Lion of Judah Magazine

We ARE! We CAN!

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NATIONAL WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY FALL 2010

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National Women’s Philanthropy OUR VISION

Inspired and guided by our tradition of tzedakah (righteousness/ charity) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), the National Women’s Philanthropy of The Jewish Federations of North America is dedicated to the continuity, connectivity and thriving future of our North American communities, Israel and the Jewish people.

The National Women’s Philanthropy Board is dedicated to ensuring that women who assume positions of responsibility in their communities have the knowledge and confidence to lead, are appropriately trained and have been given the tools to hone their individual abilities and maximize their potential for success.

We exist to serve the goals and mission of the Federation movement and to strengthen the influence of women as philanthropists and decision-makers.

We seek to provide significant opportunities for all women to affirm their Jewish identity and spirituality, to be proactive in evolving issues of concern to contemporary Jewish women, to engage new cadres of participants and leaders in our communities and to inspire other Jewish women by our example.

We believe that the future of the Jewish community depends upon the strength of these endeavors, and we pledge ourselves to the fulfillment of this vision.

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NATIONAL WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY Linda A. Hurwitz Chair Lori Klinghoffer President Lesley Binstock Offman Chair, Lion of Judah Magazine Beth Mann Associate Vice President

LION JUDAH OF

NATIONAL WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY

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Danielle Weinstein Director, Development Affinities Programs

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MEET OUR LEADERS

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A LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN These five accomplished women reflect our increasing diversity—and the generosity and commitment that connect us all.

Elizabeth Mondragon Administrative Assistant Marsha Silverman Administrative Assistant

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POWERHOUSE PHILANTHROPISTS Lynn Schusterman, Barbara Dobkin, and Lynn Schneider speak candidly about what inspires them, frustrates them, and how women can make a difference.

Lisa Kleinman Editor Hindy Gershman Assistant Editor

FROM THE LION OF JUDAH MAGAZINE CHAIR

by Lesley Binstock Offman

Kimberlee Fish Senior Director, NWP Alison Margulies Garber Associate Director, NWP

FALL 2010

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THEY CAME, THEY SAW, THEY BONDED The Heart to Heart Mission to Israel introduced the power of Federation to a new, broader group of women.

Andrea Glick Writer Elizabeth Hovav Cover Design Jayne Hertko Designer

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Learn how some Federations are engaging women with Lion potential, and how one region inspires Lions to upgrade their gifts.

Roxanne Aubrey Marina Production

20 Produced by The Jewish Federations of North America Strategic Marketing & Communications Department in cooperation with National Women’s Philanthropy

GREAT IDEAS FOR WIDENING OUR TENT

WE ARE. WE CAN. WE DO. On November 8-10, women who share a passion for giving will gather in New Orleans for the International Lion of Judah Conference. They’ll also witness a Jewish community that’s been reborn.

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ON THE NATIONAL SCENE The GA in New Orleans, What’s Your #ish?, and more

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WOMEN OF VALOR We honor the recipients of the 2010 Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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FROM DENS AROUND THE COUNTRY… OUR LIONS ROAR!

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THE LAST WORD

by Beth Mann

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rom the Lion of Judah Magazine Chair WE ARE. WE CAN. WE DO. They’re the words on the cover of this magazine, and they represent both its theme and the theme of our upcoming International Lion of Judah Conference, in New Orleans, November 8-10. (www.JewishFederations.org/lions) It is a bold, assertive statement, to be sure. But as you’ll see in these pages, it also happens to be true.

We are a diverse group: young mothers with brains and passion to burn, a leadership coach who lives what she preaches, and some of the Jewish world’s most influential philanthropists. Yet we Lions are fundamentally the same: generous, caring, effective—and committed to strengthening the Jewish People and to leaving the world a better place.

We can, indeed, do what it takes to bring new faces and a new generation to the work we do. Our Heart to Heart mission to Israel—offering non-Lions the chance to experience our work and passion up close—was successful beyond what any of us had imagined.

And finally, we do. At Federations across North America, we are innovating with new programs and approaches, even as Lions continue to astound us with ever more generous, heartfelt gifts.

You will experience the true joy and power of the Lion of Judah by joining hundreds of other women at the International Lion of Judah Conference. Together we will learn, laugh, celebrate, engage in tzedakah and feel the exhilaration of connecting with so many dynamic, compassionate women.

I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

Rav brachot, many blessings,

Lesley Lesley Binstock Offman

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eet our Leaders

LINDA A. HURWITZ Chair, National Women’s Philanthropy AMONG THE MANY LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED as chair of National Women’s Philanthropy this past meaningful and memorable year, the one I now live by when assuming any leadership position is the preparation of written goals.

How do you know if you have achieved your objectives if you have not established them? These goals guide my every move and must be developed in relation to the organization’s collective mission and vision.

Last year, my primary goal for NWP was to educate, motivate and communicate— through initiatives and face-to-face encounters—the power of a woman’s voice, her gift and her passion. To that end, NWP board members have traveled throughout North America with the mission of Teaching, Educating, Consulting and Helping.

(We lovingly called them our TECH Team.) We shared successful strategies through our Major Gifts, Next Generation, LOJE and Best Practices portfolios. Our Heart to Heart NWP Mission to Israel was so life altering that we are doing it again this February 12-17. For further details, see www.JewishFederations.org/nwp.

Yet this year, upon reviewing our goals, I feel compelled to add an indispensable one. Our focus and vision is to expand the outreach, cultivation and joy that come with helping another. Every participant should be appreciated, applauded and embraced. Have you heard of new math? 1+1=13 million: one Jew helping one Jew, or one Jew getting another Jew to help, is how we will sustain our entire people of 13 million. And so to get as many women “in,” here is more math: involvement + inclusiveness = investment. Essentially, the NWP’s agenda is to meet women where they are and envelop them one act of lovingkindness at a time.

When we do this, there is no telling how invested a woman will become. Look at each of YOU!!! We have the opportunity to make a huge difference by providing an inclusive, warm, welcoming and appreciative side of the Lion of Judah.

And so, the International Lion of Judah Conference this coming November is welcoming women who will in turn include others as together we embrace the bond, the network, and the beauty of giving: WE ARE appreciative of living and giving during this time of prosperity for Jews; WE CAN help another get involved and find the joy in caring and sharing; WE DO because as Dr. Jonas Salk stated, “The reward of doing is the opportunity to do more.”

You and I can make a difference: WE ARE, WE CAN, WE DO: 1+1 = 13 million!

AS WOMEN, WE HAVE EVOLVED AT AN AMAZING pace over the past decades and now into this millennium. We are a remarkable force; we continue to gain strength, power and momentum every step of the way. The theme for our upcoming International Lion of Judah Conference, as well as this publication, defines us perfectly: We Are, We Can, We Do! Considering which of those three verbs describes us best, I’m convinced that none should stand alone. Together, they articulate our message, our purpose. As women and as Lions, we ARE an incredible force, we CAN accomplish anything we set our minds to, and we DO it all with compassion, creativity, passion and power. Our hearts guide us, and our intellects clarify our direction.

As we look forward to coming together in New Orleans, we continue to gain inspiration from each other to embrace our potential and fulfill our collective responsibility. Because we ARE Lions, we CAN make this world a better place with all that we DO for our parents, our children, our grandchildren and all those who depend on us every single day!

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www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

LORI KLINGHOFFER President, National Women’s Philanthropy

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eet our Leaders

DALE OPHIR Chair, Lion of Judah Israel WE ARE DELIGHTED TO JOIN YOU, my friends, at the next International Lion of Judah Conference.

The State of Israel, the central vision of collective enterprise of the Jewish people in our generation, is a developed, financially stable country. Israeli society, as in other developed countries, has many underserved populations that need our support. These include girls at risk, women living in economic and social periphery, women coping with the traumas of daily terror, new immigrants and more.

We, the Lions of Judah Israel, are proud to seize the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of women’s philanthropy in Israel. We are proud to be part of the International Lion of Judah, an organization of great minds, great talents and great hearts, working tirelessly for the same purpose.

We can help bring about social change in Israel, improve our society and improve the lives of individual women and girls. We can raise awareness about women’s philanthropy in Israel.

We support social programs and projects for the empowerment of women and girls in Israel. We engage in projects that positively affect the lives of individual women and girls in Israel.

The ILOJC is a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas that will set our course of action in the coming years. All of us wish you a fruitful and successful conference.

Together we make a difference.

LESLIE DANNIN ROSENTHAL and JULIE RUSSIN BERCOW, ILOJC Co-chairs ARE YOU COMING TO NEW ORLEANS? We truly hope so, because November’s International Lion of Judah Conference will exceed your expectations.

Imagine: the excitement and intensity generated by so many passionate, philanthropic women, combined with New Orleans, a city flowing with energy, beauty and joie de vivre.

The renowned culture of New Orleans—its food, music and spirit—will infuse our gathering, both inside the conference center and when we hit the town to have some fun. We’ll also venture beyond the usual tourist haunts, spending time in the community for a hands-on service project to help boost the city’s ongoing recovery.

The International Lion of Judah Conference is a whirlwind of learning, sharing and enjoyment. You will hear extraordinary speakers on topics you care about, see top-notch entertainers and bond with women who share your passion for the Jewish people and for working together to improve the lives of others.

This year, we especially want to examine the ways we can use our power as leaders in women’s philanthropy to bring even more people into the fold. Speak to your friends about being a Lion of Judah. Tell them about the awesome experience of being part of an international movement of women who are mending and changing the world. And tell them to join us in New Orleans, because once they experience the power and joy of women’s philanthropy, they will be hooked for life.

You can find out everything you need to know about the International Lion of Judah Conference—and register online—at www.JewishFederations.org/lions. See you in New Orleans!

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Close your eyes and picture a Lion of Judah. What do you see? An older woman? A young mother? A corporate professional? A doctor, lawyer, teacher or nurse?

If you said any of these, you’re absolutely right. We Lions are a broad, diverse group. We represent varied life stages, careers, geographic locations, Jewish practices and yes, capacities for giving.

But the amazing thing is not how different we are—it’s that underneath we are so alike. As you’ll read in the profiles on these pages, we Lions are not only exceedingly generous—though we certainly are that—we are also passionately committed to the welfare of others; determined to maintain strong Jewish communities; and ready to give whatever time, money and skills we possess to make the world a better place.

The women you’ll meet below come from Cleveland, Nashville, Birmingham, Buffalo and Washington, DC. Their Jewish backgrounds range from intense to slight. But whether raising young children, running their own consulting firms, or returning to work after the children are grown, these women know how to roll up their sleeves and get things done. They don’t hesitate to take on leadership roles, or to spend time learning so they can better inspire others.

If you had to find one word to describe these women, a good place to start would be what they already are: Lions!

A LEAGUE OF

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN Jennifer Korach

SHE JUST SAYS “YES”

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eep your eyes on Jennifer Korach. From the Jewish Federation of Cleveland to National Young Leadership, she’s quickly emerged as a star among next-generation Federation leaders.

Korach is now finishing a six-year term with the National Young Leadership Cabinet, where she’s served as Campaign co-chair and Membership co-chair. “I’ve gotten so much out of Cabinet,” says Korach. “It’s just solidified for me why I’m doing the work I do.”

It also gave her something she craved: a cohort of young women as committed to the welfare of the Jewish people as she is.

Shortly after she joined Cabinet, Korach became a Lion of Judah. At the time, she and her husband had just led a mis-

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sion to Israel for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. “It was the perfect time to raise my gift,” Korach says, “because I had just seen so much good work that Federation was doing. I was an easy sell.”

Though she went to Jewish camp and always felt connected to Judaism, Korach says she “didn’t really understand the tzedakah part” until she started getting involved in Federation.

It began when Korach decided to leave teaching after the birth of her first child, and called her local Federation looking for meaningful volunteer work. Now Korach is mulling a run for office in National Young Leadership. She’s also dipped her toe into Cleveland’s women’s division and fully expects to get involved with National Women’s Philanthropy.

Korach’s sense of mission extends beyond the Jewish world, as well. Twice a week, she volunteers with struggling readers at her children’s school, where 50 percent of the students are African-American and many are disadvantaged. Though she and her husband can afford private school, Korach says it’s important that her kids understand “this is the way the world looks, and a lot of people don’t have the advantages you have.”

Korach also keeps working on her friends, encouraging them to connect to Federation, too. With so many other causes vying for their attention, it’s not always an easy sell.

Korach thinks the key is showing that Federation offers myriad opportunities, in addition to fundraising, through which people can make a difference.

“There’s something in Federation that speaks to every woman’s heart,” she says with conviction, “some way to feel connected to the greater good.”

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

These five accomplished women reflect our increasing diversity— and the generosity and commitment that connect us all.

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We’re More Effective Together

Walking the Walk

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ae Ringel has spent years inspiring and educating Jewish leaders. In classes, retreats, and as a long-term scholar in residence, she helps volunteers and professionals with practical tasks, like setting goals, while inspiring them to think in new ways about fundraising and what they want their terms as leaders to mean.

She weaves Judaism and Jewish values into all of this, which is probably why Ringel’s Ringel s client list includes the Jewish Federations of North America, as well as Hillel, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and the Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education.

“One of the great things about Rae—and there are many—is that she not only gives back to the community through her work, but that she lives the very principles that she teaches to others,” says Beth Mann, JFNA’s associate vice president.

In conversation, Ringel is open, intelligent, funny—and an ardent advocate for the collective model of tzedakah.

odest, understated, yet fiercely devoted to the Jewish people, Ellen Levitt barely pauses in explaining her support for Federation: “I believe in helping each other,” she says, “and helping Jews wherever they are. While there are many wonderful causes to get involved in, this is one where if we don’t help ourselves, no one else will.”

Levitt’s Jewish communal work began when she moved to Nashville and sent her children to a local day school. She became the school board president, and saw firsthand the vital support it received from the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. She learned about all the other things Federation supports, as well.

Ellen Levitt

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Rae Ringel

While some people might have “retired” after one intense volunteer job, when Levitt finished at the day school, she brought her energy and dedication to Federation.

She moved up quickly, taking on several leadership roles, including Lion of Judah chair, Federation president, and this year, chair of the women’s division. Levitt was appointed to the National Women’s Philanthropy board and traveled internationally, including on the Campaign Chair and Director’s mission, JFNA’s premier development mission.

Moving from day school to Federation leadership was simply a natural evolution, Levitt says. But clearly she’s one of those people who just “got” Federation, no questions asked: “I believe in the power of the collective. While we could each give individually, we are so much more effective when we do it together.”

Unfortunately for the Nashville Federation, Levitt, a nurse, is returning to full-time work, leaving less time for volunteer activities (though “I’ll always be involved in Campaign,” she notes). Her job will involve training other nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit, where Levitt herself served for many years.

While neonatal intensive care might sounds worlds away from Super Sundays and annual campaigns, when you think about it, “intensive care”—caring, intensively—seems to capture perfectly how Levitt operates, wherever she goes.

That’s why she finds Federation so compelling, both in her work and life. “I really am a believer in the Annual Campaign as a Jewish value. For me, it’s the most impactful gift that you can give.”

Ringel was not connected to the Jewish world growing up. But after working one summer at a Jewish camp, she wanted in. She spent an extended time in Israel post-college through OTZMA, the Federation-supported work/study program. Back home in the mid-90s, she found a job with a national organization then called UJA. A Wexner fellowship allowed Ringel to earn a master’s degree in organizational development and spend a year at Jerusalem’s Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. She returned to become director of education and training for UJC. In 2002 Ringel married Amos Hochstein and moved to Washington, where she opened The Ringel Group, an executive coaching and leadership training company, and added corporate and government clients to her roster.

Now an observant Jew, Ringle marvels at the distance she’s traveled since her youth, and the way Federation infludenced her life. “My Jewish identity was born through connecting to the work of Federation.”

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Please Hold the Fluff

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eslie Shuman Kramer was a Federation baby. In Buffalo, NY where she grew up, both her father and mother were campaign chairs. For her bat mitzvah, she asked for donations to Federation. She went to Israel with her family at 13, went alone at 14, spent a year at Tel Aviv University during college, then another year and a half in Israel after graduation.

A Most Unlikely Lion

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bout eight years ago, Karen Grace sent a check for $1,500 to the Birmingham Jewish Federation. The Federation was running an emergency campaign to help Israel in the face of Palestinian suicide bombings. Grace had not been solicited, but she wanted to help.

That gesture led the Federation’s executive director, Richard Friedman, to want to meet Grace and thank her.

The two had coffee,, and Grace told Friedman that she was deeply pained by Israel’s plight and wanted to do something about it. Of German heritage, she’d been haunted for years by the notion that perhaps someone in her family had tortured and killed Jews. She felt the possibility placed an added responsibility on her to help Israel and the Jewish people.

Leslie Shuman Kramer

Karen Grace From all of this a friendship began, and Grace and Friedman would connect and visit every year or two.

Last year Grace read about the Lion of Judah program. She e-mailed Friedman and asked if she could join.

Friedman assured her she would be welcome, and Grace then revealed how proud and happy she would be to donate $5,000 to become a Lion.

Grace then learned that a search of her family’s history found that her family on her mother’s side had actually been Jewish. It was a life-changing revelation, and further deepened Grace’s feeling of connection to the Jewish community. A committed Christian, she was motivated to become a bridge between the two faiths, educating Christians about Jews and fighting anti-Semitism.

For Friedman, it was a fascinating discovery. “Knowing that the BJF is touching countless lives and engaging new people is so gratifying,” he says. “Equally gratifying is meeting someone new who, because of her unique background and qualities, can enrich our organization.”

Friedman’s visit with Grace took place the last day of Chanukah, just as Grace and her family were getting ready for Christmas. As she left the Federation that day, Friedman recalls thinking, “What could be a better present than people connecting with one another through friendship, and through a common and sacred cause?”

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www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

So it was natural that as a young woman living in Chicago, Kramer contacted her local Federation. She went on a mission, and was tapped to join the young leadership board. When she married and moved back to Buffalo, she eventually found her way to the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo, helping lead its Women’s Campaign.

But by 2007, Kramer was losing steam, feeling disconnected from the Federation and discouraged by the lack of enthusiasm among her peers for community and Israel. “I thought, ‘If I’m not excited, how can anyone else be?’”

Kramer needed an intervention, and amazingly, one arrived. i d It I was Machar, M h a 2007 women’s ’ mission i i to Israel I l conceived and led by leaders of the National Women’s Philanthropy board.

Kramer’s Federation recommended her for the trip, but she was leery. “I remember calling Paula Saginaw, one of the leaders, and saying, ‘I only want to go on this trip if it’s really going to be meaningful.’ I wanted it to be meaty.” Turns out it was “phenomenal,” Kramer says.

She was inspired by the passion and knowledge of the NWP veterans. She loved meeting the other women, who shared her commitment to Israel. “They were so dynamic, so smart, so interesting,” she recalls.

Kramer was rejuvenated. She co-chaired a six-week leadership training course based on a program done by JFNA. She became chair of Women’s Philanthropy—and a Lion of Judah. She joined a 60-woman mission to Israel and initiated several hands-on volunteer projects.

Her advice for engaging younger women? Like the skeptic she was before that 2007 mission, women today, says Kramer, “are not looking to be entertained. They’re not looking for fluff. They want something they can really sink their teeth into.”

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Lynn Schusterman, Barbara Dobkin, and Lynn Schneider speak candidly about what inspires them, frustrates them, and how women can make a difference.

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you need evidence that women rank among the most influential philanthropists in the Jewish world today, look no further than the three women interviewed here. Each has unapologetically claimed the kind of power once wielded solely by men: the power to use their financial resources to shape Jewish—and nonJewish—social priorities.

Through the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Lynn Schusterman is behind some of the most successful, innovative efforts to draw young and unaffiliated people into Jewish life and to create a more inclusive Jewish community. Some programs Schusterman supports: Hillel, BBYO, Birthright Israel, Moishe House, JCorps, Keshet— Keshet the list goes on.

Lynn Schneider, a quiet supporter of many causes, es, is best known for her work on behalf of children through Schneider Schn neider Children’s Medical Center of Israel in Petah Tikva.

T Founded in 1991 by her parents, Helen (z’l) and Irving Schneider, the world-class

hos hospital spital contributes enormously to the quality and availability of specialized pediatric care in Israel.

Israe el. Schneider has devoted herself to the hospital’s mission as a Bridge to t Peace, a place that breaks down the walls of hatred in the region by bringing bringing together people of all religions, races and nationalities.

Barbara Dobkin’s issues are women and sociall justice. Jewish women owe her a debt of gratitude for much of the progress they’ve made in shaping religious ritual, bridging the gender gap in communal organizations, and telling the stories of the often forgotten orgotten women of Jewish history. Organizations that owe their existence tence to Dobkin: the Jewish Women’s Archive (www.jwa.org), Ma’ayan, n, and Advancing Women Professionals in the Jewish Community. She e is currently board chair of the American Jewish World Service.

We’re honored that these three inspiring, influential tial philanthropists took the time to speak to us.

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What are the criteria that you look for when you fund a particular program?

Barbara Dobkin Well, as you probably know, I focus

mainly on women and girls, but not totally. When I look at a program my first question is: are they doing social service or are they doing change work? I was not as specific around 10 years ago, but now it is most important to me to fund programs that engage in social change work. Of course I also want to see how healthy the organization is, and of course I look at the board in terms of gender—I have to do that.

Lynn Schneider My focus is on the general good of the [Schneider] Children’s Hospital, so I don’t support individual projects. I’m not the founder or builder of the hospital—I’m the next generation, and the next generation is a sustainer.

Sometimes I describe it this way: my parents gave birth to a newborn, but I inherited a teenager, and a teenager is a more complicated person. With a teenager you need more than a mother and father. You need a coach and a tutor and teachers and orthodontists—a bigger team. So my role has been to both widen the team and solidify the base. I also had to take a look and say, is this my burden or is it an opportunity?

For it to be an opportunity I had to make it my own. So I took on one central piece that had a lot of meaning for me, which is what we call the Bridges to Peace focus. The idea is that as a children’s hospital, you have a natural bridge to peace, not only from a child and that child’s family to the child in the next bed, but also in the neighborhood, in the region, in the world.

