Maxine z”l Myers was a lifelong philanthropist and leader of our Greater MetroWest community. For more than 50 years, she was a driving force for our Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy and strengthened our partner agencies, Jewish Family Service of MetroWest (JFS MW) and Jewish Services for the Developmentally Disabled (JSDD) with her leadership and philanthropy.
Through a groundbreaking anonymous gift for JFWS MW, Maxine made possible the Rachel Coalition, which over decades has helped countless victims of domestic violence. She built a special needs center in Israel, helped sponsor a special needs bus for Birthright on the national level, and so much more.
As a long-time Lion of Judah donor to our Federation’s Annual Campaign, Maxine was among the first generation of generous women to make a commitment to create a “Lion of Judah Endowment,” thereby making provisions to create a permanent fund that would produce income to perpetuate her annual gift after her lifetime. In a very real way, the legacy she left is helping our community today to feed the hungry, meet rising mental health needs, and help communities in Israel and around the world.
In addition, in keeping with her wishes, she also made provisions to establish a fund in honor of her parents, Eleanor z”l and Carl z”l, to support the needs of people with disabilities in the Jewish community. The Carl and Eleanor Leff Greater MetroWest ABLE Endowment provides more than $17,000 each year to Greater MetroWest ABLE, our Federation’s program to provide Access, Belonging and Life Enrichment for people with disabilities and their families. In this way, her legacy of caring for those with disabilities lives on, in her parents’ memory, today and for generations.
The Carl and Eleanor Leff Greater MetroWest ABLE Endowment was a generous sponsor of the inclusion bus, which enabled JESPY House and JSDD clients and their staff to participate in the historic Centennial Mission.