Jewish Community Partners

On a snowy Sunday morning, 19 Memphis Jewish Federation Lions of Judah ( a dynamic group of philanthropic women) boarded a plane for the 2025 International Lion of Judah Conference being held in Atlanta.   Over the course of 2 ½ days they joined with more than 1700 like-minded women from around the world to delve into the biggest issues facing our Jewish world today.  The event featured addresses by members of hostage families and those who lost loved ones since Oct. 7, communal leaders, U.S. officials and Israeli politicians — specifically Amos Hochstein, the White House’s special envoy, and Israeli First Lady Michal Herzog, who received the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award for her work in exposing Hamas’ sexual crimes.

“This was the largest Memphis contingent we’ve had at this bi-annual conference,” said Laura Linder President and CEO of Jewish Community Partners who attended the conference.  “It was especially meaningful to have Memphis participants whose ages range from 30’s to 80’s!  We were inspired by the programming and by each other.”

In the opening plenary, conference attendees were treated to a breathtaking performance by Israeli superstar Eden Golan and inspired by stories of advocacy and resilience, including from Columbia University master’s student Noah Fay who is recognized for her fight against antisemitism on college campuses. 

Throughout the conference there were Impact Forums allowing each participant to select topics of interest to them.  Sessions on advocacy, financial literacy, women’s rights, antisemitism, leadership and many more were offered, all of which featured leading topical experts . 

Highlighting the conference was the honoring of Eileen Baer Posner, long-time Memphis resident and Federation executive committee member as Memphis’ pick for the 2025 Kipnis-Wilson/ Friedland Award winner.  This award recognizes a Lion of Judah who takes community commitment via philanthropy and volunteerism to extraordinary levels.

“I was so proud to represent our community,” continued Linder.  “Memphis was well-represented, and participants felt inspired, albeit overwhelmed, by the experience.  Everyone returned home ready to roll up their sleeves and do more to strengthen our community.”