Orthodox Women's Torah Leadership

The Orthodox Women’s Torah Leadership (OWTL) field building initiative was launched in January 2023 at a convening sponsored by Micah Philanthropies, the Walder Foundation, and the Aviv Foundation. Micah Philanthropies is dedicated to building a field of Orthodox women’s Torah leadership by coordinating and supporting the efforts of organizations and passionate professionals, lay leaders and philanthropists working to develop, nurture and support women Torah leaders.

Drisha

Drisha, founded in 1979, by Rabbi David Silber as the world’s first center for women’s advanced study of classical Jewish texts. To build the pipeline the next generation of women scholars, Micah supports Drisha’s summer program for high school girls and is funding the development and piloting of a summer program for middle school girls.

Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance

Founded by our teacher and mentor Blu Greenberg 25 years ago, JOFA is the pioneering and leading organization that advocates for expanding women’s rights and opportunities within the framework of halakha, to build a vibrant and equitable Orthodox community. In addition to annual operating support, we are the founding funders of JOFA’s Devorah Scholar Program, subsidizing the salaries of first time women clergy in Orthodox synagogues across North America. Our goal is to increase the number of women in leadership roles in Congregations across North America.

Limmud NA

Limmud NA is dedicated to building inclusive and connected Jewish community through Jewish learning. With a focus on providing greater platforms for Orthodox Women scholars, Micah initiated and supports an Orthodox Women Scholars’ Track of speakers and presenters at Limmud events throughout the year.

Nishmat

Nishmat is one of the premiere centers for advanced Torah study for women in the world. Micah supports Nishmat’s Miriam Glaubach Center and the training of Yoatzot Halacha across North America. Women who train to be Yoatzot Halacha are selected for their extensive Torah knowlege, leadership ability and deep religious commitment. Graduates of this program serve in communities and synagogues across the globe fostering the observance of Taharat Mishpacha (family purity) and serve as role models and teachers.

The Orthodox Leadership Project

The Orthodox Leadership Project promotes Orthodox women as impactful leaders of Jewish communities. Micah supports its Women’s Advanced Halakha Program, in partnership with Ohr Torah Stone, a program for teachers, scholars and professionals already in positions of Jewish leadership, providing them with the knowledge and tools necessary to grow in their roles.

Prizmah Center for Jewish Day School

Micah is an active and leading supporter of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, a national network of day schools and yeshivas focused on building and strenghtening the Jewish day school field by identifying and investing in talent, catlayzing resources and supporting educational innovation. Micah initiated and funds Prizmah’s Orthodox Women in Day School Leadership initiative, designed to support current Orthodox women Heads of School, strenghten the pipeline of women leaders and identify and nurture the cultures and conditions essential for Orthodox women leaders success.

Sefaria

Sefaria is a non-profit organization dedicated to building the future of Jewish learning in an open and participatory way. They are assembling a free living library of 3000 years of Jewish texts and their interconnections, in Hebrew and in translation. With these digital texts, they create new, interactive interfaces for Web, tablet and mobile, allowing more people to engage with the textual treasures of our tradition. With the goal of increasing the amount of available and accessible women’s scholarship, the foundation provides lead funding for Sefaria’s Author Initiative: Supporting and Mentoring Women’s Text Scholarship.

Sharsheret

Sharsheret provides resources and support for those facing breast and ovarian cancer in the Jewish community. Micah funds the unique halachic curriculum and training program for women communal leaders made available through Sharsheret’s Global health training institute

Susi Bradfield Women’s Institute of Halakhic Leadership

The Susi Bradfield Women’s Institute of Halakhic Leadership at Midreshet Lindenbaum is an Israel-based, five-year-long, full-time yeshiva that provides women scholars with the unparalleled opportunity to participate in the ongoing halakhic discourse of the Jewish people and engage in Torah study on a level high enough to join the top circle of Torah scholars and leadership. With an eye towards expanding roles and career opportunities for graduates of the program, and ultimately women Torah scholars throughout Israel, Micah supports a placement professional who will work with graduates to find positions throughout Israel.

Yeshiva University- GPATS

The Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS) is the only Orthodox two-year master’s program that provides women an opportunity for post-college, high-level study to further their growth in skills in advanced Talmud, Tanach and Halakhic studies. This program creates an elite cadre of female scholars of who will serve as leaders and role models for the Orthodox community and Jewish community at large. After completing the two-year program the women will receive a master’s degree in Biblical and Talmudic interpretation.

