By Carl Zebrowski
Editor

A solid foundation and strong support help in any leadership position. “The Women’s Philanthropy president probably has the easiest job,” says Laurie Wax, whose tenure as head of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley division is ending soon. “You’re more overseeing and delegating.”

She adds that her work was made even easier by simply following the example of her predecessors, most recently Beth Kushnick and Carol Bub Fromer. “I think every president comes into the job attempting to keep what was in place before her,” she says. “At the same time, she tries to take a new direction in programming in hopes of engaging members and reinforcing the importance of Federation and its positive role in financially supporting our local organizations, like the Jewish Day School and Jewish Family Service, as well as our synagogues.”

Long before Laurie took over as Women’s Philanthropy president in 2023, she’d been volunteering in various capacities in the Jewish community. “I’ve been involved since moving back to Allentown in 2002 along with my husband, Robby, and our 2-year-old son, Benjamin,” she says. “We welcomed our son Danny in 2004.” 

Laurie and Robby enrolled Ben in the JCC’s early childhood education, and Laurie joined the ECE committee. She continued to volunteer in the community after that, inspired by her in-laws, Stan z”l and Vicki Wax. She filled numerous roles, including board member of Women’s Philanthropy, chair of the division’s Lion of Judah and Pomegranates, board member of Temple Beth El, and president of TBE Sisterhood.

A few months after she took over as Women’s Philanthropy president, Hamas attacked Israel, bringing a new urgency and intensity to the work of fundraising for the greater Jewish community. While the usual local needs remained in place, Israel and Israelis suddenly needed extra help. Meanwhile the subsequent rise in antisemitism prompted additional efforts to increase security, raise awareness, and educate.

Laurie came up with the idea to make bracelets displaying support for Israel through that difficult time. Proceeds from bracelet sales went to the Jewish Federation’s Israel Emergency Campaign to fund humanitarian efforts in Israel. 

“I felt that everybody wanted to do something to help during this most difficult time,” she says. “This was the perfect opportunity for the women of our community to come together to give back.” 

The program was far more successful than she could have imagined. “The outpouring of support for this fundraiser far surpassed my expectations,” she says. The fundraiser raised $75,000. One hundred percent of the proceeds went to the emergency campaign.

The bracelets were hardly the only success during that time. “The Federation did an amazing job fundraising for the emergency campaign, and this was just one of them,” she says. As president of Women’s Philanthropy, which raises a substantial portion of the Federation’s Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs yearly tally, she was involved in many of those successes. There were special fundraisers, events, meetups to support Israel and the hostages, and presentations to raise awareness of the rise in antisemitism. 

Despite the refocusing forced by the war in Israel, Laurie did manage to meet the goals she brought to the job: emphasizing the need to get more community members involved in Women’s Philanthropy and promoting additional engagement among current members. She also pressed to clarify the role of the Federation in the community. 

“One of my main goals, and a very important one, was to explain exactly what the Federation does,” she says. “People don’t realize the Federation gives money every year directly to our local Jewish institutions here in the Lehigh Vally as well as to Israel.” 

Laurie’s husband, Robby Wax, is officially ending his tenure as Federation president at the same time Laurie’s tenure ends. The people filling those two positions have to do a lot of work hand in hand.

“Laurie’s involvement certainly made my job easier,” Robby told Hakol for an article that appeared in the May issue. “Women’s Philanthropy drives the success of Federation, and she’s been an exceptional president and built a talented team around her.” 

That team will keep things going after Laurie moves on (not that she has plans for her community leadership and volunteering to end anytime soon). And one of those team members is taking over as president.

“Women’s Philanthropy couldn’t be in better hands than Lauren Rabin,” Laurie says. “I couldn’t feel more comfortable and proud that she’s taking on the presidency. Lauren is passionate about Federation and the work it does.  Every president has their own vision of what the next two years will be like, and there’s no doubt in my mind that she will be a success.”