This year, Sylvia Weisz Women’s Philanthropy went for the gold at our annual It Takes A Woman luncheon, held on May 10th, 2017, at Skirball Cultural Center.
Nearly 400 women showed their support for our Federation at our annual event featuring keynote speaker Olympic Gold Medalist Aly Raisman. Aly charmed the crowd as she shared personal stories about growing up in a tight-knit Jewish family, how she deals with social media pressure, and of course, her experiences performing on the U.S. Gymnastics Team in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics!
During Aly’s candid conversation with Federation President & CEO Jay Sanderson, Aly said more than once how her parents and her Bubbie taught her the important lessons of leadership, family, and community. She also spoke honestly about how the music selection of Hava Nagila for her gold medal floor routine in 2012 was for its folksy melody and is still overwhelmed by the appreciation of the Jewish community. When asked about the dedication of that performance to the Israeli athletes murdered in Munich in 1972, she remained humble as she recounted the moment the reporter asked her to do so. Upon reflection, she shared how the impact was felt days later as she received positive messages from the Jewish community, other athletes, and the wider community.
This year’s luncheon raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of the 2017 Annual Campaign, and we were especially proud to welcome over 100 new donors into the Federation family!
“It truly takes a woman — the Federation could not do this valuable work without such a supportive community,” said ITAW Co-Chair Laura Ozer. Fellow ITAW Co-Chair Arlene Bloom agreed, adding, “It is an honor and a privilege for us to lead an event that recognizes this commitment and gives us the opportunity to come together for such a special day.”
Thank you to our It Takes A Woman Co-Chairs Arlene Bloom and Laura Ozer and their committee members Lynda Adelson, Linda Blumenfeld, Karen Feinstein, Margot Schiff, Jody Furie, and Darcy Silver for a fantastic event!
For more information about It Takes A Woman or our Federation, contact Rebecca Schalit-Newman at RSchalit-Newman@JewishLA.org or (818) 668-2339.
