There are interests and issues that connect us as women — no matter where in the world we live. ICONS, a new series of conversations between Israeli and U.S. women, will highlight both what we have in common and what we can learn from one another.
We launched ICONS with a conversation between women who have had to pivot in the face of the COVID pandemic:
Elah Alkalay, chair of IBI Mutual Funds, shares how she leads her team in uncertain financial times.
Congressional candidate Allison Fine discusses how she’s running a campaign and connecting with constituents from a safe social distance.
Wendy Feldman Block, real estate advisor at Savills, talks about the pandemic’s impact on the real estate market.
JWI CEO Meredith Jacobs moderates; hosted by Ruby Shamir, executive director of AIFL’s Israel office and director of international operations.
ICONS is a partnership of JWI and AIFL. Registration is free.
PANELISTS
Allison Fine is a successful entrepreneur, visionary and trailblazer. She is running for the Congressional seat held by the retiring Nita Lowey. Her career highlights include:
National board member and chair of NARAL: Pro Choice America Foundation, 2014-2019.
Past president, Temple Beth Abraham, Tarrytown, NY.
Author of three seminal books on technology and social justice.
Groundbreaking work funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on using automation and Artificial Intelligence for social good.
Founder of the Network of Elected Women (NEW) in helping women elected to municipal level offices support one another and achieve their goals.
Founding board member: Just Vision, Civic Hall.
Allison grew up and lives in Sleepy Hollow, NY. She and her husband raised their three sons in the Rivertowns.
Elah Alkalay, VP for business development and chairperson of IBI Mutual Funds, has worked in the capital market for over 25 years. Elah co-founded IBI's women's investment forum, IBI's ESG and Impact portfolios amongst other initiatives at IBI.
Elah holds both an MBA and an MS degree in biology from the Faculty of Physiology and Pharmacology both from the Tel Aviv University.
Elah serves as chair of IWN - Israel Women's Network, is a member of the board of governors of Ma'aleh, is a board member of NIF and a member of the Israeli NAB. Elah publishes a financial column and op-eds in the Israeli economic media.
Wendy Feldman Block has been working as a real estate advisor at Savills (formerly Studley) on behalf of tenants for over 30 years. A graduate of Leadership Washington, Wendy is an extremely active volunteer in the community, taking leadership roles while serving on the boards of several nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. In addition to Iona Senior Services and the Tikkun Olam Women’s Foundation, she has devoted considerable energy most recently to Higher Achievement, Jewish Women International and the Round House Theatre in Bethesda. Furthermore, she is highly engaged with mentoring within and outside the brokerage community and gives a great deal of her time and resources to improving the lives of women as well as youth.
Meredith Jacobs (moderator), JWI's CEO, is an award-winning journalist and former editor-in-chief of Washington Jewish Week. She is the author of The Modern Jewish Mom’s Guide to Shabbat: Connect and Celebrate—Bring Your Family Together with the Friday Night Meal (HarperCollins) and co-author, with her children Sofie and Jules, of the bestselling series of interactive journals, Just Between Us (Chronicle Books). Meredith assumed the role of CEO after serving as JWI’s chief operating officer for six years. Before joining JWI, she was the founder of ModernJewishMom.com (now part of Kveller.com), host of the radio shows "Connecting Family" and “Modern Jewish Mom,” director of family programming for Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, and facilitator for the Washington, D.C. Mother’s Circle (for non-Jewish women raising Jewish children).
