Lois Goodman is a lifelong advocate for justice, equality, and community care whose leadership has shaped Jewish life and broader civic life in Greater Cleveland for decades. A retired professional and deeply engaged volunteer, she serves on the Board of Trustees for the Maltz Museum and Senior Transportation Connection, is an Honorary Trustee of Menorah Park, and a Trustee Emeritus of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, as well as a member of the Historical Society Advisory Committee for Jewish Archives.
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Guided by her Jewish values and a belief that “we are supposed to repair the world when you see something that needs fixing,” Goodman has devoted her life to fighting hate, advancing interfaith understanding, and expanding equal rights and opportunities—especially for women and older adults. Her commitment began in childhood, when she raised money for the war effort during World War II, and continued in partnership with her late husband, Henry Goodman, with whom she shared a deep passion for philanthropy and service.
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Professionally, Goodman lived out her belief in gender equality by founding and leading Work and Family Consulting Group, Inc., a pioneering effort in the 1960s and 1970s that helped bring women into the workplace on equal footing with men. She has always refused to “sit back and wait for someone else to do it,” instead choosing to take action wherever she saw a need.
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Her long-standing support of the Maltz Museum reflects her determination to confront antisemitism, racism, sexism, fascism, and all forms of hatred. As a founding and current board member, she has championed programs like Stop the Hate, which teaches young people the importance of tolerance, as well as exhibits that promote understanding and acceptance. In recognition of her and her late husband’s belief in the museum’s mission, the main exhibition space was renamed the Henry and Lois Goodman Gallery following her $2 million gift, and has hosted impactful exhibits such as “This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement.”
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Goodman is also a leading advocate for seniors’ independence and quality of life. As a founding board member of Senior Transportation Connection, she helped create and guide a nonprofit that provides essential transportation for homebound seniors, enabling them to age in place, access medical care, shop for groceries, and stay socially connected. This work grew out of a commission she chaired for the Cleveland Foundation and United Way of Greater Cleveland in the 1990s, which identified transportation as a critical need for older adults. She continues to help lead the organization today, emphasizing that access to transportation is vital to seniors’ physical and mental health.
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Over the years, Goodman has held leadership roles with organizations including Montefiore and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, always centering the needs of vulnerable and marginalized community members. Her favorite local charities, the Maltz Museum and Senior Transportation Connection, reflect her twin commitments to combating hate and preserving dignity and independence for the elderly. Her first professional role after college—on the education staff at the Cleveland Museum of Art—foreshadowed a lifetime of using culture, learning, and community engagement as tools for change.
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At the top of her bucket list is the survival of democracy at home and abroad, a goal that mirrors her lifelong dedication to civic responsibility and moral courage. Goodman encourages others to join in this work, reminding community members that nonprofits are always in need of people willing to donate time, resources, ideas, and energy. “You will be welcomed with open arms,” she says, urging everyone to reach out to the organizations they care about and simply say, “I’d like to help.” (Courtesy of Cleveland Jewish News)
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