Dayton Lions roar at conference

Director, Dayton Jewish Federation Foundation

For three days in September, 1,500 of the world’s most powerful Jewish women convened in Washington, D.C. The Lions of Judah, women making a personal pledge to Jewish federation annual campaigns of $5,000 or more, were joined by the greatest political thinkers of our time, including Amb. Dan Gillerman, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations; syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer; Ruth Messinger, the president and executive director of American Jewish World Service; former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; and former President Bill Clinton.

Together, they explored the always dynamic role of philanthropic women in the Jewish federation movement and the ever-changing role of the federation movement in 21st century society.

The International Lion of Judah Conference occurred during the course of three vibrant days and included among its delegates 11 members from the Dayton Jewish community.

A nurse, an attorney, social advocates, a grandmother, mothers, business professionals, 30-, 40-, 50-, 60- and 70-somethings were among the Dayton delegation, which together contributed $84,000 to the $21 million the 1,500 women pledged to the federation annual campaigns, and an additional $9 million to the Israel Emergency Campaign.

We listened, learned, and were inspired as we absorbed the power of their giving as conveyed through those who have been personally touched by their dollars in the states and around the world.

Israelis took to the dais to express their gratitude for youth summer camps that were organized within days of the summer’s war through the centralized and comprehensive response from United Jewish Communities so that children could have respite from the daily barrage of Katyushas and the sweltering confines of bomb shelters in the north.

Karnit Goldwasser, the wife of Ehud Goldwasser, one of the Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah in July, was a rock as she spoke of her beloved Ehud.

Through her faith in the future, Goldwasser reminded the women assembled that the gesture of giving is a measure of resolve as well as of faith.

What is the Lion of Judah?

There is an extraordinary movement in women’s giving. It is called the Lion of Judah, and it is roaring. Introduced in 1972 for the Miami Women’s Division campaign, the Lion of Judah pin has firmly established itself as a symbol of commitment to the worldwide Jewish community.

The diamond inset 14-karat gold pin was created for the woman making a personal pledge to the annual campaign of $5,000 or more. When the program started, there were 16 women who qualified; by the end of the 1970s, there were more than 400 women in Miami who proudly wore their Lion of Judah pins.

In 1985, a Lion of Judah pin with a RUBY inset was established in recognition of an individual woman’s personal commitment of $10,000 or more to the annual campaign. As the decade of the 1980s ended, the program was extended to recognize even higher levels of women’s giving. A SAPPHIRE inset acknowledges contributors of a minimum $18,000, and an EMERALD inset those women who contribute $25,000 or more. In 1992, to mark the 20th anniversary of the pin, a new $50,000 level was established with a CANARY DIAMOND inset; the stone and the category it represents are known as the ZAHAV (golden) DIAMOND.

Today, there are nearly 12,000 Lions of Judah in the U.S.; 900 in Canada; and more than 13,000 worldwide.

Why give to the Women’s Campaign?
The women’s constituency is inspired by the Jewish traditions of tzedakah and tikun olam — social justice and repairing the world. It provides opportunities for every woman to affirm her Jewish identity and spirituality, to take a stand on issues that affect her community, and to inspire other Jewish women by example. Tzedakah is a mitzvah, a personal obligation; no one can perform a mitzvah on behalf of another. Determining what your just share of the cost of meeting the needs of the global Jewish community is an individual decision. A separate donation gives you your own identity, distinct and independent from your husband, companion or family. This is consistent with the Jewish view that each human being is of infinite value. A donation in your own name establishes you as a full partner in your community.

Women’s giving is the fastest-growing component of the annual campaign, now representing more than 22 percent and rising every year.

For more information about the Women’s Campaign and Lion of Judah, e-mail Information@jfgd.net.

Sara L. Shuster, Ph.D.