Formerly the National Council of Jewish Women Arizona (NCJW AZ), our organization has served this state for more than 100 years. In July 2026, we became an independent entity, allowing us to focus more effectively on the issues that directly impact our local communities. While our structure has evolved, our mission remains unchanged: to safeguard human and civil rights and improve the quality of l
ife for all Arizonans. We advance that mission through legislative advocacy, grassroots organizing on initiatives and referendums, and strategic legal action as intervenors on significant cases such as challenges to Arizona’s Civil War-era abortion ban, a fetal personhood law, the federal government’s transfer of sacred Apache land to a copper mining company, and the state’s wrongful termination of a mother’s parental rights
Reproductive healthcare has long been a cornerstone of our work. Here in Arizona, our legacy of community leadership includes helping establish the state’s first synagogue, now home to the Plotkin Cultural Center. We also helped create Jewish Family and Children’s Service, the Child Crisis Nursery (now part of Child Crisis Arizona) and the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. In 2023, we launched our most ambitious initiative: Ruth Place, the first of its kind trauma recovery center for survivors of sexual violence that is quickly becoming a model for compassionate, trauma-informed care that empowers survivors to thrive. With a broad-based agenda that works across diverse communities, JWAAA remains distinct among organizations — courageous, compassionate, effective, and, above all, pioneering.
