Women's Philanthropy

Who We Are

Federation CJA Women's Philanthropy®, a sisterhood of women united by acts of kindness and generosity dedicated to ensuring the continuity and vitality of our Jewish community.

Our Mission: Women’s Philanthropy inspires and engages women over 40 to mobilize resources and strengthen the Jewish community.

Our Vision: A strong and vibrant community for future generations.

Our Values: Jewish women taking responsibility for each other according to the principles of Chesed (caring and compassion), Torah (Jewish learning), Tikun Olam (repairing the world) and Tzedakah (social justice).

Lion of Judah

The Lion of Judah is an internationally recognized designation for women who personally contribute a minimum of $5,000 to the Combined Jewish Appeal annual campaign. The Lion of Judah recognizes and honours philanthropic women in Montreal and worldwide.

First introduced in Miami Women’s Division Campaign in 1972, the Lion of Judah pin was established as a representation of a woman’s commitment to the worldwide Jewish community. Upon its humble beginnings, only sixteen women qualified. Since then, the Lion’s roar has become louder and louder as more than 13,000 women around the globe now proudly call themselves Lions of Judah.

As a symbol of strength and majesty in the Jewish world, the Lion of Judah is a reminder that each woman can make a significant contribution at home, in Israel and anywhere in the world where Jews are in distress.

The Lion of Judah is also a symbol of unity – each woman who wears her pin is uniquely connected to all other Lions of Judah, all of whom embody the true meaning of tzedakah. These women have the determination, capability, and power to take the dream of Tikun Olam and turn it into a reality.

Montreal women have formed a community of international trailblazers with an astounding 575 Lions, and our numbers are on the rise. As a woman’s contribution grows, she is recognized for her philanthropy with a corresponding precious gem that is placed in the pin.

The following are the different annual Lion of Judah Giving Levels:

Platinum

Designation

$100,000+

Canary Diamond

Designation

50,000 - $99,999

Amethyst Diamond

Designation

$36,000 – $49,999

Sapphire

Designation

$25,000-$35,999

Emerald

Designation

$18,000 – $24,999

Ruby

Designation

$10,000 – $17,999

Diamond

Designation

$7,500 - $9,999

Lion of Judah

Designation

$5,000 – $7,499

Pomegranate Society

The Pomegranate Society is an internationally recognized designation for women who personally contribute between $1,800 - $4,999 to the Combined Jewish Appeal annual campaign.

Today’s women are interested in taking a hands-on approach to philanthropy. The Pomegranate Society recognizes this and, beyond raising money, we serve as the catalyst for women to perform mitzvoth. Federation CJA Montreal is the first Canadian Federation to introduce this international recognition society. The significance of the pomegranate is that it has 613 seeds and there are 613 mitzvot listed in the Torah.

It is really exciting for women to engage in projects that make our community better. Among other activities, members of the Pomegranate Society have volunteered at Le Café, where they served meals to families that are experiencing a difficult time. They have participated in Missions to Montreal, where they visited the agencies funded by Combined Jewish Appeal and learned about the scope of the challenges facing our community, and the great work done to help people cope.