Administrative Director
Shoni is CWJ’s Jack of All Trades. She has coordinated our programs, developed our resources, and helped us to think about, and implement, ways to market CWJ . Before joining CWJ in 2014, Shoni worked at the Jerusalem-based American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in International Relations.
I am a feminist because:
I lived in the States until I married for a second time. We thought about having our wedding in Israel, but I’d heard nightmare stories about the divorce process there, and naively thought marrying in the States could bypass that problem. Although my childhood home was religious, we, like most families we knew, recognized diversity in observance and valued the opportunities to choose “your rabbi” that a free society provides. It was only after I met Susan Weiss (CWJ’s founder and executive director) that I realized how different things were in Israel; that while a woman may freely choose her House of Worship, narrow interpretations of Jewish law by a small fringe of ultra-Orthodox rabbis dictate the path of her life and future. That how and who a woman marries, whether she must be bound forever in a dead marriage, that ritual observance choices are restricted by state regulations – all this convinced me to lend my support to affecting change. CWJ, with its broad vision, multiplicity of capable talents, and innovative civil and halakhic solutions speaks to me and mirrors my values. I’m proud to lend my efforts to fighting this uphill battle and be a part of this holy work.