Actually, part of why I like UJA [Federation of New York] is because I don’t have to look for specific projects when I give money. I assume that the collective intelligence will put the money where it should go. I appreciate what the system does, in its wholeness, to get to all the places that need funding, without my having to know.

life on their own terms, and in their own images. As I spend more time with young people, that’s what really resonates with me: it needs to be on their own terms and in their own images. I’m also focusing on the unaffiliated, how to get someone who’s marginally Jewish to care about being Jewish today. And the next thing that I would say is building a movement that makes service a universal and defining part of Jewish life, a rite of passage for all young Jews.

There’s another initiative, and it’s kind of different, which is offering welcoming, inclusive communities for all Jews seeking to lead actively Jewish lives. And right now we’re focusing on the LGBT world.

What motivates and inspires you?

Dobkin This is going to sound corny, but I am very fortunate—I didn’t grow up with this kind of money. And I see trouble all around the world now. There is so much need, and I feel like I have to do something about it. Of course, I could give away five million dollars a year, and it would be a pittance, but I really just can’t help myself.

Schneider Everything inspires me. The landscape inspires me, people inspire me. I have no lack of inspiration— just a lack of time, like everyone else. I’m also inspired by human beings, good people trying to make the world a better place, on whatever level. If all one can offer is a smile, or literally their hand, that is as meaningful as the person w h o

Lynn Schusterman What I’ve done, instead

of being all over the board, is to narrow our focus, so I can really devote a great deal of time to supporting programs and organizations that have the potential to inspire young JJews ews to shape Jewish

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offers mega-dollars. I had a great teacher in my father because he is a true philanthropist. That is his whole reason for being, to give money away and to make the world a better place. Those are the footsteps in which I follow.

Schusterman Part of it is in our logo, where we have

a motto that refers to the story from the Talmud about Choni and the carob tree. (“As our parents planted for us, so we will plant for our children.”) I believe we should try to make a difference in the world. Charlie and I started our foundation in 1987 because we felt very strongly that we wanted to give back, that we had been very blessed. I feel lucky to be able to do what I do and have such a great time doing it. And working with young people, I hear so many stories. They need role models, they need community, they need spirituality, and they need connectedness.

Lynn Schusterman

Barbara Dobkin

What do you see as the next “big ideas” in the Jewish community?

Dobkin I don’t want this to sound self-serving, but I think

it involves really good service programs that make Jewish young people into global citizens. These programs are increasing, and if you look at some of the newer organizations, there are a lot of young people leading them. For some reason the mainstream Jewish community cannot bring in young people in the same way just yet. But I think that young people will have a seat at the table, and if we begin listening to them, which I do all the time, change will happen.

If you could change one thing in the Jewish community today, what would it be?

Dobkin Well, before I probably would have said the

role of women, but right now things have become so bifurcated on the issue of Israel, and there’s been a loss of civility. The truth is, I am a Zionist and I believe in Israel; that also means holding Israel accountable. I don’t want to always see the Palestinians as “the other.” You can love Israel and still advocate for the rights of all to be respected.

Schneider I think the important thing in the world today

is to be on a spiritual path, and to understand what is the Truth, with a capital T, and what’s not. There is the Truth that comes from G-d, and then there’s the stuff that human beings have made up. And I think that the spiritual path in any religion has to be valued and recognized.

And what really bothers me are those instances where we have organized and actually created needless pain. Whether it’s just politics, or where you sit in synagogue, or how big your gift is—any of those things that are man-made values, that aren’t real or essential or truthfully meaningful, those are the issues that irritate me. Which Lynn Schneider is why I tend to go solo in my work. My role is to accomplish what I can accomplish by being independent, and not conforming to what other people have decided should or should not be done.

Schusterman There are two things. I think there are

times where we are our own worst enemies. We face so many significant threats yet we waste too much time and too many resources battling each other. And in an era when all Jews are Jews by choice, we need to forge a culture where inclusiveness and diversity are paramount, and in which all Jews embrace each other, in every aspect of our communal life. And I think organizations need to work together, to cooperate when they have a common agenda, to be supportive of one another.

Schneider I don’t really divide my world into the Jewish

world and the “other” world. So what I think is important for everybody, whether Jews or non-Jews, or women or guys, is looking at what does not separate us. I think the Jewish community has to become more global in its outlook and not as provincial. It’s so limiting to think we’re only part of the Jewish condition, not the human condition.

Schusterman I think we need to forge a culture in which inclusiveness and diversity and creativity are important to all of us, so that when somebody looks at it, they want to be Jewish. I think that creating and mobilizing and leveraging the power of networks to engage and inspire young Jews around the world is important, as is making service universal and a defining element of Jewish life.

Who are your Jewish heroes?

Dobkin I would say Gertrude Stein, because she was a

radical. And the other radical I would put in there is Rose Schneiderman [the famed union and feminist activist of the early 20th century]. I would say [Hadassah founder] Henrietta Szold, because she was an ardent Zionist who also held a deep belief that there should be a Palestinian state. Basically I really admire the old radicals and some of the young ones. I mean, we have two young people at Ma’ayan, Alissa Wise and Beth Benjamin, who are fabulous. They have new ideas, and no patience. I sometimes get really upset with them, and they can get really upset with me. Because they think they’re right, and many times they are right! I just get scared.

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but I’m not sure they’ll be doing it in Jewish hero or a non-Jewish hero, the Jewish community. or that this one’s a hero and that Schneider Even if most of the work one is not a hero. I think everyI do is in the Jewish community, it’s one is a hero or heroine in his or not my starting point and it’s not my her own story. But I’m especially end point. I think there’s a huge role moved by people who’ve made big for women to play in general, as well decisions and followed through. I as for the “feminine side” of people am intrigued by the people who in leadership. We’ve gone through saw the writing on the wall and too long an era with the traditionally left Europe before the Holocaust. male type of thinking, interaction I always wonder: would I have had and being. The key to the future the same courage? And then there of the world will come through the are the people who are really my feminine, whether you’re female or heroes, the people whose names male. I also look at what women do. you’d never know, who you’re I’ve seen in the Federation system— not going to read about. At the 4 Lynn Schusterman women are very flexible, more innohospital, every doctor, every nurse, vative, quite interesting, and very devoted. Also, they’re people who are social workers, people who volunteer— not coming to it to improve anything except the world. people who make a decision to make the world a better place, and actually do it on a daily basis: those are my Schusterman I see them playing a major role now. heroes.

More women are rising to the highest positions in Jewish philanthropy and in communal leadership, and are helpSchusterman My Jewish heroes are my father and my ing lead the way in Jewish innovation. We are currently late husband. When I was four or five my father took raising a generation of smart, passionate Jewish women, me with him to help some of the women we called and they will influence and change our community in a “maiden ladies”—he would help them write checks, positive way. take them to the grocery store. He was a role model to me. And Charlie—on our second date, he was working Can one person effect positive change? on UJA cards! There were also two role models who, when I first got involved in philanthropy, I looked to.

With or without money? [she laughs] I mean, yes, absoThey both were role models in terms of entering into lutely. I don’t think anybody can make a change alone, philanthropy in a man’s world. One woman was [former I really don’t. But surely you can help one person, and JDC President] Sylvia Hassenfeld, and one was Shoshana you can see to it that one person is helped for whatever Cardin. [Cardin, a major force in the Soviet Jewry movethey need. It’s not just all about money, but it certainly ment, was also the first woman to head the Conference has to be about money, too. I think you need to find a of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.] place that shares your values, and then find out what you can do there. And do it!

Schneider I can’t say I have a

In an era when all Jews are Jews by choice, we need to forge a culture where inclusiveness and diversity are paramount, and in which all Jews embrace each other.

What role do you see for women in shaping the Jewish community of the future?

Schneider Of course. Every person can make change.

But the change has to start from the individual. I used to finish speeches by saying something like “we came in peace and I wish you all to go home in peace.” And last 15 years or so putting a lot of money into the Jewish to remember that if in fact it’s peace community. And things have in the world you strive for, then we changed, but not in every sphere. I’m inspired by good have to make sure that we have peace Most of the change has occurred at home—shalom bayit—and peace in around religious life, and that is people trying to make our own hearts. To my way of thinkcertainly important—there is a lot the world a better place. ing, if I’m not at peace, how do I make of new ritual. But in organizapeace in the world? Each individual is tional life, we still have a ways to If all one can offer is critically important. go. It is not enough for a board to say, “Okay, now we have two or a smile, or their hand, Schusterman I do think one person three women.” They don’t underhas the power to make a difference. stand that it shouldn’t be women that is as meaningful as But that one person has to be comwho think just the way they do. mitted enough—with their time and the person who offers I think there is a lot of power in energy and passion—because if you’re women’s hands that some Jewish mega-dollars. really committed you get other people women are reluctant to take. The to join you.

4 Lynn Schneider young Jewish women will take it,

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Dobkin You know it’s a little hard to say. I’ve spent the

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It’s not every day you see a bunch of women eagerly pushing an off-road vehicle up a hill. Yet there they were, the 75 women of January’s Heart to Heart mission, laughing and flexing their muscles in a friendly competition as part of a “treasure hunt” in the historic region north of Tel Aviv.

They Came, They Saw, They Bonded The ‘Heart to Heart’ mission to Israel introduced the power of Federation to a new, broader group of women.

The response to this firstfirst-of-its -of-its kind mission astonished even Heart to Heart’s planners.

“We wanted them to bond—and they became sisters,” says National Naational Women’s Philanthropy Chair Linda A. Hurwitz. “We wanted them to fall in love with Israel, but we didn’t realize how much they would fall in love with Israel.”

The idea of Heart to Heart was simple: use the proven magic of a women’s Israel mission to inspire and engage people at all giving levels and all life stages, regardless of how involved with Federation they’ve been.

To draw a wide range of participants, the trip was kept short—only five days—and the cost was relatively low. The strategy worked. Those on the mission ranged from younger women to retirees, from doctors, nurses, and lawyers to realtors, accountants and stay-at-home moms.

Some knew about Federation but had never tried to get involved. Others had supported Federation at home but had never seen its overseas work.

the Why name “Heart to Heart”?? Because accompanying the of passionate Lions— group was a corps people like Hurwitz and Lori Klinghoffer, former chair of NWP and now its president—who want to share their love of Israel and women’s philanthropy with a new group of people. The name also fit the emotional connection participants say they felt with the Israeli women they met, who included Bedouin mothers struggling to educate their children; women in the Knesset; and women running programs for at-risk kids.

While this was the first Heart to Heart, it won’t be the last. Plans are underway for the next mission, February 12-17, 2011, and our goal (gulp!) is to run one every year.

So take a minute and read the testimony of some Heart to Heart participants. Then share it with women in your town and tell them Israel is waiting, with an open heart.

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Alissa Fox Flemington, NJ Last time in Israel: Four years ago I really did it on a whim. I have a cousin in Cleveland who I love to travel with. She told me about the mission and I said, “Sign us up.” I just thought it would be a fun trip. What I didn’t realize was how special it was—just getting to see, up close and personal, all the things that Federation does. It was a whirlwind of seeing and doing different things, organized to perfection.

Every place we went, people were there to meet us. And everywhere, people had food for us! We had the most incredible guide, Lyana, who told such wonderful stories on the bus that I didn’t want her to stop.

Over the years, we’ve always donated to Federation, but we’ve never been involved. I was so moved by the whole trip that I came back and promptly omptly became a Lion of Judah.

Jan Schwartz Wellesley, MA Last time in Israel: 1972 From the moment I got on the plane, I loved every minute.

The people on the trip were extraordinary, very helpful and open. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to think about where to go next—we were just seeing and experiencing and feeling. We got to see all of these Federation initiatives, where our dollars go. The world should see what Israel is doing to help people with disabilities, to help families and children at risk. The country has impossible problems yet they find solutions, and people are working and succeeding there.

Israel is an empowering place to be—and I’m very grateful to Women’s Philanthropy for giving non-Lions the unique opportunity to go on one of their missions. Their invitation is literally what convinced me to go for the first time in decades. And because the trip was so fabulous, I’m becoming more involved in Federation and increasing my pledge.

I’ve alread already asked to sign up for the next H2H mission in 2011. I want to go every year! missio

Jen Weprin

For me, since I converted to Judaism, I needed to create a Jewish identity. When I started studying with a rabbi, he told me that although I was not born to Jewish parents, I had a Jewish soul. Still, people who grow up Jewish have a Jewish history of some kind, whether it’s lighting candles on Friday night or celebrating holidays. I chose to create my own history by doing traditional things: lighting Shabbat candles, hanging mezuzot, observing the Jewish holidays and starting new traditions with our family. The Heart to Heart Mission was my first time in Israel. What a country! What an army!

Now that I have been to Israel, I can say I feel like a complete Jew, one who is whole, one who has a strong identity, one who wishes to pass on this wonderful heritage to my children. I am fortunate to have met such amazing people on this mission, people with whom I shared this experience, people who are now a part of my history, part of my identity, part of my Jewishness. I will always feel close to them.

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Cindy Duber ber Cleveland, Ohio i Last Time in Israel: Never I came to Israel for the first time with Heart to Heart and it changed everything: how I felt as a Jew, how I felt about Israel, and how I felt about Federation. I had no idea of the range of activities that Federation funds—from MASLAN to MASA and everything else. The trip was an awakening for me. And I almost didn’t make it! I thought I’d wait to go with my family, but you know what, I’m 56—it was time.

If I hadn’t gone, I would have seen Israel as a tourist.

Instead, I went on a trip that, for me, held so much personal Jewish meaning. One day we were in Or Akiva, which was named after Rabbi Akiva. Next Yom Kippur, when we read about Rabbi Akiva in the prayers, it’s going to mean so much more to me. Also, I learned that JFNA helps people across all communities—including non-Jews. What an example to the world! I knew three women when I got to Israel, and now I have so many new friendships. Before the mission I had very little involvement in Federation.

Now I’ve become a Pomegranate, and I’m proud of that.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

Portland, Oregon Last Time in Israel: Never

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Heart to Heart is part of an overall strategy by National Women’s Philanthropy to reach out to more Jewish women. Though many younger women joined the Heart to Heart mission, NWP also has an initiative targeted specifically at younger women.

Last April, we conducted a series of focus groups with women aged 24 to 42 from various regions, asking what they wanted from their involvement with Jewish community organizations.

What Young Women

Want

Among our preliminary findings we learned that when they volunteer, younger women want opportunities for hands-on work, personal connections, and to make meaningful contributions to the organizations they serve.

About half the he women wom men already considered themselves very involved in the Jewish community, though not necessarily with Federation. The other half said either that 1) they’d like to be more involved in the Jewish community or 2) they wondered if there was a place for them. The women were clear about what they liked and disliked in their experiences with Federation. They had enjoyed social gatherings, making personal connections, and travel/ immersion experiences. On the negative side, they viewed Federation as “all about fundraising” and said they desired a more active volunteer role.

For more information about JFNA’s young women’s initiative, please contact Alison Margulies Garber at Alison.Garber@JewishFederations.org

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Our next step is to create a summary of the information we received and to provide a series of recommendations for local Federations.

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GROWN IN ISRAEL, the pomelit is a cross between a pomelo and a grapefruit. It’s also the name of an outreach program for Jewish 40-somethings in Indianapolis who, like the fruit, don’t fit a single category. They’re too old for the Young Adult Division, but too young to feel the same connection to Federation as the previous generation.

“We had a wine tasting event for Young Leadership, and all these people in their 40s kept coming up to me and saying, ‘You know, I feel kind of old here,’” recalls Margo Fox, Campaign director at the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis.

Hence, Pomelit: a series of events where youngish adults get together to enjoy art, music, theatre and other cultural offerings. Aimed at 35- to 55-year-olds, Pomelit is billed as “a social group with an intellectual spirit.” The idea is to engage people who might give to Federation but have the potential to become larger donors. The problem is their lack of involvement and a fuzzy understanding of what Federation does.

So Pomelit opts for a soft sell, avoiding fundraising and focusing simply on drawing people to a Federation event. And it’s worked. The program has been “pulling people out of the woodwork,” says Fox. Events, planned by lay leaders, generally include a special “add-on” program to go along with cultural outings.

For instance, a happy hour with the Indianapolis Symphony was followed up-and-coming ed by a meeting with an up and coming Jewish musician.

Though h Pomelit is targeted to both men and women, so far it’s been drawing mainly women—an —an interesting resultt for those of us in women’s philanthro-py looking ng to widen our reach.

And while Fox admitss the two-year-old program hasn’t turned participants icipants into higher-level her-level donors, it has as generated a lot of buzz, with people now calling g to “get on the Pomelit list.” That’s why Fox is hopeful that the enthusiasm for Pomelit will become enthusiasm for Federation. “We can’t get them to do Campaign yet, but that will come.”

GREAT IDEAS FOR WIDENING OUR TENT Baltimore Engages Empty Nesters AFTER YEARS OF CARPOOLING, homework help, and a juggling act worthy of Ringling Bros., many women find that when the last child leaves home, the demands on their time lessen considerably. But how to use their newfound freedom?

Sensing an opportunity and a need, THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore recently launched Chapter Two, a 10-month series of workshops designed to engage and inspire empty nesters. “Women today have 30 or 40 productive years left after their children flee the nest. With Chapter Two, we’re helping them to find their passion and turn it into action, ideally within our Federated system,” says Laura Black, president of THE ASSOCIATED Women and a Lion of Judah.

The program is targeted to women who are uninvolved or “under-involved” with Federation. Those invited sign on for a series of once-a-month sessions that include Jewish education, self-assessment, talks by beneficiaries of Federation-funded agencies and programs, and an introduction to the Jewish communal world.

After one year, Chapter Two already shows signs of success. The first 19 women to complete the program decided to keep meeting regularly on their own. They are expanding a community reading program, and many are going on to serve on Federation committees, as program chairs, and on agency boards.

The first year also yielded two new Campaign gifts, and as a whole, this year’s Chapter Two class contributed 16 percent more than last year, says Erica Hobby, the Baltimore Federation’s vice president for community engagement and leadership.

And the program’s become so popular that now it will offer two groups, one during the day and one in the evening.

But to succeed long-term, women leaders must stay connected to participants, Hobby adds. “This is an ongoing conversation. It’s about our leaders and professionals building long-term relationships with these women, talking to them about their changing interests, and helping them find their niche.”

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INDIANAPOLIS OUTREACH BEARS FRUIT

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Promoting the ILOJC A Little Recognition Goes A Long Way in South Palm Beach HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE a Lion of Judah to increase her gift? And how do you properly thank those who already give $10,000 and above?

At the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, the answer is the Crown of Judah, a division that recognizes this special category of women while encouraging others to join its ranks.

The division was started 20 years ago by Clarice Pressner, but has been dormant for the last six years.

This year, Federation leaders thought it time to offer more recognition to this important group and to make the case to other Lions to upgrade their gifts. Fittingly, it was Wendy Pressner, Clarice’s daughter-in-law and women’s vice chair of Major Gifts, who led the new initiative.

A luncheon was planned with the relatively modest goal of bringing in five new Crown of Judah Lions. Instead, the event resulted in four new Ruby Lions ($10,000), one new Emerald ($25,000), one new Zahav ($50,000) and one new Cognac ($75,000). It even brought back one lapsed $10,000 gift.

How’d they do it? The luncheon was at the home of a major donor, Lisa Mintz, who also chaired the event.

Attendance was capped at 110 women, and the featured speakers were Alan Dershowitz and Norma Kipnis Wilson, who founded the Lion of Judah.

Jill Hagler, the Federation’s associate vice president of Women’s Philanthropy, thinks women who attended felt the event was something they couldn’t get anywhere else. And, because it “was smaller and more intimate than many of our other events, they really had a chance to engage in a more personal dialog with Alan Dershowitz after he spoke.”

In the wake of the luncheon, South Palm Beach is working with Clarice Pressner, with her family’s support, to endow her gift and establish the Clarice Pressner Crown of Judah Award in perpetuity.

Each year, it will honor a $10,000-plus donor who has endowed her gift at the $200,000 level.

Los Angeles Shares Its ‘Secret’ When you bring 100 women to the International Lion of Judah Conference, you must be doing something right. That’s roughly how many people the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles sent to the last ILOJC, in 2008. To learn the secret of that success, we spoke to Michelle Becker of the L.A. Women’s Campaign, who described three key pillars of her Federation’s approach.

1) Choose the right co-chairs.

“We spend a lot of time thinking about that. This year, we have two women, representing different generations—varied circles—so they’re able to reach out to diverse groups.”

2) Generate pre-conference excitement.

Becker says her best salespeople are women who attended a previous conference. In addition to e-mails and phone calls, L.A. holds several pre-conference events. For example, they held an informational meeting in May where they handed out Mardi Gras beads and women heard about conferences past.

GREAT IDEAS FOR WIDENING OUR TENT 3) Create an experience.

At the conference itself, organize special programs for the women of your region—a dinner, site-seeing, a night out—and give them a chance to bond. “We know the conference itself will be fabulous, but we try to create a whole experience.”

NOTE: See the “Our Lions Roar” section (starting on page 44) for more community ideas on generating excitement about and recruiting for the ILOJC.

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Mazel Tov!

To All the Women Who Have Created a Lion of Judah Endowment YOU HAVE OUTGROWN OUR PAGES! It’s true. Because so many of you have decided to leave a Jewish legacy for generations to come, there are now too many LOJEs to fit in the Lion of Judah magazine. To remedy the “problem,” we have created a new place on our web site, where we can record and continually update the ever-expanding ranks of endowed Lions.

Look for this new web feature at www.jewishfederations.org/nwp And thank you for joining a cadre of exceptional women philanthropists whose acts of kindness and tzedaka will continue to make the world a better place.

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WE ARE.WE CAN.WE DO. On November 8-10, women who share a passion for giving will gather in New Orleans for the International Lion of Judah Conference .

They’ll also witness a Jewish community that’s been reborn.

What is the International Lion of Judah Conference?

It is two days—November 8-10—created solely for you: women philanthropists who want to change the world.

It is two days of learning with dynamic speakers, of sharing ideas with smart, creative women.

It’s a chance to see the New Orleans Jewish community up close and to engage in hands-on community service. It’s a chance to taste the flavors, sights and sounds of this unique American city and to enjoy renowned performers at special events.

Whether you’re an emerging or veteran leader, you will leave with new ideas, inspiration, and a renewed sense of purpose.

So come to New Orleans November 8-10. Don’t miss this chance to connect with smart, passionate women from your own community, from Israel and around the world.

G IS

It’s This Fall’s Most Important Address! www.JewishFederations.org

TE R O N L I

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You’ll leave knowing you’re part of a vibrant, powerful movement.

Find everything you need to know about the International Lion of Judah Conference.

