For over a decade, Chumie Jacobson of Boca Raton, Fla., has served the Jewish community in various leadership positions, most recently as the executive director of Keren Hashviis, a nonprofit currently focused on helping Israeli farmers save their land, much of which was devastated by the events of Oct. 7, 2023. Jacobson is also a member of the Orthodox Union’s Women’s Initiative’s COLI (Community Organization Leadership Initiative) Boca, a program that equips Orthodox female leaders with valuable skills and support.
It was through COLI that she learned about the Women’s Initiative’s biennial Leadership Summit, which recently took place at the Delta Hotels Woodbridge in Iselin, N.J.
“After hearing glowing reports about the summit from fellow cohort members, I decided to participate for the first time this year,” she says. “I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was hoping to network with other women and learn practical tips from the lectures. I definitely emerged with more than I anticipated. I was so impressed by all of it. The lectures were fabulous, and the networking was superbly facilitated and really helpful.”
Launched in 2019, this year’s summit brought together 160 seasoned and emerging female lay leaders from across the United States, Canada and Israel for two days of inspiration, connection and idea-sharing. Geared toward community builders of all ages, the summit offered participants a chance to learn, grow and network with fellow professionals, while honing their communication, leadership and fundraising skills as well as developing strategies for volunteer engagement and organizational growth. All of this took place within the context of a rapidly changing world, particularly in the wake of Oct. 7, where fundraising strategies and communal priorities have notably shifted.
What stood out most to Jacobson was the diversity of the women and how naturally warm and welcoming the atmosphere felt. “The best part for me was the participants,” she says. “One hundred and sixty women whom I could relate to, look up to and also offer advice to; Women I could network with and learn so much from, simultaneously. Everyone wanted to learn from one another, to support and inspire each other, and we did. I’m inspired by all I learned, I’m excited about the connections I made, and I’m in awe of the women who made this happen.”
OU Women’s Initiative founding director, Rebbetzin Adina Shmidman, who delivered opening and closing remarks alongside assistant director and leadership program coordinator Adeena Mayerfeld, says participants’ camaraderie were palpable throughout the event.
“There was a shared effort to foster meaningful connections among one another,” Shmidman says.
The summit opened with “Behind the scenes and center stage, leadership with vision, grace and grit,” a powerful presentation by Dr. Hindi Posy, an obstetrician/gynecologist, lawyer and rebbetzin.
Throughout the conference, attendees heard from senior OU leadership, including OU executive vice president and COO Rabbi Josh Joseph, OU executive vice president Rabbi Moshe Hauer and OU managing director of communal engagement Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, who shared reflections and offered participants support and inspiration.
“As I walked into the Women’s Initiative Leadership Summit, the energy was palpable and resonated deeply with a religiously elevated, vibrant, and growing community of belonging and inspiration,” says Joseph.
The summit’s 30 presenters included keynote speaker Dr. Erica Brown, vice provost for values and leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. She delivered two sessions, “Attentive Listening and Networking” and “Making Better Mistakes,” and led a lineup of nationally-recognized leaders and internal OU experts who addressed timely topics and equipped attendees with actionable skills grounded in real-world contexts.
“It’s really important to the Women’s Initiative to showcase our experts here at the Orthodox Union,” says Mayerfeld. “We want to expose our female leaders not only to skills, but to the incredible work being done by our own colleagues within the OU.”
Participants chose from 36 beginner and advanced sessions centering on themes such as collaboration, overcoming common challenges and achieving communal impact, as well as practical strategies for effective communication, team-building, fundraising, marketing and volunteer retention. Sessions also explored how to clarify an organization’s vision and mission, plan for sustainable growth and take the first steps to launch, or strengthen, an initiative.
Shmidman was especially moved by the turnout at the Torat Imecha Nach Yomi shiur, a daily Bible study program on the books of the Prophets, presented by OU Women’s Initiative Torah programming coordinator Ayelet Shachar.
“Seeing many women start their day with Nach Yomi, our flagship program, highlighted the reach and impact of our initiatives,” Shmidman says. “It was quite powerful and rewarding to see the convergence of two different Women’s Initiative programs.”
Other sessions featured Bracha Poliakoff, a board member of Mesorah Baltimore and co-founder of Elevate, an organization that offers young married women mentorship, connection, and community. She returned for her third summit—this time as a presenter. Her experiential session, “Unlocking Authentic Leadership: A Workshop for Jewish Leaders on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Self-Doubt,” provided practical tools for developing leadership confidence.
“One of the most unexpected and impactful connections I made was, ironically, with Shira Hochheimer, an educator from my own community,” she says. “At the summit, we developed an initiative to support women who are eager to learn Torah but lack certain foundational skills, helping them acquire the tools they need to become confident, independent learners. I am grateful to the OU Women’s Initiative team as well as to the dedicated and passionate support staff, and lay leadership, who made this incredible opportunity possible.”
Contact: Rachel Miller, marketing and communications manager, O.U. Women’s Initiative, millerr@ou.org.