Annual Meeting

JWF trustees, grantee partners, and friends gathered on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 for an inspiring and enjoyable evening connecting with one another and hearing about JWF’s past year of deep engagement with organizations serving women and girls.

Judy R. Roscow Young Women’s Legacy Award

Judy Roscow was a woman of incredible character, a trailblazer, a leader in the Jewish community, and deeply committed to empowering young women and girls. She had a profound impact on everyone she met and was passionate about making a difference in the lives of those in need.

A native Pittsburgher, Judy began her career as a teacher with a belief in the value of education for all. With an entrepreneurial spirit, she soon opened a plant store, the Potted Plant, and coauthored the cookbook, Dining in Pittsburgh. Judy then found her calling in philanthropy at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh where she rose to become the first female campaign director. Building on her passion for advocacy on behalf of women and girls, she co-founded the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Pittsburgh in 2000. JWF is the first foundation in Western Pennsylvania created specifically to address the needs of women and girls in both the Jewish and general communities.  Later in life, she served on many boards, including the Fine Foundation and the Pittsburgh Promise. During her lifetime, she was a role model for many young women.  

After Judy passed away on June 17, 2025, the Roscow family and the Jewish Women’s Foundation established the Judy R. Roscow Young Women’s Legacy Award in her memory and to honor her lifelong commitment and dedication to helping young women and girls.

June 3, 2026 marked the inaugural award date. JWF and the Roscow family were proud to present the award to the following two young women, each of whom embody Judy Roscow’s values in meaningful and inspiring ways.  

LeAnn Reynolds  11th Grade / Pittsburgh CAPA Nominated by: Hill Dance Academy Theatre Award Criteria: Education, Entrepreneurship, and Community Leadership Next Steps: LeAnn plans to pursue a college degree in dance, choreography, and business.		Lily Sassani 12th Grade / Burrell High School Nominated by: Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh Award Criteria: Education and Community Leadership Next Steps: Lily plans to pursue a B.A. in Visual Communication and Design at Kent State.

Keynote Speaker 

Christine Donohue, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice
When Women Lead, Justice and Opportunity Follow

Justice Christine Donohue began her service on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in January 2016, following eight years on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. She earned her Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law, where she served on the Law Review.

Before joining the bench, Justice Donohue was a civil trial lawyer and shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, P.C. She received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and was recognized in Best Lawyers in America, Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, and Pittsburgh’s Top 50 Attorneys. She is an elected Fellow of several trial lawyer organizations and a past president of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association.

Justice Donohue has served on numerous judicial boards, including the Court of Judicial Discipline and the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court. She leads Project LITIGATE, expanding courtroom opportunities for young lawyers, and has recently been honored with the Anne X. Alpern Award from the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 2025. 

Justice Donohue has served on the Board of Directors of the Hill House Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania, Turtle Creek Valley MH/MR, Inc. and the National Aviary of Pittsburgh. She resides in Pittsburgh.

Update from the Young Women’s Giving Society

YWGS, a program of the Jewish Women’s Foundation, was established in 2016 to inspire philanthropy and leadership among young women in Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Through collective giving, YWGS addresses challenges facing adolescent girls and empowers its members in their own philanthropic journeys. Since its inception, 76 members have awarded 28 grants totaling $97,000 to nonprofit organizations serving adolescent girls in the Pittsburgh area. Over the past year, YWGS' cohort of 22 women pooled their resources, talents and passion, and with a match from JWF, distributed $13,000 in grants.  Email ywgs@jwfpgh.org for more information or to sign up for next cohort.    

Grantee Highlights

In the 2025–2026 fiscal year, JWF awarded $183,700 in grants to 17 local organizations — a powerful investment in the well-being of women and girls! The following video shines a spotlight on four remarkable organizations whose work is changing lives, strengthening communities, and advancing opportunities for women and girls in strategic and meaningful ways. While we were unable to feature every organization we supported this past year, these four grantees offer a wonderful glimpse into the vision, innovation, compassion, and leadership that JWF’s collective philanthropy makes possible.

JWF Leadership

JWF Leadership
Gerri Sperling, Co-Chair
Carol Sikov Gross, Co-Chair
Leslie Hoffman, Grantmaking Co-Chair
Sharon Roseman, Grantmaking Co-Chair

JWF Annual Meeting Host Committee
Jan Engelberg, Co-Chair
Anne Witchner Levin, Co-Chair
Barbara Ginsburg
Laurie Gottlieb
Carol Sikov Gross
Barbara Hepner
Lynne Siegel
Gerri Sperling
Marilyn Swedarsky

Staff
Judy Greenwald Cohen, Executive Director
Stevie Sheridan, Program Officer

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