Women for Israel: A Springboard for Female Leadership

"Jewish National Fund-USA has always had a women’s perspective in my head,” says national lay leader Mara Ginsberg.

For more than 25 years, Women for Israel (WFI) has been far more than a network of female philanthropists. It has served as a launchpad for leadership, introducing members to Jewish National Fund-USA’s mission and equipping them to take on influential roles across the organization.

Mara Ginsberg of Albany and Cindy Noam of Denver are two such leaders whose involvement began with Women for Israel and grew into broader leadership across the organization, helping shape campaigns, guide strategic initiatives, and strengthen Jewish National Fund-USA’s impact in Israel.

A retired attorney and founder of the To Life! nonprofit supporting breast cancer patients and survivors, Mara is a born leader whose Zionism is rooted in a tradition of women-led philanthropy. Her grandmother, the family’s matriarch, began planting trees in Israel decades ago, a legacy that helped shape Mara’s identity.

“In my family, women are the driving force behind philanthropy,” Mara says. “Helping promote Women for Israel just made sense.”

Mara’s involvement with Jewish National Fund-USA began on her local Capital Region Board, where she initiated a women’s group that later evolved into the region’s first Women for Israel committee. She went on to serve as board president and remains active today. She has since taken on national leadership roles, including chair of the National Major Gifts Committee and member of the Women for Israel National Executive Board.

“WFI is such an exciting part of Jewish National Fund-USA,” Mara says. “We’re around 30% of the annual campaign—that’s pretty astounding. We all share a love of Israel and its people.”

Similarly, when Jewish National Fund-USA leader Cindy Noam was first introduced to the organization through an annual Women for Israel Society luncheon, she felt an immediate sense of connection.

“It was an amazing feeling to be in a room full of incredibly giving and powerful women,” Cindy says.

That initial experience quickly turned into leadership. Cindy went on to chair the same event that first inspired her and deepened her involvement after sending her son, Jonathan, to Alexander Muss High School in Israel (Muss). Today, she serves on the Muss Board of Directors as well as on the Colorado WFI Steering Committee and is Muss chair on the Mountain States Regional Board of Directors.

“WFI was my entry point into Jewish National Fund-USA,” Cindy says. “As you learn about the different areas you can support—whether it’s the World Zionist Village, Muss, or the Galilee Culinary Institute by JNF—you realize there are so many ways to expand your involvement, not just through philanthropy, but through action.”

Both Cindy and Mara reflect a broader truth: Women for Israel is not just a gateway, but a driving force. WFI leaders help shape the direction of Jewish National Fund-USA and are foundational to its continued growth and impact.

As Cindy puts it, “Women are an integral part of the organization. Women have a say. And women can move mountains when it comes to getting things done.”

Learn more about Women for Israel at jnf.org/women