A New HERizon: Uniting women across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth with their sisters in Israel
1,600 women gathered across Sydney, Melbourne and Perth for this year’s UIA Women’s Division Galas, united by one powerful theme: A New HERizon.
What unfolded across the three cities was a display of female leadership, resilience and collective purpose at a moment when Israel, and the Jewish people more broadly, were once again living through deep uncertainty.
In the lead-up to the events, the war with Iran meant scheduled guests from Israel were suddenly unable to travel. It was the kind of disruption that could have easily derailed a major campaign. Instead, it became a defining part of the story as with characteristic determination, UIA Women’s Division pivoted quickly and thoughtfully, transforming disappointment into something deeply moving. Live video replaced in-person appearances and the physical distance from Israel only sharpened the emotional closeness in the room.
This year’s campaign raised funds for Heartbeats centres and initiatives for wives of reservists in Northern Israel.
Heartbeats supports vulnerable mothers, babies and young children during the earliest and most critical stages of life. It stands beside families facing poverty, trauma, loneliness and instability, helping create the conditions for healthier homes and stronger futures. Alongside this, UIA Women’s Division is also supporting wives and families of reservists in Israel’s north – women carrying immense emotional, financial and practical burdens as their partners serve repeated rounds of reserve duty. These women are holding families together through fear, exhaustion and prolonged uncertainty.
Serena Rotenberg, Bianca Burd, Elissa Sharp, Amanda Smorgon at the Melbourne event
In Melbourne, the evening’s theme of ‘A New HERizon’ carried added significance with a leadership handover. Outgoing Co-Chairs, Amanda Smorgon and Elissa Sharp, marked their final Gala after nine years of exceptional leadership. Their tenure has helped shape Women’s Division into a multigenerational philanthropic force. They welcomed a new pair of sisters – Co-Chairs Serena Rotenberg and Bianca Burd, ushering in exactly what the campaign theme promised, a new HERizon, shaped by new leadership, new energy and continued commitment.
In Sydney, NSW Women’s Division Chair Lauren Briggs highlighted that women’s philanthropy is not an add-on. It is core to the future we are trying to build. Her message was direct: too many mothers and families are still waiting for support, which is exactly why UIA Women’s Division must keep stepping forward.
Chen Shleifer, Director of Heartbeats Northern Israel, gave one of the clearest insights into why this campaign matters. Her message was simple and deeply powerful: when you strengthen a parent in a child’s earliest years, you can change the course of an entire life. Heartbeats is restoring stability where homes are close to collapsing. It is helping parents manage trauma before it is passed on. It is giving mothers practical support, emotional reinforcement and the knowledge that they are not alone. Her stories of families navigating PTSD, fear and war underscored the preventative power of this work. Heartbeats does not wait for lives to unravel completely. It steps in early, and that changes everything.
Lauren Briggs (Sydney)
Finally, Sara Ribner-Grabin facilitated the conversation with her close friend Michal Barkai-Brody. Speaking as an Israeli woman, wife and mother, she gave voice to the everyday reality of families living through prolonged military call-up and war. Her perspective was deeply personal and moving. She reminded the audience that these are not headline issues, they are kitchen table issues, hospital issues, parenting issues and marriage issues. War reshapes ordinary life from the inside out.
And then came Michal’s address which left a profound mark on each woman in the room. Founder of the Alma pre-army academy and a leading advocate for reservists’ wives and families, Michal articulated something many in the audience felt immediately: that the women carrying Israel through this chapter are not only surviving it, they are helping give birth to a new reality. Painful, demanding and unwanted though it may be, this moment is also calling forth extraordinary courage.
Sara Ribner-Grabin, Michal Barkai-Brody (Sydney)
Her insight was that the silent burden borne by mothers and reservists’ wives must no longer remain invisible. Their stories matter. Their sacrifice matters. Their leadership matters. Her words transformed private struggle into collective purpose, and in doing so, made women across the room feel part of something larger than themselves.
That was the achievement of A New HERizon, despite extreme difficulty and distance these were events laden with depth, dignity and determination. They gave Australian women the opportunity to stand with the women of Israel not symbolically, but practically and powerfully.
The events may be over, but the need is far from it. UIA Women’s Division continues to fund life-changing work for Israeli women, children and families and now is critical time to act. You can donate to UIA Women’s Division and help strengthen the women strengthening Israel via uiaaustralia.org.au/donate-womens-division/
