OU’s Women’s Initiative Brings Back Conference Designed to Train and Support Lay Leaders
New York, N.Y. — The Orthodox Union’s Women’s Initiative has announced that its second Leadership Summit will take place May 1-2 at the Sheraton Eatontown Hotel in Eatontown, N.J.
The goals of the event are to train and support communal leaders — women serving on boards, running chesed initiatives, leading communal nonprofits and chairing committees — all impacting the community in meaningful ways. Through the event, women will join a community of leaders across North America and beyond, gaining personal support and a space to share ideas.
“The Leadership Summit is an opportunity to bring together women committed to the spiritual growth and well-being of their community to network and enhance their skills,” says OU Women’s Initiative Director Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman.
Keynote speakers include Rivka Ravitz, former chief of staff to former Israeli president Reuven Rivlin. Ravitz is also a government administrator and advisor, researcher and author; and Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein, academic dean of the Women’s Institute of Torah Seminary/Maalot Baltimore, an Orthodox Jewish college for women.
Other featured speakers include Deena Fuchs, Chana Siff, Amy Hershkowitz Katz, Cynthia Darrison, Rachel Cyrulnik and Rachel Dratch.
In addition to hearing speakers, networking and listening to shiurim, participants will enjoy evening activities with opportunities to socialize, relax and rejuvenate. The summit is heavily subsidized by the Women’s Initiative, which enabled the group to reduce per-person attendance cost to $425 per person. This includes all meals and hotel accommodations.
This year’s event continues the momentum started at the inaugural conference held in June 2019. Virtual summits and programming idea labs were held in 2020 and 2021.
Approximately 100 women attended the first conference, which drew participants from as far as South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as across the United States.
The Women’s Initiative says the conference will help participants become leaders and get inspiration both for themselves and for their communities. Applications to participate are online at ou.org/women/summit23 and must be submitted by March 30, 2023.