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REGISTER ONLINE.

ORLEANS 2

Get the latest info on prominent speakers and perfomers. Learn about the General Assembly, starting right before the ILOJC.

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Guess Who’s Coming to ILOJC! Here are just a few of the confirmed speakers and performers who will be at November’s conference. We’re adding more people all the time, so check the ILOJC Web site for continuous updates (www.JewishFederations.org/lions).

And our partners: JAFI; JDC; WordORT; ENP; PJ Library; Advancing Women Professionals; Repair the World; JDub Records; Beit HaShanti; MASA; Bikkurim; JCPA (list in formation)

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Shifra Bronznick Chosen three times by the Forward as one of the 50 most influential Jews, Bronznick is a consultant specializing in creating new initiatives and helping not-for-profit organizations navigate change. She is founding president of Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community.

Courtney Martin A widely read freelance journalist, Martin’s new book is Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists, which profiles eight activists who have managed to “soothe the critics and pessimists in their own heads and act.”

Judy Gold The Emmy-Award-winning actress and comedian is best known as star of the critically acclaimed Off Broadway show, “25 Questions for a Jewish Mother,” for which she was nominated for a 2006 Drama Desk Award.

Neshama Carlebach One of the leading performers in Jewish music today, Carlebach is a powerful singer-songwriter and eldest daughter of the late Reb Shlomo Carlebach. Her latest album, Higher and Higher, was recorded with a Bronx-based gospel choir.

New Orleans

Transformed

Michael J. Weil, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, writes; This past summer, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans convened a meeting that included representatives of all the synagogues and agencies in the city. The subject? How to mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, on August 29. Should we hold a religious service, a symposium or commemoration? Should we tell stories and share pictures and memories? The reaction was unanimous. None of the above. We want a celebration! We want to celebrate our community.

This vignette tells it all. When you come to our city for the 2010 GA and International Lion of Judah Conference, you will see a Jewish community transformed. Pre-2005, we were a typical, conservative, slowly declining Southern Jewish community. Then came Katrina, and the people of this community gathered their strength, pushed aside the usual communal differences and worked together for a better future.

When the hurricane hit, our Federation responded immediately, thanks to tremendous help from the Jewish Federations of North America, and Federations and foundations across the continent. Later, with help from our local endowment fund and two foundations, we set up a stabilization fund, allowing the 19 local synagogues and agencies to resume functioning and eventually stand on their own feet.

We conducted a strategic planning process focused on rebuilding and renewal. The most notable result was the Newcomer Incentive Plan, which has brought over 1,200 Jewish newcomers to New Orleans.

We’ve begun JGrad, to encourage Jewish students studying in New Orleans to consider staying on after graduation. Avodah, Moishe House, the River Minyan, the Nola Chavurah and our first-ever LimmudFest—all exemplify the new spirit that pervades Jewish New Orleans. And of course, there are the tens of thousands Jewish volunteers—a large number from Federations—who have come to help rebuild our city.

Last year, our Federation teamed up with the St. Bernard Project, and now we are rebuilding our third home. In June we held a community Mitzvah Day with 250 local volunteers working on seven different projects. We are thrilled that thousands of GA and ILOJC participants will join us in a half day of service.

When Katrina hit, it was strange for this generous community to be on the receiving end of aid. Now we give back with a vengeance. When the Annual Campaign was restarted in 2007, we raised close to $2.7 million, nearly as much as pre-Katrina—but with 25 percent fewer donors. And while it is true we have lost many people, today the Jewish community is 8,600 and growing. We hope to reach our pre-Katrina population of 9,500 within two years and then… the sky is the limit.

So on Saturday night, August 28, we met at the Uptown JCC for a community Havdalah marking the fifth anniversary of Katrina. We each lit a candle, sang Shavua Tov, ate good food and danced to the beat of the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars.

Indeed, we have much to be grateful for and much to celebrate.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

PLUS: Frank London & The Klezmatics Rochelle Shoretz Ambassador Gabriela Shalev Vanessa Hidary Rabbi Joanna Samuels Sharna Goldseker Rabbi Melissa Weintraub Girls in Trouble Rabbi Naomi Levy Rebecca Goldstein Bizu Riki Mullu Lynn Schneider Prof. Tzipi Liebman Erin Kopelow Mariuma (Beit HaShanti) Valerie Khaytina Grace Rodnitzki Avital Sharansky Galactic Angella Nazarian Dani Shapiro Stephen Kiernan (list in formation)

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ON THE

NATIONAL SCENE The Jewish Federations of North America Initiatives

Our Big in the Big Easy

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The GA Comes To New Orleans DON’T MISS THE 2010 GENERAL ASSEMBLY the premier North American Jewish conference, which takes place in New Orleans November 7-9—right before the 2010 International Lion of Judah Conference, November 8-10. Chaired by Judy and Steve Silverman of Florida and Eitan and Ariella Wertheimer of Israel, the GA offers rewarding, thought-provoking forums and workshops, featuring some of the most interesting and notable guests in the Jewish world today. Speakers at last year’s GA included Rahm Emanuel, P. M. Benjamin Netanyahu, Ambassador Michael Oren, Natan Sharansky, Kathy Manning, and Charles Bronfman. Conference participants also will have a chance to spend time volunteering in the New Orleans community, aiding the city’s recovery after Hurricane Katrina. “The GA reminds us that when we come together to make a difference, anything is possible,” says Jerry Silverman, JFNA’s president and CEO. 22

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Web Campaign Draws New Interest In Federations WHAT’S YOUR #ISH? One Twitter post replies: “To me being Jewish is to spread the importance of understanding amongst people from all walks and protect the value of life that was given to us as human beings.” JFNA launched the What’s Your #ish campaign (www.whatsyourish.com) to raise greater awareness of Jewish Federations, and to create a dialogue for younger Jews about Jewish identity.

The campaign allows people to post, via the dedicated website, or via Twitter or Facebook, about what being Jewish means to them—whether it is observing Shabbat, spending time with family, or repairing the world. Every answer given earns a quarter for an #ish fund, and participants can direct their donation to an array of Jewish needs Federations meet. Participants can also connect with their local Federation via the website. Finally, a random drawing will award one participant a pair of round-trip plane tickets to Israel via El Al, with a week’s stay at the David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv.

Who’s Your Jewish Hero?

THE ANNUAL JEWISH COMMUNITY HEROES CAMPAIGN, which debuted last year to wide acclaim and popularity, is underway again. The online campaign, at www.jewishcommunityheroes.org, asks people throughout North America to nominate someone Jewish who has dedicated time and effort towards helping other people, be it five or 5,000. Participants, Jews and non-Jews, then vote for their choice of the hero with the most meaningful or significant impact. A panel of celebrity judges chooses the hero out of the 20 nominees who earn the most votes, and the hero is announced at the GA. The hero gains recognition and funding for their philanthropic project, and all nominees get a Jewish Community Hero certificate.

Last year, over 400 people were nominated and over 500,000 votes were cast.

The first winning Jewish Community Hero was Ari Teman, the founder of JCorps, which engages young Jewish adults to volunteer in their communities. This year’s campaign started at the beginning of August, and the 2010 hero will be announced during November’s GA. Not only does the campaign reward those who serve their communities, but it allows people all over the country to learn more about and get involved with their local Federations through the campaign website.

ON OCTOBER 14, 1990, Tanya Malev of St. Petersburg gladly gave up her Soviet citizenship to move with her family to Israel. She was just one of more than one million Jews helped through Operation Exodus, in which the Federation movement raised $1 billion to resettle Soviet Jews in Israel and North America.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Operation Exodus, an initiative that highlighted the enormous impact the Federation movement and the Jewish community can make collectively. Celebrations include missions to St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Israel, as well as community programs. We hope these events remind us of the strength of the Federation movement, and inspire us to take on new challenges. For historic photos and details, visit JFNA’s dedicated website at www.JewishFederations.org/operationexodus.

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www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

Operation Exodus: One of Federation’s Finest Hours

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HONORING the 2010

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

Award Recipients

Following is a list of the e generous, devoted women whom their Federations have honored for years s of service to Federation and theirr communities.

We recognize them with th gratitude and affection.

Atlanta

CAROL ZABAN COOPER chairs the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. She has created the Economic Crisis Fund for those in need and has brought the Create a Jewish Legacy initiative to Atlanta.

She has held many positions at the Federation, including Women’s Philanthropy Campaign chair and overall Campaign chair.

In addition, Carol has been involved at the Davis Academy, serves as president of Jewish Family and Career Services, and started a cancer support group. In the general Atlanta community, she has been on the board of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, the Advisory Council to the Office of Women’s Affairs for the State of Georgia, and the board of the Atlanta Ballet, and is a member of the Class of 2005 Leadership Atlanta program.

Carol and her husband, Larry, have four children and nine grandchildren. She is a Lion of Judah and LOJE.

Baltimore

ROSALEE DAVISON, a board member of THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, has held a variety of leadership roles, including chair of the Harry Greenstein Legacy Society, life member of the Women’s Department board, past Campaign chair and president of the Women’s Department, founding chair of the Baltimore Jewish Women’s Foundation, chair of the Lion of Judah Campaign, past chair of LOJE and past chair of PACT (Parents & Children Together). She also served on the Advisory Board of National Women’s Philanthropy, and received the ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation’s Harry Greenstein Award in 1995.

Rosalee has been an active volunteer with the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, Florida and sits on the board of Hillel of Syracuse University. She sits on the board of the Walters Art Museum and the Maryland Institute College of Art, and she serves as vice chair of the Maryland Public Television Foundation board.

Rosalee and her husband, Richard, have three children and seven grandchildren. She currently works as an interior designer, jewelry designer and museum docent.

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Boston

BETH MOSKOWITZ has served in many roles in the Women’s Division of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, including president, co-chair for Missions to Israel, and chair of the Adult Learning committee. She currently serves on the Board of Governors, Overseas committee, and Major Gifts committee. Beth has also served as vice chair for the National Women’s Philanthropy board, and is currently serving on the NWP Advisory board and as Shabbaton co-chair for the upcoming General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America.

Outside the Federation, Beth works with the executive committee for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, and chairs its Dnepropetrovsk Kehillah Project. She serves as a trustee of the Hebrew College in Newton, and on the board of the Anti-Defamation League of New England. She is also a past president of BJE for greater Boston and of her synagogue, Temple Aliyah.

Beth, a LOJE, has three children with her husband, Michael.

Broward COUNTY

CARRIE SCHULMAN has been active with the United Jewish Community of Broward County for many years, and was president of the Women’s Division. She was a chair of the Lion of Judah/Lion of Judah Endowment event and is currently a member of the Women’s Executive Circle, a group comprising business and professional leaders working to empower the women of tomorrow. In 1995, the Women’s Division honored Carrie with the Lisa R. Shulman Leadership Award and two years later, she received the June M. Gordon Award.

Carrie has been deeply involved with numerous organizations in Broward County, notably the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where she has been an integral part of the Annual Gala, serving as past chair, committee member and honoree.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Calgary

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

SANDY MARTIN has served as chair of the Women’s Division, Lion of Judah Committee, and Campaign for the Calgary Jewish Community Council.

She sat on the National Steering Committee of the Women’s Leadership Development Conference for UIA Federations Canada in 2006. Sandy also served as national president for Canadian Hadassah, president of the Soskin Foundation, and as a member of the board for the Somar Family Foundation. She has been an active community volunteer for the Calgary Jewish Community Council, Canadian Friends of Hebrew University, and the Fundraising Committee of Little Synagogue on the Prairie Project.

Currently on the board of Alberta Global Forum, Sandy has also served on the boards of Calgary Health Region, Esther Honens Invitational, West Island College, Calgary Foothills Hospital Country Auction, and as co-chair of the Canadian Cancer Society galas in Calgary. She is a LOJE.

Central

NEW JERSEY BETTY SEIDEL has been involved with the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey since 1974. She has served as president of the Women’s Division, co-chair of the Ruby Lion of Judah Division, vice president of Education and Special Projects, Lion of Judah Endowment Chair, and has served on the Federation Endowment Foundation board. She was also the second woman in Central NJ to be named a Woman of Valor.

On a national level, Betty served on the Women’s Division Region I board of the United Jewish Appeal and the Council of Jewish Federations. Within the local Jewish community, she was president of the Westfield Chapter of Hadassah and served on the board of the NJ Hadassah Zionist Youth Commission.

Betty and her husband, Herb, have two children.

Charlotte

In Charlotte, North Carolina, the name STACY GORELICK is synonymous with tzedakah.

Stacy has held important volunteer jobs throughout the Jewish community. She served as president of the Federation’s Women’s Division and co-chaired The Main Event. She served on the Charlotte Jewish Day School board for 10 years, chaired the Day School Annual Fund, served on the Temple board and the JCC Executive Board. To encourage young women to become Lions of Judah, she co-chaired the Lions for two years and met with great success. The first year, six new Lions joined, and 11 women became Lions of Judah the second year.

Stacy is an endowed Lion of Judah and currently serves as the Federation’s endowment chair. She is especially proud that her children are following in her philanthropic footsteps. Two of her and her husband Todd’s four children have celebrated their b’nei mitzvah, and in lieu of gifts, they each requested donations for projects of their own choosing. Her son selected the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village, a non-sectarian JDC program in Rwanda, while her daughter chose a Youth Center run by the Ethiopian National Project.

Chicago

ANN-LOUISE KLEPER currently serves on the board of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and on its executive committee. She has played roles in Campaign, Overall Planning, and Allocations. Prior to moving to Chicago, Ann-Louise held leadership positions in the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, where she received the President’s Young Leadership Award.

Nationally, Ann-Louise was chair of National Women’s Philanthropy, chair of National Young Leadership Cabinet, chair of the National Business & Professional Leadership Forum, vice chair of JFNA, and chair of its Domestic Affairs Cabinet. Currently she is a member of the Alliance Leadership Committee and the United Israel Appeal board.

Ann-Louise is a Lion of Judah and a principal in the law firm of Lewis, Davidson, and Hetherington, Ltd. She has two children and one grandson with her husband, Dennis.

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Cincinnati

SUSAN BRENNER currently serves as Youth and Family co-chair for Planning and Allocations and is a volunteer for My Family on Call, the Partnership 2000 Committee, and the Jewish Women Endowment Fund at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.

Previously, she co-chaired the Jewish Federation Annual Campaign, the Lion of Judah Division, Partnership 2000 with Netanya, and served on the Federation board and executive board.

Susan is also active outside the Federation, having served on the Hillel board and volunteered with Jewish Family Services and the American Jewish Committee.

She is a member of Wise Temple Sisterhood and visits the elderly and patients at the Jewish Hospital on Fridays.

In her neighborhood of Wyoming, Ohio she has chaired the Wyoming Youth Services’ largest fundraiser and volunteers at the Wyoming Art Show.

In 2005, she received the Wyoming Citizen of the Year Award and in 2008 the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Woman of Distinction Award.

For 22 years, Susan was president of BMEI, a promotions and event production company, and is currently a partner in the Milenthal Group, a public relations firm.

Cleveland

LOIS MARCUS has been active in the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland for several decades. She served as board chair and Campaign chair of the Women’s Division, and has been a member of the Lion of Judah committee, the Federation’s executive committee, the Federation’s board of trustees, the Federation’s Nominating Committee, and several event committees.

Lois is now a Ruby Lion and a LOJE. She is a member of the Silver Circle governing board and a Silver Circle 50 member. Lois has also served on the boards of many of the Cleveland Federation’s local Jewish partner agencies.

Colorado

ROBIN CHOTIN has been an active volunteer with the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado for over 20 years, and has been a board member since 1996. Not only was she the first female Campaign chair, but she also chaired the Coordinating Council, Federation’s governing body, and served on JFNA’s National Women’s Philanthropy board. Robin also received the highest, most respected women’s award in Denver’s community, the Golda Meir Award.

Robin currently serves as a board member of Shalom Park and board member of National Jewish Health. Previously, she served on the Rose Medical Center Women’s Auxiliary, the Auxiliary of National Jewish Health, the board of trustees of Colorado Academy, and the Rose Community Foundation’s Jewish Life Committee.

Robin has three children and three grandchildren.

Columbia

PAT BAKER served as chair of the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Columbia, South Carolina and co-chair of the Golda Meir Division of the Federation Campaign. She is also a recipient of the Federation’s Sh’ma, Lion of Judah and Distinguished Community Service awards as well as the State of Israel Heritage Award. She is a member of the Beth Shalom Sisterhood, Tree of Life Sisterhood, ORT, B’nai B’rith Women, and a past president of Hadassah.

In the local community, Pat was president of the Congaree Girl Scouts Area Council. She worked with the Columbia Music Festival Association, the Christian Action Council, League of Women Voters, the Columbia Museum of Arts and Sciences, the United Way of the Midlands, and the South Carolina State Museum Foundation board.

Pat and her late husband, Lee, have three daughters.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Columbus

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

BONNIE MILENTHAL has served as a board member of the Columbus Jewish Federation and as chair of the Women’s Campaign. She and her husband, David, co-chaired the 2001 Campaign. Bonnie has also been on the National Women’s Philanthropy board and the Anti-Defamation League board, and chaired the Jewish Community Relations Council.

In the general community, Bonnie serves on the boards of many different groups, including the Columbus Urban League, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, the Columbus Zoo, the Ohio board of Regents, and the board of Wilberforce University. She was appointed by President Clinton to the President’s Advisory Committee for the Arts, and served on the U.S. Department of Commerce District Export Council for Southern Ohio.

Dallas

SANDY DONSKY currently serves as the Women’s Philanthropy co-chair for the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas.

Before this, she held numerous other positions, including Lion of Judah Campaign chair, Women’s Event co-chair, president of Younger Set, and Younger Set Campaign chair. In addition, Sandy has been a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet and women’s missions to Israel, Poland, Romania, and Canada. She was the recipient of the Bess Nathan Young Leadership Award.

Sandy’s other passions include volunteering for Attitudes and Attire (dressing homeless women seeking jobs), and serving on the boards of Congregation Shearith Israel, Legacy Senior Communities, and the American Jewish Committee.

She enjoys spending time with her husband of over 30 years, Howard, their daughter Lauren and their Bichon Dylan.

Dayton

JUDY ABROMOWITZ has held many offices on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton and is currently president-elect, chairing the Dayton Federation’s 100th anniversary celebration year.

Judy has also served as chair of the Young Women’s board, Women’s Campaign chair, Women’s Division president and general Campaign chair. Judy has been a Lion of Judah since 1996. She is also a LOJE and currently chairs LOJE recruitment efforts.

Judy serves on the Vandalia Butler school board and the Artemis Center board. She was a winner of the Dorothy B. Moyer Young Leadership Award, was named one of Dayton’s Top Ten Women, received the Artemis Peacekeepers Award, and was named a Hillel Academy Mitzvah Hero.

Judy and her husband, Dr. Howard Abromowitz, have four children and two grandchildren.

Delaware

ROBIN KAUFFMAN SARAN has served the Jewish Federation of Delaware in many different capacities. She is currently Federation first vice president and chair of the Human Resources committee, and has also served as chair of the Annual Campaign.

Robin serves as a member of the National Women’s Philanthropy board, as well as a past member of National Young Leadership Cabinet.

Robin is also active in the local Jewish community. She serves as a member of the Kutz Foundation board and has served on the executive committee of the Bernard & Ruth Siegel JCC. She is also a past president of the Albert Einstein Academy, the Jewish day school in Delaware.

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Detroit

SUSIE PAPPAS has been involved with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit in a number of capacities, including General Campaign chair, but her primary involvement has been with the Women’s Department. She served as Women’s Department Campaign chair and president, and helped to execute the Mosaic Mission to Israel. Susie also serves on the National Women’s Philanthropy board. She is a LOJE and Star of David Society member.

Susie has served in other areas of the Detroit Jewish community, including on the boards of Jewish Family Service, Hebrew Free Loan Association, and the Jewish Community Center. She has chaired events for Bar Ilan University, Yad Ezra, a local food pantry, and Weizmann Institute of Science. Susie is also a founding member of the Detroit Jewish Women’s Foundation, and was honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter as the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Distinguished Volunteer.

Susie and her husband, Norm, have three children and two grandchildren.

East Bay

TERRY FRIEDKIN is currently serving as president of the Jewish Community Federation of the Greater East Bay (California).

She previously served as Women’s Philanthropy president, Campaign chair, and Education chair. Terry’s other Federation roles are on the Finance, Budget, and Long Range Planning committees.

She is an endowed Lion of Judah and has enjoyed the Campaign and Directors Mission to Israel as well as many Lion conferences and GAs. Terry also serves on the board of National Women’s Philanthropy.

In addition to her active Federation involvement, Terry has also been president, Finance chair and Havurah chair of her synagogue. Terry and her husband, Stephen, have two children and two grandchildren.

Grand Rapids

KAREN PADNOS served three years as chair of the Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids, and was one of the driving forces in the establishment of the community’s United Jewish School. She also helped spearhead the effort to create a community endowment program.

Karen is a Lion of Judah who has inspired others to become Lions as well. She has motivated several emerging leaders to attend national events, such as missions to Washington and Israel. She has attended several GAs, and has always brought back great ideas, energy and skills in Jewish communal leadership.

Greensboro

SYLVIA SAMET has held many positions with the Greensboro Jewish Federation, including Women’s Philanthropy Division president, Women’s Philanthropy Campaign chair, and representative of Greensboro on the UJA National Women’s Division board. She also was one of the women in the Greensboro community to initiate a Lion of Judah Endowment, served as Region Chair of LOJE, and has chaired the Federation’s Snowbird Event.

Aside from her Federation work, Sylvia has served on the boards of Beth David Synagogue, Reading Connections, United Way, United Arts Council, Greensboro Symphony, and the Eastern Music Festival.

Sylvia and her husband, Norman, have three children and eight grandchildren.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Hartford

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

LISA FISHMAN, past Women’s Philanthropy chair for the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, is currently Hartford’s Major Gifts co-chair for the General Campaign and LOJE chair, as well as Best Practices chair of the National Women’s Philanthropy board. She serves on the Federation board and on the board of the Council on Jewish Education and Leadership. She is a trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation, chairs the Development committee, and is a member of the Foundation Grant committee.

Additionally, Lisa serves on the board of Solomon Schechter Day School and is involved in many other Jewish agencies. In recognition of her work she has received Federation’s Bernard L. Gottlieb Young Leadership Award and the 2003 Next Generation Leadership Award of the Jewish Community Center Association. Lisa is an Endowed Ruby Lion and has two sons with her husband, Peter.

