July 2025 / A Spotlight on Our 2024–2026 Torah Fund Vice Presidents 

Good volunteers are the lifeline of our Torah Fund team. Marilyn Berkowitz, Shelley Szwalbenest and I work with our group of Torah Fund region vice presidents. We will keep you informed on their progress as they create relationships with affiliate Torah Fund volunteers and help their affiliates meet or exceed their Torah Fund goals. 

Enjoy getting to know our 2024–2026 Torah Fund region vice presidents as they learn new skills and become stronger and more confident women. This month we meet Susan Ben-Rubin, North by Northwest Region, and Hilary Rosenbaum, Southern Region. I asked them each to answer the following three questions: 

What do you enjoy most about your Torah Fund position? What past professional or personal experience helped you with your position? Describe something about yourself that would surprise us or that makes you special to those who love you. 

Everyone knows the expression, “If you want something done, ask a busy woman.” Here are two prime examples of this adage: 

Susan Ben-Rubin 

• As I am passionate about the future of the Conservative Movement, I want to help ensure that we have well-trained rabbis, cantors, and Jewish educators to carry on our Conservative traditions for our children and our children’s children. 
• Having been a program manager my entire professional career, I have developed strengths which help me be a successful Torah Fund region vice president. Those skills help me put together Torah Fund presentations, talk to our donors about Torah Fund, and feel comfortable raising money. 
• Many people do not know I love going to Comic-Con every year and join in the fun by dressing up as my favorite characters. Over the past three years, I have been a Ravenclaw Wizard (Harry Potter), a Hobbit (the Hobbit), and Princess Leia (Star Wars)! 

Hilary Rosenbaum: 

• As a Torah Fund region vice president, I enjoy educating our various sisterhood/affiliate chairs and members via one-on-one talks and biweekly newsletter articles. I appreciate that WLCJ has a dedicated philanthropy helping to ensure the continuity of the Conservative/Masorti Movement by supporting our schools and providing scholarships. It is really an amazing and unique experience being a Torah Fund region vice president. 
• When my niece decided to become a rabbi in 2017, I became Torah Fund Chair of the Sisterhood of Women of Temple Israel in Charlotte, NC.  I dedicated myself to being successful at raising money for Torah Fund with speaking engagements, celebrating Torah Fund’s 80th birthday, and studying Torah Fund history. 
• In my previous life, I enjoyed teaching elementary education. But now I am passionate about selling consignment high-end women’s clothes. My goal is to help each customer feel beautiful and delighted with her look. I believe conversing and asking questions is the key to both selling clothes and supporting Torah Fund. 

Torah Fund would not be able to support our five Conservative/Masorti institutes of higher education without our thirteen region vice presidents. Are YOU interested in bringing your skills to the position of Torah Fund region vice president?  Am Yisrael Chai!