Since it was introduced in 1972, the Lion of Judah program — an international initiative of Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federations of North America — has grown to include 18,000 dynamic Jewish women worldwide, whose generous gifts in the amount of $5,000 or more to their Federations’ annual campaigns help support Jewish communities at home, in Israel, and across the globe. 

 

The Lion of Judah pin was subsequently created to symbolize the dedication of these philanthropic women. The beautiful gold pin represents a Jewish woman’s strong commitment to Jewish values, philanthropy and sisterhood.

 

But while the pin symbolizes the importance of creating one’s own Jewish legacy through philanthropy, it does not define that legacy. Instead, it is the responsibility of each individual Lion to define her own Jewish legacy and to create a plan for passing it on to future generations. 

 

That’s where LION BEHIND THE PIN comes in. 

 

A new and exciting national initiative launched recently by Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federations of North America, Lion Behind the Pin encourages Jewish Federation Lions to define and create their own Jewish legacies by providing them with them with a toolkit thoughtfully designed to help guide them on this journey of self-reflection.

 

This new program helps them pinpoint their own personal reasons for making the Lion of Judah major commitment, how they would like to designate their pin, and create a legacy to the community. 

 

At the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven we value every gift. Therefore, we welcome all donors at every level to share with us their personal stories about why they choose to give. Our goal is to collect and create an ongoing catalog of stories.  

 

Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven is proud to participate in this important national program and will kick-off the project this summer. Watch for details!

 

For more information about the “Lion Behind the Pin” program and how you can take part, contact Robyn Teplitzky at rteplitzky@jewishnewhaven.org.