Skip to content

Where different views on Israel and Judaism are welcome.

  • Home
  • Subscribe / donate
  • Events calendar
  • News
    • Local
    • National
    • Israel
    • World
    • עניין בחדשות
      A roundup of news in Canada and further afield, in Hebrew.
  • Opinion
    • From the JI
    • Op-Ed
  • Arts & Culture
    • Performing Arts
    • Music
    • Books
    • Visual Arts
    • TV & Film
  • Life
    • Celebrating the Holidays
    • Travel
    • The Daily Snooze
      Cartoons by Jacob Samuel
    • Mystery Photo
      Help the JI and JMABC fill in the gaps in our archives.
  • Community Links
    • Organizations, Etc.
    • Other News Sources & Blogs
    • Business Directory
  • FAQ
  • JI Chai Celebration
  • [email protected]! video

Search

Archives

Recent Posts

  • שבע עשרה שנים בוונקובר בצל מותה של אמי
  • Celebrating 25 years
  • “Never again” still resonates?
  • Every person has a voice
  • The kill fee – and its fallout
  • Investing in the climate
  • Shalhevet honours Vivian Claman
  • Health workers’ courage
  • A grandfather’s story – available online to May 7
  • SFU students vote BDS
  • With a Song returns to forum
  • StandWithUs Canada course
  • Chance to meet local artists
  • Mixing global music, dance
  • Our relationship to objects
  • Orcas inspire creative music
  • A full life post-career
  • Mausoleum work to resume
  • רכישות צבאיות על ידי ממשלת קנדה
  • Helping Ukrainian refugees
  • The scarcity of water
  • Celebrate Israel with joy
  • Happy 74th birthday, Israel!
  • Fundraiser for Ukraine
  • A celebration of dance
  • 25 years since deadly crash
  • Art Vancouver fair returns
  • Presenting Mixed Repertoire
  • Fostering literacy, education
  • BGU tackles climate change
  • Revitalizing community
  • Angels still giving
  • Community milestones … Federation campaign success & Hebrew U donation
  • Immigration challenges

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @JewishIndie

Tag: Jill Zarin

Choices’ women inspire

Choices’ women inspire

Jill Zarin is the keynote speaker at Choices on Nov. 7. (photo from Twitter)

Philanthropist and entrepreneur Jill Zarin – most recognized for having been on the reality TV show The Real Housewives of New York City – is the featured guest at this year’s Choices, which will be held virtually on Nov. 7.

Zarin is also the author – together with her mother, Gloria Kamen, and sister, Lisa Wexler – of Secrets of a Jewish Mother, a 2010 book full of recipes, advice and parenting tips. She will join Vancouver-area speakers to talk about how they were able to support community during the pandemic.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver’s Choices is the largest women’s event within the community. This is the 17th annual gathering and the Independent interviewed 2021 co-chairs Sherri Wise, Leanne Hazon and Courtney Cohen by email about what to expect.

“Jill Zarin is an amazing speaker!” they said. “Attendees will also hear from so many inspiring women in our own community who give of themselves to keep our community strong and connected.

“Although Jill Zarin is most well known for being a television personality, she is in fact an extremely philanthropic person,” they added. “After almost two years of COVID, the committee wanted to have a program filled with humour and uplifting stories and Jill was a perfect match.

“As co-chairs, we have always found we learn something from the women who speak, which inspires us to continue supporting our wonderful community.”

The pandemic has impacted everyone around the world in many ways, said the co-chairs, and so many people have stepped up to try to help their communities navigate this very challenging time. Zarin is but one of the many “who have pitched in their time and tzedakah and ideas to help our Jewish community stay strong,” said the Choices co-chairs.

Ideally, the organizers had wanted to be together in person for Choices 2021. Yet with the uncertainties and changing regulations around COVID, they have once again decided to hold the event virtually, while trying to provide the experience in a way that is still meaningful to people.

Given the ongoing reality of the pandemic, the women said they are “really happy and really lucky” that Choices can be offered online. One of the benefits of a virtual event, they pointed out, is making it more accessible to women province-wide.

Choices is a celebration of the impact of women’s philanthropy.  Rather than fundraising, the goal is to get more women involved in the community through giving to the campaign and volunteering. The organizers stress that there are many ways of being involved in philanthropy and making a difference, such as connecting with Jewish Federation or one of its many partner agencies.

The 2021 Federation annual campaign is focusing on the theme of being strengthened by what we as a community have been through in the past year-and-a-half and inspired by where we can go together. This year, Choices is recognizing specifically how women in the community came through the pandemic and made the community stronger with their time and donations.

In a non-pandemic year, Choices would have 500 people in attendance. Past speakers have included musicologist Judy Feld Carr, the Canadian responsible for bringing thousands of Jews from Syria to freedom; Talia Leman, the founder of RandomKid, an organization that empowers youth to do good deeds; Talia Levanon, the director of the Israel Trauma Coalition; and Jeannie Smith, who shared the story of her mother, Irene Gut Opdyke, who rescued Jews during the Holocaust.

The Choices 2021 co-chairs lauded the efforts of Sue Hector and Shawna Merkur, the co-chairs of women’s philanthropy at Federation.  They also noted the contributions of Ricki Thal (campaign manager), Kate Webster (campaign director) and the Jewish Federation staff for their invaluable support.

To attend Choices, a person must give to the Federation’s annual campaign or make a donation by purchasing a ticket of the suggested amount. There is a suggested minimum donation of $154 to support the campaign and a suggested minimum donation of $36 for first-time attendees.

To register for the Nov. 7, 5 p.m., event, visit jewishvancouver.com/ choices2021.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Format ImagePosted on October 22, 2021October 21, 2021Author Sam MargolisCategories LocalTags Choices, coronavirus, Courtney Cohen, COVID-19, fundraising, Jewish Federation, JFGV, Jill Zarin, Leanne Hazon, philanthropy, Sherri Wise, women
Proudly powered by WordPress