NOLA Federation Celebration Features Former CIA Chief

It’s highly unusual for a Jewish Federation in the midst of an Annual Campaign drive to say that its campaign event is top secret, but that is exactly what the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans is doing.

R. James Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, is the guest speaker for the March 21 event, which will be held at the Audubon Tea Room at 6:45 p.m.

The campaign celebration is open to all who give a minimum gift of $18 to the Federation’s Annual Campaign. As part of the evening, Julius Levy Jr. will receive the eighth annual Roger Bissinger Memorial Award.

The Bissinger Award is presented to a member of the community “who emulates the spirit, character, and leadership qualities epitomized by Roger Bissinger, and whose steadfast commitment and leadership has benefited the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and other civic, educational, and cultural organizations.”

Levy is a past president and campaign chair of the Federation, past president of Temple Sinai and has served on the boards of the Jewish Community Center, Anti-Defamation League, Woldenberg Village, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and the Joint Distribution Committee. He has been to Israel 33 times, and has visited Federation-funded sites in the former Soviet Union, Morocco and Cuba.

He teaches anatomy at Tulane University and has served as chairman of the Department of Surgery at Touro Infirmary and Lakeside Hospital.

After the presentation, Woolsey will discuss the current political situation in the Middle East.
Woolsey is chairman of Woolsey Partners LLC and a venture partner with Lux Capital Management. He chairs the board of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and co-founded the United States Energy Security Council. He was Director of Central Intelligence from 1993 to 1995.

He also served as Undersecretary of the Naxy in the late 1970s, and was a delegate and advisor on the SALT I and START talks with the Soviet Union.

The event is chaired by Lou and Susan Good, Amy and Jedd Malish, Louis Shepard and Jan Miller. Sponsors are Herman, Herman and Katz LLP, and Whitney Bank.

Cost is $25 per person, including a dessert reception with supervised kosher options, and an open bar. Reservations can be made online at jewishnola.com.

The Federation also announced that the annual Lion of Judah luncheon will be April 24 at Longue Vue, featuring Gail Norry, chair of the Jewish Federations of North America National Women’s Philanthropy.