David Harris
Ronna Schneider Honored; 10 Cincinnatians Attend International Lion of Judah Conference: Women Discuss Politics, Philanthropy, Judaism
From Madeleine Albright to Lieutenant Commander Alexa Jenkins, the first woman to command a ship in the US Navy, the more than 1,300 women who attended the 2016 International Lion of Judah Conference heard from an impressive roster of speakers. The Lions of Judah are philanthropic Jewish women of all ages, uniting as an international sisterhood of global advocates who care deeply about the Jewish future. Ten women from the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s Lion of Judah Society attended the biennial conference, which was held September 11-13 in Washington DC.
A local Jewish lay leader, business owner, physician, and mother of four, Ronna Schneider of Amberley was honored at the conference with the prestigious Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award, which recognizes inspiring women from Jewish communities throughout North America. Schneider received the award for her many contributions to the Cincinnati Jewish community, including her leadership roles at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Hillel. “I would do this work anyways,” said Schneider, “but I feel especially lucky to be honored by this Cincinnati community which means so much to me and always gives so much back.”
Kim Heiman, a local and national Jewish lay leader, was a speaker at the conference. As co-chair of Jewish Federations of North America’s Israeli Religious Expression Platform Initiative, she spoke on marriage equality in Israel, highlighting the challenges for non-Orthodox Israelis. She is a past Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year and Jewish Women International Woman to Watch, as well as past president of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
“We heard from truly impressive and diverse speakers,” said Felicia Zakem, a Senior Development Officer at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, “including political all-
stars who talked about how they as women support one another across party lines, sessions on millennial and Gen Z donors, and going to Israel as newlyweds. We also had fun getting to know each other—including riding Segways together through Washington DC.”
Rini Levy, chair of Women’s Philanthropy at the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, concurred that the conference was enriching, saying, “One particular organization that stood out to me was IsraAID, an Israeli-based humanitarian aid organization that provides crisis relief around the world, including for Syrian refugees. It really struck me that the relief these people are receiving is coming from those they might consider the least likely source, and that IsraAid is relief because it is the right thing to do.”
Levy found the event so inspiring she wants to make sure more women attend next time. “I was amazed by the magnitude of how we as a group impact people’s lives on a daily basis. And the selfless sense of compassion and philanthropy throughout made me feel so proud of my Judaism and of being a Lion of Judah. At the closing celebration, I felt a great sense of camaraderie with every woman in that room, but especially with the women from Cincinnati that I shared this experience with. It really motivated me to work hard to ensure that we have a larger group attend the next conference. I want many women to experience the same sense of inspiration, awe and pride that I felt.”
The International Lion of Judah conference is the largest fundraising event in the Jewish Federation system. Women who attended the conference this year pledged a record-breaking collective $31.5 million to their Federations’ 2017 Community Campaigns.
The Cincinnati women who attended are: Chrissie Blatt, Fran Coleman, Jennifer Dauer, Kim Heiman, Rini Levy, Bryna Miller, Ronna Schneider, Sherri Symson, Amy Susskind Weiskopf, and Felicia Zakem.
