Jewish Women, Together

October 16, 2026

Ellen Balser Hyman knows she will not be here forever. 

She also knows her giving can be. 

“I would like to leave something that is going to be here for a very long time.” 

Sitting among more than 300 Jewish women at Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta’s Lion of Judah & Pomegranate Luncheon, Ellen was surrounded by women making that same choice in their own ways: to take responsibility for a Jewish future that stretches far beyond themselves. 

For Ellen, that responsibility began long before she became a Lion of Judah or endowed her annual gift. 

She grew up watching her father, Meyer Balser, help build Jewish community. Giving was not something her family did on occasion. It was part of how they lived. 

“Giving was part of my DNA,” Ellen said. “Continuing to give was part of my education.”

That legacy of giving was one story in a room filled with them. 

Some women have been part of Federation philanthropy for decades. Others are just beginning to see the role they can play. 

Ilissa Feiler recently became a Pomegranate donor after attending Federation’s Annual Meeting and learning more about the reach of its work. 

“I had always heard about Federation and how involved it was, but never really knew in the details what all it did,” Ilissa said. “I really got to learn about each of the different facets of how [Federation] truly helps the Jewish community in ways that we don’t even all get to see.” 

At the luncheon, those different generations and experiences came together around a shared purpose. 

“Women together are stronger than individually,” said Lynn Saperstein, 2027 Women’s Philanthropy Campaign Chair. “We get together, we bond, but we’re bonding for a purpose.” 

That purpose is helping Jews thrive in Atlanta, in Israel and around the world, today and for generations to come. 

And in a time when Jewish life can feel uncertain, there was something powerful about seeing that commitment fill a room. 

Featured speaker, actress Jackie Tohn, best known for her role as Esther in Nobody Wants This, described being surrounded by Jewish women as feeling “like a hug.” She called them shvesters, Yiddish for sisters. 

That sisterhood could be felt throughout the afternoon. But it also came with a challenge: What will each of us do with it? 

For Ellen, one answer was ensuring her Lion of Judah gift will continue through an endowment. For Ilissa, it was becoming a Pomegranate. For others in the room, the next step may look completely different. 

There is no single way to invest in Jewish life. But there is power in choosing to do it together. 

“It’s not just for now,” Lynn said. “It’s for my grandchildren, and their children, and future generations.” 

More than 300 women gathered that day because they care about that future. 

And together, they are helping build it.