Lion of Judah Endowment (LOJE) Chair Donna Weichselbaum’s philanthropic passion was born out of her own experience of tough times. “It’s an interesting story,” she said. “At one time, I was experiencing difficult circumstances. I was a single parent of very young children, and we needed help. I went to Jewish Child and Family Services (JCFS), and they provided me with extraordinary support and advice.

“They helped me navigate through this difficult time and I remain so appreciative. It was my first connection with JUF, and it led me to my own unique perspective on the work of Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.”

Fortunately, her circumstances eventually changed, and she wanted to give back. “I thought, What better place to do that than through JUF? ”

“It’s the most worthy thing I could do,” she said. “The thing I’ve come to realize is that your actions and your behaviors are so important. Your kids follow them. Your community sees what you do. It’s not just words – it’s modeling TIkkun Olam .”

Donna made the decision to endow her Lion of Judah annual gift and become a LOJE. This commitment ensures that her annual gift continues in perpetuity to the JUF Women’s Division Annual Campaign. Lion of Judah Endowment (LOJE) funds secures that a woman’s gift continues in her own name, preparing JUF and the community for future needs, both anticipated and unexpected.

Donna recently began her two-year term as the LOJE Chair. “Being a LOJE Chair allows me to reach out to my peers and hopefully help them make the same decision I did. I’m proud to be a part of this group of 167 women,” she said.

She is currently a member of the JUF Women’s Board and Women’s City Council, and previously served on the JUF/Federation Health & Human Services Commission. Donna has served on numerous other JUF committees and enjoys working side by side with staff and other community leaders.

In addition to her involvement with JUF, Donna volunteers as a docent at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.

“It’s such important work. I take kids through the museum, and believe it or not, a lot of those kids have never met a Jew before. In fact, a lot of them don’t know anything about the Holocaust. “I want to make sure everyone knows the history,” she said. “When I learned about the Holocaust as a child, I knew it was something I would study for the rest of my life. The Holocaust helped me find my Jewish identity.”

Learning first-hand through her own experiences, she remains mindful that her circumstances changed with help from JUF and the Jewish community.

“We need to have compassion. You get back what you give – so you give. You give back with your thoughts, actions, energy and pocketbook. It’s so fundamental to being an upright citizen.

“That is the legacy I want to leave my children and grandchildren,” she said.