Houston

ESTHER POLLAND has served as board president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, and as the Federation’s Annual Campaign chair and Women’s Campaign chair. She is on the board and executive committee of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation, and was a Wexner Heritage Foundation Fellow.

Nationally, Esther has served on the National Young Leadership Cabinet, the National Women’s Philanthropy board, the JFNA board, and the JFNA executive committee and Coordinating Council. Esther also has served as chair of the JFNA Consulting committee and vice chair of JFNA. Esther has served on many other boards, as well, including the JCC, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, the Emery/Weiner School, TORCH, and the national board of Hillel. She also served as president of the board of Texas Hillel and is a Lion of Judah.

Indianapolis

CLAUDETTE EINHORN is the incoming chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis’ Endowment Committee. She has served as Federation president, and as a board member of National Women’s Philanthropy. Outside her generous work at the Federation, she has served on the board of JCCA of North America, as president of JCC, and as president of the Jewish Community Relations Council. She is the recipient of two prestigious awards in the Indianapolis Jewish community: the Leibert Mossler Award and the L.I. Goodman Leadership Award.

Locally, Claudette is the president of Planned Parenthood, and has worked for Gleaners Food Bank, the Heartland Film Festival, and the Indianapolis Opera.

She was noted as one of the most influential women in Indianapolis in the 2009 Indianapolis Business Journal.

Claudette ran her own local catering company for 20 years, and she has two children and one grandchild with her husband, Larry. She is a LOJE.

Jacksonville

JUDY SILVERMAN has served the Jacksonville Jewish Federation in many roles, including as a board member, an officer, and president of the Women’s Campaign. She and her husband, Steve, are the 2010 chairs of the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly, and she is a member of the International Lion of Judah Conference leadership committee. She was awarded the Jacksonville Young Leadership Award and was recognized as one of the Federation’s Extraordinary Women. She also won the JCA’s Community Service Award.

Judy and Steve have chaired many missions to Israel, and Judy chaired the community’s Jewish Book Festival for eight years. She is also a founder and vice president of human resources for Raven Transportation, a large company with an active social action committee. She and Steve are most proud of their two children and grandchildren.

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Kansas City

SHIRLEY WHITE is an extremely active member of the Women’s Division board at the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. In the past, she served as a Lion of Judah chair and solicited door to door for the Annual Campaign.

Shirley is also very active in the local Jewish community. She was responsible for creation of a theater at the Kansas City JCC, known as the Lewis and Shirley White Theatre. Shirley and her daughter, Linda, also advocated and paid for a play area at the Jewish retirement center, Village Shalom, so that young children visiting their relatives would have recreation, as well.

KerenHayesod

LAURENCE BOROT was elected president of Keren Hayesod International Women’s Division in 2005 and reelected to a three-year term in 2008.

She is also a member of the Keren Hayesod board, as well as its fundraising committee and communication and marketing committee. In addition, Laurence sits on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

From 2003 to 2005, Laurence served as vice president of the International Women’s Division, demonstrating her talent for keeping in touch with, and supporting, women’s divisions around the world. In 2005 she completed a four-year term as president of the French Women’s Division. During her presidency, Laurence worked diligently to organize events, enlist more women volunteers and increase fundraising. She ensures that her committee members are kept up to date with developments and believes in full cooperation.

Laurence has a long and impressive record of devoting time to charitable work serving Jewish causes as well as initiatives to support Israel and the French Jewish Community. She has fought for Soviet refuseniks, for cancer research and for disabled children. In 1981, together with a group of friends, she established the first French Jewish broadcasting station.

Laurence continues to be involved in FSJU (Unified Social Jewish Funds), the main body of the French Community, as a member of the Executive and chair of the Committee for Relations with International Jewish Institutions. She is also involved with CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Organizations), the European Association of Jewish Community Centers, and the Art and Culture Center.

Besides her voluntary activities, Laurence runs her own business as well as her home and family of three children.

Las Vegas

MARCY SIMON has had many roles in the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas Women’s Philanthropy Council, including: co-chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Retreat, co-chair of Spring Outreach, first vice president for board membership, Women’s Philanthropy treasurer, and Women’s Philanthropy Council member at large. In 1996 she led a delegation of Las Vegas Lions of Judah to the International Lion of Judah conference in Washington, D.C. Marcy also served as first vice president and board member at the Jewish Family Services Agency of Las Vegas. She served as a board member for the Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada, president of Women’s American ORT, director of the Western Folk Life Center, director and board member of Great Basin College, and as board member of her synagogue, Congregation Ner Tamid.

Marcy is a LOJE.

Lehigh Vall ey, PENNSYLVANIA

PHOEBE ALTMAN has been involved with the Federation throughout her adult life, first through the UJA Campaign in Easton, Pennsylvania, where she started the first Women’s Division, and then as an active Campaign volunteer and board member after the Easton UJA merged with the Jewish Federations of Allentown and Bethlehem to become the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley.

Phoebe has also served on the boards of the Jewish Family Service, Bnai Abraham Synagogue, and other non-profit organizations that benefit health care and culture. She and her husband, Arthur, have five children and 10 grandchildren.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Los Angeles

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

LAURIE KONHEIM has held many positions in the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. She served as Women’s Campaign chair, General Campaign chair, and chair of the Leadership Enrichment and Development Initiative. She has been a Lion of Judah since 1987, and has been instrumental in strengthening the Los Angeles Lions into a vibrant group.

Laurie and her husband, Lyn, are leading philanthropists in Los Angeles and throughout the Jewish community. They have two children and a daughter-in-law.

Long Beach

ARLENE SOLOMON has been involved with the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Long Beach and West Orange County (California) for over 30 years. During this time, she chaired the Women’s Division’s Education and Leadership Development committees. She has also established a LOJE and endowed the annual VISIONS Women’s Campaign event.

Outside the Federation, Arlene was the first Jewish woman to serve on the Long Beach school board, and helped establish a volunteer program while there. She is also active in and has received honors from the National Council of Jewish Women and her temple.

Los Angeles

VALLEY ALLIANCE MARGY ROSENBLUTH has been a Lion of Judah since 1986 and is currently the Leadership Advisor for the Women’s Department board of the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance. She is also on the board of the Valley Alliance and sits on its Executive committee. Margy has endowed her pin and recently became a Star of David Society member.

In addition to her current role in the Women’s Department and as chair of the Los Angeles Federation Transaction Committee, Margy has been chair of the Valley Alliance Women’s Campaign, president of the Women’s Department, Valley Alliance Campaign chair and Valley Alliance president, among other positions.

She continues to be a guiding light to the Women’s Department.

Margy and Allan have three children and five grandchildren.

Louisville

CHERYL KARP has served the Jewish Community Federation of Louisville Women’s Division in many roles, including chair, Campaign co-chair, and Campaign chair. Moreover, she has served as a Federation board member and secretary, and co-chaired three missions to Israel.

Additionally, Cheryl served on the United Jewish Appeal’s Midwest Region Women’s Cabinet and chaired the Midwest Region Women’s Campaign Leadership Conference. She has been a board member of the National Council of Jewish Women and the Jewish Community Center, where she also chaired the Acculturation Committee.

Cheryl and her husband, David, have two children and two grandchildren. g

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Memphis

DIANE MENDELSON has been a Lion of Judah for 20 years.

She served as president of the Women’s Division, vice president of Allocations, vice president of Campaign, vice president of Israel and Overseas, chair of the Lion of Judah Division, and as president of the Memphis Jewish Federation from 1993 through 1995.

Currently, Diane is secretary of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis. She was previously on the National Young Leadership Cabinet and served as a member of the National Women’s Cabinet for CJF. She is a member of the board of Plough Towers, a HUD senior housing facility.

Professionally, Diane is an affiliate broker realtor.

She and her husband, Paul, have two sons and five grandchildren.

Miami

MAXINE E. SCHWARTZ has had many roles at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. She has served on the Federation’s executive committee, with the Women’s Division, and in the General Campaign in many different positions, including General Campaign chair.

In 1976, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation awarded her the Stanley C. Myers Award, given for outstanding young leadership. In 2009, she was elected a Life Member of the Federation board.

Maxine served for 12 years with various portfolios in the national United Jewish Appeal’s Women’s Campaign, including National Lion of Judah chair, National Education chair, and National Training chair.

She was instrumental in mounting the Federation’s first “mega-mission” to Israel in 1990. She and her husband, Kenneth, led two other mega-missions, including one in 1998 that included more than 2,000 people.

Maxine and Kenneth have six children and seven grandchildren.

MetroWest NEW JERSEY

JACQUELINE K. LEVINE has served on the executive committee of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey’s board for 30 years. She has served on numerous other committees in the Federation, was Women’s Division Campaign chair, and is a lifetime member of the Women’s Philanthropy board.

Jacqueline was the first woman to serve as the national chair of the American Jewish Congress’s Governing Council and was a founding member of both MAZON and the Jewish Fund for Justice. She has served on the national boards of HIAS, National Women’s Philanthropy, and JDC. Jacqueline has a long history of volunteerism, starting with the American Jewish Congress, where she was national president of the Women’s Division, in its fight to oppose Joe McCarthy in 1954. She was also very involved in the Civil Rights Movement and in protesting against the restrictive Soviet Jewry emigration policies. In 2008, Jacqueline was featured in the PBS documentary The Jewish Americans.

Jacqueline and Howard, her husband of 61 years, have three children and six grandchildren.

Middlesex COUNTY, NJ

SUSAN MANDELL, currently serving on the executive committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, began serving the Jewish community in 1964 as cantor of Temple Emanu-El. She served as president of the Jewish Federation of Northern Middlesex County, and her greatest achievement was the merger of two Federations, Northern Middlesex and Raritan Valley, into one. There she chaired numerous committees—Allocations, Strategic Planning, and Campaign—and then served as Federation president.

Susan, currently on the board of JFNA, served as vice president of the State Association of New Jersey Jewish Federations, Cabinet member of the Northeast region of the United Jewish Appeal, trustee of the United Way of Central New Jersey and trustee of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union.

She has received many awards, including the President’s Award, Woman of the Year and Woman of Valor.

Susan and her husband, Jon, have four children and 10 grandchildren.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Milwaukee

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

JODY KAUFMAN LOEWENSTEIN is currently a board member of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. She has served as chair of Volunteer Engagement and Leadership Development, general chair for Community Campaigns, president of the Women’s Division, Women’s Division Campaign chair, and as chair of the Allocations Panel.

Nationally, Jody is a trustee for JFNA, serves on its executive committee, is a chair of the JFNA National Federation/Agency Alliance, and is also a member of the JFNA General Assembly Planning committee and the By-laws committee. She also served on the board of National Women’s Philanthropy and currently sits on the NWP advisory board. She was the Membership chair of the National Young Leadership Cabinet.

Jody is a board member of the Jewish Community Foundation and is past chair of the Camp Scholarship Committee. A professional art dealer, she has three sons with her husband, Paul.

Monmouth COUNTY, NJ

WENDY MARKS has served the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County in many ways, including her roles as Federation president, board chair, and chair of Partnership 2000. As a member of the board of National Women’s Philanthropy, she has co-chaired the Northeast Region Women’s Conference and the Northeast Lion of Judah Conference.

In addition to her Federation activities, Wendy serves on the board of the American Israel Cultural Foundation and the Axelrod Performing Arts Center.

She is also active in a variety of activities with Hadassah and Chabad Lubavitch of Manalapan, which honored her as Woman of the Year in 2000.

Wendy is a retired real estate broker, and has four children and seven grandchildren with her husband, Jerry.

Montreal

Minneapolis

KRIS MACDONALD, currently president of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, has also served as Campaign chair, Women’s Division Campaign chair, president of the Women’s Endowment Fund, and as a founding board member of the Business and Professional Women’s Division. Now she is also a LOJE. In addition to her Federation work, Kris has served on the National Young Leadership Cabinet and as a board member at the Sabes Jewish Community Center and Temple Israel. She currently sits on the National Women’s Philanthropy board and the board of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Kris and her husband, John, have seven children and six grandchildren.

ALICE RABY has been a dedicated Montreal Jewish Community volunteer. Currently she is a member of the President’s Council, Women’s Philanthropy and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish General Hospital Foundation. She has chaired Women’s Campaign and served as co-chair of UIA Women’s National Division.

Alice has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious synagogues. She has been involved in leading and supporting other communal organizations such as Hope & Cope (Jewish General Hospital), McGill University’s Goodman Cancer Centre, Israel Cancer Research, Mazon and Jewish National Fund. For three years she chaired Montreal’s March of the Living.

Following that she served a two year term as President of the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre.

She has been honored with several awards for community service, including the Women’s Philanthropy Awards; Mildred B. Lande Award and the Minnie Cummings Abbey Award. As well as several Federation CJA Awards, including, the Rhoda Leopold Memorial Award and the Gordon Schwartz Memorial Award.

Alice is married to Joel. They have two children and three grandchildren.

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New Haven

BETSY SMIRNOFF HOOS has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, General Campaign chair, and as the Women’s Division Campaign chair and president. She has also served on the National Young Leadership Cabinet, and now serves on the board of National Women’s Philanthropy.

She was the first woman to chair the board of trustees of the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven.

Additionally, Betsy and her husband Jeffrey were awarded the Harry Lender Memorial Young Leadership Award. She was honored by Israel Bonds and participated in the Wexner Heritage Program as a fellow.

Betsy is a Sapphire Lion and a LOJE. She and Jeffrey have three children and will be celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this year.

New York

CAROL WOLOWITZ serves on the Long Island Women’s Campaign Cabinet and the Women’s Philanthropy Annual Campaign committee at the UJA Federation of New York. She is a past member of the L.I. Program Services and the L.I. Steering committees, and the UJA-Federation board of directors. She also served as L.I. Women’s Campaign chair.

Carol is involved in several UJA-Federation affiliated agencies, including the Gurwin Geriatric Foundation and the Jewish Family Services. In addition, she co-chaired the Vagina Monologues Benefit Planning Committee that raised $120,000 for its Family Violence program.

Carol is also an associate trustee of North Shore Hospital and co-chairs the Contemporary Collectors Circle of the Nassau County Museum.

Carol is a LOJE and has endowed her daughter’s gift. She and her husband, Arnold, have two children and six grandchildren.

New Orleans JOAN BERENSON has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Annual Campaign chair, and chair of the Jewish Identity and Continuity Task Force. After Hurricane Katrina she chaired the task force designed to recruit and retain Jewish New Orleans residents. Joan also co-chaired the Metairie Campus Capital Campaign, raising money to build the structure that houses the Jewish Federation offices, the Metairie Jewish Community Center and the New Orleans Jewish Day School.

Joan currently serves as president of the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater New Orleans Section, and on the boards of the Jewish Children’s Regional Service, the New Orleans Jewish Day School and the Jewish Endowment Foundation.

Joan and her husband, Gerald, have four children, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandson. She is a LOJE.

Northeastern NEW YORK

ILENE SYKES has been a Lion of Judah for the past 16 years, and a LOJE for the past eight years. She served as president of the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, as a member of the executive committee, and as president of Women’s Philanthropy.

Aside from her work at the Federation, Ilene has served as president of her synagogue, Congregation Beth Emeth, and as president of the Sydney Albert Albany Jewish Community Center.

Professionally, Ilene is the chief financial officer of her family’s business, The Party Warehouse. She and her husband, Jerry, have three children.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Northern

NEW JERSEY

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

EVA LYNN GANS has served UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey in many functions. She has been Federation president, president of the Women’s Division, president of the Endowment Foundation, and Campaign chair. On the national scene, she serves as a board member of the Jewish Federations of North America. Eva has received many awards, including the Gates of Jerusalem Award and the Lion of Judah Award.

Currently, Eva is president of her synagogue, the Jewish Center of Teaneck, and works as a computer consultant. She and her husband, Leo, have three sons and five grandchildren.

Orange County, CALIFORNIA

DEBBIE MARGOLIS currently serves as vice president of Development at the Jewish Federation of Orange County.

In the past she has served as president of Women’s Philanthropy and vice president of Social Action/Outreach. Debbie is also a member of the Chairman’s Circle of Jewish Family Service and is on the steering committee for Women 4 Women: Helping Women Forward.

An active member of her synagogue, Debbie has held several positions on Temple Bat Yahm boards, and was the temple’s “Woman of the Year” in 2004. She and her husband, Jeff, are very active in temple life.

Debbie holds a master’s degree in education and taught for nine years before retiring to devote more time to her volunteer work.

Oklahoma City

LINDA GARDNER is currently a co-chair of the 2010 Campaign and a member of the executive committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City. She is an immediate past president of the Federation, one of the few who, when called upon, agreed to serve a second term. She is also an endowed Ruby Lion.

Aside from her Federation service, Linda is also an active member of Emanuel Synagogue. She serves on the board, the Selection and Oversight committee, and as chair of the annual Passover event. She and her husband, Justin, have participated in countless missions to Israel.

Omaha

DOROTHY RIEKES and her late husband Henry established an endowment fund with the Jewish Federation of Omaha in 1975. She has also been active in many Omaha Jewish institutions aside from Federation, including Beth El Synagogue, the Friedel Jewish Academy, Hadassah, the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, National Council of Jewish Women, and B’nai B’rith Women. Dorothy and Henry were presented with the 1990 Jewish Federation of Omaha’s Humanitarian of the Year award. They have three children, nine grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.

Orlando

HENRIETTA KATZEN has been a key leader in the Orlando Jewish Community for over three decades. She has served as a Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando board member, chair of the LOJE, chair of the Lion of Judah Division, and chair of the Major Donors Division. She has volunteered her time and received numerous recognitions from many different organizations, including T.O.P. Jewish Foundation, Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center, the Hebrew Day School, Central Florida Hillel, State of Israel Bonds, Orlando Museum of Art Acquisition Trust, Jewish Museum of Florida, Morse Museum, and Cornell Museum.

Henrietta and her husband, Marc, delight in their children and grandchildren.

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Ottawa

BONNIE MEROVITZ has held many leadership positions in the Jewish Federation of Ottawa, including co-chair of the Shalom Welcome Committee, chair of the Women’s Division, co-chair of the State of Israel Bonds Committee, and board member of the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation. She is currently chair of the Allocations Committee. During her leadership of the Women’s Division in 1992, the Young Women’s Leadership Council was launched.

Bonnie, a LOJE, and her husband, Chuck, established their own endowment fund through the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation. They have two sons and two grandsons.

Palm Beach

Philad elphia

LANA DISHLER has served as the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s vice president and secretary. Furthermore, she served as president of the Women’s Leadership board, co-chair of the Federation’s Mitzvah Mania day, co-chair of the Centennial Celebration committee, chair of the Resettlement and Missions committee, and co-chair of the Israel 50 celebration. She recently served on the planning committee for the 2010 Women’s Philanthropy Live It Up committee, and was co-chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Gala.

Apart from Federation work, Lana is a former vice president of HIAS and Council Migration Service.

She served as co-chair of the Soviet Jewry Council of Philadelphia and Summit Sunday: the March on Washington for Soviet Jewry. Professionally, Lana is an elementary school teacher and an educational sales representative and consultant. She and her husband, Bernard, have two children and three grandchildren.

COUNTY

BARBARA KAY is a distinguished leader in the Jewish community. She has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County as well as president of the Women’s Division. She is also a member of the Jewish Federations of North America’s board of trustees and the board of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

Barbara has been the host of “MOSAIC,” the Federation-sponsored weekly television program broadcast locally on the NBC affiliate, for more than 20 years.

She has also produced seven documentaries for JDC. She formerly owned Barbara Gordon Associates, a marketing and advertising firm.

Palm Springs

CELIA NORIAN is currently chair of the Allocations committee of the Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and Desert Area. She has served in many roles on the Women’s Philanthropy board, including as president, recording secretary, and Campaign vice president. She has also served as recording secretary of the Federation board.

Outside of the Federation, Celia was formerly president of the Arrowhead chapter of Hadassah, and is now a representative of the Hadassah Cabinet in Southern California. Additionally, she is a member of the board of directors at her synagogue, Temple Isaiah. Celia and her husband, Sandy, operate an insurance business.

Phoenix

SANDRA SHEINBEIN has served the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix for many years and in many different roles. She has served as Women’s Department president, Women’s Campaign chair, Federation secretary, and Search Committee chair. She has served on the Federation’s executive committee as well as the executive committee of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix. For her work, she received the Medal of Honor, the Young Leadership Award, and the Golda Meir Award.

She served on the boards of National Women’s Philanthropy and National Young Leadership. She also has been on the boards of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, AIPAC, Phoenix Hebrew Academy, and the Hillel at Arizona State University.

Additionally, she is a member of Phoenix ORT and was National CJF Women’s Division president. Sandra is a LOJE.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Pinellas & Pasco COUNTIES, FL

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

MARILYN BENJAMIN is an incredibly active member of the Jewish Federation of Pinellas and Pasco Counties.

She has served on both the board of directors and the Overseas Needs Assessment and Distribution committee. Outside Federation, she served on the boards of Congregation B’nai Israel’s Sisterhood, Bayfront Center Foundation, Straight Inc., and PARC (Pinellas Association for Retarded Children).

She is an endowed Ruby Lion of Judah and a member of American Friends of Magen David Adom, the Jewish National Fund, Hadassah, and National Council of Jewish Women.

Marilyn, along with her late husband Dr. Philip Benjamin, was one of the founding members of Menorah Manor, a continuing care geriatric and rehabilitation center with a reputation as one of the finest in the United States.

Marilyn and Philip received the Federation’s first Yitzhak Rabin Award for Distinguished Community Service.

Pittsburgh

SARITA EISNER is currently co-chair of the Lion of Judah program and co-chair of the Voices Project for the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh. She is also an active member of Hadassah, having served as president of the Carmel group and the Tikvah group. In 2006 Hadassah recognized Sarita as a Volunteer of Valor.

Her synagogue, Congregation Beth Shalom, has also recognized Sarita’s dedication by awarding her the Nathan Snader Award. In 1994 she was the recipient of the State of Israel Bonds’ Guardian of Peace Award and also received the Jewish Theological Seminary Torah Fund Award.

Sarita and her husband, Milt, have two children and four grandchildren.

Portland

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ELIZABETH MENASHE served as the first Campaign chair of the then newly revitalized Woman’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland (Oregon) in 1984.

