Honoring women in our community for the last 18 years has brought inspiration and joy to attendees of Women to Watch. For our honorees, being named a Woman to Watch can be a validation of their hard work, a recognition of their impact on our community, and a time to connect with contemporaries across many fields. Today, it’s ever more important to lift the work of women in our community and celebrate the accomplishments of those around us.

Read on for the impact of being a Woman to Watch, and join us next time to celebrate their legacy in person.

“It was a validation that I really am impacting the Jewish world by connecting people to their roots through food and inspiring people to cook and bake. It reminded me that bringing joy to the world, even in a small way, is valuable. The luncheon came just weeks after my mother passed away, and having so many friends and family from every part of my life in the audience to celebrate and support me gave me a huge boost of comfort and strength when I really needed it.”
Paula Shoyer, WTW 2015
The Kosher Baker
Chevy Chase, MD

“I was so very proud to have achieved this honor, and was thrilled to stand along side so many amazing and accomplished women, all luminaries in their own chosen fields. It was a wonderful experience, and I am so grateful to have been recognized.”
Linda Kaplan Thaler, WTW 2004
Chairman, Publicis Kaplan Thaler
New York, NY

“Being a Woman to Watch was an incredible honor. It empowered me and gave me the desire to push forward with my philanthropic endeavors.”
Marla Garchik, WTW 2017
Co-founder and CEO of Peace Love Solve
Boca Raton, FL

“It meant more than I can actually articulate -- to be part of this JWI tradition, and part of this network of women leaders who are changing the world in so many different ways. It was particularly meaningful to be honored by an organization whose leader I so admire and have aspired to emulate. And it made me think that my parents would have been proud.”
Nicky Goren, WTW 2016
President and CEO of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation
Washington, DC

“Being a Woman to Watch was the first honor I received from a Jewish organization, a national organization and an organization serving women, so it was a thrill for all 3 of these reasons.”
Esther B. Newman, WTW 2011
Founder & Executive Director, Leadership Montgomery
Rockville, MD

“It was such an honor to be considered among all of these other amazing women both last year and who came before us. I loved the opportunity to meet women from different industries, especially the young women who are coming up in their fields. It was also so wonderful to share it with my family who all traveled to DC to be there with me.”
Anna Isaacson, WTW 2017
Senior Vice President, Social Responsibility, National Football League
New York, NY

“Being a Woman to Watch was an honor I shared with my congregants, friends, and family. It was a moment for all of them to feel proud of their contribution to my professional and life journey.”
Rabbi Amy R. Perlin, WTW 2012
Senior and Founding Rabbi of Temple B’nai Shalom
Fairfax Station, VA

“Being named a Woman to Watch was a meaningful recognition and a validation of all the work I had done as a lay and community leader and as an advocate for women’s reproductive autonomy.”
Rosalyn E. Jonas, WTW 2005
Abortion Rights Activist
Washington, DC

“Being a Woman to Watch made me feel less marginalized in the Jewish community.”
Alice Rothchild, WTW 1998
Physician, Author, Activist
Seattle, WA

“I was honored to be included on the 2004 list of Women to Watch among so many other powerful women and continue to be in inspired by the recipients since then. I was named a Woman to Watch shortly after I founded DeLeT: Day School Teaching through Leadership, a national program to recruit, teach, and train Jewish Day School teachers that is modeled after Teach for America. Since its founding, more than 250 students have graduated from the DeLeT program. To harness their ongoing learning and leadership, I launched the DeLeT Alumni Network to provide alumni with ongoing professional development and leadership opportunities. Since being included in Women to Watch, I founded the Jewish Teen Foundation Board Incubator, to offer teens the opportunity to develop leadership skills, and practice philanthropy; helped catalyze the Franklin Project at the Aspen Institute, which gives young people an opportunity to do a fully paid, full-time year of service anywhere in the country; this later became ServiceYear.org. Inclusion on the list inspired me and encouraged me to be bold and strategic in my work in venture capital and in my philanthropy.”
Laura Lauder, WTW 2004
Venture Philanthropist; Founder, DeLeT: Day School Teaching Through Leadership
Atherton, CA

Some quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.

What being a Woman to Watch meant to these honorees