Shirley White has been a dedicated volunteer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s Women’s Division for more than half a century. When she first began soliciting donations, she fondly remembers personally going to people’s homes and apartments who lived close by the Jewish Community Center and the local synagogues.
"Women would save up all year to contribute," White said. "In many cases, it was only a handful of change, but they were so proud and thrilled to be able to give tzedakah. It was so rewarding to be a part of that."
This long-standing dedication is exactly why White was recently recognized as a 2010 Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award winner at the International Lion of Judah Conference in New Orleans last month. The award is given to women who have been a Lion of Judah for at least 10 years and have made a significant impact in the local Jewish community, in Israel and/or abroad.
The Lion of Judah, according to Beverly Jacobson, Women’s Division director, is a campaign division comprised of women who give large sums to their federation’s campaigns. It was established in 1972.
"The symbol of the Lion of Judah is a gold pin that Lions can buy. Each year they can add a jewel to the pin, depending upon their lion giving level," Jacobson explained.
"The Lion of Judah is one of the most successful giving tools of non-profit philanthropies. It denotes a sisterhood of women committed to the same goals — the continuity of their Jewish communities," Jacobson said.
Typically a behind the scenes leader, White has served in official capacities for most of the Jewish women’s organizations in Kansas City. When she hears about a program she thinks could be valuable to the community, she makes calls seeking the funds to get the program up and running. If she sees a need that hasn’t been addressed, she goes about finding a way to address that need.
"I enjoy being with people and I believe in tzedakah and caring for our people," White said. "I am so grateful for what I have. What more could I need? However there are many who are not so fortunate so it’s important I do what I can to help them."
White is proud to wear her Lion of Judah pin. In fact she has been known to strike up conversations with other women, often strangers, who are wearing the pin.
"I was shopping once in Palm Springs and I noticed a woman wearing her Lion of Judah pin," White said. "We started talking and we became friends. I still keep in touch with her and I was hoping to see her at the conference in New Orleans, but an illness in her family kept her away," White said.
In addition to White and her daughters — Sandi Fried and Linda White— the local delegation included Jacobson, Dierdre Baker, Sarah Beren, Bari Frieden, Susan Goldsmith, Trudy Jacobson, Shanny Morgenstern and Karen Pack.
Over the years two other local women, Elaine Polsky and Maria Devinki, have been presented with the Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award. Norma Kipnis-Wilson, who founded the Lion of Judah program along with the late Toby Friedland, said each of the women highlighted this year (there were 78 honorees) "is a woman of valor, which means they are unafraid and undeterred in their efforts to ensure a better world for us all and the generations to come."
White was humbled by the honor.
"I feel honored to have been in the company of all these women, many of them young women," she said. These women have done phenomenal things for their Jewish communities and all of them are still continuing their work."
This conference gave White a chance to get to know the women of the Kansas City delegation better. She’s excited to have the opportunity to continue working with them.
Her favorite activity during her time in New Orleans was a trip to an inner city school where the "Lions" read young children books that were donated by The PJ Library.
"We took 15 busloads of women to two schools," White said. "It was nice not to just talk about what we could do but to actually do something. Being with the children was very satisfying."
White was especially pleased to be a part of a PJ Library program because the program is so important in Kansas City as well as Jewish communities around the country. In fact it’s one of the many programs she champions. It’s important, she believes, because the program is changing the way young families are making their Jewish journey.
"Every month the families in the program get a book sent to their home. Karen Gerson, who oversees the program, has told me it is making a very positive impact on the way young families are making their Jewish journeys. The program’s goals are to engage families first through the books and then into their communities," White said.
