Showing their pride, Philadelphia’s Lions of Judah had one of the strongest showings at this year’s International Lion of Judah Conference. Hosted by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), the conference that celebrated the 50th anniversary of Lion of Judah took place from December 11 through December 13 at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona. Over three days, 1,200 Lions gathered from around the world to honor their accomplishments, learn from one another and be inspired.  

Co-chaired by Rachel Steinberg and Lisa Schoenberg, the Philadelphia delegation participated in a variety of activities and sessions with their fellow Lions. 

"It was a privilege to hear firsthand from many important changemakers and activists who took the time to address our Lion of Judah community,” said Director of Women’s Philanthropy Lindsay Davidman about the conference, which brought out 38 women from Greater Philadelphia. “I felt inspired by our collective power as philanthropists and all that we are able to achieve when we combine resources.” 

One of the highlights of the conference was when Greater Philadelphia’s Mary Relles and other local leaders were honored with their respective communities’ Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award. A posthumous award named for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was bestowed upon the late Norma Kipnis-Wilson (z’l), who created the Lion of Judah program with her friend Toby Friedland (z’l). 

The conference featured dozens of expert speakers, including executives of Jewish non-profits, celebrities, and political figures from around the world. Speakers focused on topics, including women’s empowerment, reproductive health, antisemitism, mental health and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. 

“This conference just reaffirmed for me that our Philly community is really the best out there,” Davidman continued. “We are engaged, we are passionate, we take action... and we have a lot of fun!"

(L to R) Women’s Philanthropy Past Chairs Gail Norry, Karen Kramer, Holly Nelson, Sheree Bloch, Jodi Miller, Julie Savitch, and current Chair Tracy Gordon at the Philadelphia community dinner on Monday night. 

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Recipient Mary Relles (center) with her daughters (L to R) Sarah Vogel and Tami Astorino.

Almost 40 Lions from Philadelphia attended the International Lion of Judah Conference where over 1200 women gathered to learn, connect, inspire and celebrate.

(L to R) Philadelphia’s Delegation at ILOJC was co-chaired by Rachel Steinberg and Lisa Schoenberg.

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Click here to see more photos from the event. A Lion of Judah is a woman who makes a generous contribution of $5,000 or more to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s Annual Campaign. To learn more about Lion of Judah, contact Lindsay Davidman, Director of Women’s Philanthropy, at ldavidman@jewishphilly.org or 215.832.0502