Cindy Warkow (Courtesy of Cindy Warkow)
Cindy Warkow never saw herself in Jewish philanthropy. Yet today she serves as chair of Women of Vision, an affinity group of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
Warkow was born and raised in Cheltenham, attending services and Hebrew school at Congregation Adath Jeshurun.
A graduate of Boston University with a bachelor’s in psychology, Warkow moved to New York, starting her career in marketing research and working for large companies like Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
Warkow ultimately took a job working for Comcast and moved to Dresher in the Philadelphia area in 1995, where she still resides today.
“When my husband and I moved to the Philly area, Comcast was much smaller then, and nimble, and it was really exciting to make a direct impact versus the big companies in New York,” explained Warkow.
When her eldest daughter was of preschool age, Warkow enrolled her in preschool at Temple Sinai.
“The one thing that I wanted to do was get involved with the programs that my kids were involved in,” she said. “That really led me to wanting to be involved with Temple Sinai. I’m somebody that definitely steps up.”
At Temple Sinai, Warkow chaired multiple events and was a member of the board for roughly a decade, serving as treasurer for five of those years. Since 2018, Warkow’s local Jewish communal involvment has largely been through her work at the Federation.
“It makes me feel good to be involved. I’ve met some great people. I like making a difference in the world,” she said. “There’s no question right now, being a Jew is tough.
What’s going on with Israel since Oct. 7 has reawakened my need to do something to support Jews, to protest against antisemitism … it’s been rewarding in every sense of the word.”
Warkow first heard of Women of Vision when some of her friends brought it up at a book review.
“I loved the focus on women and girls. That really got to me,” she said. “I’ve always been somebody who is very supportive of women empowerment and in women being independent, even before I had girls. My mother was an OB-GYN in a time that really was not the time when women were even in a professional role. So I had a good example.”
Warkow joined as a member in 2018. Later, she became chair of the grants committee and chaired the evaluation committee. “I was an executive committee member, I really learned all the aspects of this great organization, and it is such a warm and welcoming culture,” she said.
Then, in September 2025, Warkow became chair of Women of Vision.
“Investing in women and girls is so critical in building a strong Jewish community, because they play a central role in leadership, education, continuity, communal wellbeing,” she said. “When women and girls have equal opportunities to thrive, I mean economically, intellectually, spiritually … families and communities are more stable, engaged and innovative. Women of Vision reflects the core Jewish values of justice and human dignity and shared responsibility.”
According to Warkow, Women of Vision currently has more than 600 members and has an endowment fund that has grown to over $5.5 million.
“Women of Vision is about thoughtful philanthropy, education and collective impact, and every day since becoming chair, I am even more excited and proud to lead this fantastic group of women and making a difference in the world,” said Warkow.