OUR COMMUNITY

D

etroit Jews for Justice (DJJ) nomi-
nated Ronit Wagman of Huntington
Woods as Volunteer of the Week
for her canvassing efforts for Reproductive
Freedom for All, the campaign to amend the
Michigan constitution.
“She canvassed tirelessly all the way up until
the last day of signature collection and single-
handedly got more signatures than any other
leader in our organization,
” said Elijah Silver,
organizer for Campaigns and Education with
DJJ.
Wagman says since she has moved from
working for a trade book publisher to working
independently as an editorial consultant, she
now has more flexibility with her time, which
allows her to be actively involved in the com-
munity.
“It’s been a gratifying and empowering
experience to turn my despair into action and
to meet other people who share similar val-
ues,
” Wagman said.
She says she wouldn’t be able to take such
an active role in the community if it weren’t
for the support of her husband, Eric Wagman,

who shares responsibility caring for their
two children, Finn, 7, and Jake, 4.
Her latest project involves organizing with
other local parents through Moms Demand
Action, a national grassroots organization
whose focus is protecting people from gun
violence.
“Right now, we’re speaking to the Berkley
School District about adopting a gun safety
resolution and providing parents with gun
safety information as part of the annual school
registration process, like many other districts
have done since the Oxford school shooting,
”
Wagman explained.
The inspiration for Wagman’s activism
and volunteer work comes from her mom,
Marcy Feldman. “My mom has held a lot of
leadership positions in the Jewish commu-
nity and, because of her interest in helping
people, she founded an amazing nonprofit
called the Friends of Pasteur School Detroit
to support the students at her former ele-
mentary school, particularly the families
living below the poverty line,
” said Wagman.
“She also conceived of it as a way for white

alums like her to connect with the Black alums
they lost touch with after elementary school.
”
Wagman says seeing her mom take initia-
tive throughout the community made her
want to step up and make a difference. Now
Wagman encourages others who have the time
to use their voice when they can.
“I’m excited to get more involved in DJJ,
which is committed to addressing problems of
racial and economic justice at a local level. It’s
been a really nice experience so far.
”

To find out more about DJJ and how you can get

involved, head to detroitjewsforjustice.org. If you would

like to nominate someone to be the next volunteer of

the week, send a nomination with a short paragraph

telling us why to rsweet@thejewishnews.com.

TOP: Gathering signatures at Ferndale’s Pride
festival for the Reproductive Freedom for All
ballot initiative. MIDDLE: Marching for BLM with
son, Finn. BOTTOM: With Moms Demand Action
at a school board meeting, where they urged the
district to adopt a gun safety solution.

Meet Ronit Wagman, who uses
her volunteer activism to make
positive change in the community.

Volunteering
for Change

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

24 | AUGUST 18 • 2022

VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK:

Her latest project involves organizing with

other local parents through Moms Demand
TOP: Gathering signatures at Ferndale’s Pride

The Wagmans: Eric, Ronit,
Finn and Jake, April 2021.