Palo Alto Resident to be Honored with International Women’s Empowerment Award
Daryl Messinger is one of 12 awardees selected for social justice honor
PALO ALTO — Palo Alto and Lenox, MA, resident Daryl Messinger will be honored with Women of Reform Judaism’s (WRJ), Women’s 2025 Empowerment Award.
WRJ, the feminist affiliate of the largest and most diverse Jewish denomination in North America, established this award in 2019 to honor women, nonbinary, and genderfluid individuals who strengthen the voices of others, with a focus on empowering women and girls, and who promote progressive Jewish values and social justice.
Messinger is one of 12 individuals to be honored this year.
“In line with Women of Reform Judaism’s legacy of strengthening the voices of women worldwide, the individuals selected for this prestigious honor work toward a more just, inclusive, and compassionate world in all that they do for their communities,” said WRJ President Karen Sim.
Messinger is a member of Congregation Beth Am and Beth Am Women in Los Altos Hills, CA. She is the current chair of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA). She is a past chair of the Union of Reform Judaism (URJ) Board of Trustees. In addition to ongoing responsibilities with the URJ, she currently serves as a chair of Leading Edge and on the boards of Israel Policy Forum, Hebrew Union College, and the Jewish Agency for Israel. From 2011-2015, Daryl was chair of the Reform Pension Board (RPB), which serves Reform movement professionals. She was the first woman to serve as chair of ARZA, URJ, and the RPB. She is a past president of the Oshman Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, CA as well as Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, CA.
“It is an honor and privilege to be selected among so many deserving individuals. As WRJ demonstrates, women’s leadership, philanthropy, and moral voices are needed now more than ever in our Jewish and secular organizations to shape a better future for all,” said Daryl Messinger.
WRJ will acknowledge and celebrate Messinger and her fellow awardees Sunday, April 6, 2025, as part of WRJ’s Social Justice Conference (SJC). This four-day conference is designed to train attendees on the biggest social justice issues of our time. Attendance includes education from policy experts, advocacy training, access to the Women’s Empowerment Awards dinner, ending with a day of lobbying at the US Capitol.
Attendance options are available for all (age 18+) interested in advocacy through a Jewish feminist lens. Register today.