Women at the Heart of Our Communities
- p2ghese
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate the women who shape and strengthen our Partnership communities. Across Israel, the Southeast United States, and the Czech Republic, women play a vital role in building bridges, leading initiatives, supporting families, and nurturing meaningful connections between our communities.
Today, we bring to the front the voices and stories of women from across our Partnership - women who, each in her own way, contribute to the shared fabric of our community. Some lead publicly, some serve through their professions or volunteer work, and others quietly sustain the relationships and initiatives that keep our Partnership strong.
Together, their stories reflect resilience, leadership, and a deep commitment to community and connection.
Einat Agasi Kates (51), from Kibbutz Barkai in Israel, is married and a mother of three children. Works in a defense company. Einat enlisted at the beginning of the war and participated in several activities, both in the field of rescue and in operational duties, serving as a deputy company commander in a search and rescue battalion.
Beyond the professional and military activity, her heart is also in the community. Einat volunteers as the chair of the board of the Ra’am association, which provides leisure services and assistance to people in the third age, and leads an open hiking community free of charge whose goal is to encourage people to go out into nature, enjoy its beauty, and connect.
What drives Einat is the belief in our ability to influence. Einat tries to channel her ability to motivate, lead, and the leadership within her in order to connect people, create a stronger community, and remind ourselves how much power there is in joint action.
On Women’s Day, Einat believes that this is also a call for women not to be afraid to take a place: to lead, to initiate, to serve, to volunteer, to dream – and to understand that there is no limit to our circles of influence. When women act out of a sense of mission and courage, they not only break ground for themselves – they also open it for others and constitute an example and a model for their daughters that everything is possible
Dana Waxler, from Lookout Mountain, Georgia, a suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Dana became a member of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, over 35 years ago. She presently serves as a Hadassah National Vice President and National Board Member. She is a Past Region President and Past Chapter President. Before she became a Vice President, she served in the National Hadassah’s Philanthropy Division of Hadassah in the Annual Giving Department.
Dana is enthusiastic about her volunteer work for Hadassah, not only because it supports Israel, but because the organization’s focus on women’s health issues saved her life. Hadassah’s breast cancer research, education, and advocacy made her aware that the lump she felt in her breast was cancer, even though the doctor said it was not. She advocated for additional testing that proved that it was indeed cancer.
Two years ago, Dana was honored by the local Hadassah Chattanooga chapter. She made sure that the focus was not just on honoring her but also on honoring other breast cancer survivors. Dana made sure the same lifesaving breast cancer awareness information she received in the past was available for all who attended, with hopes that maybe someone else’s life would be saved as well.
In addition to her volunteer work for Hadassah, Dana has supported and served on the Board for the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga. She is also active and served as Chapter President in the Chattanooga chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Born and raised in Houston, Texas. Obtained a B.S. degree in Interior Design and a Master of Architecture. Dana is a retired architect after practicing for over 40 years. Dana is married and has a daughter, son-in-law, and two adorable granddaughters. Dana likes to play Mah Jongg and enjoys yoga, weight training, and walking.
Eva Kosáková, from the Czech Republic, is an art historian, community leader, and a person of remarkable integrity.
Born in Prague in 1952 into a family of well-known artists, Eva grew up in an environment that valued creativity and independent thinking. However, under the communist regime, her family background brought political discrimination. She was denied full access to higher education, yet she did not give up. Through determination and perseverance, she completed her studies in art history and Italian as an external student. Her early life shows her resilience and commitment to education despite obstacles.
In 1977, during a period of intense political pressure, she refused to sign the so-called Anticharta, a declaration supporting the communist regime. This courageous decision cost her her job, but she chose to stand firmly by her values. Her moral courage remains one of the most inspiring aspects of her story.
Professionally, Eva devoted her career to preserving cultural memory, especially Jewish heritage in the Czech Republic. A significant part of her professional life was closely connected to the Jewish community. She worked for many years at the Jewish Museum in Prague, where she specialized in Jewish textiles and contributed to exhibitions and projects dedicated to preserving Jewish cultural heritage.
Today, Eva continues to play an important role in community life. She is chairwoman of the Czech branch of WIZO and a member of the Council of the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic. Through these roles, she helps support educational, cultural, and social initiatives within the Jewish community. She is actively involved in organizing community events and strengthening connections between generations.
What makes Eva Kosáková truly inspiring is not only her professional achievements but also her lifelong dedication to the people around her. She has faced political oppression and personal challenges, yet she continues to serve her community with dignity, empathy, and optimism. Her life demonstrates that true leadership is built on courage, values, and the willingness to care for others.
Eva Kosáková is a woman whose story encourages us to stand by our principles, contribute to our communities, and remain strong even in difficult times.
Jenny Kaiser (Greensboro, NC), Documentary Filmmaker, Advocate, and Community Leader.
Jenny believes that a story well-told has the power to bridge divides and transform a community. For over thirty years, she has dedicated her life to the art of narrative - not simply via a career in media, but as a vehicle for social impact and philanthropic leadership.
While Jenny’s roots are in broadcast journalism, her true calling emerged when she began looking beyond the daily headlines for the "overlooked" stories. As an award-winning documentary filmmaker, she creates work that serves as a mirror for society and provides a voice for the voiceless.
