Atlanta’s Hillman Chairs Lilith Magazine Board

Lilith Magazine launched in the 1970s. At the time, Gloria Steinem was the nationally recognized spokeswoman for the feminist movement, and the issues it covered were considered radical.

“Many of those issues are the same,” says Michal Hart Hillman, chair of the magazine’s board of directors. “But times are different and Lilith magazine is in touch with the times. Women come together to discuss issues, to connect and learn from each other. Women’s rights are human rights … but that was a radical notion in the ’70s and ’80s.”

Hillman is no stranger to leadership positions. She was a founding trustee of the Atlanta Jewish Women’s Fund, a member of the United Way of Greater Atlanta policy committee, a founding board member of Main Idea at Camp Walden — a camping program in Maine for underrepresented girls — and an alumna of the Wexner Heritage Foundation program and the New Israel Fund Rabin Seminar.

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“Michal brings to the Lilith table wide-ranging experiences,” said Susan Weidman Schneider, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief.

Hillman attended her first post-pandemic in-person staff meeting in June. “Michal brings to the Lilith table wide-ranging experiences with Atlanta, national and international organizations focused on Jewish life, women’s issues, the arts and social justice,” said Susan Weidman Schneider, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief. “We’re thrilled.”

Schneider is devoted to Judaism and feminism, envisioning a post-COVID world in which Jewish women meet to talk and act on progressive issues. “May we soon be able to return in person to Lilith salons, mahjong tables, coffee dates and more, all featuring conversations in which we refine our opinions without fury,” she said.

The Quarterly Salons, virtual gatherings and launch parties, introduce and celebrate new issues of the magazine. Meeting in over 90 cities, the salons foster conversations, often partnering with Women of Reform Judaism. Lilith provides trigger questions, but each salon is independent and can include its own focus. In the past, these have included woman’s philanthropy, pay equity and workplace balance, cross-cultural cuisine and recipes. The magazine also invites students to join salons on college campuses and explore potential opportunities for future writers and journalists.

The magazine’s summer 2021 issue.

Lilith is often described as the first Eve, living in the garden with Adam. Expelled for wanting equality, she flees to gain her independence. Appropriately, the summer issue features Jewish witches (Jewitches), the afterlife of Ethel Rosenberg, and a column exploring the history and significance of mahjong. An interview with author Annelise Heinz focuses on how this game has connected Chinese and Jewish cultures, how mahjong players share interests and activities, and why this game matters especially to women.