Jewish Women's Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh

Community Day School (CDS) ($16,500) to support the Girls First: Reimagining Athletics Program, which will provide equitable, meaningful, and sustainable athletic opportunities for middle school girls, while fostering confidence, leadership, and community engagement through sports. By launching the school’s first-ever girls’ volleyball and girls’ flag football teams, CDS aims to create a model for inclusive female athletics that can endure for generations. CDS is a Jewish day school that strives to raise proud Jews, confident leaders, and accomplished learners who value excellence and prioritize community.

Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh (HCP) ($15,500) to support year 3 of the Holocaust Education Patch for the Girl Scouts of Western PA Program. The patch educates Girl Scouts on the role of the Girl Guides during World War II and how they fought injustice and became activists. Following the official launch of the patch, HCP will shift from mentoring Girl Scout Lily Sassani, who created the program and graduates this year, to program implementation and sustainability, as well as exploring opportunities for broader reach and awareness beyond Pittsburgh. Through education, HCP seeks to address injustices and empower individuals to build a more civil and humane society.

Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh ($7,500) to support the Fostering Women’s Leadership at EKC Program. EKC has spent the past two years advancing gender equity and fostering allyship among staff. Building on this progress, the next phase will focus on initiatives that strengthen leadership and fully embed gender equity into EKC’s culture. The JCC nurtures and connects community, inspired by Jewish values.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service ($15,500) to support Peer Support Groups for Refugee and Immigrant Women and Girls, which is designed to promote social connection, reduce isolation, and help with successful integration for refugees and immigrants, specifically Aghan women and girls. JFCS exists to support people through life’s changes and challenges.

Jewish Women International ($10,000) to support the Young Women’s Impact Network – Pittsburgh (YWIN) – YWIN addresses a critical challenge – the lack of spaces where young Jewish women can meaningfully engage in leadership and advocacy within a supportive community. The program offers leadership coaching and mentorship and promotes financial security and strengthens Jewish identify. Jewish Women International empowers women and girls to build safe, more equitable communities. This grant is underwritten by Trustee Fern Schwartz, and is pending per a challenge grant opportunity to raise $5,000 to fully fund the program.

Jews for a Secular Democracy ($13,700) to support Jewish Women and Religious Freedom in America, a program that cultivates Jewish women’s leadership and strengthens cross-community networks. It equips participants to defend religious freedom in Pittsburgh and beyond through education, advocacy, and meaningful civic engagement, with a special focus on the rights, safety, and flourishing of women and girls. Piloted with JWF’s funding in 2024, this initiative brings Jewish women and others into an intentional community of learning around issues including reproductive rights, women’s equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, public education, antisemitism, and more. Jews for a Secular Democracy mobilizes diverse Jewish voices for religious freedom. This grant is underwritten, in part, by Trustee Nancy Weissman, in memory of her beloved mother-in-law, Trustee Jackie Wechsler.

Tzohar Arts ($5,000) for general operating support. Tzohar Arts addresses the important role the arts play in Jewish life as a vehicle for personal expression, social connection, and community impact. It is currently the only program in the world dedicated to helping young observant Jewish women discover and develop their unique creative talents band empowering them to become agents of growth and change for themselves as Jewish women and artists and for their future families and communities.

Yeshiva Girls’ School ($10,000) to support BinahLab: A Chassidic Makerspace for the AI Age. BinahLab will establish a Chassidic Makerspace and AI Learning Studio within Yeshiva Schools of Pittsburgh. Through design thinking, coding, and ethical exploration, students will integrate STEM, IT, and Torah learning in hands-on projects that connect making with meaning. In BinahLab, students will explore coding, automation, and digital design, learning how algorithms function and how to guide them responsibly. Guided by Chabad philosophy, Yeshiva Schools nurture a love of Torah, awe of Hashem, refined character, and essential life skills—preparing students to realize their potential, sustain Torah-observant families, and contribute meaningfully to the Jewish and wider world.

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General Community Grants Partners

Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh ($10,000) to support the Postpartum Support and Women Empowerment Program, a culturally and linguistically responsive program to address the growing mental health and social support needs of young and first-time Bhutanese mothers. BCAP supports members of the Bhutanese community through culturally-informed services and activities.

Casa San Jose ($10,000) to support the Madres Fuertes (Strong Mothers) Program, designed for undocumented or mixed-status families that combines emergency and transitional housing with extensive wrap-around supports, empowering immigrant mothers to rebuild safe, healthy, and sustainable lives for themselves and their children. Casa San Jose connects, supports and advocates with and for the Latino community.

HOPE for Tomorrow, Inc. ($10,000) to support the Girls Leadership & Empowerment Initiative, which provides female students with targeted after-school and summer programs that blend academic enrichment, mentoring, health/wellness, and leadership. HOPE empowers youth and families in the West End by providing a safe, supportive, enriching environment to overcome the neighborhood's risk factors.

Open Field ($10,000) to support the Future Forward Girls Division, a post-secondary success program for immigrant and refugee girls in Allegheny County. The year-round program features a Spring Soccer League, Career Readiness Skill-Building Workshops, Mentoring, and College Visits. Open Field improves the lives and futures of youth by promoting education, health, girls’ empowerment, leadership, and life skills through soccer.

Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) ($10,000) for general operating support. PAAR combines immediate support with long-term prevention and advocacy to empower survivors to reclaim safety and dignity while shifting cultural attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate sexual violence.

Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania ($10,000) to support PPWP’s Education Program, which offers high school students at four Pittsburgh Public Schools a year-long curriculum of leadership and comprehensive sex education, designed to strengthen knowledge, support self-awareness, and foster a sense of personal agency.

TEAM G.R.O.W. (Great Resources of Wisdom) ($10,000) to support Women's Power, a program designed to equip low-income women of the Hill District/Uptown with home-improvement skills, addressing the housing challenges under-resourced women and families face. Team G.R.O.W. promotes and encourages low-income communities by providing outreach, resources and education. This grant is underwritten by Jan and Howard Engelberg.

Women's Center & Shelter ($5,000) for general operating support toward survivor-centered programs and services that launch women and their families affected by domestic violence into a healing journey and a life free from violence.

Women's Law Project ($10,000) for general operating support. By leveraging impact litigation, policy advocacy, public education, and direct assistance and representation, WLP works to dismantle discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, and eradicate institutional biases and unfair treatment based on sex or gender.

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