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(Editors Note: View a full list of honorees and communities.)

United Jewish Communities 2004 International Lion of Judah Conference Marks Inaugural Year of Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award

Award To Be Presented To 91 Women Embodying The Values Of The Lion Of Judah

NEW YORK -- October 17, 2004 --  Ninety-one Jewish women who have made a positive, invaluable and lasting impact on their Jewish communities will be honored with the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award during the United Jewish Communities (UJC) 2004 International Lion of Judah Conference, taking place October 17-19 in Washington, DC.

"To honor one woman from each Jewish community was a difficult process, as there were so many deserving women who exemplify the spirit of the Lion of Judah," said Sandra F. Cahn, president of the UJC National Women's Philanthropy. 

The 2004 International Lion of Judah Conference marks the inaugural year of the award, established in honor of Lion of Judah founders Norma Kipnis-Wilson and Toby Friedland. Award recipients, each chosen by their local Jewish federation, embody the values of the Lion of Judah, the name given to those women dedicated to Jewish philanthropy though the UJA Federation Campaign of UJC and the Jewish Federations of North America; the Spirit of Israel, a campaign established by The Jewish Agency; or Keren Heyesod, representing and supporting Jewish communities beyond North America and Israel.

"Using their well-honed leadership skills, the honorees have made a significant impact in their communities that will leave an enormous imprint for generations to come, and have motivated other women to take an active role in philanthropy and Jewish community involvement," Cahn added. "We are so proud of each and every one of these women."

The biennial International Lion of Judah Conference is sponsored by UJC's National Women's Philanthropy, which provides women with opportunities to affirm their Jewish identity and spirituality, act on issues affecting the Jewish community, and inspire other women by example.  

This year's conference theme, "I am a Lion," honors the Lions of Judah, and more than 1,200 Lions of Judah are expected to attend, with participants from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, England, France, Israel and the former Soviet Union joining their American counterparts.

Guest speakers at the conference include: First Lady Laura Bush; Teresa Heinz Kerry; Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY); Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA); Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN); Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Dennis Ross, former U.S. ambassador and American negotiator in Middle East peace talks; Professor Avishay Braverman, president of Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Yuli Tamir, member of the Israeli Knesset; Ann F. Lewis, former White House communications director; Academy Award winner Gerda Klein, founder of the Gerda and Kurt Klein Foundation; and Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Conference programming will focus on key issues affecting the Jewish community, both nationally and internationally. 

The Lions of Judah are women from throughout North America and around the world who have made a substantial contribution to the UJA Federation Campaign of UJC, the Spirit of Israel or Keren Heyesod. Today, over 14,000 women throughout North America, Israel and around the world proudly wear a Lion of Judah pin to declare their commitment to the preservation and growth of the worldwide Jewish community.

2004 International Lion of Judah Conference program and registration information is posted at www.ujc.org. 

United Jewish Communities (UJC) represents 155 Jewish federations and 400 independent communities across North America. Through the UJA Federation Campaign, UJC provides life-saving and life-enhancing humanitarian assistance to those in need, and translates Jewish values into social action on behalf of millions of Jews in hundreds of communities in North America, in towns and villages throughout Israel, in the former Soviet Union,  and 60 countries around the world.

KIPNIS-WILSON/FRIEDLAND AWARD WINNERS