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For National Women’s Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman, growing women’s soccer starts with Jewish values
(JTA) — Some sports fans collect trading cards. Others collect autographs. You could say Jessica Berman collects sports leagues.
Berman, a Jewish day school alum with deep roots in New York’s Jewish community, took the reins of the National Women’s Soccer League in April 2022. It was the latest stop in a decorated and pioneering front-office career that has included prominent positions with the National Lacrosse League and the National Hockey League — as well as a portfolio as a labor lawyer that included work with the NBA, NFL and MLB.
The National Women’s Soccer League, which held its inaugural season in 2013, currently has 12 teams and a regular season that runs from March through October. Berman stepped in at a crucial time for the league, which was navigating the a major sex abuse scandal in 2021 that led to lifetime bans for four coaches and the resignation of one of Berman’s predecessors.
In addition to managing the fallout from that scandal, Berman is charged with presiding over the league’s continued growth. The NWSL added two teams in 2022 and plans to expand to 16 teams by 2026. This comes at a time when the FIFA Women’s World Cup has also experienced an uptick in popularity and grew to 32 countries this year. This summer, 61 NWSL players appeared on World Cup rosters in the tournament.
“Hopefully that inspires people to recognize that when we invest resources in girls and women, that great things will happen and that they’re incredible, their athleticism is incredible and incredibly entertaining,” Berman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
One of her goals, she said, is to “have people here in this country recognize that if you loved watching the World Cup, you don’t have to wait every four years to get excited.”
Berman’s love of sports began during her childhood in Brooklyn, where she grew up in a Conservative Jewish household and attended Jewish day school from first through eighth grade at the East Midwood Jewish Center. She said she regularly celebrated Shabbat with her family and spent Jewish holidays with her extended family, who were Orthodox. She said she was “definitely raised with a very strong sense of being Jewish in my community.”
Berman, who is in her mid-40s, said she didn’t play traditional team sports growing up, in part because of a lack of access. Title IX, the federal statute guaranteeing equal access to sports for boys and girls, had been enacted in 1972 but had not yet changed the sports landscape everywhere.
“Looking back on it, having grown up in a very urban environment where Title IX I don’t think permeated the urban centers as quickly as it did suburbs, there really weren’t sports for girls in my childhood,” she said. “And even in my community, it was definitely not something that girls did.”
Instead, Berman’s sports involvement was focused on dance, and she took classes from age 6 through college. Her interest in sports management as a career emerged in high school.
“Having grown up in Brooklyn, I decided that sport was one of the few things in our social fabric that had the power to unite communities,” Berman said. “I was really obsessed with diversity and inclusion and how we could bring people together who had different backgrounds, and decided I wanted to work in an industry that had that kind of power.”
After earning her bachelor’s degree in sports management from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Fordham University, Berman launched her career in sports.
She first worked at the Los Angeles-based law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, which specializes in issues surrounding collective bargaining in professional sports. From there, Berman joined the NHL, where over the course of 13 years she would serve as senior counsel and a vice president overseeing numerous aspects of the league, from legal to corporate social responsibility to the NHL Foundation, the league’s philanthropic arm.
In 2019, Berman became the deputy commissioner of the National Lacrosse League, making her the first woman to hold that title in a men’s professional sports league.
When the opportunity first presented itself, Berman told USA Today, she was hesitant about the demands of the role and what it would mean for her family. But she recalled her son saying, “Are you kidding, Mom? This is going to make you a pioneer.” She spent two and a half years at the NLL before accepting the top job at the NWSL.
Berman said that while each sport has its own unique traditions and cultures, by and large they are more similar than they are different. The biggest change with her job at the NWSL is navigating the gender divide that exists in professional sports — from the fight for equal pay to challenges stemming from sexism, financial constraints and media coverage. Last year, U.S. Soccer became the sport’s first national governing body to promise equal pay for its men’s and women’s national teams, a milestone victory in the fight for pay equity in sports following a long and high-profile fight by members of the women’s team.
“Women’s sports has just historically been under-resourced, undervalued and measured based on past performance, not future potential,” Berman said. “And it has unfortunately created what has become historically, I think, a self-fulfilling cycle of not being in a position to reach its full potential.”
As women’s soccer is on the rise in the U.S. and around the world, another demographic is particularly underrepresented: Jewish women. There were no known Jewish players in the World Cup, though there have been in the past, and few, if any, in the NWSL.
“I can’t think of a cultural barrier or a reason why that would be true,” Berman said. “Particularly when you think about the hotbeds of soccer and girls soccer in our country, they’re certainly places where there are plenty of Jews in those communities. So I have no idea why that would be the case.”
While Jewish representation is lacking on the pitch, Berman is not the only Jewish woman in a prominent position in the NWSL. Two former players, Yael Averbuch West and Cami Levin Ashton, are now general managers in the league.
Averbuch West said Berman is dedicated to helping the league and its clubs continue to grow and frequently checks in to offer support — including by attending games in person.
While the two haven’t explicitly discussed their Jewishness, Averbuch West said Berman “feels familiar” because of their shared background. “Especially Jewish women in sports, there’s not many of us,” she added.
