A Message from Our President

Welcome to Jewish Women Together

For more than 130 years, women in Kansas City have come together to make a
difference.

Generation after generation, members of the National Council of Jewish Women of
Greater Kansas City volunteered, advocated, learned, gave, and built lasting
friendships. They stood up for women, children, and families. They responded to the
needs of our community. And they showed, through their actions, what it means to live
our Jewish values.

I am deeply proud of that legacy—and excited about where it is leading us next.

Today, we begin a new chapter as Jewish Women Together (JWT).

Our decision to become an independent local nonprofit was made after more than two
years of careful thought, conversation, and consideration. Changes within the National
Council of Jewish Women, Inc., including its focus entirely on advocacy and new
limitations on local control of programming, operations, and staffing, led us to ask an
important question:

What structure will best allow us to serve our members and our Kansas City community
for the next generation?

We believe the answer is independence.

Becoming an independent organization gives us the ability to make decisions locally,
respond directly to the needs of our community, create programs that reflect the
interests of our members, and build a future shaped by the women who are part of JWT.

And our new name tells an important part of that story.

Jewish Women Together

The word Together is at the heart of who we are.

Together, we honor the women who came before us and the extraordinary foundation
they built.

Together, we embrace tikkun olam—the Jewish responsibility to repair and improve our
world.

Together, we create opportunities for service, learning, leadership, philanthropy, and
advocacy.

Together, we build friendships and connections that enrich our lives.

Together, we strengthen Kansas City.

And together, we create opportunities for Jewish women of every generation to find their
place, raise their voices, and make a difference.

Our organization may have a new name, a new logo, and a new independent structure,
but our purpose remains deeply rooted in the values and traditions that have guided us
for more than a century.

We will continue the programs and community partnerships our members value. We will
continue to invest in our community. We will continue to learn, serve, lead, and connect.
And we will continue to create a place where women can come together around shared
values and a shared commitment to making our world better.

I hope you will join me in celebrating this moment—not as an ending, but as an exciting
beginning.

There is tremendous possibility ahead of us. What Jewish Women Together becomes
will be shaped by all of us: our members, our volunteers, our donors, our community
partners, and the women who will join us in the years to come.

Our history gives us a strong foundation. Our values give us direction. And together, we
will build the future.

Welcome to Jewish Women Together.

Carla Oppenheimer, President
Jewish Women Together