Who We Are

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).

Women's Philanthropy Campaign Chair Message

Hi! My name is Cheryl Brownstein and I am very honoured and humbled to have been asked to be the 2017 Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair.

We often think of inheritance as monetary items, or as genetic traits, that have been passed down to us from our parents.  While I am so thankful for all that I have received from my wonderful father, Morton Brownstein, CM z”l, and my beautiful mother Bernice, I have also been blessed with a yerusha, or inheritance, of belief: Belief in community and the responsibility that we each have to participate, to be engaged and to do our part in ensuring its continuity.  Through watching my parents, uncles, and aunts first-hand, and through my own involvement over the past 40 years – starting as a young girl ringing doorbells to pick up Combined Jewish Appeal cheques for my mother as she sat waiting in the car! – I learned how being connected with community can totally influence your character and strengthen your values.

I sat in Women’s Federation Boardrooms and have been overwhelmed by the determination, the commitment and the passion of the many incredible women who have come before me, as well as the professionals who advise us.

What inspires these women? It is the belief, the conviction and the absolute knowledge that they are doing something to make our own Montreal Jewish community stronger and more vibrant;  as well as caring for communities in Israel and elsewhere around the world; making our world a better place; practicing the very essence of tikun olam. How do they accomplish this? By being a part of a team; by joining a committee or a board of any one of our community’s 11 agencies; by going on a Mission to Montreal and learning how what we do and what we give directly affects the lives of so many here in our city; by joining an Israel and Overseas mission to see how our people to people (P2P) projects have strengthened the connections between Montreal and the city of Beersheba; or personally witnessing how we support Jews in need wherever they might live.

By being empowered and asking others to join you in giving the gift of tzedakah, you too can be equally inspired! Give a morning, an afternoon, or an evening to volunteer;  see the smiles that light up as you serve dinner at Le Café; watch the excitement as a line of children assemble down the stairs and out the door of their school to participate in Feed the Truck – a student driven food drive. Be involved. Volunteer. Do your part.  Start from the heart!

The Hebrew word natan—meaning “to give”—is a palindrome. It is spelled the same way forward as backward, which symbolizes that when you give, you receive.  Please join us, our community—you will be enriched by all that you see and all that you do.  It is, after all, our yerusha, for those who follow us.

Thanks to my husband, Dr. Rick Schreiber, and my children, Matthew Stein, Roslyn Stein and Allan Dudkiewicz, for their encouragement and support.

Cheryl Brownstein
Chair, Women’s Philanthropy Campaign 2017

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.

Click here to see our newsletter.

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.

Women’s Philanthropy Mosaic

Women’s Philanthropy Mosaic is a unique cookbook of over 100 delicious and innovative recipes that reflects the rich diversity of Montreal’s Jewish cuisine. A project of Federation CJA’s Women’s Philanthropy Division, all proceeds from this book will be used to support women in need.

$50 Click here to order our book now!

Download your Mosaic app at the App Store and get a handy ingredients list for each recipe.



RECIPE OF THE MONTH

The Mosaic Cookbook is also available at the following locations: