It is a privilege to be able to establish a Lion of Judah forever Fund at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in honor of my late wife Judy. Judy was a talented artist who found her niche in color photography. She mastered large format color printing 25 years before the digital age. She was known for her large sparking images. Many can be found in the homes of prominent members of the Cleveland community. Color printing at that time required attention to detail especially temperature, color balance, enlarger fine focus, and exposure time. It also required infinite patience.

Judy curtailed her career to support my goal to excel in my chose field of medicine. I was able to pursue my interest in retinal disease and surgery with passion and ferocity. My first year of practice in Cleveland was 1965. Judy helped me weather the storm of 18 hour workdays, cancelled social events because of emergency surgery, and truncated vacations. Vacations always revolved around medical meetings, which meant that even in exotic locations I was tied up for most of the day and Judy had to fend for herself. I think her talent with her camera made this type of life bearable and even productive. Many of her most successful and acclaimed photographs were made on “medical vacations” when she was alone with her Nikon.

Judy’s interest in her college (Cornwell University) and the needs of the Jewish community through the Lion of Judah, now directs our family’s charitable giving focus. We are pleased to be provided this opportunity to make this memorial permanent at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. We believe that no one can access the needs of our community better than the officers and staff of our Federation. Their reputation for efficient, transparency and accuracy is recognized by Charity Navigator, which awarded four stars. Unfortunately, some of our funds must now be diverted to ensure the security of our institutions and synagogues. As a community we are grateful for the support of our friends, but in the last analysis, history has taught us that we can depend only on ourselves. It is an honor for me and my family to establish this Fund.