invited into this incredible community, and the Panama fellowship helped us see what’s possible.”
For Kachlon, the summit’s impact also extended into her personal life. “Momentum opened my eyes to how what I’ve learned to strengthen our organization can also enhance my home. I now volunteer at my daughters’ school, and during the fires in LA, we helped organize 300 kosher meals for firefighters. That moment changed my daughter’s perspective; she saw how being part of a community means showing up. If anybody has the chance to take a Momentum trip, they should do it.”
Through guided workshops, case studies, asset mapping and strategic planning, the summit broke down the Jewish communal leadership process into core skill areas that built upon one another. Fellows emerged with renewed purpose, stronger tools and deeper relationships to support their continued impact at home.
Momentum’s year-long Fellowship is designed to empower Jewish women with the skills, confidence and mentorship needed to lead effectively. The program includes in-person summits, coaching, online learning and affinity groups—and centers Jewish values as the foundation for sustainable, purpose-driven leadership.
“This summit was about more than individual growth—it was about community transformation,” said Rubinstein. “We came together to amplify Jewish leadership in places where it’s urgently needed, and to ensure that no Jewish woman and no Jewish community leads in isolation.”
