Allison Tombros Korman traces her path from a small Jewish community in upstate New York to becoming a leading voice in reproductive health and justice. She reflects on the formative experiences that shaped her Jewish identity, her years working in sexual violence prevention, and her intentional move into abortion access work. Alli opens up about the aftermath of October 7—how the silence from feminist spaces, including her own organization, became a breaking point and pushed her to speak out when it would have been easier to stay quiet. Out of that moment, she founded the Red Tent Fund, an abortion fund rooted in Jewish values that affirms bodily autonomy, dignity, and care for all who need it. Through honesty, warmth, and conviction, Alli shares what it means to reclaim her voice, build community, and lead with integrity in one of the most polarized moments of our time. Guest Bio Allison (she/her) brings two decades of nonprofit leadership in reproductive health and rights and organizational strategy to her role as founder of the Red Tent Fund. As founding Executive Director of Culture of Respect, she led a groundbreaking national initiative to end campus sexual violence. She later served as Senior Operations and Strategy Director at the DC Abortion Fund until resigning in 2023 in response to antisemitic conduct by staff and Board. Throughout her career, she has designed and implemented strategic programs for major organizations including USAID, CDC, and the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. Alli holds a Masters of Health Sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a B.A. in English and Women’s Studies from the University of Michigan. She has additional certifications in Restorative Justice Facilitation from the University of San Diego and Executive Facilitation from Georgetown University.
00:00 – Welcome & Introductions
00:33 – Growing Up Jewish in Upstate New York
02:02 – Family Heritage & Identity
03:31 – Jewish Traditions That Shaped Alli
06:13 – Hebrew School & Bat Mitzvah Memories
09:24 – The Power of Jewish Summer Camp
13:46 – College Years at Michigan
15:36 – Discovering Public Health at Johns Hopkins
18:27 – First Encounters With Reproductive Healthcare
25:11 – How Sex Education Has—and Hasn’t—Progressed
28:26 – Processing the Violence of October 7
33:48 – Inside the DC Abortion Fund During the Crisis
40:09 – Why Alli Committed to Abortion Access Work
56:53 – Founding the Red Tent Fund
01:05:49 – Support, Growth & Impact of Red Tent Fund