LIFE STORIES: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

Reverend Hazan Daniel Benlolo, Musical Director, Shira Choir for Neurodiverse Adults
Reverend Hazan Daniel Benlolo was born in Morocco, the youngest of 12 children. At the early age of 17, he became the Hazan (Cantor) for the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. In addition to his many talents for art, scholarship and publications, he is the Musical Director for the Friendship Circle and Founder of Montreal Shira Choir serving adults with neurodiverse abilities

Victoria Gavasheli, Ukrainian Refugee, surviving war and becoming resilient
Victoria Gavasheli left a comfortable life and successful career in Kyiv, Ukraine and fled with her husband and two small children when war shattered their lives. Her experience includes the terrifying story of their life as refugees and their fresh start in Montreal.

Bernard Gotlieb, Canada’s longest-living survivor of a bone-marrow transplant
Bernard Gotlieb is the longest surviving bone marrow transplant patient for leukemia in Canada, and second in the world. His story is one of amazing tenacity that he recounts with levity and candor. Battling his cancer since 1979, he exhibits optimism and remarkable drive to live a normal life. His story makes for a spellbinding encounter.

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Ian Jordan, Passionate Educator and Coach
Ian Jordan is a Barbados-born athlete who moved to Montreal at a young age and overcame many barriers throughout his career. Ian has over 40 years of experience in sports.  He is an educator and coach who has helped develop technical skills and guided many career paths, playing a crucial role in assisting over 100 players/ prospects to secure positions in college or professional baseball.

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Hailey Laxer, Advocate for improved healthcare for rare diseases
Hailey Laxer is a fierce advocate for the causes close to her heart, namely healthcare for rare diseases, Israel and Judaism. She has harnessed her personal power to create a meaningful life with the objective of helping others

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Rabbi Adina Lewittes, Champion for Inclusivity and Belonging in Jewish Life
Rabbi Adina Lewittes is a Teacher in Contemporary Jewish Law who invites accessibility to Jewish Life. She is committed to ideas around identity and belonging, inclusiveness, creativity, scholarship and collaboration

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Arielle Orvieto, Intersectional Feminist, Poet and Artist
Arielle Orvieto invites you to experience their unique voice in a lyrical, spiritual, magical session. They are someone who transcends categories and makes us more sensitive to the differences of human experience

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Nadia Papineau-Couture, Marketing Research Professional, Community Volunteer, Overcoming Paralysis
Nadia Papineau-Couture was a successful marketing research professional when a spinal cord injury during surgery left her paralyzed. Faced with the challenge of regaining mobility and using fine motor skills, she gained a renewed perspective and energy. Nadia is now volunteering at Cummings Centre, seeing first-hand how supporting others brings fulfilment to her own life.

Antonio Park, World-renowned restaurateur and Montreal-based Celebrity Chef
Antonio Park is a world-renowned celebrity chef. His tutelage started in his mother’s kitchen garden in Argentina. Those early experiences inspired a life-long drive to perfection, sustainability and farm-to-table cooking. Trained under Japan’s cooking masters, Antonio worked his way up from dishwasher to restaurateur. He moonlights as a guest judge on the Food Network’s show ‘Chopped.

Annie Young, Businesswoman, Entrepreneur, overcoming adversity and loss
As the face of Annie Young Cosmetics, Annie’s incredible story will surprise you. As a child of Holocaust survivors, widowed at a young age and a single mother, she copes with tragic family losses and faces the struggle to raise a son with mental illness. Annie’s journey is one of perseverance and success against all odds.