‘There are days when there is a whisper of sun’

Rachel Goldberg-Polin will be featured at the 2027 Lion Event, moderated by Liz Schrayer, political strategist and President of Schrayer & Associates.

“We in this community hold Rachel close,” Linda Kupfer, Lion Event Chair, Women’s Board, said of Rachel Goldberg-Polin, who will be featured at the 2027 JUF Women’s Philanthropy Lion Event in conversation with Liz Schrayer, President of Schrayer & Associates.  

American-Israeli Goldberg-Polin was raised in Chicago and her husband, Jonathan Polin, grew up in West Rogers Park and Skokie. In April, Goldberg-Polin published When We See You Again, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief in the wake of unthinkable tragedy.   

“In the face of unimaginable pain, she has shown extraordinary courage, grace, and unwavering determination,” said Kacie Penn, Lion Event Chair, Young Women’s City Council. “Her resilience, compassion, and relentless advocacy have inspired people around the world.”  

The Lion Event—to be held Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Skokie—is the inaugural event of the 2027 JUF Annual Campaign season. Kupfer described the goal of the luncheon as bringing together like-minded women who understand the needs of the Jewish community. 

“This event will help build momentum for the entire year for our JUF women’s philanthropy,” Kupfer explained. “It will help inspire the next generation as we hope women will bring their daughters, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters to the event.”  

Women who make an individual gift of $5,000 or more to the 2027 JUF Annual Campaign or are a Step‑Up Lion are invited to attend. Terri Freeman, Lion Event Co-Chair, Women’s City Council, described the multiplying effect the event has of bringing people who share a passion and feeling of responsibility to help others together in one room.  

“It’s like taking a bottle of vitamins by going to an event like this,” Freeman said. “If it’s done right, it’s a supercharge for the women that attend, to keep going … and focus on the things that really matter.” 

Anna Simon, Lion Event Co-Chair, Young Women’s Board, hopes that the intergenerational aspect of the Lion Event will help the younger generations realize that “women do have a seat at the table,” and that what we do is really impactful. Simon recounted how her own grandmother, Madelyn Levitt, had been a dedicated lay leader in Des Moines, Iowa, and was one of the most celebrated women in fundraising throughout her life.  “She really emphasized to us how important it was to give your time, talent, and treasure,” Simon said. 

The 2027 Lion Event will, in addition to featuring Goldberg-Polin, honor Linda Schottenstein Fisher, Chicago winner of the 2027 Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award.  

“Linda is a wonderful, caring, and compassionate leader. She never says no,” Kupfer said. “She is a positive person who empowers others to take on leadership roles. Linda always builds community and inspires those around her to give back and get involved. She’s an amazing role model.” Schottenstein Fisher is currently a member of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation Board, serves as a member of JUF’s Women’s City Council, sits on the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Board of Trustees and is a Women’s Board Honorary Director. 

“She leads with a very warm, caring, grateful way—being friendly to everyone. I’ve never heard her say a bad word about someone [else],” Freeman added. 

Recognizing inspiring leaders—and the power of community to uplift one another—is a fitting way to launch the 2027 JUF Annual Campaign, which in turns supports the work that JUF is doing “in our community, and Israel, and around the world,” according to Kupfer.   

Liz Schrayer, who will be moderating the conversation with Goldberg-Polin, has deep experience spotlighting impressive speakers along with their work and advocacy. Freeman shared that Schrayer’s COVID-era online interview series for Lions on the Loose had been “amazing,” adding: “She’s really great at asking the right questions and moderating.” 

Like each of the lay leaders organizing the Lion Event, Simon is moved that Goldberg-Polin will be featured at the luncheon. “I find her, personally, incredibly powerful,” she said. “And the fact that she’s coming [here], and lifting us up, is just unreal.”  

Hopefully, we will also be lifting up Goldberg-Polin.  

“There are days when I break completely,” Goldberg-Polin wrote in When We See You Again. “And then there are days when there is a whisper of sun. Not out there in the sky. In me. In us.” 

The Lion Event will be chaired by Linda Kupfer (Women’s Board) and Kacie Penn (Young Women’s City Council) and co-chaired by Terri Freeman (Women’s City Council) and Anna Simon (Young Women’s Board). 

Space is limited, register as soon as possible by emailing [email protected] or calling 312-357-4823. Women who make an individual gift of $5,000 or more to the 2027 JUF Annual Campaign or are a Step‑Up Lion are invited to attend. To inspire future generations and to ensure the continuity of our tradition of tzedakah, we invite you to bring your daughters, daughters‑in‑law, and/or granddaughters to this event.