WOMEN WHO LEAD: CAROL DANISH MIA BIRK LAUREN GOLDSTEIN ELAURA RIFKIN GERBER JUDY EREL LAURIE LEBOWSKY CHERYL COON MONICA BRENNER LAURIE SONNENFELD The momentum from the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements sheds light on women’s issues such as safe and equal work environments and has forced change. But there is another movement happening where women are…
Carol Danish was taught at a young age – by both her parents and grandparents – that helping others and practicing tzedakah was a mitzvah. “My family felt back then and still feels today the need to give back to create Jewish community, Jewish continuity and Jewish growth,” Carol says. She took their lessons…
Mia Birk, 50, contributes her time, expertise and targeted funding to make the world a better place because, “I am grateful beyond measure for all that I have and all that I am. … Being able to give back fills me with joy.” She doesn’t think of herself as a philanthropist, which for her conjures…
Lauren Goldstein, 43, believes every philanthropist needs their own journey and exploration of meaning. “Mine happened in two phases,” says Lauren. She gained “my own passion toward being Jewish” while in college at Tufts. “Within the first week of school, I met more Jews my age than I’d met in my whole life,” she says….
Elaura Rifkin Gerber, 28, believes everyone can be a philanthropist. “Organizations need both time and money,” says Elaura. “I was taught that even if you don’t have anything to financially contribute, you can always donate your time. In this way, I truly believe that everyone has the ability to become a philanthropist in their own…
PHOTO: Laurie Lebowsky and her husband, Brad, and stepchildren, Justin and Amanda, visited Israel in 2013 with Congregation Shir Tikvah. Laurie Lebowsky is proud to be one of more than 24,000 women running for office in the 2018 elections. In February, she was appointed from a pool of 56 applicants to an open seat…
In Oregon, one in 10 residents is an immigrant according to the American Immigration Council. Our state – and Portland, in particular – also is home to increasing numbers of refugees, people fleeing unimaginable hardships including war, persecution and natural disasters. Cheryl Coon has made it her life’s work to represent the most traumatized among…
PHOTO: Monica Brenner looks over the stored supplies that each summer convert a park into an arts camp. Monica Brenner has spent the past 25 years raising money for or leading nonprofits, primarily in the arts. “I love what the arts can do for our city,” says Monica. “I’m drawn to help arts serve…
Laurie Sonnenfeld is a woman who wears many hats. She is the principal broker at Laurie Sonnenfeld Realty; she manages and promotes Pa’lante, a salsa and Latin jazz band; and she hosts a folk music program on local radio station KBOO (90.7 FM). Laurie has been involved at KBOO both as a volunteer and a…
CyberSem grew out of Dr. Chavi Goldberg’s belief that all Jewish women should have access to continuing Torah study and the realization that with today’s technology you can do almost anything – except go to seminary. CyberSem offers women interactive online semester courses as well as self-paced video courses. The next semester for digital classroom…
