We do this born out of our belief that ensuring gender equity is about basic fairness and justice. Women and non-binary people should have access to the same opportunities, pay, and treatment as men in any workplace. We want to fulfill our legal and ethical obligations, but that is only one of our goals. Ensuring gender equitable workplaces is an effective and responsible business decision, not just a question of ethics or morality, and not one that simply prioritizes women for the sake of solving “women’s issues”. Research consistently indicates that organizations with gender-diverse leadership teams tend to perform better, and reach their articulated goals and outcomes more effectively. Women in leadership roles bring diverse perspectives that enhance strategic problem-solving and decision-making, leading to more creativity and innovation.

Gender-equitable workplaces are typically more collaborative, supportive and inclusive. This often contributes to higher job satisfaction, better on-the-job morale, and increased trust between employees, as well as increased retention rates, something of great value in the Jewish communal workplace. And, of course, amplifying gender equity in Jewish nonprofit workplaces not only benefits the women who are our employees but also strengthens the organization as a whole, making it more resilient, and effective in fulfilling its mission, serving constituents and our entire community too.

Finally, we aspire to parity in our Jewish communal workplaces because we believe that our Jewish community deserves role models and mentors of all genders: equitable workplaces offer examples for people of all genders entering the field of Jewish communal work, and enables our future workforce to see women in leadership positions, inspiring women to enter the field, and creating more healthy, equitable and respectful workplaces where people of all genders are able to advance their careers. Nonprofits that embrace gender equity may be more effective in achieving their missions and visions, ultimately able to achieve a positive impact on their communities, constituencies and society as a whole.