Ellen Buchman’s affinity for leadership and social change dates back to her teenage years volunteering with BBYO.
“That’s a big part of my Jewishness,” Buchman said of the youth organization. “It might have been the place where I made my lifelong closest friends.”
Buchman, who grew up in Chicago for the first seven years of her life before her father’s job moved the family to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, lives in Takoma Park with her wife and rescue dog.
She was recently appointed the first chief field engagement officer for the National Council of Jewish Women, a role she began in early August. This position is one of many in line with her passion for social justice — Buchman is the former president of The Opportunity Agenda, a nonprofit organization in New York that works to build the field of social justice communications, and she served as executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights for 20 years.
Social justice is especially important to Buchman given Jewish Americans’ role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
“I’m thinking about the connection between the Jewish community and the African American community, in the context of establishing voting rights and rights to full citizenship for African Americans,” Buchman said. “I think about how, with this great organization, we together can address how to modify and change structures so that they are more inclusive, consider practices and ideals that involve everyone, that have a feminist viewpoint, that are taking into consideration that everyone and their stories and values be considered.”
“It just makes me really excited to be somewhere where I know that history is definitely of value,” Buchman said of NCJW.
She added that she wants to use her white privilege to advocate for underserved communities and band together to dismantle white supremacy so that everyone can benefit from the system — through reproductive health and freedom, a living wage, access to jobs and a solution to mass incarceration.
In her role, Buchman oversees the NCJW team as they assess best practices to guide more members toward leadership roles. She remains connected to social justice work within NCJW to help create necessary change in the country.
Buchman said it wouldn’t have been possible for Vice President Kamala Harris to accept the presidential nomination without the advancements of civil rights, democracy and justice-related issues. She spoke about one day being able to elect more diverse United States presidents.
“It’s not only because of the history that was made last night [at the Democratic National Convention], but the opportunity that it suggests could come alive for the future,” Buchman said. “Imagine if it means down the road, we have our first trans person accepting the presidential nomination. Without [social justice] and [civil rights], in my view, the people in our country are not given the opportunity to fully participate.”
Evening the playing field for all Americans is Buchman’s goal.
“There are better decisions that are truly representative of what everyday people need, and are only going to be able to help us to achieve the civil society that I want to be a part of — everyone has a chance to participate,” Buchman said. “That’s why I do what I do.”
She added that she and her wife chose to buy a house in Takoma Park because it’s an area where “diversity is celebrated and not just upheld.”
“It’s a community that we feel really positive to live in, but fortunate and privileged to be able to live and grow in and it’s something that everyone should be able to experience, no matter where they live,” Buchman said.
She believes that anyone has what it takes to be a leader and that everyone should get involved in their community to make change.
“I’ve always been able to keep my energy focused on compelling everyday people to participate, whether it’s in government or whether it’s in building your leadership and capacity,” Buchman said. “I really do believe that everyone — whether they’re an administrative assistant or CEO, has the opportunity to be a leader.”
Buchman sees social justice not solely as her work, but as her life’s mission; the reason she wakes up every morning.
“Life goes by very, very quickly, and it is a privilege to have every new day that we have to be able to address some of our society’s greatest challenges,” Buchman said.
She has advice for others starting out in the nonprofit world.
“We’re in a time right now where there is much division, and there is a narrative around ‘us’ and ‘them’ that seems more pronounced …” Buchman said. “Never forget that irresistible vision of society that you were trying to do your part to create; never lose sight of that.”
