The Talmud teaches that God provides the refuah before the makkah — the remedy before the affliction. This year, after months of relentless crisis for the Jewish people, I have seen that truth come alive in ways I never could have imagined.

For 16 years, Momentum has worked to empower Jewish women to transform themselves, their families and communities. Together with 400 partnering organizations across the globe, close to 25,000 women from 36 countries have participated in our programs, each beginning with a life-changing journey to Israel and followed by a year of ongoing engagement in their home communities. We never anticipated that this global sisterhood would one day become a lifeline for Am Yisrael in moments of existential challenge.

Aviram Valdman

Lori Palatnik, Momentum's founding director.

After Oct. 7, 2023, the world changed. Our alumnae mobilized immediately. They did not wait for instructions or guidance — they acted, because they felt Israel was their family and their family needed them. Across continents, our women marched, lobbied, fundraised and comforted their Israeli sisters. They stood proudly against antisemitism in their own communities, their children making their voices and actions heard on campuses, in city halls and through social media. And when the terrifying 12-day Iran war erupted this spring, that commitment only deepened. While Israelis slept in bomb shelters, Jews abroad were jolted awake, reminded that the threats facing our homeland reverberate far beyond its borders.

At Momentum, we were there to channel this energy. We documented more than 800 initiatives led by our alumnae, from local humanitarian drives to campus activism; and in response to the rise of antisemitism in the Diaspora, we launched Mother to Mother, a program pairing Israeli women with Diaspora sisters for ongoing support and connection. We expanded educational resources through our Yomm app, where thousands turned to prayer and Torah learning in moments of fear. 

Meanwhile, our Momentum Fellowships, held worldwide, offered transformative leadership development skills through a Jewish lens that empowers lay and professional women to create a meaningful impact in their communities, no matter where they are. And our post-Oct. 7 missions to Israel equipped over 1,400 women to navigate disinformation, political division and rising antisemitism with clarity and courage.

What struck me most during these crises was the immediacy and authenticity of our alumnae’s response. They did not act from obligation, but from a profound sense of responsibility. Over the past few years, Momentum has placed Israeli mothers on every program bus, ensuring that every participant experiences the human face of Israel. This bond became vital. When the world felt overwhelming and uncertain, our 1,200 Israeli alumnae were not alone, they were part of a network that became a family that held each other in this raging storm.

The leadership, innovation and courage I witnessed reaffirmed a simple truth. When you inspire a woman, you inspire a family. When you inspire enough families, you transform a community. Inspire enough communities, and you can change the world. 

Momentum’s theory of change has never been more urgent, more real or more necessary than it has been during 5785 and will continue to be in 5786.

Rosh Hashanah reminds us that reflection must be accompanied by action. The shofar’s call is not only a summons to personal introspection — it is a call to courage and responsibility. In this new year, it asks us to strengthen our connection to Israel, to build resilient families and to rise above political, cultural and geographic divides. It challenges us to act boldly, to nurture our communities and to be a source of hope and strength for those who look to us for guidance.

In 5785, the Jewish women of Momentum from around the world proved that courage and action are contagious. Mothers who had never before spoken publicly in support of Israel found their voices. Daughters saw firsthand that activism can be compassionate, informed and bold. Communities once disconnected were united in shared purpose and love for the Jewish people. These moments — personal, yet profoundly collective — show that the Jewish people are strongest when we are bound together by shared responsibility and care.

In the months ahead, the lessons of these crises must guide us. We must continue to build bridges between communities, to educate the next generation and to provide the tools and support needed to stand proudly for Israel and for Jewish values. The challenges we face — external threats, internal divisions and the rise of antisemitism — cannot be met passively. The work of resilience, empathy and leadership is constant, and it begins with each and every one of us.

As we welcome 5786, let us take inspiration from the women who acted without hesitation when our people faced danger. Let us remember that we are igniting the example of the women who came before us, from the women of the Tanach to the pioneers of Israel. Their torch of strength and resolve has now been passed to this generation. We must take it and raise it high with new resolve. 

This year, let us reaffirm our commitment to family, community and our nation. And let us embrace the Talmudic wisdom that reminds us God provides the remedy before the affliction: the courage, tools and resilience we have cultivated through the generations are exactly what we need to meet the challenges before us.

May this new year bring healing, unity and strength, and may we all answer the shofar’s call with courage and compassion. And may we merit open miracles in our times.

Shana Tovah.  

Lori Palatnik is the founding director of Momentum (formerly the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project).