Yeshivat Maharat

Yeshivat Maharat, founded in 2009, is the first Yeshiva in America to ordain women to serve as Orthodox clergy. By providing a credentialed pathway for women to serve as clergy, they increased the community’s ability to attract the best and brightest into the ranks of its rabbinic leadership. In addition, by expanding the leadership to include women, they seek to enliven the community at large with a wider array of voices, thoughts and perspectives.

Ceres

Micah supports Ceres’ Climate Action 100+ program, which is working to ensure the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters take necessary action on climate change.

Citizens' Climate Education

Citizens Climate Action is a nonpartisan grassroots advocacy organization that empowers individuals to educate key stakeholders, policymakers, and the general public about effective solutions to climate change. Micah supported the 2022 Conservative Climate Leadership con-ference which featured several Republican members of Congress.

Environmental Defense Fund

Environmental Defense Fund is one of the world’s leading and most influential environmental organizations. Guided by science and economics they find practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Micah is specifically supporting their work with aquaculture in order to develop sustainable production of healthy seafood meeting the most stringent environmental and health standards.

Jewish Federations of North America

Micah supports Jewish Federation of NA, which consists of 146 local federations protecting the well-being of Jews worldwide through tikkun olam and tzadaka

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide and locally through the values of Tikkun Olam, tzedakah and Torah. The Federation galvanizes the community in times of crisis for emergency fund raising campaigns such as the most recent efforts to support and rescue Ukranians. We are proud to support the annual campaign as Wallenberg Society members as well as their emergency campaigns.

JLENS

JLens is an investor network that provides a Jewish values lens on impact investing and serves as a bridge between the Jewish community and the Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) areanas. In particular, JLens has identified systemic anti-Israel bias in the financial markets and leverages its shareholder advocacy to draw attention to the issues and catalyze change.

M2

M2: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education helps educators and organizations design compelling educational experiences that help their learners find meaning and relevance in Jewish life. Micah supports M2’s Center for Values in Action – Environmental Research Fellowship, designed to create curricular materials and experiences for educators and learners to explore and activate the Jewish value of protecting the environment.

The American Joint Distribution Committee is the leading global Jewish humanitarian organization. Since 1914, we’ve put Jewish values into action to save lives and strengthen communities.

For more than 90 years, the Jewish Agency for Israel has worked to overcome the biggest challenges facing the Jewish people.
We founded and built the State of Israel, and we continue creating links globally—bringing Jews to Israel and Israel to Jews around the world.

New England Jewish Academy

Micah supports New England Jewish Academy, a Pre-K – 12 Orthodox Jewish Day School based in their hometown of West Hartford, CT. The foundation initatied and supports an innovative and responsive tution subsidy initiative for all NEJA students, helping grow the school and the West Hartford Orthodox community.

Prizmah Center for Jewish Day School

Micah is an active and leading supporter of Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, a national network of day schools and yeshivas focused on building and strenghtening the Jewish day school field by identifying and investing in talent, catlayzing resources and supporting educational innovation. Micah initiated and funds Prizmah’s Orthodox Women in Day School Leadership initiative, designed to support current Orthodox women Heads of School, strenghten the pipeline of women leaders and identify and nurture the cultures and conditions essential for Orthodox women leaders success.

Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford

Micah supports Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford, a Jewish day school located in West Hartford, CT that nurtures and inspires the next generation of creators and thinkers to make positive change in the global community through dynamic, forward-looking models of education guided by Jewish principles and values.

American Israel Education Foundation

The American Israel Education Foundation (“AIEF”) is the charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC, America’s pro-Israel lobby. AIEF provides grants to support select educational pro-grams including Middle East research, educational materials and conferences, and leadership programs for university students. One of its signature initiatives is funding educational seminars to Israel for members of Congress and other political influentials.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is a nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy. Micah supports FDD with an operating grant for their Israel work, anti-BDS efforts, and work with the burgeoning ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) field.

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide and locally through the values of Tikkun Olam, tzedakah and Torah. The Federation galvanizes the community in times of crisis for emergency fund raising campaigns such as the most recent efforts to support and rescue Ukranians. We are proud to support the annual campaign as Wallenberg Society members as well as their emergency campaigns.

