A match made in heaven – that’s what the founder of a successful nonprofit grassroots organization is calling its new partnership with a venerable institution, and a hearty chorus of mazel tovs is in order from all who will eventually benefit.

Nishmah: The St. Louis Jewish Women’s Project, based in Clayton, and the Jewish Community Center have joined forces. Beginning in July, Nishmah will become a program department in the Helene Mirowitz Center of Jewish Community Life and move their offices to the Staenberg Family Complex in Creve Coeur.

“We are very excited. We’ve been talking about forging a partnership like this for over two years, and we have found the right home,” said Lynne Palan, president of Nishmah. “This partnership opens up a door for us to magnify our programs and to be more cutting edge as we go forward.”

Palan added that Nishmah has always thought of itself as an organization in the forefront in collaboration. “Now we want to set an example for other organizations that want to make sure they will be here in the future.”

Lynn Wittels, president and CEO of the JCC, also expressed pleasure at the new relationship. “The J is thrilled that Nishmah and the Jewish Community Center are combining our efforts,” said Wittels. “We have been partnering on various programs for years, but this marriage allows us to leverage the strengths of each agency to deliver innovative and creative programming to the St. Louis community.”

Once underway, Wittels said, the new partnership will blend “the best of what each organization has to offer.” She added, “The arrival of Nishmah will only help to strengthen our ability to meet the needs of a broader segment of the community, and the J offers a significantly larger universe of people who may not currently be on Nishmah’s radar screen.”

Palan and Wittels both said no specific programs for the future have been developed yet.

Ronit Sherwin, executive director of Nishmah, founded the organization in 2005 with Karen Sher, immediate past president. Sherwin and Sher began by speaking with girls and women about their needs, their concerns and their ideas for building on the strength of the Jewish community. (“Nishmah” means “we will listen.”)

Since its founding, the organization’s mission has been to foster “authority, leadership, spirituality, creativity, boldness and consciousness” while actively developing partnerships with other organizations and synagogues.

“We are small but mighty in what we put out in the community in terms of programming,” said Sherwin. “All along, the JCC has been a significant collaborative partner, and we are very excited about the new partnership. We think this arrangement will be a good way for us to grow and also it will ensure a long-term legacy for what Nishmah does.”

Most recently, Nishmah held a successful fundraiser called “StL’s Got Talent.” On April 10 the organization will offer Journey 2011, a pre-Pesach celebration. “That is a unique event,” said Sherwin. “Last year, the number one comment we heard afterward was how amazing it was to be in one place with such a diversity of Jewish girls and women. We’ve been able to do that all along, cross boundaries and bring women together in innovative and inspirational ways.”

Nishmah’s Salon Series is in its fifth year. The series brings Jewish women together for informal discussion groups on various topics. (For details, see http://nishmah.org/nishmahprograms.htm)

Sherwin is confident that the new partnership with the JCC will allow Nishmah to build on what was begin six years ago. “We will continue to build quality programming, authentic programming, relevant programming,” she said, “and at the same time we will build visibility, reach, breadth, and depth in the community.”