Averbuch West, who last played in 2018, said she still hears from fans who say she is their favorite player because she is one of the rare Jewish players.
“I think for young soccer fans and players, to see a Jewish woman involved in the game and running one of the best leagues in the world is hugely important,” Averbuch West said.
Does Berman feel her Jewish values overlap with her job? “Oh my God, yes,” she said. “In this role in particular, I’ve never felt more aligned with the values that were instilled in me as a child, which include empowering others and ensuring that there is an equal playing field, that marginalized and underrepresented groups have to support each other and work together.”
Berman said a central part of her Jewish education was focused on the history of oppression shared by the Jewish and Black communities.
“The values I was raised with was to say, like, we are less than 1% of the population,” she said. “That doesn’t only mean that we have to support and invest in our own people and communities, but also look out for other marginalized groups and recognize that there’s a shared experience in not being offered the opportunity to be taken seriously and treated fairly.”
Berman, who now lives in Westchester County and belongs to Westchester Jewish Center, a Conservative congregation, said Judaism is still part of her family life. Her older son was supposed to celebrate his bar mitzvah in Israel, but that was derailed by the pandemic. Her younger son is preparing for his bar mitzvah in December, and Berman said she plans to take her kids to Israel next summer.
In May, Berman was honored by UJA-Federation of New York, where she was presented with the David J. Stern Leadership Award, named for the longtime Jewish NBA commissioner who died in 2020.
National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman holds the David J. Stern Leadership Award with her children, Noah, left, and Andrew, right. (Michael Priest Photography)
One of the speakers at Berman’s honorary luncheon was Mark Wilf, a Jewish businessman and philanthropist who owns the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings as well as the professional men’s and women’s soccer clubs in Orlando. Wilf has also led the boards of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Agency for Israel, as well as 70 Faces Media, JTA’s parent company, and is active in Holocaust awareness efforts.
Wilf, as a team owner, first met Berman during her interview process for the job. He said he was “immediately impressed.” He also serves on the league’s executive committee, and said Berman has succeeded in “getting the league to grow in a variety of ways” — including through expanding the league office and number of teams, and in engaging with teams, players and the players union.
“I think given the role of the growth of women’s sports — you have the Women’s World Cup just recently, and you’ve seen all the growth in terms of the interest in the game, purchasing of franchises, the expansion process — I think that’s in large part [due] to her professionalism that’s helped build the league to where we are now,” Wilf said.
Throughout her career, Berman has worked closely with a number of other Jewish industry leaders, including NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who Berman said is “unapologetic about his Jewish heritage,” and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, from whom she said she has learned best practices as a league commissioner.
As the NWSL approaches the end of its regular season and looks toward the playoffs and beyond, Berman is grateful for the opportunity she has to “do what I think sports do best, which is use our power to change the world,” she said.
“My job is to inspire the next generation to think differently about opportunity, and in particular, women and girls,” she added. “I can’t imagine my purpose being more manifested than it is in this role right now.”
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Switzerland Moves to Close Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Geneva Office Over Legal Irregularities
Palestinians carry aid supplies received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the central Gaza Strip, May 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed/File Photo
Switzerland has moved to shut down the Geneva office of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed aid group, citing legal irregularities in its establishment.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza in late May, implementing a new aid delivery model aimed at preventing the diversion of supplies by Hamas, as Israel continues its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the UN and international organizations, some of which have claimed that Jerusalem is causing starvation in the war-torn enclave.
Israel has vehemently denied such accusations, noting that, until its recently imposed blockade, it had provided significant humanitarian aid in the enclave throughout the war.
Israeli officials have also said much of the aid that flows into Gaza is stolen by Hamas, which uses it for terrorist operations and sells the rest at high prices to Gazan civilians.
With a subsidiary registered in Geneva, the GHF — headquartered in Delaware — reports having delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.
According to a regulatory announcement published Wednesday in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA) may order the dissolution of the GHF if no creditors come forward within the legal 30-day period.
The Trump administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Swiss decision to shut down its Geneva office.
“The GHF confirmed to the ESA that it had never carried out activities in Switzerland … and that it intends to dissolve the Geneva-registered branch,” the ESA said in a statement.
Last week, Geneva authorities gave the GHF a 30-day deadline to address legal shortcomings or risk facing enforcement measures.
Under local laws and regulations, the foundation failed to meet several requirements: it did not appoint a board member authorized to sign documents domiciled in Switzerland, did not have the minimum three board members, lacked a Swiss bank account and valid address, and operated without an auditing body.
The GHF operates independently from UN-backed mechanisms, which Hamas has sought to reinstate, arguing that these vehicles are more neutral.
Israeli and American officials have rejected those calls, saying Hamas previously exploited UN-run systems to siphon aid for its war effort.
The UN has denied those allegations while expressing concerns that the GHF’s approach forces civilians to risk their safety by traveling long distances across active conflict zones to reach food distribution points.
The post Switzerland Moves to Close Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Geneva Office Over Legal Irregularities first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Key US Lawmaker Warns Ireland of Potential Economic Consequences for ‘Antisemitic Path’ Against Israel
US Sen. James Risch (R-ID) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Washington, DC, May 21, 2024. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-ID) issued a sharp warning Tuesday, accusing Ireland of embracing antisemitism and threatening potential economic consequences if the Irish government proceeds with new legislation targeting Israeli trade.
