30/30 Women breakfast

Earlier this week in the offices of WeWork, the ARDC & 3030 held its second breakfast where 30 talented women of the asylum-seeking community met with 30 leading women of the professional community of Tel Aviv. There were activists, CEOs, students, programmers, masters students, designers, leaders, and more.

The breakfast serves as a beacon of hope for the refugee population in Israel and, importantly, a reminder that being a refugee does not define you; it is a live status outside of your control. Over a wonderful meal, women of a variety of backgrounds shared their stories, hopes, dreams, and fears.

Each day at the ARDC we are reminded of the talents, motivation, and hard work of the refugee population right here in Israel. It is our organization’s goal to foster this skill and energy to improve the lives of people fleeing violence, persecution, and fear. No matter her professional background, age, or status, every woman deserves the equal opportunity to learn, to develop and to build a dignified life for herself and her family.

The women of the breakfast come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, but they were all able to find common ground. All the women are entrepreneurs.

Women make 80 cents to every dollar men make, and refugee women face additional challenges. Long hours, lack of access to education and employment, and supporting a family without welfare services make life extra challenging for refugees in Israel. On top of that, the journey from their home country to a place of refuge often comes with danger and violence.

The 30 for 30 breakfast was a chance to build bridges between these two communities through conversation and story sharing. It is important to never doubt the power of humans to help one another. We can all learn from one another, no matter what our job is or where we are from. All it takes is a chat over some coffee.

Thank you to Nina, Jenn & their team at 3030, to WeWork, to Kasi Yeshineh for the hand-made bags, to the delicious catering by Graze TLV, to cafe נחת Nahat for the coffee and to Wild Dog Cold Brew for the cold press, to Jusa Cold Pressed for the refreshing drinks, and especially, to every single woman who attended the Breakfast - for being part of the creation of a stronger network of women leaders.