Jewish Federations of North America

JFNA represents 146 Jewish Federations and over 300 network communities, which raise and disbribute more than $3 billion annually, and through planned giving and endowment programs, to support social welfare, social services and educational needs. In 2021, Ann and Jeremy chaired JFNA’s General Assembly. Micah Philanthropies is a supporter of JFNA’s Live Secure Program, which is designed to advance the safety and security of Jewish communities, and is an active partner and funder of JFNA’s advocacy efforts to combat corporate BDS efforts, such as engaging with Morningstar one of the leading investment rating companies in the world to root out anti-Israel bias in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings.

JLENS

JLens is an investor network that provides a Jewish values lens on impact investing and serves as a bridge between the Jewish community and the Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) areanas. In particular, JLens has identified systemic anti-Israel bias in the financial markets and leverages its shareholder advocacy to draw attention to the issues and catalyze change.

Washington Institute

Washington Institute is the one of the leading institutes in the world devoted to advancing a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the poicies that secure them. Their work is frequently cited in leading News sources like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

ADL

ADL is the global leader in the effort to combat antisemitism, counter extremism, battle bigotry and protect democracy.

Hadar

Founded in 2006 by three of the most dynamic and iinspiring Jewish leaders of our day, Rabbi Ethan Tucker, Rabbi Shai Held and Rabbi Eli Kanfer, Hadar works to empower Jews to create and sustain vibrant, practicing, egalitarian communities of Torah, Avodah and Chesed by offering immerisve experiences with deep Jewish content. Micah supports Hadar’s Advanced Rabbinic Training Program with a goal of training 10 leaders who are learned in Jewish text and tradition and prepared to share theit learning with others and lead communities around the world.

Jewish Family Services

Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford is the leading social service agency in the West Hartford community, providing a wide array of services to the Jewish community and the cummuity at large. Micah is the founding funder JFS’ innovative Comprehensive Community Supports: Embracing Independence program, designed to help community members become financially and socially independent through a combination of professional social services and community volunteer frameworks.

Jewish Free Loan

Jewish Free Loan

Jewish Federations of North America

JFNA represents 146 Jewish Federations and over 300 network communities, which raise and disbribute more than $3 billion annually, and through planned giving and endowment programs, to support social welfare, social services and educational needs. In 2021, Ann and Jeremy chaired JFNA’s General Assembly. Micah Philanthropies is a supporter of JFNA’s Live Secure Program, which is designed to advance the safety and security of Jewish communities, and is an active partner and funder of JFNA’s advocacy efforts to combat corporate BDS efforts, such as engaging with Morningstar one of the leading investment rating companies in the world to root out anti-Israel bias in their environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings.

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide and locally through the values of Tikkun Olam, tzedakah and Torah. The Federation galvanizes the community in times of crisis for emergency fund raising campaigns such as the most recent efforts to support and rescue Ukranians. We are proud to support the annual campaign as Wallenberg Society members as well as their emergency campaigns.

Jewish Funders Network

JFN is a global network of foundations and philanthropists whose mission is to promote meaningful giving and improve philanthropy in the Jewish world. Micah is a member of the network and is sponsoring the Orthodox Funding Peer Network where likeminded funders can share ideas and collaborate.

JJ Greenberg Institute

The J.J. Greenberg Institute for the Advancement of Jewish Life is a division of Hadar that promotes the teachings of our teacher and mentor Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, seeking to sustain a vision of Jewish life that is fully integrated into postmodern culture. Micah’s grant supports the production and dissemintation of an array of muti-media presentations of Rabbi Greenberg’s teachings, and supporting the recruitment and training of the next generaton of Jewish leaders and educators who will further spread this Torah.

PJ Library

With over 230,000 Jewish children’s books sent out monthly to families across North America and over 20 million books sent out since its launch by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library is one of the Jewish community’s most successful outreach, engagement and identity building programs. Nothing matches the excitement children and families experience monthly as they rip open their envelope to reveal another quality Jewish themed book. The books are a gift from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the local community partner (Jewish Federations or Jewish Community Centers) and a group of philanthropists known as PJ Alliance Partners. Micah is proud to be a member of the PJ Alliance.

Pardes

Micah supports Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, an inclusive and intellectually challenging Jewish learning community in Jerusalem with programs worldwide

Operation Benjamin

Micah supports Project Benjamin, an organization devoted to preserving the memories of American-Jewish servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while defending the cause of freedom during World War II.