Woman of Impact 2022
Jodi Falk, Rachel’s Table’s Director, was recently honored with BusinessWest’s Women of Impact Class of 2022 Award. This award goes to honor women who have the authority and power to move the needle in their business, are respected for accomplishments within their industries, give back to the community, and are sought out as respected advisors and mentors within their field of influence. The ceremony was held at the Sheraton in Springfield and a total of 8 women from many industries were honored. Rachel’s Table Board and Professional Advisory Council members were present, along with some of Jodi’s family and friends.
“The evening was so wonderful – first, to be together again, and second, when you uplift one person, you uplift all. It was very inspiring to hear the women’s stories and to highlight how women change and better our world,” stated Jodi Falk. “And, truly, the honor for me goes directly to the volunteers of Rachel’s Table – they are the heart and soul of the program.” Falk also thanks the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts for all its support through the past 30 years. After the event, Senator Lesser’s office surprised Jodi with a Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Senate Special Citation recognizing her Women of Impact award and the work she has helped lead at Rachel’s Table.
Falk accepted the award with stories about how others have impacted her through her life in arts education and nonprofit leadership – the students she had that taught her that courage and resilience can come from trauma, that dance can be beautiful even without legs, and that each human deserves to be treated with dignity and justice. These are the values Rachel’s Table is built on – dignity, resilience, beauty redefined, and that we step up whenever there is a need.
Falk ended her speech that evening with a quote from Pirkei Avot, or The Ethics of the Fathers, “It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, but you are not free to desist from it either.” The core of Rachel’s Table is the belief that it is our job to do what we can right now to make the world a better place. Congratulations to Jodi, and mazel tov to Rachel’s Table!