Because...
I
n her formative years, Debbie Ryder admits to being a rebellious daughter who had little interest in her Jewish heritage. She married a non-Jewish man, and had no interest in living Jewishly, until the birth of her first child.
She instantly knew that she wanted her children to have a Jewish upbringing – and if she was going to do that, she had to make Judaism a bigger part of her own life. She enrolled both her children at The Calgary Jewish Academy and became a more active participant in the Jewish Community. She felt a strong desire to be affiliated with other Jewish mothers and found that the JCC was the place to make those connections. Debbie put her energy into developing children’s programs at the JCC, her first foray into volunteer leadership. It was under the chupah at her second wedding that Debbie had an epiphany: “I am Jewish, I am marrying a Jewish man, and that’s really important.” That realization may have come slowly, but for Debbie Ryder, Jewish community is top priority – right after her children and business. For many years, Debbie has invested considerable time and talent in Federation’s annual fundraising campaign, UJA, and the community is fortunate to have her chair the campaign for the second time this year. Calgary Jewish Federation provides a platform for Jews to find community, to become involved and lead by example, fostering Jewish continuity generation after generation.
Because...
A strong community is fueled by dedicated volunteers.
n her formative years, Debbie Ryder admits to being a rebellious daughter who had little interest in her Jewish heritage. She married a non-Jewish man, and had no interest in living Jewishly, until the birth of her first child.
She instantly knew that she wanted her children to have a Jewish upbringing – and if she was going to do that, she had to make Judaism a bigger part of her own life. She enrolled both her children at The Calgary Jewish Academy and became a more active participant in the Jewish Community. She felt a strong desire to be affiliated with other Jewish mothers and found that the JCC was the place to make those connections. Debbie put her energy into developing children’s programs at the JCC, her first foray into volunteer leadership. It was under the chupah at her second wedding that Debbie had an epiphany: “I am Jewish, I am marrying a Jewish man, and that’s really important.” That realization may have come slowly, but for Debbie Ryder, Jewish community is top priority – right after her children and business. For many years, Debbie has invested considerable time and talent in Federation’s annual fundraising campaign, UJA, and the community is fortunate to have her chair the campaign for the second time this year. Calgary Jewish Federation provides a platform for Jews to find community, to become involved and lead by example, fostering Jewish continuity generation after generation.
Because...
A strong community is fueled by dedicated volunteers.
