Our Philanthropy Enriches Conservative/Masorti Judaism 

The end of the 2022–2023 Chazak V’Ematz Campaign is approaching. Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Convention 2023 will open very soon. I am excited to see everyone in person and to share all the successes of Torah Fund during the past three years. I cannot wait to meet with the Region Torah Fund Vice Presidents, face to face, for the first time. I look forward to our Torah Fund luncheon celebrating 80 years of Torah Fund. We will feature a special d’var Torah, greetings from Chancellor Shuly Rubin Schwartz and Rabbi Brad Artson, a new video featuring the institutions of higher Jewish education that we support, and acknowledgement of our Torah Fund Legacy Society members and our “Plus $80 for 80 Years of Torah Fund” donors. 

It has been an honor for me to serve as Chair of Torah Fund and I am grateful to many women who exemplify Chazak v’Ematz, strength and courage. 

Thank you to Debbi Kaner Goldich, International WLCJ President, for appointing me to this position. 

Thank you to every person who donated to Torah Fund. The last three years were most challenging for everyone. You all recognized the needs for students at the Jewish Theological Seminary, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Schechter Institutes, Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano, and Zacharias Frankel College. You ensured that the schools continued to provide scholarships and programming. 

Thank you to the more than 400 affiliate/sisterhood volunteers who send letters and emails, write bulletin articles, make phone calls, create programs, keep fundraising records, and create and maintain relationships with their donors. We could not run Torah Fund campaigns in our communities without the support of the affiliate/sisterhood Torah Fund chairs, vice-presidents and presidents. 

Thank you to the thirteen Region Torah Fund Vice Presidents who serve as liaisons between the affiliates and the Torah Fund office. These volunteers set Torah Fund goals for the affiliates in their regions, meet with the affiliate Torah Fund chairs/vice presidents, answer questions, check on financial discrepancies, plan Region Torah Fund events, maintain Region fundraising records, send monthly financial reports to the affiliates, communicate Torah Fund news through region Shabbat newsletters, and create and maintain relationships with all the affiliate Torah Fund volunteers. Our Region Torah Fund Vice Presidents have been meeting monthly via Zoom for two years. They share ideas, assist one another, and provide support when the going gets tough. They are thoughtful and creative. They have formed lasting relationships. I have enjoyed speaking on the phone with each of them, discussing challenges and successes, texting or emailing back and forth. I have been touched by their caring manner. It has been an honor to work with each one of them. Thank you: 

Terri Fields, BQLI Region 

Rebecca Goldwasser, Central Great Lakes Region 

Nancy Goldberg, Florida Region 

Sue Romanoff, Garden State Region 

Linda Boxer, International Northeast Region 

Mae Levitan, IntraContinental Region 

Linda Klempner, MetroNorth Region 

Shelley Szwalbenest, Mid-Atlantic Region 

Ellen Leonard, North Atlantic Region 

Lorie Abernethy, North by NorthWest Region 

Marcy Melton, Pacific SouthWest Region 

Cheryl Wasserman, Seaboard Region 

Barbara Hellman, Southern Region 

My heartfelt thanks for all you and your region assistants do to support Torah Fund in every area of North America. 

Thank you to the 136 volunteers who support Torah Fund at the international level on the Torah Fund Cabinet. You provide fund-raising assistance to the Regions and to their affiliates and meet regularly to learn from professional Conservative/Masorti leaders, to hear and discuss updates to Torah Fund policies, to be appraised of current funds raised. Among the members of the Torah Fund Cabinet are the chairs of Torah Fund committees and their additional volunteer committee members. Thank you: 

Margie Miller, Special Projects Chair 

Carol Simon, Creating New Spaces Chair 

Marcia Toppall and Cathy Swerdlow, Torah Fund Legacy Society Co-Chairs, and to all the ambassadors 

Tobie Rosenberg, Student Liaison for Ziegler, and Sharon Hammerman, Student Liaison for JTS 

Lori Snow, Teresa Sumter, and Fran Hildebrandt who made phone calls to donors. 

Thank you to my support team who were available at all hours by phone, text, email, and even in-person lunches, to lend a shoulder or an ear: 

Debbi Kaner Goldich, WLCJ International President 

Janet Kirschner, International Torah Fund Vice-Chair, Finance 

Madeleine Gimbel, International Torah Fund Vice-Chair, Communications 

Randy Schwartz, Torah Fund Canadian Liaison 

Lauren Wishnew, Torah Fund Advisor 

Thank you to the women who produce these wonderful issues of Chadashot three times a year. They are creative, spirited, dedicated, knowledgeable, and I am proud to call each of them my friend. Thank you: 

Jodi Beck 

Gloria Adelson 

Donna Burkat 

Laurie B. Davis 

Mimi Pollack 

Shelley Szwalbenest 

I am indebted to our dedicated Torah Fund staff, Lisa Paule, Director, and Sherrill Moss-Solomon, Financial Manager. Through the challenges of the past three years, they moved us forward, managing all the regular Torah Fund procedures in new ways. A lot of work is done in the back rooms that we do not see. Thank you, Lisa and Sherrill, for making us volunteers look so good. 

It is through the Strength and Courage of over 900 volunteers and our two-person staff, that the Torah Fund campaign has been successful during the past three years. 

Todah Rabah to each of you for your emotional and financial support during a very challenging time. 

With Strength and Courage, we ensure Conservative/Masorti Jewish education worldwide.