IJW's Mission

The Initiative for Jewish Women serves progressive Jewish women in the Houston area seeking to experience Judaism by addressing contemporary issues that reflect 21st century tastes and sensibilities. IJW is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization dedicated to giving voice to Jewish women through multi-generational dialogue.

IJW Board of Directors

Rabbi Amy Weiss

Rabbi Amy Weiss is the founder and executive director of The Initiative for Jewish Women, an educational and experiential forum for liberal Jewish women in Houston.  Rabbi Weiss’ rabbinate has focused on making liberal Judaism and Jewish ethics and values more accessible and integrated into our everyday lives.
Weiss teaches sexuality to Houston Jewish teens as part of the IJW programming in addition to teaching a Melton School class on Rhythms of Jewish Life.  As a blogger for the Houston Chronicle’s www.HoustonBelief.com, Weiss provides Jewish education, Jewish food history/recipes and commentary on pop culture Jewish life in Houston and the nation.

Rabbi Weiss is a frequent speaker at pro-choice events for college students and young professionals as a member of Clergy for Choice and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Choice.  In March, 2009 Weiss was a speaker at the Planned Parenthood national meeting Interfaith breakfast as well as for a variety of churches and synagogues.

Ordained at Hebrew Union College in New York City, Weiss also holds a masters in Jewish Education in addition to a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas.  She has served as a teacher, educational consultant, pulpit rabbi and volunteer chaplain over the course of her thirteen year rabbinate.  Currently Rabbi Weiss is the chef at Houston Hillel (where her husband is the director), serving over one hundred meals a week.

Rabbi Weiss is married to Rabbi Kenny Weiss and have two sons, Eli and Joshua.



Avner Moriah Women's Zodiac prints for sale. $350 each. Each print was signed by the artist and donated to the Initiative for Jewish Women to be used for fundraising. You can view examples of the prints at this link. Please contact Rabbi Amy Weiss for print availability.