She went on to hold numerous leadership positions, including as a member of the

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Federation board, general Campaign chair and first woman president of the Portland Federation. She has been active with multiple organizations in both the Jewish and general communities.

Together with her husband, Reuben, Elizabeth was the most recent recipient of the Stampfer Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the Portland Jewish community.

Richmond

CAROLE WEINSTEIN has served as chair of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond’s Women’s Division, as a member of the board, and as a member of the executive committee. Along with her husband, Marcus, she has been a major supporter of the United States Holocaust Museum, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the Virginia Holocaust Museum, Hillel of Richmond and the Carole & Marcus Weinstein JCC. Carole is also involved in a variety of community activities, such as the Children’s Museum and the University of Richmond. She currently serves on the board of the Library of Virginia, has established a Virginia Poetry Prize, and quietly pursues her writing avocation. She is the vice chair of the Richmond-based Weinstein Properties.

Rochester

LESLIE CRANE has served the Jewish Community Federation of Greater Rochester in many different capacities.

She is a past president of the Women’s Philanthropy Executive Council, chair of the Partnership 2000 Rochester steering committee, and a member of the LOJE steering committee. She also serves as vice president of the Federation’s board and secretary of the executive committee.

Additionally, Leslie is a board member at Temple Beth El, American ORT, and the National Council of Jewish Women Rochester Section. She worked for the Rochester City School District for 19 years as a certified school social worker. Leslie and her husband, Howard, have three sons.

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San Antonio

LOUISE BELDON has served as chair of the Endowment Foundation of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio as well as a member of the Federation board. She has also sat on the boards of the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Day School.

Louise has also served in many organizations outside the Jewish community. Her roles have included chair of the Governors of the Cancer Therapy and Research Center, chair of the Nursing Advisory Council at University of Texas Health Science Center, and co-chair of the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center Foundation. She currently serves as chair of the Underwriting Committee of Avance-San Antonio board of directors, a member of the executive committee of the University of Texas’ Health Science Center, and a board member of the San Antonio Medical Foundation. She was also a founding member of the Women’s Leadership Council of United Way. She was inducted into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame in 2008.

Louise, a LOJE, has four children and 13 grandchildren with her husband, Michael.

San Diego

ELAINE GALINSON is very active at the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County. She served as a member of the Federation board, member of the executive committee, chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council, chair of the Lion of Judah Division, and chair of Operation Promise in 2006. She is also a board member of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and chair of its Eshel Committee, a member of the executive committee of the San Deigo Jewish Community Foundation, and chair and founding member of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of San Diego County.

Elaine currently serves on the board of the University of California San Diego, president of the Galinson Family Foundation, and vice president of the Glickman Foundation. She has been honored by several organizations, including the Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

Elaine and her husband, Murray, have three children and eight grandchildren.

San Francisco

SUNNY KAPLAN introduced the Lion of Judah pin to the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma Counties.

She also served as president of the Women’s Division. Sunny was the recipient of the 1992 Harvey Koch Leadership Award and the 2006 Judith Chapman Women’s Leadership Award, and is currently the chair of that committee.

Additionally, Sunny helped to start a Jewish day school in San Francisco that just celebrated its 20th anniversary. She has also been very involved with Hatikvah, which helps provide housing for developmentally disabled Jewish adults.

SarasotaManatee

KAREN BERNSTEIN currently serves as a board member of the Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee and as co-chair of the Education committee. Karen and her husband Tommy provided support to build two playgrounds for the Pittsburgh Jewish Community Center and one in Tbilisi, Georgia, all named for her late daughter Marci Lynn Bernstein.

Of her accomplishments in the community, she is most proud of the Marci Lynn Bernstein Foundation Doubles Co-existence Program in which Israeli Jewish and Arab children learn to play tennis together as a team.

Karen was also instrumental in bringing the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School to the Sarasota-Manatee community in 2003 and served as co-chair of its board.

Karen, a Lion of Judah, has two children and four grandchildren (with one on the way) with her husband, Tommy.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Savannah

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

SHARON GALIN is an active member of the Savannah Jewish Federation. She served as General Campaign chair of the 2009 Annual Campaign, and has served in various other Campaign positions. In addition to her commitment to the Federation, she has served on the boards of her synagogue, the Jewish Community Center, the supplemental Jewish school, and a mission providing services to the area’s homeless population.

Sharon works as a tour guide in historic Savannah.

She has been married to her husband, Murray, for almost 53 years, and together they have four children and seven grandchildren.

Sil icon Valley

BONNIE SLAVITT MOORE has been involved in the Silicon Valley Jewish community for over 26 years in both lay and professional positions.

At the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, she sits on the Women’s Philanthropy executive committee, where her portfolio includes serving as Campaign chair of the Lion and LOJE departments. In addition, she is an advisor to the Young Adults Division. She has served as Federation president and Annual Campaign chair, and was Western Region Campaign chair for United Jewish Appeal.

Along with her Federation commitments, Bonnie is vice president of development for the Annual Campaign and president-elect of the Hillel of Silicon Valley. She also serves on the board of the Jewish Educational Service of North American (JESNA) and the board of the School of Education at the American Jewish University (formally the University of Judaism).

A Jewish educator for more than 45 years, Bonnie was founding director of the Council on Jewish Education at the Federation. She and her husband, Jack Moore, have four children and four grandchildren.

Southern ARIZONA

RUTH ZALES is a vibrant and engaging leader in the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s Tucson community.

She is currently chair of the Federation’s Overseas Allocations Task Force, and is a past chair of the Women’s Division Campaign and past president of the Women’s Division. On the national level, Ruth is a member of the JFNA board and has been involved with the National Women’s Philanthropy board. She also serves on the board of her synagogue, Temple Emanu-El. Ruth is a Double Chai Lion of Judah and a LOJE.

Southern

NEW JERSEY ABBY BELAFSKY served 14 years on the board of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey and was a leader in the Annual Campaign many times.

She was president of Federation’s Women’s Division, chair of the Women’s Country Club Division, Women’s Campaign chair, Annual Campaign chair, and co-chair of Women’s Main Event. Abby was also a member of the National Women’s Philanthropy board and, with her husband Bob, chaired a number of Israel missions.

She has served on the boards of the Jewish Community Foundation and the Jewish Family and Children’s Service. She and Bob were recipients of the Jewish Federation’s Community Service Award.

Outside the Jewish Community, Abby served on a committee of the local American Diabetes Association.

She is a Ruby Lion of Judah as well as a LOJE. Abby and Bob have two daughters and three grandchildren.

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South

PALM BEACH ELLEN R. SARNOFF has served the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County in many capacities. She has been Campaign chair, officer of the board, chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Department, chair of the King David Society, and chair of the Lion of Judah Endowment committee. She currently sits on the National Women’s Philanthropy board.

Outside the Federation, Ellen has served on the boards of the Jewish Association for Residential Care, the Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service, and the National Women’s Philanthropy Major Gifts committee. She presently serves on the board of the Jewish Community Foundation.

In 2008, Ellen was the first recipient of Federations’s prestigious Dorothy P. Seaman Leadership Award.

In 2000, she established the Sarnoff Substance Abuse Education Program at JFS. Earlier this year she was honoree at the Boca Grove Pacesetter.

St. Joseph Valley INDIANA

LYNDA SIMON has served on the board of the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley, as board vice president, as Campaign chair of the Women’s Division, as Women’s Philanthropy Major Gifts co-chair, and as a member of the Annual Campaign Cabinet. A LOJE herself, she was part of a group of women philanthropists who created the Jewish Women’s Endowment Fund at St. Joseph Valley and she currently chairs its Education and Recruitment committee.

Locally, Lynda is also a dedicated member of Temple Beth-El, currently serving as Events Chair, and also finds time to volunteer weekly at the local Ronald McDonald Family Room. She and her er husband, Charles, have two children and four grandchildren. ildren.

St. Louis

LESLIE LEVITZ LITWACK currently serves as a Council of Life Member of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, on the board of Federation’s Women’s Connection, and as a member of the Federation Planning and Allocations committee. She has previously served as chair of the National Agencies subcommittee, president and Campaign chair of the Women’s Division, and as chair of Partnership 2000. In addition, she is on the advisory board of National Women’s Philanthropy.

Outside the Federation, Leslie serves on the boards of the Central Agency for Jewish Education and St. Louis Hillel at Washington University. She has also served as chair of the Jewish Community Center Cultural Arts Department and on the boards of the JCC, Jewish Community Relations Council and Jewish Center for Aged. Leslie has won many awards for her service, including the Federation’s Women’s Division Magen Ami Award.

Leslie, a LOJE, has two sons with her husband, Michael.

St. Paul

DIANE SMOOKLER presently sits on the board of the United Jewish Fund and Council in Saint Paul. She served most prominently in the Women’s Philanthropy Department, where she has been Campaign chair, chair elect, Worker Training chair, and board chair. Additionally, she and her husband are chairing the 2010 Campaign Gala.

Diane is also very involved with the St. Paul Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Family Service, the local Jewish day school, and her synagogue. She is a proud LOJE.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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Tampa

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipients

CAROL JAFFE has been a Lion of Judah since 1998. She has served as a Tampa Jewish Community Center and Federation board member, a founding member and leader of the 1818 Philanthropic Circle (Tampa’s first charitable giving group), and as chair of the Lion of Judah and Women’s Philanthropy departments. She lent her leadership abilities as a cochair to the Federation’s successful Annual President’s Dinner and has currently turned her attention to being an active board member for Hillel of the Suncoast. She is active in her synagogue, Congregation Kol Ami, and has two children and two grandchildren with her husband, Mark.

Tidewater

TELSA LEON is a proud member of the Women’s Cabinet of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater (Southeastern Virginia). She is also very involved with ORT, Hadassah, Beth El Sisterhood at her synagogue, and the Hebrew Academy. Additionally, she created a Russian language library at Temple Israel in Norfolk.

Through creative philanthropy and hands-on activism, Telsa is a role model to her three sons (all Federation and community leaders in their own right), her daughters-in-law, her husband Arnold, and her many friends.

She is an Emerald Lion and LOJE.

Toledo

SANDRA ROMANOFF has served in numerous capacities in the local and global Jewish communities, and is a LOJE. She has served as co-chair of the United Jewish Council of Greater Toledo Major Gifts Division, co-chair of the Lion of Judah Division, and is one of the original committee members of Toledo’s Young Leadership Program. Sandra has been both vice president of Special Projects and co-chair for the Donor Program for ORT. At her synagogue, Temple Shomer Emunim, she has served on committees for Sisterhood and the Capital Campaign.

Toronto

FRAN SONSHINE has been involved with the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto in many different capacities. She served as chair of Women’s Campaign and Advocacy, chair of the Lion of Judah Endowment, Annual Campaign chair, and as a member of the board of the Jewish Foundation. She has served on the board of the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy and the Board of Governors at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Fran is a past chair of the board of Baycrest, a geriatric health care system devoted to enriching the quality of life for the elderly. In 1996, Fran received HadassahWIZO’s Volunteer of Distinction award and in 2003 UJA Federation’s Shem Tov Award. She is currently chair of the Canadian Society for Yad Vashem.

Fran and her husband, Ed, are proud of their three children and seven grandchildren.

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Washington, D.C.

DEDE FEINBERG sits on the board of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and has served as president, Campaign chair, Financial Resource Development chair, and Women’s Division chair. Nationally, she is vice-chair of the JFNA board of trustees and the United Israel Appeal.

Dede has also chaired JFNA’s Missions Committee, the National Women’s Philanthropy International Lion of Judah Conference, and NWP’s Major Gifts committee.

She and her husband, Kenneth, were North American co-chairs for the 2009 JFNA General Assembly.

Outside the Federation, Dede is a member of the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors and co-chairs both the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Assembly Planning committee and the Jewish Peoplehood Awareness Among Israelis committee. She is also a member of the Hillel board. Dede has received several awards including: National Capital Philanthropy Day Exceptional Volunteer Fundraiser and the Whitney North Seymour Award of Outstanding Public Service.

Western

MASSACHUSETTS RUTH WEBBER has served on the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts executive committee and as chair of the Women’s Campaign.

She has also sat on the boards of the Jewish Endowment Foundation and of her synagogue. Ruth served as president of the Springfield Chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women and chaired its Scholarship Committee for many years. She has served on the executive board of the Springfield Symphony and the board of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts. Ruth and her sister-in-law were instrumental in establishing Ruth’s House, a local assisted living facility.

Ruth is a Ruby Lion and an endowed Star of David Lion in Western Massachusetts, and a Lion in South Palm Beach County, where she spends her winters. She is the mother of two daughters and a son (z”l), and has nine grandchildren.

National Young Lead ership Cabinet KWF AWARD RECIPIENT

LISA KUDISH is currently co-vice chair of Campaign for National Young Leadership. She recently led the NYL Cabinet’s opening of the 2011 Campaign year by producing a 25% gift-for-gift increase in women’s giving — a record for Women’s Cabinet!

Lisa was a young leader in Chicago before moving to Miami last year. She is an extraordinary person who cares for family, friends and community in a loving and caring way. She currently serves on the JFNA Marketing committee, and is Campaign vice chair for the Network board of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Lisa has served in leadership capacity for several Ben-Gurion Society events, Israel@60, the Leadership Institute Day task force, and Israel Solidarity Day, among others. She also holds leadership positions in other organizations, including Aspiritech, AIPAC, Jewish Council for Youth Services, and CityPAC. Lisa’s Cabinet chevre selected her for this award not only because of all her achievements, but also because of her very special neshama. Overcoming loss and struggles in her life, she still finds time and patience for others, inspiring her family, friends and community to reach higher, do better, be stronger on behalf of those who have no voice. She has devoted herself to the needs of others, and is truly an eshet chayil—our Cabinet Woman of Valor.

We are proud to call her our leader, but prouder still to call her our friend.

www.JewishFederations.org/nwp

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From Dens Around the Country...

OUR LIONS ROAR !

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ASPEN

ATLANTA

Aspen Valley Lions have taken a significant step towards engaging more women in the work of JFNA by involving individual Lions in selecting a special program for the local Lions to support. In the past, the Lions’ generous donations have gone to the General Campaign. This new concept means that approximately 20 percent of their total gifts are designated for a particular overseas project. “Many women here are very enthusiastic about taking a ‘hands on’ approach to tzedakah,” explained Lions Chair Melinda Goldrich of the new approach.

A special Lion of Judah Luncheon was held where representatives from the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Joint Distribution Committee presented possible projects for local Lion support.

After much discussion and analysis, the Lions selected the Jewish Agency’s Youth Futures program.

Through Youth Futures, the Lions will sponsor one “trustee,” a socially motivated local resident who coordinates among young people, community resources, the education system, and families.

The trustee also acts as a mentor and advocate for the child, ensuring that his/her environment is as positive and supportive as possible. Trustees undergo special training so that they will be able to perform their duties and handle the responsibility of attending to a group of 10-20 children at risk.

Lions will sponsor one trustee for one year, at a total cost of $26,700.

The Atlanta Lions continue to do amazing work. Last year, we hosted the Lion of Judah & Pomegranate Society Event, chaired by Michele Hirsch, Candace Kerker and Lois Kuniansky, which allowed us to continue sharing the stories of our community. The event was unique because we held it at Federation instead of a large hotel, which helped bring people to our building and show that we wanted to be fiscally responsible with community dollars.

At the event, we had table discussions where each person shared their personal story, continuing to teach that we each have a Jewish story to tell. Then we were fortunate to hear from Abigail Pogrebin, our speaker, who shared how the road to writing her book about the Jewish stories of celebrities shaped her own personal Jewish life. There were 180 women in attendance, and those women raised over $900,000.

Our Lions also led the way in our social action initiative on May 11, chaired by Keri Greenwald, Sheri Labovitz and Jodie Sobel, where 60 women traveled to 10 different agency projects to lend a helping hand and better understand how Federation dollars touch our entire community.

That day, our Lions served as mentors to new women looking to get connected with Federation.

In spite of the challenging economic climate, we are proud to announce that we have six new Lions and five new Lion of Judah Endowments. Betty Sunshine, our outgoing Women’s Philanthropy chair, has left her legacy by endowing her Lion of Judah at the end of her term, as her gift back to the community. We are looking forward to going from strength to strength in the upcoming year.

Enjoying the Aspen Valley Lion of Judah Luncheon are: (1st row, L. to R.) Lorrie Winnerman, Immediate Past LOJ Chair; Richard Shenk, UJA Campaign Chair, and Yosefa Platt. (2nd Row, L. to R.) Elaine Sandler, Judy Mann, Julie Puchkoff, Chair, Pomegranate Division; Melinda Goldrich, LOJ Chair; Jean Lee Parelman, Julie Gerson, and Jennifer Kraft, Community Relations Director of JDC. Not pictured: Richie Pearlstone, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel.

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(L. to R.) Peggy Roth, 2010 Atlanta Federation Women’s Philanthropy Vice Chair; Betty Sunshine, 2010 Women’s Philanthropy Chair; Abigail Pogrebin, speaker; Candace Kerker, Lion/Pomegranate Event CoChair and Lois Kuniansky, Lion/Pomegranate Event Co-Chair.

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BALTIMORE We are THE ASSOCIATED Women! The chairs of our 2011 Baltimore Lion activities—Rosalee Davison and her daughter-in-law, Sarah Davison; Ronnie Footlick and her daughters; and Leslie Schaller and Randi Settleman—are leading by example. Rosalee, Baltimore’s Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland honoree, eagerly accepted this well-deserved recognition and was thrilled when told that Sarah would be joining her as recruitment chair. What a pair they are—dedicated, generous and kind. When asked to co-chair with Rosalee, Sarah said, “Of course, I look forward to sharing this experience with someone so close to me. I remember my first International Lion of Judah Conference when Rosalee and I participated together in exciting programming and a meaningful caucus.”

All of our Lions look forward to learning, sharing and celebrating with Rosalee and Sarah in New Orleans at the International Lion of Judah Conference.

Just prior to the ILOJC is Baltimore’s annual Lion of Judah event. This year’s chairs, Ronnie and her daughters, Leslie and Randi, are hoping to attract many mothers, daughters, sisters and grandmothers to our 2011 Campaign signature event. When asked by 2011 Women’s Campaign Chair Laurie Luskin to chair the event together, Ronnie responded with delight saying, “There is nothing more important than passing our spirit of giving to our children.”

Laurie is thrilled to have these two dedicated families provide the leadership and example to others. Laurie exclaimed, “I love these two families! They personify why Baltimore is the community it is! Strong, devoted, involved women who understand the need to pass their values on to their families.”

International Lion of Judah Conference Chairs Rosalee Davison and her daughter-in-law Sarah Davison of The ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.

BOSTON On May 25, 36 women came together to “hear what the Lions are roaring about” at CJP’s annual Spring Lion of Judah Event hosted by Marilyn Okonow. Co-chaired

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by Jacquelyn Furman, Marcy Haber and Toby Sloane, the event featured comedienne Cory Kahaney (from NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”) and a personal story about the Lion of Judah Endowment from a new LOJE, WP President Jill Roberts. All LOJEs present signed a ketubah commemorating their commitment. The Boston Lions also welcomed new Lion Erica Silverman, wife of JFNA President Jerry Silverman, and presented her with her pin. Erica recently became a Ruby Lion!

Boston Major Gifts Vice President Penny Goodman (left) presents Erica Silverman with her Lion of Judah pin.

BROWARD COUNTY Carrie Schulman, Broward County’s 2010 KipnisWilson/Friedland honoree, became a Lion of Judah in 1990 and has been a pivotal factor in multi-generational giving. Dedicated to the Jewish Federation of Broward County for years, she can point to the moment her commitment began. Early on, her mother was involved with Jewish causes and remains an active volunteer today. Her husband David was also committed to the Federation.

But Carrie’s commitment to Federation began when she and her husband went on a mission to Israel. “That mission sparked my passion for the Federation and all it represents,” she recalls.

From the Young Leadership Division to more missions and committees, Carrie made the Federation part of her life, and her family followed in her footsteps. As a youngster, daughter Stacey says, “I’d donate $52—one dollar for every week—to Federation.” Stacey was on the Young Leadership Division board, and met her husband there. “Federation is very meaningful in my life,” she said.

Carrie’s niece, Kim Fish, senior director of NWP, says, “We all want to become involved wherever Carrie is involved.” Carrie encouraged Kim’s participation in Federation when Kim first moved to South Florida, and she soon became engaged in many aspects of the organization. “This involvement helped me develop a sense of community and self-value,” Kim said.

Carrie’s family tradition continues on!

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CALGARY

Broward Lion Carrie Schulman and her daughter, Stacey Jerry, who is following in her mother’s footsteps as a Federation volunteer.

Being a Lion of Judah is a symbol of strength and a reminder that women make a difference when our brothers and sisters are in need. The Lions in Calgary take this to heart and have created a new initiative: a student grant to be awarded yearly to a financially needy Jewish student for undergraduate study.

Each applicant will need to fulfill several criteria in order to qualify, including a one-year commitment to serve on the grant selection committee following their year of participation and to take on a volunteer position within the Calgary United Jewish Appeal Campaign.

This project also aligns with Calgary Jewish Community Council’s Strategic Plan, as it reflects improved community communication, collaboration with UJA partner agencies and cultivation of community leadership.

Another exciting component of this project is the opportunity for the Lions to mentor the grant recipient during their academic year. It is our hope that Lions of Judah will continue to lead their peers through generosity, strength and vision.

CENTRAL NEW JERSEY BUFFALO Creating a new tradition of Lion of Judah get-togethers in early summer, several Buffalo Lions recently attended an art tour and luncheon at the newly built BurchfieldPenney Art Center. Led by Women’s Philanthropy Chair Viola Sterman (LOJ) and Event Chair Ellen Reis (LOJE), the women took a docent-led tour of new acquisitions, which included works by Charles Burchfield, Ellen Steinfeld and artist Sylvia Rosen. Following the tour, the group posed for this photo with artist Sylvia Rosen in the Museum’s Sylvia Rosen Gallery. Designed by renowned architects Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, the Burchfield Penney Art Center has become the first art museum in New York State to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The museum sits on the Buffalo State College campus, and many members of the Buffalo Jewish Community have taken prominent positions in the museum’s life since its inception more than 50 years ago.

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Buffalo Lions (standing, L.to R.) Judith Judelsohn, Sandra Morrison, Sharon Levite, Cheryl Orlick, Hannah Weinberg, Lana Benatovich, Women’s Philanthropy Chair Viola Sterman, Judith Katzenelson Brownstein, Marilyn C. Shuman, Susan Goldman. (Seated L. to R.) LOJEs Jane Cole Godin, Sylvia Rosen, event chair Ellen Reis.

