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Dr. Dan Weidenthal: A Loving Tribute
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A Loving Tribute
In August 2019, Dr. Dan Weidenthal attended the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Endowment Book of Life1 celebration and signing. But the gift that he made wasn’t about him, and it wasn’t for him. It was in honor of and a tribute to his beloved wife Judy (z”l) who passed away in 2017.
Dan moved to Cleveland with his family in 1932. His father was a pediatrician who worked at Mt. Sinai and St. Luke’s hospitals, treating and caring for children in the city of Cleveland. Dan can still remember going on house calls with him, driving all around the city to attend to his father’s patients. When asked about lessons in tzedakah, Dan remarked that his father’s charity was given through the care he gave to his patients – often working long hours and on weekends.
Dan followed in his father’s footsteps and became a physician. His busy practice as a pre-eminent retinal specialist meant that Judy held down the fort for their family. She weathered the storm of many 18-hour workdays, canceled social events because of emergency surgeries and truncated vacations. In fact, many of their vacations revolved around medical meetings which meant that even when they traveled to exotic locations, Dan was tied up for the day and Judy had to fend for herself.
Judy graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Art & Architecture. Her artistic path eventually led her to photography, spending time at the Cleveland Institute of Art. She was well known for her impressive landscape photos. In fact, after seeing her work at a one-woman show at the Temple-Tifereth Israel, both Rabbi Roger Klein and Rabbi Richard A. Block displayed Judy’s photographs in their offices. Another passion was involvement in the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, as a Lion of Judah2. Dan recalled that sisters Eileen Sill and Lois Marcus first reached out to Judy to invite her to Federation events, which led to her becoming very involved in Women’s Philanthropy.
After Judy passed away, Dan thought about what would be a fitting tribute to Judy. He decided to endow Judy’s annual gift to the Campaign for Jewish Needs and he worked with Federation staff to create a Lion of Judah Endowment (LOJE) in her honor and memory3. Dan remarked that this was the perfect thing to do because it is something that was important to her and reflected her interests. He is glad to perpetuate Judy’s annual gift, because he trusts Federation to know what the community’s needs are and to also allocate funds to meet those needs.
Dan shared that in Judy’s lifetime she was a private person who didn’t seek public recognition. By creating a permanent memorial to Judy, in support of the annual campaign, Dan has ensured that Judy’s generosity and spirit will be remembered for generations to come.
1. The Endowment Book of Life recognizes donors who have made a commitment of $100,000 or more to the Federation’s Endowment Fund or who have created a supporting foundation. 2. Lions of Judah are women who make an individual gift of $5,000 or more to the annual Campaign for Jewish Needs. 3. A Lion of Judah Endowment (LOJE) perpetuates a Lion of
Judah gift to the annual Campaign for Jewish Needs.
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland and Women’s Philanthropy would like to recognize the following women for perpetuating their annual campaign gifts by creating a Lion of Judah Endowment (LOJE).
Terry Adelman Karen B. Altschul Nancy W. Bell Loretta Borstein* in Memory of Jerome Borstein Beth Wain Brandon Marilyn B. Cagin Florence Chelm Reneé Chelm Nan Cohen Lois J. Davis Carolyn Franklin Feig* Beatrice Franklin* Jane L. Friedman Mady Friedman Beverly A. Gans Peggy Garson Norma C. Geller Eleanor Gerson* Holly B. Gertman* Adrienne Goldberg Toby Goldfinger Francine M. Gordon Tamra F. Gould Roe Green Penny Greenberger Erica Hartman-Horvitz
Anita Heller Rebecca C. Heller Michelle Hirsch Ann Nickman Jacobson* Suellen Kadis Amy R. Kaplan Andrea Katz Carol Lader Fran Lasky Sharon Effron Lebovitz Sandra Lipman* The Marianna Luxenberg* Lion of Judah Endowment in Memory of Herbert Luxenberg Tamar Maltz Cookie Marcus Lois Marcus Shelley Milin Marcus Barbara J. Meckler Anne Miller* Wendi B. Pavlofsky Shari S. Perlmuter Cathy Randall Margaret Richards Frankel Dafna (Laurel) Ronis* Enid Baum Rosenberg Barbara Rosskamm Susan Rubin Evie Safran Eleanor Schwartz Eileen W. Sill Karen Lipman Steiger Peggy Gries Wager Amy L. Wain Nina Wain* Judith Weidenthal* Penni Mandel Weinberg Betty Weintraub* Judith Weiss Trudy Wiesenberger Danielle J. Wild Judy Klein Willensky Elissa J. Wuliger Sandra Wuliger Dara G. Yanowitz Donna Yanowitz Paula Zeisler Ellen Potiker Zelman Anonymous
*of blessed memory
