Spotlight on KOLOT Women’s Group

For the past three years, one Monday a month, a group of 9 women gather together to share, laugh, sometimes cry and support each other in their professional development. This group is known as KOLOT. These women all work in mid manager levels at their organization and coming together three years ago, most of them did not know how impactful this group would be in their professional lives. Led by Mandy Diamond, the group has touched on ways to build confidence in the workplace, how to set boundaries and many other pertinent topics.

Kolot was born when Mandy Miller, an executive coach, and Cindy Goldstein, Director of Talent at Na’aleh, saw the same challenges in the workforce for women and that many talented women were leaving Jewish Communal life for other professions. To retain talented individuals, support them through challenges, and help develop women professionally KOLOT was born. The group was named KOLOT which is the Hebrew word for voices, the idea is that women need to raise their voices to advocate for themselves, and together their voices matter.

As a facilitator, Mandy loves KOLOT as she has not only developed wonderful relationships herself, but has also been able to learn alongside the participants in each cohort and share that she has faced some of the same struggles. Mandy loves that the cohort is three years because she gets to really see “the fruits of her labor.” Every individual that has gone through KOLOT has grown in some way, and Mandy has witnessed it firsthand.

KOLOT women are just as enthusiastic about KOLOT as Mandy, some of the KOLOT women recount their experience with these testimonials:

Being in Kolot impacted me in so many ways. I met this group of women as I was in the middle of a job transition and career redirection.  Working with our facilitator Mandy, and learning with this smart, talented group of women, was exactly the support I didn’t even know that I needed! I am currently in a very different place in my career than I was when we began, and I am so grateful for the guidance and support that Kolot offered along the way. 

–Julie Wohl, Director of Education, Baltimore Hebrew Congregation 

Being in Kolot impacted me by giving me a stronger foundation within myself and my community. I have grown exponentially through this experience and look forward to continuing my relationships with everyone I have been so fortunate enough to share this journey with.

-Brittni Barcase, Manager, Prevention and Wellness Education 

As the third year of this cohort of KOLOT wraps up, Mandy hopes to be able to continue this impactful program and see the alumni of KOLOT be involved in supporting and developing new cohorts of women who start their journey with KOLOT.