Women Stand Together at Lion of Judah Luncheon
- Posted on:
- October 27, 2010
With a few simple questions, Judy Baum, event chair for UJA-Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Annual Lion of Judah Luncheon, brought nearly 300 guests to their feet at the ballroom of the Pierre on October 26th.
Baum asked the audience to stand if they or a family member were a Holocaust survivor, immigrant, parent of a child at a summer camp, or member of a synagogue — all helped in some way by the network of UJA-Federation’s beneficiary agencies.
“We’re all standing,” said Baum, looking around the room. “And that’s what UJA-Federation does. It keeps us and our community standing, and is there for us when we need it most.”
Baum noted that the gifts made by women who are Lions of Judah help not just the needy but also people with specific needs.
That message was made eloquently clear when Anna Rachmansky told how beneficiary agencies helped her make the journey from Moscow to Manhattan in 1981. She left Russia as part of the Soviet Jewry movement, which was symbolized by the demand “Let my people go.”
“It was the vision of women just like you who made it possible for a young girl like me to move to Brooklyn,” she said. “Saying ‘my’ people — not ‘our’ people — in ‘Let my people go’ epitomized the idea that each of us is responsible for one another.”
“Now as president of the Shorefront YM-YWHA,” Rachmansky added, “I’ve come full circle.” Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach is a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation.
At the lunch, Carol Wolowitz, past chair of Long Island Women’s Philanthropy, received the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award for serving as a role model for countless young women and her peers.
“I’m thrilled,” Wolowitz said. “Lion of Judah has such resonance for me because it is bearing responsibility for the Jewish communal world.”
A Lion of Judah is a women who has made a personal commitment of $6,000 or more to UJA-Federation of New York’s annual Campaign.
Ruth Suzman received the Spirit of Peggy Award, which honors the memory of Peggy Tishman and recognizes a young leader in the community. Suzman is chair of UJA-Federation’s 2011 Westchester Campaign and serves on the Board of Directors. She told the audience that the challenges in the community are great, but that the collective wisdom and leadership of women in the room gave her great inspiration.
Steady Voices Important for Israel
At a recption before the lunch, Gidi Grinstein addressed the topic of Israel’s leadership in the world. Grinstein is founder and president of the Reut Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in Tel Aviv.
“An official goal of the Israeli government is for Israel to become one of the 15 leading countries in the world,” he said. “I believe in the next decade or two, Israel has the creativity and innovation to do so.”
Keynote speaker Dan Senor, author and geopolitical strategist, focused on the upcoming midterm elections and issues related to Israel.
Senor predicted that the Republicans would gain the majority in the House, but said he does not think the Republicans will gain control of the Senate.
Regarding Israel, Senor, who is the author of a book about Israel’s economic rise, spoke of a delegitimization campaign to deny Israel the right to be a major player in the world.
“The work you do by supporting and standing with Israel is the ultimate blow to a campaign against Israel,” he said. “It’s an uncertain time and a time of a lot of change in the world. In relation to Israel, nothing is more important than your steady voices.”