The Bernice S. Tannenbaum Prize recognizes emerging professionals who have made innovative contributions to advance the status of women and girls in Israel and the United States. Awardees demonstrate a high degree of talent, commitment, and accomplishment in their work. The prize honors Bernice S. Tannenbaum, z’’l, for her lifetime of service to the Jewish People; the State of Israel; and Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America.
Lilach Tzur Ben-Moshe was awarded the prize for her ground-breaking work with women attempting to exit prostitution. The organization she founded in Tel Aviv in 2011, Turning the Tables, trains these vulnerable women for jobs in the fashion industry. Women learn how to sew, make patterns, design clothes, and market their goods. The program, which is supported by the Hadassah Foundation, has enabled dozens of women to begin a new life with dignity, including a legal way to make a living.
“It is a great honor to accept this award from the Hadassah Foundation, which bravely recognizes the diverse challenges that women in Israel still face,” said Tzur Ben-Moshe. “Tens of thousands of women and girls in Israel are trapped in the cycle of prostitution and addiction. Turning the Tables is sending the message to them and to women in general that we see them and reach out to them.”
Tzur Ben-Moshe, a former editor at the Israeli newspaper, Ma’ariv, was inspired to serve this population group after seeing female sex workers, day after day, during her walk to work from her South Tel Aviv neighborhood. The organization’s primary studio is open seven days a week, and is a safe space and sanctuary for her its clients. Last year, under Tzur Ben-Moshe’s direction, the organization opened a second studio in Haifa, so as to better serve women from Israel’s northern area.
In honor of Tzur Ben-Moshe, the Hadassah Foundation has released a new video that highlights the Tannenbaum Prize winner, as well as the work of the fund. The video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/X7zUs86BWmI
“Lilach Tzur Ben-Moshe is an inspiring leader,” said Rabbi Suzanne Offit, Chair of the Hadassah Foundation. “She is making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable Israeli women, offering new options to those who are often shunned by society.”
The Prize provides $500 in general operating support to Turning the Tables, as well as $2,500 to Lilach Tzur Ben-Moshe to further her professional development.
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About the Hadassah Foundation
The Hadassah Foundation is an investor in social change to empower girls and women in the United States and Israel. The Foundation is a philanthropic pioneer in the fields of improving economic security for low-income Israeli women and developing leadership and self-esteem programs for adolescent Jewish girls and young women in the United States. Since 2000, approximately $7.1 million has been awarded to more than 80 nonprofit organizations. To learn more, visit www.hadassahfoundation.org.