05/22/2025
WATCH: Elisabeth Sherman Receives 2025 Ruby Bass Challenge Award
Mazel tov, Elisabeth Sherman for receiving the 2025 Ruby Bass Challenge Award for her exemplary dedication and leadership to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Women IN Philanthropy Campaign.
Read more about her accomplishments and our other Women IN Philanthropy leadership award recipient, Beverley Uria, below:
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland announced that Elisabeth W. Sherman received the 2025 Ruby Bass Challenge Award, and Beverley Uria received the 2025 Lois Marcus Leadership Award. Sherman and Uria were honored at the Federation’s Women IN Philanthropy Signature Event on May 21.
The Ruby Bass Challenge Award recognizes a woman campaigner who is a dedicated volunteer in the Campaign for Jewish Needs, the community’s annual fundraising campaign that supports the local and global Jewish community. Sherman currently serves as the chair of the Federation’s allocations committee. She is an incoming officer of the Federation, a member of Federation’s board of trustees, and serves on Jewish Federations of North America’s (JFNA) National Women’s Philanthropy Board. In Sherman’s honor, the Ruby Bass Challenge Endowment Fund will make a donation to the 2026 Campaign for Jewish Needs. This award was established in 2007 in memory of Ruby Bass z”l by her son Jonathan, his wife Stephany, and Lenore Kessler z”l, Stephany’s mother and a dear friend of Ruby’s.
The Lois Marcus Leadership Award recognizes a woman that has shown commitment to the Cleveland Jewish community through leadership and volunteerism. Uria serves as a co-chair of Women IN Philanthropy’s Pomegranate Society and is a member of Federation’s development committee. She also served as co-chair of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Ohio Chapter (FIDF) and on the board of the Cleveland Shabbos Project. The Lois Marcus Leadership Award was established in 2024 in memory of Lois Marcus z”l by her family and honors her lifelong passion for the Federation and Women IN Philanthropy. As recipient of this award, Uria will be invited to join the Cleveland delegation to JFNA’s International Lion of Judah Conference in January 2027.
“Elisabeth and Beverley exemplify the spirit of leadership, dedication, and compassion that drives our community forward,” said Ilana Isakov Katz, Women IN Philanthropy chair. “Their commitment to service and philanthropy is an inspiration to all who seek to build a stronger, more vibrant Jewish future.”
In addition to the presentation of these awards, the Signature Event featured remarks Noa Fay, a leading voice in combating antisemitism and current master’s student at Columbia University, who has addressed the UN, testified before the U.S. Senate, and advocates across media and academia.
