Entering the Next Chapter: Women Find Meaning with Chapter Three

Michele Lax (left) and Nina Rosenzwog (Handout)

For close to four decades, Nina Rosenzwog admits there washardly a day that went by when she wasn’t busy juggling her work as a schoolpsychologist while making time for family, friends and her love of signing.Always active, she knew that now that she was retired, she wasn’t going to beable to sit back.

Buoyed by her passion to serve, and inspired by a lifetimeof smart, interesting women she had befriended over the years, she wanted toprovide a place where they could get together, learn and change the world.

 “I felt there wassomething missing in the community for active women, who had worked all theirlife and now have free time to give back and make a statement,” says Rosenzwog.

That was when she approached Associated Women, and workingwith Michele Lax, Associated Women’s immediate past president, and JessicaBronfein, chair-elect of Associated Women, Chapter Three was born. Geared forwomen ages 60 plus, Chapter Three provides them with access to interestingtopics and speakers where they can engage in intimate settings.

“I’ve heard from women who want to learn more about Jewishcustoms to help them pass these rituals on to their grandchildren and women whowant to understand finances and philanthropy. We want these women to craft theagenda around topics in which they are personally interested,” says Rosenzwog,the current chair of Associated Women.

Associated Women has been at the forefront of women’sprogramming for years. Its Inspired Women’s Project meets monthly for ayear-long program that addresses topics such as Jewish traditions, women’sphilanthropy and Israel engagement. Chapter Two is an educational andengagement program for Jewish women looking to grow that allows them to takepart in experiential learning and hands-on social action while learning aboutThe Associated and its agencies.

Chapter Three will draw upon the interests of volunteers toframe the topics addressed and empower these participants to organize theprogramming. Chapter Three recently received a grant from the Jane KriegerSchapiro Family Foundation, a supporting foundation of

The Associated, which supports leadership development andprogramming for women through Associated Women.

In its first gathering held last fall, Chapter Three inviteda small group of interested women to Rosenzwog’s home to hear from Dr. YardenFanta, the first Ethiopian woman to earn a doctorate in Israel. As part of theSue Glick Liebman Visiting Israel Scholar program, the 50 attendees heard aboutthe Fanta family’s journey from Ethiopia to Israel.

This May, they plan to participate in a White Glove Sessionat the Baltimore Hebrew Institute at Towson University. The White Glove Sessionis a private viewing of rare books, seized by German soldiers, that werediscovered in storehouses in Europe following World War II. The books weredistributed to religious, cultural and educational institutions in the U.S.when their owners could not be located.

During the White Glove Session, Chapter Three women willhave a chance to learn about the collection before donning white gloves to explorethese rare books.

“I want to empower women to take on the burning questionsthey might have and invite their friends and make an event out of it. I wantthese amazing women who have such amazing energy to be inspired.”

For more information about Associated Women, go to associated.org/women

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