The Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund Honors a Lifetime of Community, Learning, and Jewish Joy
Growing up, Toby Myers always knew how deeply her mother valued education — for her own children and for her community. This lifelong value recently inspired Myers and her brothers to make an endowed gift to Hillel International, creating the Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund in honor of their mother, Sonia Sokol Greenberg.
Raised in Charleston, South Carolina, by Orthodox Jewish parents, Jewish identity and community were always central to Sokol Greenberg’s life. She met Myers’ father, Stanley Feinberg, at the University of Georgia, and they were married in 1956. While Greenberg herself didn’t finish her degree in education, she raised her three children with an understanding of the ways education can open doors, create connections, and shift the course of someone’s life.
“Education was always an important part of her,” Myers said. “In our house, it was never a question of whether we would go to college, just where. And she instilled that in us, and instilled it in her grandchildren, that education is important. You can have so much other stuff in life, but you need to be educated.”
Myers and her siblings, Neal and Lee Feinberg, grew up in an observant Jewish home in Charleston, close to their grandparents — a support system that became essential to their family when their father passed away suddenly at the age of 33. Greenberg’s parents, brother, and sister made sure that she and her children had everything they needed. That support, Myers said, gave Greenberg the ability to give back to others, volunteering and supporting causes she believed in. She was especially dedicated to Hadassah, one of the oldest Jewish women’s organizations in the United States.
“She was big on helping others,” Myers said. “Helping people, and making sure they can achieve what they want.”
Greenberg’s commitment to her values served as a foundation for Myers’ own time in college and throughout her career. She entered The George Washington University intending to study medicine, but changed course early in her first year. “I got the first D’s I ever had in my life and said, you know, I don’t think this is for me,” Myers recalled with a laugh.
Myers switched her major to marketing, which started her on the path to a lifelong career in advertising. She spent five years working in New York City, and then relocated to Baltimore and DC. She met her husband, Geff during this time and then moved to Orlando, Florida, and Myers spent 25 years working for Disney – playing a role in many marketing campaigns the corporation launched for more than two decades.
Like her mother, Myers worked hard to instill a connection to Jewish community in her children. As a young adult, her older son, Ian, became involved in Hillel at Elon University. That involvement changed his life, and he decided to become a Jewish professional. Today, he works for the Jewish Federation, and remains connected with the alumni committee at Elon Hillel.
“I think Hillel gives [young people] that foundation,” Myers said. “And I saw, from my son, how much enrichment he got from that Hillel experience.”
When Greenberg passed away in 2022, leaving a trust for her children, Myers and her brothers were determined to create a lasting legacy that honored her mother’s deep dedication to education and Jewish community. That’s when Myers turned to Hillel International. The ease of working with the Hillel International team and the significant impact made possible through Hillel’s global network convinced Myers and her brothers that this was the right way to honor their mother’s memory.
Their investment, made through a donor-advised fund, ultimately became the Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund, an endowment that will support tuition for Jewish students. The scholarship reflects the values Greenberg lived by: kindness, connection, and a belief in learning. The scholarship recipients, who will be known as Greenberg Scholars, will carry those same qualities forward.
“As a Jewish parent, or even a grandparent, we need to spread the word of the importance of Jewish identity,” Myers said when asked what she might tell others who are considering making a gift to Hillel International to support future generations. “We’re trying to continue our legacy.”
The Sonia Sokol Greenberg Scholarship Fund will be a pathway to community, education, and the incredible opportunities Hillel offers on college campuses around the country. Learn more about Hillel International scholarships and the ways Hillel supports current and prospective college students today.