Ruth Messinger is a tireless visionary and advocate for social change both in the Jewish and secular communities. As the head of the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) for nearly 20 years, she mobilized American Jews and others to speak out about injustice, give generously, and advocate for poor, oppressed and persecuted communities around the globe. In addition to her nonprofit work, Ruth spent many years in the political arena, notably as the first woman to secure a major party nomination for mayor of New York City. She is one of the most well-known and respected Jewish women, once named the sixth most influential Jew in the world by the Jerusalem Post.

 R’ Lauren and R’ Analia traveled to Guatemala with Ruth and AJWS in January 2020, just before COVID, and saw her incredible leadership and wisdom in action. She is a profound voice of moral clarity and vision with an indefatigable spirit.  Ruth will be speaking during Friday night services about voting rights in advance of this fall’s elections. Dinner to follow, lovingly prepared by R’ Ellen Nemhauser and Ellen Banov. 

Shana tova,
R’ Lauren