Her acclaimed projects include For Our Children, Forgotten Towns: Grundy, and her latest effort, She Wouldn’t Take Off Her Boots, is currently being broadcast on PBS affiliates across the nation. These films invite viewers to see the world through a lens of empathy, driving awareness for the people and places that define our shared human experience.
For Jenny, community service is the natural extension of her storytelling. Whether she is serving as the President of the Greensboro Jewish Federation or as a Greensboro City Parks and Rec Commissioner, Jenny approaches leadership with a storyteller’s heart - listening deeply, building consensus, and advocating for a more vibrant, inclusive Greensboro.
A resident of Greensboro for over 25 years, Jenny is fueled by her deep roots in the region. Alongside her husband, Brian, and their two sons, she remains committed to the idea that our strongest impact comes from the stories we build together.
Through her films and her tireless civic work, Jenny Kaiser aims to prove that when we give each other a voice and listen with intention, we all find our way home.
The Savannah Jewish Federation is proud to recognize Carol Greenberg as a true Woman of Valor. Her lifelong dedication to education, creativity, and service has quietly and profoundly shaped our community for more than four decades. What makes Carol’s story especially inspiring is not only the scope of her accomplishments, but the humility and consistency with which she shows up- year after year, event after event, need after need. She is always present at Jewish community gatherings, the first to volunteer, and the first to ask, “How can I help?”
As the retired Founder and Creative Director of MorningStar Cultural Arts Group, a Jewish-based nonprofit established in 1989, Carol created and donated 900 unique, free educational and cultural programs to the city of Savannah. These multi-generational and multi-cultural events bridged differences between people, supported emerging artists, and partnered with dozens of organizations, including United Way, Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, and the Jewish Educational Alliance. Through initiatives like the Teal Ribbon Project, she advocated for awareness of genetic and gynecological diseases, using the arts as a platform for education and healing.
Carol’s impact extends far beyond programming. In 2013, she established the Midtown Miracle Community Garden to promote better nutrition and food accessibility for children. Through Farm-to-Table initiatives, she helped supply fresh produce to programs such as Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia’s Kids Café, local schools, and a children’s hospital.
Even today, she continues organizing the annual distribution of approximately 125 handmade plastic sleep mats and pillow sets for individuals experiencing homelessness, turning recycled materials into dignity and comfort for those living outdoors. She also generously drops off recycled goods for children’s art projects, ensuring creativity is accessible to all.
Her leadership has shaped Savannah’s civic and Jewish life in countless ways. She served for nine years as a Cultural Arts Commissioner for the City of Savannah, worked on the Park & Tree Committee, contributed nationally through the Jewish Boy Scouts, and created museum-quality multimedia exhibits and oral history films for community partners. She has been a devoted leader within Hadassah Medical Organization, a Girl Scouts troop leader and regional convener, and an active member of all three Savannah congregations, the JEA, and the Savannah Jewish Federation. Her archived materials now reside in the City of Savannah Archives, representing and preserving the story of the Jewish community for future generations.
What truly defines Carol’s impact is her ability to build connections. She brings people of different ages, backgrounds, and faiths together through shared purpose - whether through art, service, education, or nourishment. She models what it means to live Jewish values not only in word, but in action: showing up, giving generously, and strengthening community ties through compassion and creativity.
Carol Greenberg’s life is a testament to the power of volunteerism, vision, and heart. She does not seek recognition - but she is deeply deserving of it. She embodies the spirit of a Woman of Valor: devoted to her family, steadfast in her faith, and unwavering in her commitment to lifting others and enriching the community she loves.
Rabbi Lindsey from Nashville, TN, personifies strength, compassion, and unwavering dedication. Through her leadership as Greater Nashville P2G Chair and as an active Board member for Jewish Federation and Akiva School, she strengthens our Jewish community locally, in Israel, and overseas. In addition to her philanthropic work, she is a Rabbi and a professional with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. The recent release of the book she co-edited, The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma, adds to her diverse accomplishments. Rabbi Lindsey is also a certified Yoga Instructor, and a dedicated partner and mother of 3 children.
Marcia Jo Zerivitz is a respected educator, historian, and community leader at The Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast, whose lifelong work has strengthened Jewish identity and confronted antisemitism through education.
As the Founding Executive Director of the Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU, she transformed two historic synagogue buildings into a nationally recognized museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of Florida’s Jewish community.
Through decades of archival preservation, oral history collection, and public education, Marcia Jo has illuminated the roots and evolution of antisemitism while elevating the stories and contributions of Jewish communities across the state. Her powerful lecture, “Can I See the Horns? The Roots of Antisemitism,” examines how longstanding myths and stereotypes continue to shape modern discourse. It is this steadfast commitment to truth and education that has earned her the prestigious PRIMER Award from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Florida’s Gulf Coast - PRIMER standing for Promoting Responsibility in Middle East Reporting.
Honoring Marcia Jo in recognition of International Women’s Day is especially meaningful. Her visionary leadership, scholarship, and unwavering dedication to education reflect the profound impact women have in shaping institutions, preserving history, and strengthening communal understanding for generations to come.
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