Women leaders reflect on the tragedy of October 7 and the path forward at WLS Conference

Five prominent Israeli women leaders participated in a panel focusing on the tragic events of October 7 and how to chart a path forward at the Jerusalem Post Women Leaders Summit at the Google for Startups Campus in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.

Participants in the panel included Shari Mendes, Founder and CEO, Israel Lemonade Fund; Prof. Eilat Shinar, Director of National Blood Services, MDA, Israel; Talia Tzour Avner, Chief of Staff, Jewish National Fund - USA; Amalia Adler-Waxman, SVP, Global Head of Sustainability and Head of Corporate Affairs of International Markets, Teva; and Ayelet Razin Bet Or, former director at the Authority for Advancement of the Status of Women, a lawyer and an expert on victims’ rights and gender equality. Since October, she has been leading the Dina Project 7.10, an experts group advocating for the victims of the gender-based violence on 7.10 and towards the hostages.

Ayelet Razin Bet Or discussed the silence of women’s organizations in the world in response to the horrors of October 7th and the attacks on women. “If you’re pro-Palestine, if you’re pro-Israel, it doesn’t matter. If you do not condemn this, if you don’t say in a clear voice, ‘This is wrong. This shouldn’t have happened; then you are setting us back years and years and our achievements as women and as humanity. Women’s Day was celebrated in the UN a few weeks ago. What do we have to celebrate? What achievements do we have as women, if we have 19 women hostages in captivity?”

Talia Tzour Avner stated that Jewish National Fund - USA has been working in this region for the past two decades in an effort to populate and strengthen the communities. Since October 7th, JNF-USA has been mapping each displaced community to understand their needs, rebuild the communities, and enable residents to return to their homes.

“One message I want to give everyone: After October 7, we felt alone and attacked on every possible front worldwide. I want to tell you that we are not alone. We have a good American Jewish community, we have a strong JNF-USA behind us, and a strong Zionist community, not just Jews, who are supporting us and who are with us.”

Amalia Adler-Waxman said that Teva launched the “Support the Soul” program designed to help Israelis heal and restore normalcy and optimism following October 7th, through training and supporting professional caregivers, strengthening resilience centers, implementing technology for the use of trauma treatment, and triggering professional and public awareness. “My call to action,” she said, “aims at stakeholders that can help join the cause of treating Trauma in Israel to join and help us make a difference that will go a long way in our journey of healing.”

Prof. Eilat Shinar saluted the women who contributed to the war effort beginning on October 7, particularly the thousands who donated blood. Usually, 25% of the blood donations come from women. Once so many men were called to IDF service, she said, the percentage of women who donated blood rose to 52%.

She added that a second group that deserves a great deal of credit is those who donated breast milk to the National Human Milk Bank, which is usually used to provide milk to premature babies who are hospitalized and need human milk. When the war started, she explained, calls came from families where nursing mothers had been kidnapped or murdered, or from women soldiers who couldn’t express milk to feed their babies. “Since October 7, with the financial support of the Ministry of Health, we provided one and a half tons of milk to these babies and the premature babies,” she said.

Shinar concluded her remarks by paying tribute to the women employees and volunteers of Magen David Adom, all of whom play a vital role in the organization. “Close to 80% of the workers in the Blood Services and 50% of the personnel in the Emergency Medical Service are women, working as paramedics, ambulance drivers, and in the call centers,” she said.  

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