“Ireland, while often a valuable U.S. partner, is on a hateful, antisemitic path that will only lead to self-inflicted economic suffering,” Risch wrote in a post on X. “If this legislation is implemented, America will have to seriously reconsider its deep and ongoing economic ties. We will always stand up to blatant antisemitism.”
Marking a striking escalation in rhetoric from a senior US lawmaker, Risch’s comments came amid growing tensions between Ireland and Israel, which have intensified dramatically since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Those attacks, in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, prompted a months-long Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has drawn widespread international scrutiny. Ireland has positioned itself as one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s response, accusing the Israeli government of disproportionate use of force and calling for immediate humanitarian relief and accountability for the elevated number of Palestinian civilian casualties.
Dublin’s stance has included tangible policy shifts. In May 2024, Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state, becoming one of the first European Union members to do so following the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The move was condemned by Israeli officials, who recalled their ambassador to Ireland and accused the Irish government of legitimizing terrorism. Since then, Irish lawmakers have proposed further measures, including legislation aimed at restricting imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, policies viewed in Israel and among many American lawmakers as aligning with the controversial Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
While Irish leaders have defended their approach as grounded in international law and human rights, critics in Washington, including Risch, have portrayed it as part of a broader pattern of hostility toward Israel. Some US lawmakers have begun raising the possibility of reevaluating trade and diplomatic ties with Ireland in response.
Risch’s warning is one of the clearest indications yet that Ireland’s policies toward Israel could carry economic consequences. The United States is one of Ireland’s largest trading partners, and American companies such as Apple, Google, Meta and Pfizer maintain substantial operations in the country, drawn by Ireland’s favorable tax regime and access to the EU market.
Though the Trump administration has not echoed Risch’s warning, the remarks reflect growing unease in Washington about the trajectory of Ireland’s foreign policy. The State Department has maintained a careful balancing act, expressing strong support for Israel’s security while calling for increased humanitarian access in Gaza. Officials have stopped short of condemning Ireland’s actions directly but have expressed concern about efforts they see as isolating Israel on the international stage.
Ireland’s stance is emblematic of a growing international divide over the war. While the US continues to provide military and diplomatic backing to Israel, many European countries have called for an immediate ceasefire and investigations into alleged war crimes.
Irish public opinion has long leaned pro-Palestinian, and Irish lawmakers have repeatedly voiced concern over the scale of destruction in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation.
Irish officials have not yet responded to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.
The post Key US Lawmaker Warns Ireland of Potential Economic Consequences for ‘Antisemitic Path’ Against Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Condemns Iran’s Suspension of IAEA Cooperation, Urges Europe to Reinstate UN Sanctions
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at a press conference in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Christian Mang/File Photo
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday condemned Iran’s decision to halt cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog and called on the international community to reinstate sanctions to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” Saar wrote in a post on X. “This is a complete renunciation of all its international nuclear obligations and commitments.”
Last week, the Iranian parliament voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA “until the safety and security of [the country’s] nuclear activities can be guaranteed.”
“The IAEA and its Director-General are fully responsible for this sordid state of affairs,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
The top Iranian diplomat said this latest decision was “a direct result of [IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s] regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency — a full decade ago — already closed all past issues.
“Through this malign action,” Araghchi continued, “he directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA [Board of Governors] as well as the unlawful Israeli and US bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.”
The Parliament of Iran has voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed.
This is a direct result of @rafaelmgrossi‘s regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency—a full decade ago—already…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 27, 2025
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian approved a bill banning UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country until the Supreme National Security Council decides that there is no longer a threat to the safety of its nuclear sites.
In response, Saar urged European countries that were part of the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal to activate its “snapback” clause and reinstate all UN sanctions lifted under the agreement.
Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), this accord between Iran and several world powers imposed temporary restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
During his first term, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and reinstated unilateral sanctions on Iran.
“The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now! I call upon the E3 countries — Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!” Saar wrote in a post on X.
“The international community must act decisively now and utilize all means at its disposal to stop Iranian nuclear ambitions,” he continued.
The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now!
I call upon the E3 countries- Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!
Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy…— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 2, 2025
Saar’s latest remarks come after Araghchi met last week in Geneva with his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas — their first meeting since the Iran-Israel war began.
Europe is actively urging Iran to reengage in talks with the White House to prevent further escalation of tensions, but has yet to address the issue of reinstating sanctions.
Speaking during an official visit to Latvia on Tuesday, Saar said that “Operation Rising Lion” — Israel’s sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities — has “revealed the full extent of the Iranian regime’s threat to Israel, Europe, and the global order.”
“Iran deliberately targeted civilian population centers with its ballistic missiles,” Saar said at a press conference. “The same missile threat can reach Europe, including Latvia and the Baltic states.”
“Israel’s actions against the head of the snake in Iran contributed directly to the safety of Europe,” the Israeli top diplomat continued, adding that Israeli strikes have set back the Iranian nuclear program by many years.
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