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The Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey welcomes Elyse Deutsch and Stacie Friedman as our newest Lions of Judah. Each woman decided, for very different reasons, that the time was right for them to make this commitment to their Jewish community.

Elyse Deutsch made her first gift to the Federation in 1994. Currently Elyse is a member of the Federation board and the Women’s Cabinet, Social Action co-chair, and Book Club co-chair. In 2009 her dedication was recognized with the Acharai Award. “Since the onset of my involvement, my dream was to become a Lion of Judah. My mother was my role model, having been the founding LOJ in her small UJA division in Bayonne, NJ. Although finances had not allowed me to become a LOJ before, when my Mom recently passed away, I knew I wanted to carry on her legacy and proudly wear her LOJ pin. I look forward to continuing our family’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of Jews locally and around the world.”

Stacie Friedman received the Young Leadership Award at the Federation’s Annual Meeting in June 2009.

Her decision to become a Lion of Judah follows her participation as organizer of a Super Sunday Scavenger Hunt, co-chair of Leil Iyun: A Night of Jewish Learning, and co-chair of the 2010 Women’s Philanthropy Main Event. At the Federation’s Annual Meeting in June, Stacie was inducted as a member of the board of directors. As a volunteer Stacie believes very strongly in the Federation’s mission.

“I felt that to be truly committed I needed to step up and increase my giving,” she said. “I am blessed that I am able to do so, especially in this economy, and am confident that the monies that I donate will go straight to helping the world’s Jews and to furthering our mission. I also feel that by becoming a Lion of Judah, I can inspire my peers to give—they can see that one of their peers is

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giving at this level and that up-and-coming leaders can do so as well. I also hope that even if they are not able to give to this level that I will inspire them to at least give of their time and to know that giving of time is so important. I was so honored at the Main Event to have my photo taken with most of our Federation’s Lions of Judah. I felt truly part of a club of exceptional women whom I wish to emulate in my good works.”

Women’s Philanthropy is eager to watch the growth of both these remarkable women as they share their energy, ideas, and passions with the Jewish community in Central NJ.

(L. to R.) Wendy Rosenberg, Central NJ LOJ Co-chair; Elyse Deutsch; Stacie Friedman; Joan Levinson, Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair.

CHARLOTTE Lion of Judah Co-chairs Tracy Brown, Amy Gould and Alison Lerner welcomed Charlotte’s Lions and their 12 guests at a luncheon at Zebra Restaurant.

Amy Gould said, “We are proud to wear our Lion of Judah pin, a symbol which defines us and our values much more accurately than any other piece of jewelry.

Wearing the pin is a proud way of saying ‘Acharai’ (follow me). This year Tracy, Alison and I have chosen to wear our pins for 78 days, the length of the 2010 Lion of Judah Campaign, to inspire all women in our community to follow our lead.”

Our speaker Sophie Ambrose captivated the hearts of 45 women as she thanked them for providing the funds for an experience that changed her life. Sophie told her story of growing up in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas with no ties to Judaism, and as the result of a Google search, participating in a Birthright Israel trip.

The event’s crowning moment occurred when two guests became new Lions of Judah. During the Campaign, three others joined.

The Federation also honored its 11 LOJEs at a beauty event hosted by Neiman Marcus.

CLEVELAND The Jewish Federation of Cleveland kicked off its 2010 Women’s Campaign with a Ruby Lion event hosted

by Erica Hartman-Horvitz in her home. The event featured Stephen J. Knerly Jr., an international expert on Holocaust-era looted art. The private event, attended by 46 Rubies, was an exciting beginning to the Campaign for Jewish Needs.

Continuing the successful start of the Campaign, the annual Lion of Judah event featured Sara Hirschhorn, JDC-Israel Division director for Strategic Partnerships, who shared “Stories of Compassion, Hope and Opportunity,” educating and entertaining many Lions about the life-changing work of the JDC. Cleveland also launched a Lion of Judah Endowment awareness effort, with a LOJE training and a passionate appeal by LOJE co-chair Fran Lasky. Sandy Wuliger and Evie Safran, LOJE co-chairs, continued the effort at the Ruby and Lion events. Our former Women’s Division chair, Eileen Sill, shared her LOJE story at one of our Florida receptions. The combined effort to integrate LOJE messaging has resulted in two new endowments, two in process, and many more promising conversations.

In June a group of current, past and future women leaders met to begin the transition to Women’s Philanthropy. It is the first step in redefining women’s involvement in Federation in an effort to align with national trends in philanthropy.

(L. to R.) Sandy Wuliger, Cleveland Federation LOJE Co-Chair, and Sara Hirschhorn, JDC-Israel Division Director for Strategic Partnerships.

COLLIER COUNTY

(L. to R.) Charlotte LOJ Co-chairs Amy Gould and Alison Lerner, Guest Speaker Sophie Ambrose, LOJ Co-chair Tracy Brown.

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Jewish Federation of Collier County launched its 2010 Campaign at our Annual Community Celebration on February 6 at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort Naples, FL. Lions of Judah and major givers gathered privately for cocktails before a community dinner. With a growing inbound Jewish community, Lions of Judah from all over the country have connected to our Federation’s many events and activities that not only serve those in need, but also enhance and enrich the Jewish community.

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COLUMBUS

(L. to R.) Collier County Lions of Judah: Gracia Kuller, Arlene Subin, Myra Friedman, Janet Solot and Evy Lipp

COLORADO The challenging economy was no match for our “Mountain Lions,” who climbed to new heights in both outreach and fundraising this year. Most notable was the annual CHOICES luncheon in February, which was attended by more than 1,100 women—the second highest amount ever. Best-selling author Jennifer Weiner was the featured speaker and her celebrated book, In Her Shoes, inspired the event theme, “In Their Footsteps, In Their Shoes.” From the event promotion to the mitzvah project to the divine décor, the theme was woven throughout every element of the highly-anticipated afternoon.

That day, it was all about the shoes. Each of the almost 120 tables was adorned with a whimsical centerpiece sporting a hand-decorated stiletto pump, generously designed by Jewish women throughout the Denver/Boulder community. Never missing an opportunity to raise even more funds, the festooned footwear was raffled off at each table at the end of the day.

At the Lion/LOJE reception, which took place just prior to CHOICES, the crowd was elated by the announcement of a new Lion of Judah Endowment, one of two new endowments this year. With over 300 active Lions in Colorado, the potential to grow our pride is greater than ever.

In 2009, the Lions of Judah in Columbus, Ohio began a tradition they believe will have a lasting impact on Federation and all the people and programs it supports.

They made their annual event a family affair. Under the guidance of co-chairs Karen Bokor, Donna Hecker, Liz Schaeffer and Audrey Tuckerman, every Lion attending the Annual Campaign Event last fall was encouraged to bring a female relative as her guest. Daughters, granddaughters, sisters and mothers were all welcomed to join in the celebration of our Lions, their rich history in the community and their commitment to the values of tzdekah and chesed.

The event, which featured Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, was a tremendous success. It gave Lions an opportunity to share the excitement and pride they feel for their Jewish community and their charitable work with those closest to them. And perhaps more importantly, it gave women unfamiliar with the program a first-hand look at Lion of Judah and the critical role it plays in our community’s fundraising. The Lions believe that this exposure will be instrumental in keeping women a strong part of the Federation and will continue the practice at 2011 Campaign events this fall.

(L. to R.) Columbus Lion of Judah Co-chair Donna Hecker, Lion of Judah Co-chair Liz Schaeffer, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Lion of Judah Co-chair Audrey Tuckerman, 2010 Federation Board Chair Steve Tuckerman, new Vice President Community Services Karen Bokor, 2010 Federation Campaign Chair Jeff Coopersmith and Federation President & CEO Marsha Hurwitz.

DELAWARE The Jewish Federation of Delaware hosted a screening of the delightful documentary “The Gefilte Fish Chronicles” in March 2010 for their annual Women’s Philanthropy event. This pre-Passover event featured recipes prepared from Susie Fishbein’s cookbook, Passover

by Design, and a warm, inspiring address by National Women’s Philanthropy Chair Linda A. Hurwitz. Linda also shared one of her favorite Passover dishes, tri-color gefilte fish, which she lovingly prepared for the group in her own kitchen!

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In Their Footsteps…In Their Shoes: Centerpieces were shoes decorated by table captains and members of the Denver/Boulder Jewish community.

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GRAND RAPIDS The Grand Rapids Lions were treated to a special Lion appreciation dinner with a Mardi Gras theme. Two long-time Lions, Karen Padnos and Susan Samrick, who hosted the event, wanted to encourage attendance at the Lion Conference in New Orleans in November. The ladies turned out in colorful beads and eye masks to sip on Hurricanes and enjoy a Big Easy-style dinner. They were thanked for their continued support of the greater Jewish community.

With their Café Du Monde and beignets, the Lions learned details of the fall conference. Smooth jazz piano and singing by entertainer Pam Rush capped the evening.

Delaware Women’s Philanthropy Co-Chairs, Michelle Engelmann and Ellen Wagner, welcome NWP Chair Linda A. Hurwitz.

EAST BAY On April 28, nearly 60 women heeded the call to “Kick Up Your Heels” and attended the Federation of the East Bay’s Lion and Pomegranate Event, held at Hiller Highlands Country Club.

While shoes were the theme of the event, it was really about celebrating strong, powerful, generous women in the community. The evening’s speaker was Lauren Brandt, marketing director for ANYI LU Shoes—www.anyilu.com—who spoke about healthy fashion and trends as well as her Federation experience as a woman philanthropist. Coincidently, Brandt also is the wife of Federation CEO Rabbi James Brandt.

As the event focused on women and women’s philanthropy, three women from the community also were honored. Together they represented three generations of Federation supporters. They spoke about their experiences and passions as female Jewish philanthropists— what it meant to them as individuals and the power of their gifts in meeting the needs of their community.

To date, the Women’s Philanthropy division has raised $1.2 million, accounting for a significant portion of our overall 2010 Federation campaign, a true testament to the power and dedication of women’s participation in Jewish philanthropy.

East Bay Women’s Philanthropy Leadership (L. to R.) Jessica Minkoff, Tracy Ucuzoglu, Midori Antebi, Claudia Felson, Naomi Glasky.

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(L. to R.) Grand Rapids Lions Peg Finkelstein, Judy Joseph, Jean Barkin, Marilyn Leven, Judy Subar, Susan Samrick, Lanny Thodey, Sharyl Titche, and Karen Padnos.

HARRISBURG A first-ever regional women’s philanthropy event met in Harrisburg on April 26, bringing Federation women to the capital city from York, Lancaster, Reading and Lehigh Valley. The event launched the beginning of what is being called “A Sisterhood of the Traveling Federations of Pennsylvania,” a collaboration of women in five central Pennsylvania Jewish communities.

“We were extraordinarily pleased and excited to be part of this groundbreaking event,” said Julie Halbert, Campaign chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg. The importance of the event was highlighted by the fact that the guest speakers were top women leaders in the Federation: Linda A. Hurwitz, chair of the National Women’s Philanthropy board of JFNA and Kathy Manning, chair of the JFNA board. Invited to the town hall-style Harrisburg event were women at the Lion of Judah and Pomegranate giving levels and Harrisburg members of the Ben-Gurion, Maimonides and Cardozo Societies.

Kathy Manning underscored the difficulty of meeting the needs of Jews around the world in a time of economic hardship. Challenges include the chronic and growing problem of hunger in the former Soviet Union increased poverty in Israel; and insufficient funding for after-school academic programs for Ethiopian Jewish children in Israel and job training for their parents. Also at risk are Jewish schools and summer camps locally and JCCs in smaller communities throughout the FSU, which strengthen Jewish identity.

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Harrisburg Federation Campaign Executive Team with Kathy Manning and Linda A. Hurwitz of JFNA. (L. to R.) Julie Wright Halbert, Linda Hurwitz, Kathy Manning, Neysa Maisel, Marcia Cohen and Marilynn Abrams.

HARTFORD The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford is proud to have more than 130 Lions of Judah dedicated to making a difference in Greater Hartford and around the world.

This year Hartford welcomed the following new Lions: Claudia Coplein, Bonnie Hamill, Ann Pava, Elaine Price, Gayle Temkin and Cathy Welson. There were also nine women who returned to the honor roll as Lions of Judah this year. The LOJE honor roll now stands at 28.

In May, at Voices, the Women’s Philanthropy signature event, Lions of Judah met Kati Marton, author of the recently released memoir, Enemies of the People. Marton’s true story details her upbringing in war torn Hungary. Through eyewitness accounts, Marton describes her parents’ arrest in Cold-War Budapest and their ultimate journey to the United States. As an adult, Marton discovered her own Jewish heritage. Lions of Judah with roots in Budapest were able to reminisce with the speaker.

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Stephanie Maierson

“The way our Federation system has jumped into action to help those in need is inspiring,” said Manning.

“But there are needs we are not meeting, and people we are not reaching. We were so proud in the early 1990s as Israel airlifted so many Jews out of Ethiopia to a better life in Israel. Now we are working to avoid a permanent black underclass in Israel.”

Linda A. Hurwitz noted that regional kickoff meetings of women’s philanthropy are being planned around the country and that women have a more “emotional and relational” approach. “They want to get involved, not just write a check,” she said. “And yet, participation is almost always a precursor to giving.”

Hurwitz differentiated between male and female philanthropy, saying that men usually give because of who asks, whereas women give because of who receives. But whatever the point of entry, philanthropy is about believing each of us can have an impact on the future.

The coming together of the five communities “truly commemorates ... a special time, a time for hope and promise to rejoice in our shared mission,” Halbert noted, and she asked all the women to stand and recite the Shehecheyanu.

The region hopes to move forward with more events this coming Campaign year and was honored to have Kathy and Linda with us to share such a wonderful evening.

Hartford Lions of Judah welcomed author and journalist Kati Marton in May at Voices. (L. to R.) Cathrine Fischer Schwartz, Executive Director; Debra Glassman, Associate Vice President of Development; Roberta Singer, Event Co-Chair; Kati Marton, Keynote Speaker; Joyce Leibert, Debbi Kritzman, Sandy Goldberg, Event Co-Chairs; and Randi Piaker, Women’s Philanthropy Chair.

HOUSTON The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s Women’s Philanthropy division honored its Lions of Judah with the annual Heart to Heart Celebration on April 14 at The Montebello. Event chairs were Gloria Bluestone and Kelli Cohen Fein. Elyse Spector Kalmans is the 2010 Lion of Judah Society chair.

The annual event enables the Federation to thank the women of the Lion of Judah Society for their staunch support of the community year after year. “The Heart to Heart Celebration is a wonderful way to show our Lions how appreciative we are of the commitment they have made to all of the organizations here in Houston and around the world that benefit from the Federation’s Annual Campaign,” Spector Kalmans said.

Linda Scherzer, former Middle East correspondent for CNN and Israel Television, spoke at the event and described her experience covering the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“Attendees were engaged by the speaker who was knowledgeable, passionate and willing to share the insight she’s gained from her own first-hand experience living in Israel for many years,” Bluestone said.

“Linda Scherzer’s compelling presentation on Israel and the media inspired a meaningful question and answer session. Ultimately, she challenged the audience to broaden its scope in terms of understanding the spectrum of journalistic perspectives and encouraged speaking up for Israel from a factual, historical based position, thereby marginalizing emotion and bias,” Cohen Fein said.

The Houston Lions have a current membership of more than 230 women. “The causes that the Federation supports are the causes that are so important to me, and the women who support the Federation at the level of a Lion are making a real commitment to these causes,” Bluestone said.

“Participating as a Lion of Judah affords an important opportunity for women to express and share their unique views, thereby creating meaningful synergy within our local and global communities,” Cohen Fein said. “The Federation is a far-reaching umbrella organization that can maximize efficient use of funds for our community, particularly critical in light of the recent devastating recession and growing anti-Semitism. I strongly encourage others, particularly the younger gen-

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erations, to learn about and become involved with the vital work of the Federation.”

Women’s Philanthropy Chair Sandra Finkelman added: “As women, we are playing our part and demonstrating our commitment to the Jewish community and giving through the Federation.”

Last year, the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston generated more than $20 million, which was allocated to local, national and global community partners and made a difference in the lives of millions of Jewish people—in Houston, in Israel and in more than 60 countries around the world.

LONG BEACH Re-invigorating the role of Women’s Philanthropy in our community is high on the agenda for our Lions of Judah. This past year, we combined with the Lions of the Santa Barbara Federation and held a joint event at the Herzog Wine Cellars, a kosher winery in Oxnard, CA. The afternoon included a winery tour and tasting, gourmet lunch and art exhibit.

Jill Namm, Heart to Heart mission co-chair, was our guest speaker, and we look forward to her returning to our community in the fall to help promote the mission.

In challenging economic times, it makes sense to work with neighboring communities on events, and since we are a smaller community, we also invited our Pomegranates to join us. For the coming year, our incoming Lion chair, Leslie Kern, is excited about planning programs that continue to educate and inspire our women. She is looking forward to getting as many Lions as possible to New Orleans for the GA and ILOJC, and we are planning a home-based event to honor our KWF award winner and to recruit for the conference and the mission.

(L. to R.) Lee Wunsch, CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Houston; Sandra Finkelman, Houston Federation Women’s Philanthropy Chair; Kelli Cohen Fein, Co-chair of Heart to Heart; Linda Scherzer, guest speaker; Gloria Bluestone Co-chair of Heart to Heart; Elyse Kalmans, Lion of Judah Society Chair; Mark Praigg, sponsor, The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation.

LEHIGH VALLEY Lions of Judah from the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley kick off the campaign every year with a special Pacesetter event. This year’s event featured the Middle East expert Avi Melamed, who provided insight into the changing situation facing Israel. The event was held in the historic home of Ilene Hochberg Wood. Guests were treated to a lovely evening catered by Ilene’s husband, Bob Wood, an executive with Sodexho, and learned about the Hess Family and the celebrities they had entertained in the home. The family owned Hess’s Department Store, once a destination for those looking for the finest fashions.

At the event, which more than 30 Lions attended, one woman became a new Lion of Judah, while the hostess, Ilene Hochberg Wood, endowed her gift.

(L. to R.) Shira Kern and her mom, incoming Lion Chair Leslie Kern, at the VISIONS Long Beach Women’s Campaign event. Sophie Ambrose inspired women of all generations, and the evening included outreach to other Jewish women’s organizations by honoring a “Woman of Vision” from each group.

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Jewish Federation’s Sylvia Weisz Women’s Campaign drew more than 400 women to the Ruby/Lion of Judah luncheon. Under the leadership of Heidi Monkarsh, Ruby chair, Nancy Dean, LOJ chair, and Gayle Weiss, luncheon chair, the day was an enormous success. Award-winning producer and philanthropist Marc Platt gave a riveting speech on being a committed Jewish leader in Hollywood, while Julie Platt, Women’s Campaign chair and Marc’s wife, spoke passionately about the importance of women’s philanthropy. Rochelle Cohen was honored with the prestigious Lion of Judah Ruby Award for her outstanding leadership and commitment to community service.

Lehigh Valley Lion Ilene Hochberg Wood with Avi Melamed

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LOUISVILLE

(L. to R.) Los Angeles Lion of Judah Chair Nancy Dean, Luncheon Chair Gayle Weiss, Keynote Speaker Marc Platt, Women’s Campaign Chair Julie Platt and Ruby Chair Heidi Monkarsh.

LOS ANGELES VALLEY ALLIANCE Valley Alliance Lions of Judah have been incredibly busy this year, and are hard at work recruiting as they make their way toward the International Lion of Judah Conference in NOLA this November. In January, Valley Lions attended the Chai/Emerald/ Zahav luncheon, joining our sister Lions at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. In February, Valley Lion Rochelle Cohen was honored for her commitment, involvement, generosity and leadership with the prestigious Ruby Award at the annual Ruby and Lion of Judah luncheon at the famed Beverly Hills Hotel.

Our Lions roared again come the Ides of March, when over 500 women gathered for “It Takes a Woman,” the annual Valley Alliance Women’s Department fundraiser at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village. More than 125 Lions were on hand to hear the stirring words of Karnit Goldwasser, international activist and wife of slain kidnapped IDF soldier Udi Goldwasser. In addition to our work at home, many Lions also participated in a Valley Alliance Mission to Poland and Israel this April, witnessing relics of our Jewish past to help ensure our Jewish tomorrow.

Our women here at the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance look forward to the upcoming conference and are more than ready to roar while letting the good times roll.

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Over 121 Lions were on hand from The Jewish Federation Valley Alliance to witness Rochelle Cohen receive the Lion of Judah Ruby Award for outstanding service, commitment and leadership. The award was presented by Jill Namm, Valley Alliance Women’s Department President.

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When Louisville’s Lions got together for a thank-you luncheon on Sunday, January 31 at the beautiful home of Lion Co-chair Judy Shapira, they enjoyed a lovely meal and the witty, incisive remarks of guest speaker Susan Jackson, executive director of Canada’s Centre of Jewish Knowledge and Heritage in Toronto.

Jackson—who could do stand-up comedy in her spare time—feels so passionately about preserving the Jewish people and their heritage that she traveled all the way from Canada just long enough to deliver her message in the Bluegrass state. She reminded us about the important role women play in building Jewish community.

“What keeps us going,” she said, “is that Jews do not behave like a religion or even a community. We behave like a family, taking care of and looking after each other.”

It was the Jewish family that freed Soviet Jews, she said, and it is the Jewish family working with JAFI and the JDC that makes sure our elderly in Russia have what they need to get along. We also support programs like Hillel for college students and family service agencies. “We see the world,” she said, “through Jewish glasses.”

Guest speaker Susan Jackson stood between Louisville Lion of Judah Co-chairs Madeline Abramson and Judy Shapira.

MEMPHIS Memphis, Tennessee Lion of Judah Co-chairs Laurie Meskin and Tricia Woodman are committed to reaching out to new and younger women and educating them about the beauty of becoming a Lion of Judah. Last fall they held a small luncheon for potential Lions to explain why they became Lions and why they thought it would be meaningful for these women to do so as well. Bobbie Higer from Miami came to the luncheon as well, and eloquently shared her experiences. The luncheon turned into a powerful discussion.

That lunch program, combined with targeted faceto-face meetings and frequent follow-up, resulted in six women becoming Lions during our 2010 campaign year.

