Jewish Federations’ Center for Jewish Belonging awarded Milwaukee’s Joan Lubar and Broward County’s Sarah DeWoskin with the inaugural Jewish Belonging Awards at this year’s General Assembly.

 

The Awards honor individuals whose leadership, advocacy, and vision advance the essential work of creating a Jewish community where all Jews and our loved ones feel seen, valued, and celebrated. The ceremony, which took place during the second annual Jewish Belonging Reception, brought together leaders, funders, practitioners, and community advocates to mark this milestone.

 

“Joan and Sarah embody the essence of what the Jewish Belonging Awards are all about: strengthening and expanding the landscape of Jewish communal belonging,” said Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, Rabbinic Scholar and Public Affairs Advisor at Jewish Federations of North America. “Their dedication to ensuring that all Jews feel welcomed in our community is inspirational and makes them the ideal inaugural recipients for this honor.”

 

Founded in 2020, Jewish Federations’ Center for Jewish Belonging (CJB) convenes, mobilizes, and empowers the Jewish community to create a culture of belonging for all Jews and our loved ones. CJB supports and amplifies the voices of Jews from underrepresented backgrounds, working to ensure that every North American Jew feels seen and valued.

 

Joan Lubar, Founding Lay Leader and Chair, Center for Jewish Belonging

 

Joan Lubar has been an extraordinary guiding force behind the Center for Jewish Belonging. As the founding lay leader of CJB, she established the Lay Leadership Advisory Committee, played a central role in shaping the Center’s new four-year strategic plan, and has elevated the work of belonging across the Federation landscape, speaking at dozens of events.

 

For five years, Joan has served as a grounding, consistent, and visionary advisor to the Center. Her leadership, wisdom, and mentorship have been instrumental in the Center’s growth, and CJB is overjoyed to honor her as one of the inaugural recipients of the Jewish Belonging Award.

 

“This work matters because it is about far more than expressing the desire to include historically marginalized Jews,” Joan said. “It’s about shaping a Jewish community where every person feels they belong – where each of us can contribute fully, feel seen, and thrive.”

 

Sarah DeWoskin, Lay Leader, Jewish Federation of Broward County

 

Sarah DeWoskin has emerged as one of Broward’s most influential belonging advocates. She first served as an Ignite Broward Connector—part of a community-wide listening initiative that recruited 50 trained connectors to gather community aspirations for the future of Jewish Broward. Based on that data, Sarah now chairs one of Broward’s most significant task forces: Jewish Life Without Barriers / A Mosaic of Belonging.

 

Her task force develops strategies to expand accessibility and remove obstacles so all community members—regardless of age, ability, mobility, means, or background—can fully participate in Jewish life. Sarah’s impact extends far beyond this role: she is a lifelong Jewish educator, a graduate of the HUC-JIR Executive Master’s program in Jewish Education, and the creator of innovative engagement and education opportunities for Jewish families through LEV.

 

“Advancing Jewish belonging is not complicated,” Sarah said. “We must honor each person as they are, ensuring they are nurtured, held, served, and valued by the Jewish community. It is incumbent upon each of us to help create Jewish communities that live out our values.”

 

This inaugural recognition reflects the Center for Jewish Belonging’s commitment—shared across the Federation system—to champion belonging as a core priority of Jewish communal life.