Introducing IfNotNow’s Interim Executive Director
A message from our Board Chair, Becca Kahn Bloch:
I’m excited to share an important update about IfNotNow’s leadership transition by introducing you to our new Interim Executive Director: Morriah Kaplan.
IfNotNow is entering a new era. Morriah is just the person to support us as we navigate its new challenges and new opportunities.
Trump’s second presidency is underway and energetically trying to strip away our human rights and democratic protections — often using “Jewish safety” as a pretext. The Israeli government is intensifying its genocidal assault on Gaza, its apartheid system in the West Bank, and its provocations toward all-out regional war with Iran and other nearby countries. Antisemitic conspiracy theories, hate speech, and vigilante violence are on the rise in the U.S., stoked by a White House hellbent on scapegoating Jews for its attacks on all of our livelihoods.
Against this backdrop, IfNotNow is undertaking an ambitious set of programs to organize our beloved U.S. Jewish communities into taking courageous action. We’re fighting for a world in which we enjoy shared safety alongside all other communities facing bigotry and violence: trans and queer people, immigrants, Black and indigenous people, poor people, and, critically, Palestinians.
There could not be a more fitting leader than Morriah for this exciting time in IfNotNow’s journey. Before joining the staff team, Morriah was active in leading IfNotNow’s New Member orientation training program as a volunteer. She joined the IfNotNow staff team in January of 2020 as the Training & Political Education Director. In this role, Morriah designed and led workshops and a political education cohort that were critical to IfNotNow’s organizing during the pandemic.
You can read our Q&A with Morriah below for an insight into what brought her to this work, what motivates her, and more.
Morriah took over as Managing Director in late 2021 and is now excited to be moving into the Interim Executive Director role. She has stewarded the organization during a time of immense transition and has been key to stabilizing IfNotNow's staff and structures. I am thrilled that Morriah will be leading us as we launch new programs, usher in this new strategic orientation, and prepare the organization to launch a hiring process for a permanent executive director this coming fall.
I’m asking IfNotNow’s board of directors, our members, and our extended community to support Morriah and the IfNotNow team by making a gift today.
One of the most impactful ways each of us — including you — can accelerate IfNotNow’s mission is to ensure IfNotNow has the resources needed to do this work. That way, Morriah can spend more time leading and less time fundraising. Your gift helps sustain our leadership transition, powers our campaigns, and invests in the long-term strength of the movement.
I hope you’ll join me in welcoming Morriah and all the exciting changes that accompany her transition to this new position.
Sincerely,
Becca Kahn Bloch, IfNotNow Board Chair
Five Questions with Morriah Kaplan
When and why did you first get involved with IfNotNow?
Ten years ago, when IfNotNow “relaunched” in late 2015, I got really involved in the volunteer-led new member training program. I loved helping people find a place where, for the first time, their Jewish and political values could live side by side.
What from your family lineage do you carry with you through this work?
Arguing about politics — and especially Israel — was essentially part of my family’s weekly Shabbat ritual. We have to be able to talk to each other, even and especially when we don’t agree. Building relationships across lines of difference is critical to our ability to build power.
What Jewish values most motivate your contributions to the movement?
The Jewish imperative to question and debate: “Lo bashamayim hi.” We are all responsible for interpreting and enacting our Jewish values and traditions. There is no passing the buck to a higher power or someone in a position of higher authority to interpret our Judaism for us — rather we all have a critical role to play.
What’s something outside of work that you love doing?
All of the fiber arts! Weaving, knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, and the occasional spinning.
What is one thing that excites you about serving as IfNotNow’s Interim Executive Director?
It’s a critical time to be growing and strengthening our movements for justice, both Jewish and non-Jewish. I’m excited to be able to build and grow those relationships on behalf of IfNotNow in order to strengthen our Jewish and progressive communities.