Congratulations to the 2025 award winners!
Hebrew Free Loan partnered with National Council of Jewish Women San Francisco Section (NCJW SF) to award four scholarships to Jewish women students who are studying or working in the area of social justice and who intend to pursue social justice after graduation.
Molly Fisher: Attending UC Berkeley for Masters of Social Work to graduate in 2027. Her volunteer work has centered around providing services, case management, and advocating for homeless and formerly homeless individuals. She worked at Brilliant Corner and at UCSF’s citywide community mental health agency. She intends to focus her career on providing mental health services to underserved individuals and families.
Rebecca Bleil: Attending the Wright Institute to become a licensed psychologist (PsyD). She is passionate about advocating for mental health, particularly for children in the foster care and adoption systems, neurodiverse youth, and LGBTQIA+ youth. Her focus is on providing direct service to underserved children and families impacted by trauma, grief, and systemic injustice and marginalization.
Ella Kushins: Attending George Washington University in Washington DC to graduate in 2028. She is interested and working in the area of women’s advocacy and fighting antisemitism. She has worked at the Jewish Community Free Clinic and Commission on the Status of Women in Sonoma County focusing on reproductive rights and is currently doing some work on the Multiracial Democracy Project and Jewish on Campus. She started her own nonprofit called Trigger Empathy which seeks to educate young people on international conflicts and has hosted dialogue sessions with female speakers from conflict zones in the Middle East. She plans on working in the civil rights legal sphere, especially around women’s advocacy.
Leah Talyansky: Attending Vermont Law School to graduate in 2027. She is committed to advocating for the underserved, particularly low-income women and children, medically vulnerable individuals navigating the bureaucratic system, and animals. She focuses on the intersection of law, health equity, and family safety. She has been an EMT, served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth, and volunteered with several agencies dealing with wildlife rescue and emergency services. She intends to return to the Bay Area to provide pro-bono and sliding-scale representation to low-income women, children, and families.
Hebrew Free Loan provides interest-free loans to Jewish individuals in Northern California to help them achieve self-sufficiency. Our loans support individuals who are overcoming financial challenges or pursuing lifelong dreams.
Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW SF strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.
The Tanette Goldberg Scholarship for Social Justice was established in memory of Tanette Goldberg (1926-2013), past president of NCJW SF from 1990 to 1993. Tanette was recognized for her work in 2007 when she received the NCJW Hannah G. Solomon Award. Tanette was a tireless and committed community volunteer. She worked to solve issues in the public schools where her children attended and in the community. She fervently believed in justice, equality, and effecting positive change, whether in the Jewish community or her neighborhood.
