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Lions of Judah Annual Celebration Features
Author, Psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb
L OCA L
JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
Chair of Women’s Philanthropy Julie Savitch addresses the Lions
of Judah.

for the celebration, an annual
occurrence that would have
typically taken place at a lively
event space. Past affairs, like
a 2013 luncheon at the Arts
Ballroom, have raised more
than $1 million.

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Gottlieb, in conversation
with local book blogger Kirsten
Wilf Baritz, was an obvious
choice to address the women,
according to Kelly Dash, event
co-chair. The combination
of her interests as a therapist
New York Times bestselling author and therapist Lori Gottlieb and local
book blogger Kirsten Wilf Barritz
Screenshots by Jesse Bernstein
and as a Jewish woman, plus
her name recognition to the
women organizing the event,
brought her into Lion living
rooms. Gottlieb’s appear-
ance was made possible by a
donation from Joan Garde.

The topic of discussion
was Gottlieb’s 2019 memoir,
“Maybe You Should Talk To
Someone.” Part of the reason
for the popularity of the
book, Gottlieb said, was that
she didn’t clean herself up
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bestselling author
and psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb
headlined the Virtual Lion
of Judah Celebration on Dec.

3, detailing her own journey
with therapy, as well as her
experiences with four patients
dealing with an array of
personal issues.

Lions of Judah, an inter-
national organization of
more than 17,500 women, is a
network of women who have
each made a commitment of
at least $5,000 toward their
local Jewish Federation. The
Philadelphia contingent had
more than 200 Lions registered
a community resident
14268812-JE Learn more.

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“It’s so real, and authentic
and relatable,” Gottlieb said,
Baritz saying the last one with
Gottlieb at the same time.

The two women discussed
Gottlieb’s thoughts on the
difference between presenta-
tion and reality, and how to
keep oneself grounded during
the pandemic.

Gottlieb’s talk, and the
whole celebration, was intro-
duced by Jewish Federation of
Greater Philadelphia Chair of
Women’s Philanthropy Julie
Savitch. Savitch, joking that
she had still decided to wear
makeup and heels despite
delivering her speech from
a Jewish Federation board
room, kicked off the evening
with a litany of thank yous,
underlining how much she
was looking forward to the
day that the Lions could roar
together again, in person.

“Next year in a ballroom?”
Savitch asked, hopefully.

Zweibel Continued from Page 6
Following several shorter
segments — an in-memo-
riam tribute to recently passed
Lions Leah Mazer and Irma
Malissa, a pretaped round-up
of thank you’s from beneficia-
ries of Lion-funded projects,
and addresses from event
co-chair Jessica Solomon and
Campaign Chair of Women’s
Philanthropy Tracy Gordon
— the evening’s main event
began. The Virtual Lion of Judah
Celebration closed with a
short thank-you from Dash,
who directed the Lions toward
some of the real fun for the
evening: a chance to catch up
with Lions that they haven’t
seen since the spring in virtual
breakout rooms.

“Seeing the whole event
come together, it was really
cool,” Dash said. “I would love
to see it again.” l
on The Main Line
jbernstein@jewishexponent.com; 215-832-0740
from his experiences.

“I have some chapters about
failures,” he said. “The book
isn’t just my greatest hits. What
I want to convey over the course
of everyone’s life is there’s peaks
and valleys. If you feel that you
are meant to do something, do
it. Don’t let anyone tell you that
you can’t or you shouldn’t.”
He writes about his experience
with a critic, the late Roger Ebert,
who loathed one of his movies so
much he used the word “hate” 10
times in the review. Zweibel went
into a tailspin before deciding
he wasn’t going to give Ebert
power over him. The two men
even ended up on friendly terms
when they recognized each other
in the bathroom of a restaurant
in Chicago.

“And I just have to tell
you, Roger, that that sweater
you’re wearing? I hate, hate,
hate, hate, hate that sweater,”
Zweibel said.

Ebert laughed. l
the relative anonymity that his
part of show business offers —
his passion has always been for
writing and getting his jokes in
the mouths of performers. He feels
he’s gotten enough of the spotlight
while appearing on book tours
and late-night talk shows.

Zweibel has worked with his
fair share of celebrities, but he
hasn’t forgotten what it was like
to be a young 20-something just
starting out and meeting child-
hood heroes. He remembers
being starstruck when he met
Paul Simon. At the time, he was
still working in a deli, poised
to start writing for a show that
hadn’t been made yet.

“I was just blown away,” he
said. Although today’s aspiring
comedians are unlikely to
get their starts selling jokes
to comedians at resorts in
the Catskills, Zweibel wants spanzer@jewishexponent.com;
younger audiences to learn 215-832-0729
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