| Dear Friends,
As someone who cares deeply about the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, you will be most interested in the important news we share with you today. It has been more than a decade since Sheryl Olitzky co-founded the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom, together with Atiya, to develop a “circle of friendship” between Muslim and Jewish women. With mixed emotions, we share the news of Sheryl’s retirement as Executive Director on March 1, 2021.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Sheryl for her passionate commitment, countless hours, and abundant energy. She has grown the Sisterhood to be an international organization with more than 8,000 Muslim and Jewish women committed to interfaith exchange and partnership. Sheryl has created a healthy organization that is well-positioned to achieve our goals in 2021 and beyond, with a talented and hard-working staff team and a dedicated board of trustees. Following a well-deserved break, we are so fortunate that Sheryl will join the Sisterhood’s Board of Trustees later this year.
The Sisterhood’s succession planning committee and Board of Trustees has hired Ceres Group Advisors (interimdirector@sosspeace.org), an experienced interim leadership team. Ceres Group Advisors will ensure a smooth transition and a strong organizational foundation as we search for our next executive director. Sheryl will help shepherd this process with her vast knowledge, strong community connections, and experience.
The last decade has been a time for great growth and powerful impact for the Sisterhood’s network. What started out as a small chapter of 12 women grew into an organization and evolved into a movement of Muslim and Jewish women and girls committed to building bridges and tearing down barriers of hate and prejudice.
This year, we were confronted with challenges that none of us could have imagined. Last March, when Covid-19 impacted all of our lives, the Sisterhood pivoted to virtual programming, creating space for engagement and participation to connect in new ways across geographic boundaries. We are excited to continue on the Sisterhood journey with you to envision the next stage of the Sisterhood’s development as we emerge from the challenges and opportunities of the last year. We commit to doing more to meet your needs and opening our tent to reach more Muslim and Jewish women and girls who want to make this world a better place. And, we look forward to your engagement in this brave space of the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom.
Now, more than ever, our mission to build trust, respect, and relationships between Muslim and Jewish women and teenage girls and to work together to end hate for all human beings is more important than it has ever been. With your continued support and participation, we are confident that the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom will thrive and set the stage for bold programs and important new connections during this crucial time in history.
Please feel free to reach out to us or to Sheryl (sherylolitzky@gmail.com) with any questions or thoughts.
Warmest regards,
Roberta Elliott, President
(robertabelliott@gmail.com)
Atiya Aftab, Co-founder & Chair Emeritus
(criterion17@gmail.com)
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Thank you to everybody involved. Outstanding!