This number was up significantly from the previous year.

In May, Laurie held a thank-you event at her home for all Lions. The new Lions and the women who had created a LOJE were given special recognition. The speakers’ focus was the difference made in our community, both locally and globally, by their generosity.

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Plans for Campaign 2011 include more targeted luncheons and meetings, along with two fun and original events. In addition, the Lions from Memphis plan to make the pilgrimage to New Orleans to share in the International Lion of Judah Conference.

MIAMI Lion of Judah Endowment Society members were invited to attend a fall program at the Lowe Art Museum on the University of Miami campus. The art historian and Lion of Judah, Dr. Perri Lee Roberts, presented a lecture in conjunction with the exhibit “Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics From the Roman Empire.” The Lion of Judah Endowment Society Committee, chaired by Fran Berrin, hosted the program and invited, as their guests, Lions who share an interest in learning how their annual Lion of Judah gift could become a lasting legacy. More than 40 women participated in the special program, which featured moving testimonials by endowed Lions of Judah Nancy Lipoff, Shelly Brodie, Laura B. Kaplan, and Lily Serviansky.

Memphis’ new Lions for 2010 are (L. to R.) Billie Pelts, Robin Orgel, LOJ Co-chair Laurie Meskin, Molly Wexler, LOJ Co-chair Tricia Woodman, Margo Fogelman, Lisa Silver (not pictured: Laura Harkavy).

METROWEST NJ Last April 23 MetroWest Ruby Lions traveled to Cuba to visit the amazing Jewish community there. We were inspired and moved by the people we met and the story of the revival of Jewish life that our Annual Campaign makes into reality. But we did more than just visit. With the assistance of three of our Lions who are fluent in Spanish, we were truly able to engage with our new Cuban family. We each brought an extra suitcase full of medicine, school supplies and everyday personal care items, things that we take for granted but that make such a difference in Cuba. Our mission chairs, Wendie Ploscowe and Anna Fisch, and our honorary co-chair, Betty Feinberg, led a spirited, cross-generational group of women who came home even more committed to each other and to the work we do.

MetroWest NJ Lions in Cuba. The mission was chaired by Anna Fisch, Betty Feinberg and Wendie Ploscowe.

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(L. to R.) Miami Lions Florence Werner, Fran Berrin, Shelly Brodie, and Mikki Futernick.

MILWAUKEE In an effort to address a variety of challenges and strengthen Women’s Philanthropy, the Women’s Division of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation has embarked on a comprehensive strategic planning process. First steps were the establishment of a steering committee, an in-depth survey of board members and the identification of critical issues.

Critical issues include: ensuring a continuing lead role for the Women’s Campaign; attracting new women; helping four generations of women to stay engaged and find relevance; preparing women to take leadership roles in the Jewish community; maintaining the significance of the Women’s Division; defining the roles of the WD and its board members; and providing interesting women’s programming despite limited financial and staff resources.

The critical issues will be addressed over the coming months by strategic work groups made up of women chosen for their interest in the topic area and also for their diversity of age and experience.

The Women’s Division of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation is committed to making a real difference. We believe that the strategic planning process can help us respond to current challenges and ensure the continuing importance of Women’s Philanthropy as a vital support for the Jewish community.

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Susan Angel Miller assumes the role of President of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Women’s Division, taking the gavel from predecessor Idy Goodman at the Spring 2010 Annual Meeting.

MONMOUTH COUNTY The Jewish Federation of Monmouth County’s most philanthropic women were thanked in April at a Lion of Judah Appreciation Luncheon. The Asian-style luncheon was held at the lovely home of Adrienne Straus.

This event, chaired by Judy Premselaar, was a thank-you to the dedicated women in Monmouth County who “make a difference.” The Monmouth County Lion of Judah program has so far welcomed one new Lion in the 2010 Campaign.

round effort. It was created following several months of consultations, research, meetings, and diligent work on the part of a number of volunteers and professionals.

This reflects our commitment as a Jewish community to the growing philanthropic independence of women and the need to engage women in a more thoughtful process of volunteerism, Jewish values and tzedakah.

Moreover, Women’s Philanthropy represents a sisterhood united by common interests and a common desire to have a positive impact by giving back to the community.

The new structure acknowledges the significant impact that Women’s Philanthropy has on our Combined Jewish Appeal: last year, women contributed over $8 million to our Campaign. However, the concept of “women’s philanthropy” is broader. Women have said they are looking for more “hands-on” philanthropic opportunities. Many are seeking the satisfaction of participating in volunteer efforts, in addition to donating money. Our strategic vision incorporates the three pillars of Campaign, volunteerism, and outreach, which we believe encompasses these ambitions.

Traditionally, our activities have revolved around Campaign. The advent of Women’s Philanthropy signals year-round engagement that will energize and engage women. Initiatives such as Tikkun Olam Volunteers, the Lion of Judah Society, the Pomegranate Society, and Business & Professional Women’s Circle will add value to the Jewish lives of participants and generate excitement about becoming actively engaged with Federation CJA. You can learn more about all of this, and see an exciting new video, at our new Women’s Philanthropy website: www.federationcja.org/en/who/womens+philanthropy.

“We are fortunate to have Gail Adelson Marcovitz, who is leading our transition and who is serving as the first president of Women’s Philanthropy,” said Jack Hasen, president of Federation CJA. “She is a dedicated community leader and has embraced this responsibility with great zest.”

Lions of Judah from Monmouth County gather for an Appreciation Luncheon.

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Women’s Philanthropy is a brand new effort by Federation CJA to reach out to, and engage, all Jewish women in Montreal.

“Our top priority is to include all women in our mission of supporting our community,” said Gail Adelson Marcovitz, president of Women’s Philanthropy.

“We invite everyone to share their interest, energy, passion, and ideas with us.”

Women’s Philanthropy represents a new opportunity to empower the women of our community. It brings under a single umbrella our Women’s Federation and Women’s Campaign and signals an exciting year-

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CJA Women’s Philanthropy of Montreal kicked off with an event attended by hundreds of women drawn by the possibilities promised by this new initiative. They listened to Iris Krasnow, the bestselling author, professor, and speaker.

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NASHVILLE The Nashville Lions hosted Patricia Werthan Uhlmann, chair of JDC’s International Development Program, at their annual coffee, held in the beautiful home of Gloria Sternberg. Lion of Judah Chair Amy Eskind asked her to speak about JDC’s involvement related to breast cancer and the Women’s Health Empowerment program. Trisha made an interesting note in her presentation that Women’s Health Empowerment Program, a non-sectarian aid effort, partners with Susan G. Komen races in parts of the world such as Bosnia, where the issue is taboo and the available health care is dismal.

Uhlmann stressed that Jewish sponsorship of these races and services can bring security and goodwill to the small population of Jews in some countries. Furthermore, JDC’s International Development Program has purchased breast cancer screening equipment and provided counseling for women and their families affected by breast cancer in Eastern Europe and the FSU. Our Lions are proud of our partner’s support of WHEP. In October, our Lions will be leading the general Women’s Division event, Girls Night Out, with a focus on breast cancer awareness and its impact on the Jewish community. With one in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women carrying a genetic mutation putting them at very high risk of breast cancer, we know it’s fitting to make this issue our own. (The statistic is one in 500 for the general population.) We’re in the planning stages now. We are also planning a boutique mission to the FSU with Etta Zimmerman, born out of last year’s Girls Night Out We’re on the move. The Lions are very excited about the work that we are doing, and the impact we can have locally and globally.

columnist for the Wall Street Journal, as the evening’s keynote speaker.

In spite of current economic challenges, Women’s Philanthropy continued to set high goals and standards for fundraising, leadership development and outreach.

The 2010 Women’s Philanthropy Campaign raised more than $915,000. The Light & Luscious event, with cookbook author Susie Fishbein, kicked off the 2010 Women’s Philanthropy Annual Campaign.

A dedicated committee organized the fifth Healthy Women/Healthy Lives program for the New Haven community this spring, while the Women’s Network of the Jewish Federation, an affinity group, has attracted 400 women.

On June 14, more than 108 women met on the shoreline to hear the diverse stories of four Jewish women from Ethiopia, Iran, Argentina and the the former Soviet Union. The New Haven Federation continues to celebrate and recognize the generosity of local women who have supported and continue to support our community.

(L. to R.) Stacey Trachten, President, New Haven Women’s Philanthropy and Robyn Teplitzky, Lion/Major Gifts Event Co-chair.

NEW ORLEANS

Sylvia Rapoport, Nashville LOJ Chair Amy Eskind, Heidi Hassenfeld, JDC IDP Chair Patricia Werthan Uhlmann, Incoming Campaign Chair Sandy Averbuch, and NWP Board Member and Women’s Division Chair Ellen Levitt.

NEW HAVEN Faced with the economic downturn, New Haven Women’s Philanthropy and Major Gifts donors came together in September for a highly successful Campaign kick off.

The event was co-chaired by Robyn and Jeffrey Teplitzky, and Barbara and John Lichtman, who made powerful remarks.The Lions were recognized for the unique gifts and strengths each woman brings to the community.

More than 90 donors were in attendance, with Bret Louis Stephens, the Asian and European foreign affairs

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The record-breaking heat on June 6 did not stop New Orleans Lions from participating in the first-ever Community Mitzvah Day, where over 170 people worked hard to make a difference in our local community. Joan Berenson assembled survival kits to be distributed to homeless individuals, while Cathy Bart got her hands dirty priming and painting ceilings at a Hurricane Katrina-damaged house in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans. She says that “to actually have the experience of climbing ladders, painting ceilings and sweating with our fellow community volunteers was an amazing feeling.”

Vivian Cahn and Jackie Gothard helped to prepare a meal for the families of hospitalized children at the Ronald McDonald House, where employees praised the group for their compassion and dedication to comforting others. Vivian reflected on the day by noting, “Community Mitzvah Day not only gave us the opportunity to perform a needed service, but it also reinforced the bonds of community among the diverse volunteers.”

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she said. “You commit your time to make our world a better place.”

The women left smiling as each received a “sweet treat to go” and a copy of the journal, which had produced more than $380,000 in additional giving.

Cathy Bart, Jackie Gothard, Vivian Cahn and Joan Berenson working hard on the First Annual Community Mitzvah Day in New Orleans on June 6, 2010.

NEW YORK CITY We heard our women say “no more luncheons” and request something new and different. The “new” In Her Footsteps program eliminated a sit-down lunch and used a mix of art and music by clients of beneficiary agencies to showcase the work of UJA-Federation of New York to the nearly 500 women philanthropists who attended the June 3 Signature Event.

The women had the opportunity to network and socialize as they lunched at a variety of elegant food stations prior to the program, which was presented theater style.

Celebrating the collective impact of Women’s Philanthropy, which raises approximately $30 million annually, the program paid special tribute to Nurit Amdur, co-founder and CEO of ALEX toys, and three philanthropic sisters, Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, Lois Robbins-Zaro, and Carol S. Weisman. Karen S.W. Friedman, vice chair, and Jodi J. Schwartz, chair of Women’s Philanthropy, presented their awards.

In a video shown at the event, honorees Lautenberg, Robbins-Zaro, and Weisman noted the deep influence of their parents Jean and Meyer Steinberg in inspiring their own philanthropic contribution. Amdur said: “My parents were Holocaust survivors and were direct recipients of Jewish kindness and charity when they got out of the camps and when they arrived in Israel.” She acknowledged that she has come full circle, saying, “I received a lot, and now I’m able to give back a lot.”

Lois Kohn-Claar received the Martha K. Selig Young Leadership Award from Martine Fleishman, Women’s Philanthropy president.

Emily Gindi, chair of In Her Footsteps, referred to her own Lion of Judah Endowment, and urged everyone to acknowledge the LOJEs present, identifiable by their white ribbons. Emily noted UJA-Federation’s response to the economic crisis with the Connect to Care program, funded from our endowments.

Professor Gabriela Shalev, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, was a special guest speaker. “It is a great honor to celebrate women and Jewish philanthropy,” 56

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Michael Priest

Michael Priest

Other Lions working throughout the day included Carol Wise, Julie Wise Oreck and Cathy Glaser. After a long, hard day of work, everyone gathered at a local venue to celebrate a day of tikkun olam.

UJA-Federation of New York Honorees (L. to R.) Nurit Amdur, Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, Lois Robbins-Zaro, Carol S. Weisman, and Lois Kohn-Claar, Young Leadership Award Recipient.

NORTHEASTERN NY Hear our roar! We’re larger and louder than ever. Within the last 10 years, the number of Lions in Northeastern New York has more than tripled, so that we now have 53 Lions in our intermediate size community, with 13 of us endowed.

Every year we have a Lion of Judah Thank You Dessert Reception. Sometimes we reflect on the women who have influenced us, and sometimes we reflect on the lives we’re touching and the people we’re helping.

Leslie Dannin Rosenthal, currently Women’s Philanthropy president from MetroWest, and also cochair for the upcoming International Lion of Judah Conference, joined us this June.

Leslie shared stories of the work we do in places as diverse as Ukraine, Ethiopia and Cuba. She highlighted amazing women she met during her travels with Federation. These women were fortunate to improve their lives through our funding and are now helping others.

These are the kinds of stories that remind us that each and every one of our significant gifts help make a positive difference in the world. Just like the inspirational shofar, which reminds us to wake up and make a difference in this world, our roar is intended to make a difference by helping those with the greatest needs.

Leslie encouraged the Lions of Northeastern NY to attend the ILOJC and see our stories in action.

Leslie Dannin Rosenthal (back row, third from left) joins some of the Northeastern NY Lions at their Thank You Dessert Reception.

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NORTHERN NJ On May 6, 500 women (and a few brave men) came together to honor nine outstanding community volunteers at the UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey Women’s Division Annual Spring Luncheon. These exceptional women volunteers from UJA NNJ’s core beneficiary agencies were presented with the inaugural Women of Honor Tikkun Olam Award for exemplifying the spirit of “repairing the world” through their dedication and commitment to their respective agencies. These “Jewels of our Community”—Rebecca Citron, Sue Feldman, Amy Glazer, Margi Hirshberg, Francine Kaplan, SuBonnie Kochman, Thelma Malkin, Robin Miller and Florence Poris—have contributed tirelessly, in a volunteer capacity, for agencies supported by UJA NNJ, including two Jewish Family Service agencies, three Jewish community centers, two senior nursing care facilities and the Jewish Association for Developmentally Disabled (J-ADD). They are true philanthropists who demonstrate their “love of humankind” each and every day.

Alan Ginsburg, Jodi Krinker and Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando President Ian Robinson.

OTTAWA

The first recipients of the UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey Women’s Division Women of Honor Tikkun Olam Award: (L. to R.) Rebecca Citron, Sue Feldman, Amy Glazer, SuBonnie Kochman, Francine Kaplan, Thelma Malkin, Robin Miller, Florence Poris and Margi Hirshberg.

ORLANDO For the last two years, the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando CHOICES event has been a huge success in reaching out to hundreds of women. This year, in an effort to engage as many women as possible, the Ginsburg Family Foundation covered the charge for all women who were attending Choices for the first time. Alan Ginsburg, one of Orlando’s most committed philanthropists, did not want anyone to be left out, especially during this difficult economic time. Women of all ages come together at CHOICES, and it is always a pleasure to have several tables of young women in their early twenties getting connected with and active in the Jewish community.

This year’s recipient of the Harriet Ginsburg Woman of Choice Award was Jodi Krinker. Jodi has been a longtime volunteer in the community who has taken important senior leadership roles. Her contributions have made a visible difference in Central Florida.

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On April 25, at Beth Shalom Synagogue in Ottawa, Ontario, the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa hosted 320 women at Spring Luncheon: Women Inspiring Women, held to honor 42 remarkable community volunteers.

Ottawa’s Jewish agencies were asked to choose women within their organization who inspire other women by the work they do. The 42 individuals chosen were of different ages, affiliations and backgrounds, but all give generously of their time. In recognition of their dedication and support, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa made a donation to Maslan, a rape crisis center in Israel.

Nancy Lublin, founder of Dress for Success, was the keynote speaker. Her humorous and heartfelt speech conveyed how she had started her business with a $5,000 inheritance from her grandfather—a peddler who had come to America with nothing and worked hard to create a better life for himself. Lublin used his hard-earned money to honor his memory and help others with their “new beginnings.” She opened Dress for Success to assist New York City’s disadvantaged women in getting the proper attire needed for job interviews and the workplace. Lublin also spoke of her bubbie’s inspirational influence on her life.

Since launching her flagship New York Dress For Success outlet, the company has grown to include 70 stores in four countries, all working to help disadvantaged women.

Our event marked the official launch of the National Capital Region’s (Ottawa) Dress for Success.

The luncheon committee included Sharon Appotive, Jodi Kathron, Melissa Shabinsky, and Margo Silverman.

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(L. to R.) Jodi Kathron, Ottawa Federation Event Committee member and Nancy Lublin, Founder of Dress for Success and CEO of Do Something, Inc.

PALM BEACH COUNTY Congratulations to Women’s Division President and Campaign Chair Linda Cortell Benjamin, Vice President and Lion of Judah Chair Vivian Lieberman, and the whole Campaign team for a job well done! We are proud to have raised over $8.5 million, having completed two-thirds of our Campaign.

Welcome to incoming 2011 Campaign Chair Amy Jonas, who exemplifies committed leadership and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team.

Last spring was a busy one for our pride. Some of our Lions participated in an exciting cultural journey through Israel where they visited our Partnership 2000 Tzahar Region. This unprecedented experience focused on art, music, fashion design, boutique women’s businesses, architecture and culinary delights.

Twenty-one new Lions and 45 “upgrade” Lions were invited to a special luncheon and shopping opportunity with famed giftware designer Michael Aram, hosted by the Palm Beach Gardens Saks Fifth Avenue.

Aram shared his story and was available to sign his signature pieces. Saks generously returned a percentage of the proceeds to the Women’s Division.

We also launched a new outreach initiative: our Heart to Heart project. Donors can purchase our Jewish Hearts pin as a gift representing a donation of $365 in honor of a Bat Mitzvah, birthday, Sweet 16, graduation or other special occasion.

We are thrilled to congratulate our Kipnis-Wilson/ Friedland Award recipient, Barbara Kay. Host of the TV show MOSAIC, Barbara is recognized as an outstanding Jewish philanthropist and leader in the greater Palm Beaches, Israel and throughout the Jewish world.

(L. to R.) A successful 2010 Campaign was accomplished for Palm Beach County’s Women’s Division, celebrated by 2011 Campaign Chair Amy Jonas and President Linda Cortell Benjamin

PALM SPRINGS Again, Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Palm Springs and Desert Area brought in over half of the dollars raised in the 2010 Annual Campaign. Four women became LOJEs: Helene Galen, Libby Hoffman, Ruth Kaufman, and Stephanie Ross.

Lion Chair Edith Familian welcomed six new Lions at our Lions Brunch at the IW Club in Indian Wells.

Speaker Jeannie Opdyke Smith shared the story of her mother, Irene Opdyke, with 125 Lions. Irene, who died in 2003, was recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, and her story became a Broadway play, Irena’s Vow. Seeing Jeannie was meaningful to several Lions who remembered meeting Irene when she spoke at a women’s event in 1989.

At Pomegranate, Chair Stephanie Ross spoke passionately about the 40th anniversary of the rescue of Soviet Jewry. The Heather James Gallery was the setting for Russian delicacies and klezmer music. Yanna Gabinskaya told of her family’s emigration from the FSU. Lev L’Lev was a celebration of Israel, with a bazaar, informal modeling, food, and entertainment. Co-chairs Cheryl Fey, Paula Klein and Fran Kaufman successfully created a totally new event that reached out to the broader community and brought in over 30 new gifts.

(L. to R.) Palm Springs Lion of Judah Chair Edith Familian, Women’s Philanthropy President Marcia Stein, and Speaker Jennie Opdyke Smith.

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PHILADELPHIA On Thursday evening, April 15, Philadelphia’s Ruby Lions gathered to enjoy a wonderful night of “Nourishing and Nurturing the Jewish Community.” Held at the Bryn Mawr home of Co-chair Amy Stein, the event began with a cooking demonstration by award-winning chef Michael Solomonov of Center City’s Zahav restaurant, continued with educational and inspirational presentations by Co-chairs Susanna Lachs Adler, Lyn Neff, and Women’s Philanthropy President Karen Kramer. The evening concluded with heartfelt sharing by many present. It was an intimate, emotional evening for Philly’s “Rubies and Beyond,” and a magnificent success on many levels.

(L. to R.) Pinellas & Pasco Counties former President Joan Benstock, Women’s Philanthropy former Campaign Chair Ilona Kossoff, guest speaker Gail Norry, Lion of Judah Campaign Chair Jeanie Abelson.

PITTSBURGH

(L. to R.) Philadelphia Lions Lynn Neff, Karen Kramer, Amy Stein, Ellyn Golder Saft, and Lynn Barrack.

PINELLAS & PASCO COUNTIES, FL The Jewish Federation of Pinellas & Pasco Counties, FL annual Lions luncheon featured Gail Norry, co-chair of the NWP Training, Education, Consulting and Help Team.

Gail spoke of how we as individuals—with vision, strength and determination—can make a difference in so many lives. A shining example is Anne Heyman, who spearheaded the creation of the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village for high-school-age orphans in Rwanda. The model for this village is an Israeli residential school for orphans that stresses a holistic approach, building selfesteem and self-reliance in each child.

“The goal is for every child in the village to realize their potential by healing themselves, and then do something for someone less fortunate,” explained Gail.

“Graduates return to their villages and teach self-sustaining Israeli agricultural techniques. This is tikkun olam— repairing the world—and it was driven by an American Jewish woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and who wears a Lion pin.”

Each of us has the opportunity to impact our own community. Pinellas & Pasco now educate, involve and engage more Lions by first building a strong bond with each other, and then between us and the community.

This year we have plans to “adopt” either a project or an aspect of one of our Jewish agencies, connecting it to the Lion of Judah name and philosophy. Make a difference: This is our commitment…and our legacy.

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Engaging new donors has been a major focus this year for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh’s Women’s Philanthropy. And we’ve had tremendous success with innovative outreach programs that speak to women with widely diverse interests.

Last year we launched “It’s Not Your Bubbe’s Baking…But Close,” a series of baking workshops held in private homes. The initial series was so well attended that we’ve held additional sessions, featuring different baking projects and located at homes in several of Pittsburgh’s suburbs. Each time, the sessions fill up within hours after we send out an e-vite.

