With enthusiasm and clear thinking, Karen Zemel is looking forward to her upcoming term as the chair of the Jewish Federation of Broward County.  “I always knew that Federation was around, but I wasn’t involved much while we were first raising our family,” Karen recalled.   “I grew up in New York and later relocated to Florida with my family during junior high, our Judaism was more cultural and less religious.  I knew being Jewish was part of my life, and even after I was confirmed at sixteen years old, I was still searching.”

Moving ahead, Karen and her husband Franklin settled in Hollywood after they married and began to raise their family.  Karen had just left retail and was working with the Kesher School for learning disabilities at the Hillel Community Day School and Franklin was building his law practice.     “I had previously been introduced to Federation while we were still in Miami, and I knew a little about it, and we started our involvement with the Young Leadership division.”

The stepping stone for Karen was after a trip to Washington, D.C. and the feeling that she could bring the professional part of her life and the whole Jewish world and education world together.   Franklin already had a strong Jewish background, growing up more observant and this became more important to Karen.  “My husband exposed me to the Jewish family life, and now we are kosher and we have Shabbat.”

Two years ago Karen was able to travel to Israel and Ethiopia on a Leadership Mission along with her professional counterpart Lauren Beresoff Rickoff.   The trip was geared to campaign chairs and the focus was on Ethiopian Jews and their immigration to Israel.     The group saw firsthand what services were being provided and worked with the Israeli volunteers and professionals which was very enlightening.

Karen credits her husband for being her inspiration and her biggest supporter for whatever she has wanted to accomplish    “He has given me the opportunity to go out and explore and to have confidence. “    Her family also includes her children, Kacie, 18 and Quinn, 16, both involved with synagogue life and Camp Ramah in Georgia.   Kacie was the president of her USY chapter and her brother Quinn is still very involved.    Living nearby in Boynton Beach are Karen’s very proud parents Jean and Burton Kushel. 

She recently co-chaired the Super Sunday fundraising event together with her son Quinn.  “It was fun for the kids and a highlight for me, we did this as a mitzvah project for his bar mitzvah and he coordinated his own teen group and was very successful.”

The challenges ahead for Karen may be huge, but she won’t be distracted.   “We have to be honest with people and educate them to get them involved with the Federation.   The public doesn’t know what the Federation does, they know we give money to support Israel, but there is not as much awareness of the programs and the agencies we support in the community.”  

Karen has been awarded for her leadership service to the Federation, earning the Herb and Ellie Katz leadership award, and many more.    “I take pride in all the committees I have chaired and I try to make time to personally show people all the kinds of programs we are funding, from Holocaust survivors to children with disabilities, I help them understand the broad scope.”

Tags: Jewish Federation of Broward County, Karen Zemel

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