Debra G. Cohen to Receive Lion of Judah Top Honor
August 7, 2024 – The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston Women’s Philanthropy Division is proud to celebrate its 2025 Lion of Judah Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award Winner, Debra G. Cohen, at the International Lion of Judah Conference in Atlanta, January 12-14, 2025.
Houston Lions, led by Delegation Chairs Haya Varon and Stacy Soefer Gomar, will travel to Atlanta for the conference.
The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) gives this national award every two years to Lions of Judah who exemplify the highest standards in philanthropy, volunteerism, and community engagement.
A native Houstonian, Cohen has served as a member of the board and officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston for almost 28 years. She has served as Women’s Philanthropy Chair 2001-2003, Israel Overseas Committee Chair 2019-2021 and Annual Campaign Chair 2021-2023.
“I admire Debra’s commendable nearly three decades of service to the Houston and global Jewish community. She is an exceptional leader who believes in the power of the collective, and lives by her Jewish values,” said Federation Board Chair Robin T. Stein. “Debra consistently advocates for the most vulnerable with an unwavering conviction to support them and improve their lives. We at the Federation are grateful for her dedication and thrilled that she is receiving this well-deserved honor.”
Debra began her Jewish communal leadership as a member of Federation’s National Young Leadership Cabinet and National Women’s Philanthropy. She also served as a board member of JFNA and on the boards of several local and overseas partners of the Federation.
She is currently a board member of American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) serving as Vice Chair of the Africa/Asia Committee, as well as a board member of American Friends of ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Israel. She previously served on a committee on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Locally, she served on the board of Alexander Jewish Family Service for 12 years including on several executive committee positions, and as Chair of the Board 2013-2015. She has also recently returned to service this year as a Board Member with Holocaust Museum Houston, after serving for many years in the past.
Cohen shared that becoming involved with Federation, being a Lion, and endowing her Annual Campaign gift has been an important way for her to live out her Jewish values and pass them onto her children.
“I became a Lion as a young woman on Young Leadership Cabinet as I was beginning my Jewish journey. I had two young daughters and wanted to demonstrate the importance of women’s philanthropy and building a strong Jewish community not only in Houston, but around the world,” Cohen said. “Being a Lion has given me a feeling of purpose and connection. As I now see my daughters taking their place as Jewish leaders, I can proudly say that the strong commitment to Jewish values continues l’dor v’dor.”
Cohen is passionate about the global Jewish world and has traveled extensively on local and national missions. She chaired the Federation Community Mission to Israel in 2019. She is married to Steven Cohen and the mother of Courtney Cohen Garson (Josh Garson) and Hilary Cohen (Josh Barvin).
Previous Houston Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award winners include Velva Levine, Theba Feldman z’l, Frances Friedman, Esther Polland, Jill Levy z’l, Ellen Fishman Trachtenberg, Sandra Weiner z’l, Sandra Finkelman, and Haya Varon.
Houston’s Lion of Judah Society includes more than 380 women who are passionate about supporting the local and global Jewish community through philanthropy.
For more information on Women’s Philanthropy contact Julie Roberts, Director of Women’s Philanthropy, at jroberts@houstonjewish.org.