In addition to another year of “Bubbe’s Baking,” this past winter we held a drive to support the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry of Jewish Family & Children’s Service, which provides supplemental food to more than 500 local families, many of them significantly impacted by the downturn in the economy. In partnership with three of our Jewish agencies and a local temple, this project enabled our women to join together to donate and gather some 800 servings of kosher soup and hot chocolate, to help warm homes and hearts in February. After collecting the items, several of the women met at the food pantry to package them for distribution.

More recently, we combined the social component with the social service component, and involved our women in another fun activity. More than 25 women— many of them previously uninvolved with our Women’s Philanthropy group—gathered to kick off Keep ‘Em in Stitches—a Knitting Project to Help Those in Need.

Meeting at a colorful knitting shop over the next five months, the women will knit scarves, hats and blankets to donate to refugees resettled by Jewish Family & Children’s Service. The shop donates the time of its knitting instructors to teach beginners the basics, and offers participants discounts on yarn to be used for the project. At the first session, the women heard from a refugee about her experiences coming from Bhutan and how JF&CS has helped her. The group set a goal of donating 100 winter items, and is halfway to its goal after only two sessions.

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PORTLAND When Sharon Weil saw the film “Watermarks” at the 2009 National Women’s Philanthropy retreat, she knew that she wanted to bring the experience to Portland. She also arranged for Anni Lampl, now 92 and featured in the film, to accompany it and speak at the event, which included not only current Lions but friends and future leaders. In introducing the film, Sharon said it reminded her of her friend, Jeanne Newmark, a long-time Lion who has competed in synchronized swimming throughout her life. Sharon said the film made her wonder how different Newmark’s life would have been in Vienna instead of Portland. She also spoke of long-time leaders who had been lost in recent months, women who had been dedicated to supporting the Jewish community, both financially and by example. She urged the more than 80 woman who had gathered not to lose their strength and commitment, and to take responsibility for ensuring both today and the future.

The brunch took place at the Oregon Jewish Museum, one of Federation’s beneficiary agencies, in its new home, which not only is a showcase for Jewish art and a repository of Oregon’s Jewish history, but which includes a vintage movie theatre.

Many thanks to Amy Bush, Susan Goldhaber, Carole Guld, Claudia Kadis, Stephanie Kahn, Elaine Sandman, Eileen Schwartz, Faith Shertz, Marcia Davis, Barbara Schwartz, Lisa Sandman, Debrah Barish, Sue-Ellen Horwitz, Jo-Ann Pizer-Fox, and Michelle Horwitz.

RHODE ISLAND Over 300 women came to share the Secrets of a Jewish Mother with authors Jill Zarin of Bravo’s Housewives of New York,” her sister Lisa Wexler of the “Lisa Wexler Radio Show,” and their mother Gloria Kamen. At this annual Event for Women, women from across greater Rhode Island and across four generations came to hear these talented and humorous speakers share their secrets and stories. Subjects ranged from intermarriage (“Choose a team and stick with it—and we hope it’s our team,” says Jill) to philanthropy (“You can’t take it with you,” says Lisa) to spousal relationships (“I ask for five minutes of understanding when we have an argument,” says Gloria. “It’s a cooling-off time. You don’t want to be arguing with your husband at my age”).

The National Women’s Philanthropy video “Women Who Get It” kicked off this packed event and made clear our need to raise the necessary funds to support and grow our community locally and overseas. Robin Homonoff and Lezli Pious, co-chairs of the event, described how amazed they were at the diversity of attendees, especially in age. “To have teenagers, mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers in the same room to share these stories is truly amazing,” said Homonoff.

Sharon Weil, Portland Federation past Campaign Chair and member of the National Women’s Philanthropy board, with Anni Lampl, featured in the 2004 domumentary “Watermarks,” about the 1938 Hakoah swim team in Vienna.

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The 15 Lions of Judah from Raleigh-Cary met at our Spring Luncheon and decided on a project that would help the homebound seniors in our community.

Working with Jewish Family Services, we established our Shabbat Meals on Wheels program.

One Friday a month, we Lions deliver a hot Shabbat meal to seniors who are homebound or in need. Our baskets include candles for Friday night, a bottle of grape juice and fresh challahs. This has been a very rewarding experience and we’ve received many thank you notes from the recipients. We would love to invite other volunteers in our community to participate as our project grows.

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(L. to R.) Cheryl Greenfeld Teverow, past president of the Rhode Island Federation Women’s Alliance and Susan Leach DeBlasio, vice president of Campaign for the Women’s Alliance, wait to have their books signed.

SAN DIEGO Heartwarming.

Inspirational.

Compassionate.

Stimulating. These are some of the words used by the 78 women who attended a powerful, memorable event at the beautiful home of Hanna Gleiberman featuring guest speaker Alina Spaulding. Alina shared with us the amazing story of how JDC and the North American Jewish community helped her family escape the Soviet Union. We were truly inspired by Alina’s experience

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and the work of Federation and our overseas partner, JDC. Several women increased their gifts at the event, and many more Lions asked that we bring Alina back as our keynote speaker for our community fundraising event. “I feel that the entire community needs to hear Alina’s incredibly moving and inspirational story,” said one attendee.

For the first time ever, we also invited several young women who are not currently at the Lion level to participate in the event. These women came away from the program with much appreciation for the work of Federation and were so moved that we are confident they will be inspired to join the Lion Division in the near future.

Sarasota-Manatee’s Lion of Judah leadership at the 2010 Luncheon (L. to R.): Edie Chaifetz, Irene Ross, Bunny Skirboll, Helen Glaser and Barbara Ackerman.

SAVANNAH During the height of the Annual Campaign, the Savannah, Georgia, Lions of Judah met in November 2009 at the lovely midtown Savannah home of Ellen Byck, a long-time Lion and mother of this year’s General Campaign chair, Dr. David Byck. The women were treated to a delicious brunch that included some of Ellen’s home-baked specialties and then participated in an instructive and fun interactive exercise on philanthropy with special guest speaker, Deborah Grayson Riegel, of myjewishcoach.com.

(L. to R.) San Diego Lions Jane Scher, Hanna Gleiberman, Erna Viterbi and Lee Posnock.

SARASOTA–MANATEE Nearly 90 Lions from the Jewish Federation of SarasotaManatee gathered at the Ritz Carlton Beach Club for the annual Lion of Judah Luncheon. Guest speakers Grace Rodnitzki and Dr. Nigist Mengesha spoke about the Ethiopian National Project. Dr. Mengesha, director general of ENP, shared her story about her journey out of Ethiopia to Israel and described the problem of spousal murder, which plagues the Ethiopian community in Israel. Lions made contributions toward the funding of training for “shimagloch,” respected elders who resolve conflicts and domestic disputes within the Ethiopian-Israeli community. Sarasota-Manatee Lions proudly joined together to make a positive difference in the world.

Nelle Miller, president-elect of the Federation and National Women’s Philanthropy board member, spoke about the importance of women’s philanthropy and involvement. New Lions pinned at the luncheon were Lillian Brent, Joelle Hamovit and Phyllis Rich. The event was co-chaired by Barbara Ackerman and Edie Chaifetz.

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Savannah, Georgia Lions (L. to R.) Matiel Leffler, Carole Cohen, Linda Sacks, Toby Hollenberg, Judy Byck, Ellen Byck, Marla Geffen, Carol Greenberg and A.M. Goldkrand.

SOMERSET, HUNTERDON & WARREN COUNTIES The Jewish Federations of Somerset, Hunterdon & Warren Counties Women’s Philanthropy Division hosted a wonderful Garden Party and Fashion Show Brunch in May 2010. The event was held at the lovely home of one of our community’s leaders and helped to engage and educate a wide variety of women, many of them new to Women’s Philanthropy. The group learned about what the Federation does, and were provided with an overview of our last five projects.

The agenda featured one of our community’s Heart to Heart Mission participants,who urged everyone to join the next H2H Mission in February 2011.

Information about Pomegranates and Lions was provided, and the ILOJC conference dates were announced.

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The mission of the Women’s Philanthropy Division of the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren is to endeavor to educate, engage and energize the women of our communities so that they may have a positive impact on the lives of Jewish women and children in need locally, in Israel and around the world.

Many thanks to our Women’s Philanthropy Division committee members and area families and businesses who sponsored the event, combining to make the day another success!

(L. to R.) Brett Bonner, Homer Davis principal; Kathy Margolis, Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Lion, Homer Davis volunteer and “Cupcake Lady”; Kerrie Hankinson, Homer Davis Summer Program Coordinator; and Homer Davis students.

SOUTHERN NJ

Women enjoyed a garden party held by the Women’s Philanthropy Divison of the Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties Federation.

SOUTHERN ARIZONA We are. We can. We do. Those three sentences describe the first year of our focus on hunger and poverty in Tucson. In partnership with our JCRC, our Federation and especially our Women’s Philanthropy groups have been dedicated to alleviating hunger for children of the Homer Davis Elementary School. Every Friday, 70 percent of the neediest students receive a Friday Food Pack to take home, giving them nutritious snacks for the weekend. This is often the only food the child receives during those two days. Women’s Philanthropy has rallied around this cause, and our Young Women’s Cabinet—our future Lions—adopted this program as their philanthropic focus for the year. At Connections, our annual women’s gathering, we shared the need of Homer Davis and asked for $5 from each guest (enough to provide one food pack per student). The women donated $2,200, enough to provide 440 food packs. Our Lions are especially involved, participating in tutoring at the school, stuffing food packs, soliciting donations of food and money for the program, and sponsoring children for the year. In addition to feeding the children, one dedicated Lion has become known as the “Cupcake Lady,” providing support and encouragement to the school staff.

Lions of the Jewish Federation of Southern NJ have had a rich and varied roster of spring and summer activities. Leslie Dannin Rosenthal visited our community to present the overseas case for giving at our Women’s Gala in May. Prior to the evening’s festivities, she met privately with our Lions at a cocktail reception, “Reporting Lion to Lion,” where she described her compelling mission experiences in Cuba, Ethiopia and the former FSU. Another compelling event took place when Dov Ben-Shimon, executive director of strategic partnerships for JDC, joined our South Jersey Lions for an exclusive special briefing luncheon. His riveting talk about the hot spots, crises and trends in the Jewish world had our group mesmerized.

In keeping with our tradition of reaching out to our Lions during their summers “down the shore,” we have planned a champagne and hors d’oeuvre cocktail reception at a local establishment, Serago Roberts Jewelers.

During this evening get-together, designers will offer ideas on how to modernize outdated jewelry.

Upcoming fall events include a series of workshops that focus on helping women learn more about investing and finances, as well as endowments and philanthropy.

In the works is also an afternoon tea, and a mitzvah project to brighten the lives of the residents of our lowincome senior housing facility.

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(L. to R. seated) Judie Morrow; Gerri Rudner, Southern NJ 2009 Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland award winner; Peggy David, Lion of Judah chair; Pattie Feinerman. (L. to R. standing) Janine Sobel, Marge Sobel, Barbara Pick; Mindy Goldberg Rose, Judy Love, Leslie Dannin Rosenthal, guest speaker; Carol Lupo, 2010 Annual Campaign Chair; Vicki Zell.

SOUTH PALM BEACH COUNTY Filled with passion, pride, power and purpose, South Palm Beach County’s Lion of Judah luncheon was another roaring success. With nearly 400 women in attendance, the Lions raised nearly $3 million for the Annual Campaign, thanks in part to the powerful Campaign presentation given by event Co-chairs Jill Deutch and Janet Sherr.

“Our community is depending on our Lions’ strength to help our neighbors and our larger Jewish family,” implored Sherr. “We must rise higher to make certain our fellow Jews do not go without life’s basic essentials of food and shelter.” And rise they did. A third of the women at the luncheon increased their gifts or made one-time supplemental contributions. The Lions also welcomed 24 new members to their sisterhood, a number that later rose to 35 for a total of nearly 800.

Marleen Forkas was recognized for having so generously established the Marleen Forkas Chair of Contemporary Jewish Issues. This fund will underwrite the cost of our Federation’s Lion Luncheon speaker in perpetuity and will guarantee that our Lions are exposed to nothing but the highest caliber of speakers within the Jewish and political worlds.

This year’s speaker was Gloria Allred, a prominent attorney and television legal analyst. The Lions repeatedly cheered Allred, whose legal work over three decades has been integral in combating injustice and winning new rights for women and minorities.

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(L. to R.) Janet Sherr, South Palm Beach County luncheon Co-chair; Barbara Werner; Lion Vice Chair; Gloria Allred, speaker; Marleen Forkas; Emily Grabelsky, Lion Vice Chair; Jill Deutch, luncheon Co-chair.

ST. LOUIS St. Louis Lions of Judah are looking forward to the International Lion of Judah Conference in November.

The chairs for the conference, “Team NOLA,” are Isabel Goldstein, Randee Jacobs and Betsy Rubenstein, all born and raised in New Orleans. Randee Jacobs, a National Women’s Philanthropy board member and local “WHERE Y’AT” (New Orleans Maven), is on the 2010 ILOJC leadership team. The Team NOLA chairs are planning an extra day in New Orleans to show St. Louis Lions their hometown.

Our community is proud to honor Leslie Litwack, leader, philanthropist and member of the National Women’s Philanthropy Advisory Board as our 2010 Kipnis/Wilson Friedland award winner.

(L. to R.) “Team NOLA” chairs: Isabel Goldstein, Randee Jacobs, and Betsy Rubenstein with Nancy Green, Women’s Connection Co-chair of Campaign.

ST. PAUL This year, Women’s Philanthropy of the United Jewish Fund and Council of St. Paul chose to reach out to women in the community by engaging them through 10 different parlor meetings held throughout the summer.

Hostesses were chosen based on their “sphere of influence,” and each one invited guests that she knew personally, encouraging them to attend. Many invited guests had no previous experience with Federation.

Each hostess planned her own parlor meeting, inviting guests to dinner, dessert, brunch or cocktails. The parlor meetings were social, with a Federation message.

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Each guest was asked to become a solicitor and choose the donors they wished to solicit. They later attended worker training to learn more about UJFC’s work and acquire new solicitation skills. Because of the parlor meetings, the UJFC gained many new workers and potential donors who learned about the organization’s mission. We were thrilled with the results and hope to use parlor meetings as an outreach tool again next year.

TAMPA Tampa and Pinellas-Pasco Lions of Judah, Morasha, and Pacesetter donors joined together to enjoy a day trip to Lakeland on Monday, March 1. The group explored the campus of Florida Southern University and held a discussion with Dr. Catherine Eskin on the history of the Jewish community in central Florida.

The trip, organized by Joyce Tawil and Carlyn Neuman of Tampa, and Jeanie Abelson and Diane Sherman of Pinellas-Pasco, featured a luxury coach bus, homemade goodies for the trip, and a day full of learning.

The day began with a 90-minute tour of the “Child of the Sun” group of 12 buildings on the Florida Southern University campus. This cluster of architecture was developed by Frank Lloyed Wright between 1938 and his death in 1959, and was commissioned by thenuniversity president Dr. Ludd Spivey. The docent-led exploration featured an overview of Wright’s life, his choice to create the largest single-site collection of his works, and details on Wright’s use of resources native to the area.

The group then enjoyed a lively presentation by Dr. Catherine Eskin, professor of English at Florida Southern University, highlighting her efforts to preserve the history of the Jewish community in Lakeland through the creation of an archive of documents, film, and oral histories, much of which she has involved her students in producing.

TIDEWATER During its annual Spring Luncheon, the UJFT Women’s Cabinet and Lions of Judah welcomed new Cabinet members and thanked those whose terms of service to the cabinet were complete. The luncheon featured a private concert by local Virginia Symphony violinist Pavel Ilyashov. No ordinary musician, Ilyashov—in addition to being a virtuoso—is also a Jewish-American immigrant from the former Soviet Union (Belarus). And he shared with the group not only his musical talent, but also his deeply personal story.

Ilyashov spoke about the agencies that helped his family move from the FSU to Italy, then Austria, and finally to St. Louis, MO. He mentioned the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). And he spoke of the local Jewish Family Service and Federation, which helped his parents find housing and employment, and provided the basic essentials that the family needed to

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settle in and lead productive lives. He expressed his gratitude to the women in the room for supporting a Federation system that funds the overseas and local agencies that help families like his own.

In addition to his work with the Virginia Symphony, Ilyashov speaks whenever possible to Jewish groups— especially Federation groups. Most of his engagements are arranged through the Speakers Bureau of the Jewish Federations of North America. This was the first time, he joked, that he’d made an appearance that did not require him to book flights and arrange taxis and hotels.

“This time,” he said, “I had to get in my car and drive about three miles!” Ilyashov enjoys sharing his music and his story in these kinds of venues, which he sees as opportunities to “give back” to a system that has given him much for which to be grateful.

The Tidewater Lions are looking forward to the ILOJC in New Orleans in November, where they’ll honor Telsa Leon with the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland award!

Guest performer Pavel Ilyashov with Tidewater Lions Connie Jacobson and Dolores Bartel

TOLEDO Recently, members of the Toledo Pomegranate Society, Lion of Judah, and Lion of Judah Endowment gathered for the Annual Women’s Philanthropy Luncheon to be recognized and thanked for their ongoing dedication and support. Together, the women learned how their collective actions are making a difference on a daily basis.

After receiving a community update, the women heard from former Toledoan Catherine Birndorf, M.D., co-author of The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting Over Life’s Little Imperfections. Dr. Birndorf addressed ways in which women organize their emotional clutter and provided life strategies for ensuring more joy in our lives.

The afternoon then concluded with the pinning of a new LOJE, a blessing made over the new members of the Toledo Pomegranate Society, and an announcement of the 2010 Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland award recipient.

It was a wonderful reunion and a reminder for the Toledo women that We are, We can, We do!

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WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS The Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts’ most philanthropic women were thanked in June at a Lion of Judah dessert reception held at the lovely home of Sherry Dickerman. The event provided an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the generosity of women in Western Massachusetts, as well as to inform the crowd about Lion of Judah Endowments and encourage them to attend the International Lion of Judah Conference in New Orleans.

Dr. Ralph Nurnberger, professor of International Relations at Georgetown University, was the special guest speaker. Ralph’s depth of knowledge about Israel and the Middle East, and American politics, combined with his quick sense of humor, kept the women engaged throughout the event.

Toledo’s 2010 Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland award recipient, Sandy Romanoff (left), with past Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland award recipient and LOJE, Nora Romanoff.

WASHINGTON, D.C. Only in Washington, DC can 70 Jewish women attend a Jewish Federation event at a Middle Eastern Embassy.

Ambassador Houda Ezra Nonoo of the Kingdom of Bahrain is the first Jewish woman to serve as ambassador from an Arab country to the United States. She is one of only 37 Jews in Bahrain; her unique experience as a Jew growing up in a small Arab country and her rise to professional and political success is inspiring. This outreach program targeted professional women in our community and taught them about Federation while engaging them with one another and with a fascinating speaker.

The Lions in attendance helped share the importance of philanthropy in their own lives. In addition to our Spring Lion of Judah Luncheon and outreach programs throughout the year, this was a great opportunity to connect a greater variety of women to Jewish philanthropy. The Lions in the Greater Washington area are actively involved in community outreach and welcoming women as part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

(L. to R.) Chatting at a Western Massachusetts Lion event are hostess Sherry Dickerman and Betsy Gaberman with guest speaker Dr. Ralph Nurnberger.

(L. to R.) Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Business & Professional Advisory Committee Members at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain: Diane Greenspun, Ellen Tillman, Nancy Kane, Julie Kass, Ambassador Houda Ezra Nonoo, Committee Chair Marcia Nusgart, Barbara Wachter-Needle, Marci Handler.

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T

he Last Word AS WE BEGIN A NEW YEAR, we also begin a new chapter in the life of National Women’s Philanthropy in our professional leadership. We welcome our new senior director of NWP, Kim Fish, and our new associate director of NWP, Alison Margulies Garber. Both Kim and Alison have years of experience working with our communities and our constituencies, and they bring a breath of fresh air to our endeavors. Both lay and professional leaders who have worked with these women sing their praises, and we are joining the chorus as well.

Please help us to welcome them into the wonderful, powerful and warm world of National Women’s Philanthropy.

It has been an honor and a joy to have served as your director for these past four four years. I know that all the staff join me in saying that working with you has taught us the meaning of tzedakah in its truest sense: bringing justice and balance to society by caring unselfishly for others. Our Torah teaches a familiar concept: Tzedek, tzedek tirdof—“Justice, justice shall you pursue.” We know that the Torah does not repeat a word for no reason, and so we ask why was it not sufficient to just say, “You shall pursue justice?” I think it is because there is justice, and then there is just-ness. There is adhering to the letter of the law, and then there is ensuring that we also adhere to the spirit of the law. Sometimes doing what is correct is not enough; we must also do the right thing.

Working with women’s philanthropy throughout the world has provided us with a sense of both kinds of tzedek—we know the value of doing what is right, and at the same time we know the imperative to do what is kind and compassionate. Each element needs the other for our work to be complete. I am pleased to say that in my new role in heading up the department of Development Affinities, I will have the opportunity to continue to work with NWP, as well as National Young Leadership, OTZMA, and other affinity groups and organizations as we build our efforts to serve our communities. Dani Weinstein, who served brilliantly as NWP Associate Director, moves on to her new role as director of Development Affinities Programs, and will also be your partner in many of these efforts. I also wish to thank and look forward to continued work with our other national colleagues who have strengthened NWP: Marla Landis, Stacy Walter and Rachel Litchman. and our administrative colleagues, Elizabeth Mondragon and Marsha Silverman. All of us look forward to supporting Kim and Alison as they lead you forward.

As for our national lay leadership, there are no words to describe the pride and gratitude we feel for them. They are our heroes in so many ways—they are our teachers, our confidantes, our role models, and, I am most proud to say, our friends. For me, this is the model for every lay-professional partnership going forward.

We will see you at the magnificent ILOJC in November, where the spirit of inclusion, warmth, and concerted action will prove why we are so effective. We will see you at every opportunity that presents itself for improving the lives of others, wherever they are situated.

We will see you in every random act of kindness that so characterizes everything you do.

May you be blessed in this New Year with the strength and good fortune to continue your sacred work. May you and your loved ones know only happiness and health, peace and prosperity, justice and… justice.

B’Shalom,

Beth Beth Mann Managing DIrector, NWP

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