OPINION: The power of women’s philanthropy

All over the world there are women who are Lion of Judah, and at the most recent count they number 20,000. This community of female givers is described as “Women’s Philanthropy”, but the term does not do justice to its deeper meaning and impact.

Having just returned from the Jewish Federations of North America biennial international conference attended by 1700 Lions, I am in no doubt that this women’s movement is a powerful force recognising all that Jewish women do to contribute to Israel, our Jewish and wider communities.

The power is in the collective, the togetherness of the “we”, that what we do as an individual is amplified by the other. When I meet my fellow Lions, there is an instant bond, an openness to share and connect, they are a mirror image reflecting their love of living by Jewish values. The assumption of many, that Lion of Judah is an elitist ‘club’ of rich Jewish women could not be further than the truth. Yes of course it consists of women of means, but equally of women who forgo life’s luxuries to fulfil the mitzvah of being a Lion.

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Started in the 1970’s in Miami by Norma Kipnis Wilson Z’L as a women’s philanthropy campaign, Norma had a dream about the Lion of Judah symbol, which sparked her vision for women to give a $5,000 gift to their Miami Jewish Federation, crucially, in their own name. A big ask in the 1970s as it was the price of a car.

The Lion of Judah movement quickly spread to include all states in North America; it seemed that women wanted to make their mark in what historically had been a patriarchal system of giving. The rest of the world caught on and now Lion of Judah exists in 23 other countries. Our UK story is more recent. No Lions in London for many years, I joined a delegation of Israeli Lions to attend the conference in Washington in 2016. At the end of the conference whilst the Americans pledged millions of dollars, I pledged to reintroduce this unique female model of philanthropy to the UK and bring it back to life.

Lions are from all walks of life, community professionals and communal lay leaders, spiritual leaders, activists, women with careers, young women with families, women with followers and women who follow. Mothers, daughters and granddaughters, a collective of women enabling Tikun Olam. But philanthropy is only part of the picture, Lions are Zionists advocating for Israel, fighters against antisemitism, promoters of social justice, and healers of social imbalances as they take care of and look after the vulnerable in their communities. Lions are role models, passing on the torch of Jewish values to our children and grandchildren.

This year’s conference held in Atlanta naturally focused on Israel post 7/10 with the theme “Proud to be.” Proud to be a Lion, Jewish, leader, Zionist, activist, philanthropist. Multiple breakout sessions made sure there was something of interest for everyone as we came together to be educated and to listen to the voices of others. There were many painful stories but equally stories that inspired and uplifted.

Israel’s first lady Michal Hertzog was honoured by being presented with the Ruth Bader Ginsberg award. Softly spoken she told of how she and her husband had visited over 1000 bereaved families, but she remained optimistic by the resilience that surrounds her. She shared that the deal for a hostage release was imminent, even perhaps during the days of the conference. Amos Hochstein, the senior advisor to the White House, and architect of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, insisted that the timing of the hostage deal was not about politics, but a genuine desire on the President Biden’s behalf to get a deal done.

Whilst the fires were raging in Los Angeles, Samantha Ettus, author and activist, who lost her home and possessions, got on a plane to Atlanta, borrowed an outfit and shared how after 7/10 she felt a need to be a counter voice against the lies and misinformation spread on social media. We heard from others too; accidental activists who found their voice in the wake of 7/10, to fight antisemitism on campuses, and speak for Israel and hostage families at the Senate and Congress.

The empathy in the room; hugging the mothers who had lost their son and daughters; we heard from the dignified and brave Rachel Polen- Goldberg whose son Hersh was murdered on the eve of a potential rescue, and Sigal Manzuri whose two daughters, Roya and Norelle were murdered at the Nova festival. May we never forget them. May we also never forget the many heroes whose stories have been immortalised by the haunting lyrics and music of Gilav Segev, who sang to us songs telling of the bravery of those who died in order to save others.

Soon after 7/10 I went to Israel to lead a women’s solidarity mission and bear witness to the atrocities. The first person our group met with was Dr Cochav Elkayam- Levy. A quietly spoken mother of 4 young children who, with tremendous inner strength, had taken it upon herself to found and chair the civil commission on crimes by Hamas against women and children.

She spoke about how she was gathering information on the victims and how they had been brutalised and murdered. Despite the overwhelming evidence of extreme sexual violence, shockingly there was silence from worldwide women’s groups and no acknowledgement or condemnation by the United Nations. In the year plus since that meeting, Cochav shared her findings at the conference.

Interviewed by Israeli news anchor Yonit Levi, she told us that they had gathered information on crimes against humanity that had never been seen leading to the new term “kinocide” to explain the weaponisation of families. I wondered, as someone who cannot bring myself to watch the Hamas videos, how she copes? For her, the answer is her children and speaking to young people around the world, the sense of togetherness giving her hope. I can understand why.

The sense of togetherness of 1700 Lion of Judah from 90 American federation communities, Israel, Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, and the UK was unifying. We felt our strength and our resilience. We connected with old friends, made new friends and celebrated. We were wowed by Edan Golan who sang ‘October Rain’ with passion and emotion. We spontaneously danced before the plenaries, and sang Am Yisroel Chai at the tops of our voices. We gave standing ovations to show our appreciation to the many speakers which included the allyship of Anila Ali and Patricia Heaten, Muslim and Christian activists supporting Israel and the Jewish people.

We may be fighting against the darkness of antisemitism and antizionism in our world, but we are not alone because Lions of Judah flood light where it’s needed and together, we roar!

“The paradox of giving is that when we lift something to give to another, it is we ourselves who are lifted. I believe that what elevates us in life is not what we receive but what we give. The more of ourselves that we give, the greater we become.” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Z’L

• Karen Goodkind chairs Lion of Judah UK; Lion of Judah is under the organisational umbrella of UJIA. For further information about LOJ or the UJIA LOJ women’s mission in Israel 31st March -3rd April Please contact karengoodkind@btinternet.com or jacalyn.sankdacosta@ujia.org