H eadlines
North America in response to
the cancellation of other Jewish
leadership programs during
the pandemic. They received
mentorship from professionals
in their fields and planned
service projects together.

When the headliners took
the virtual stage, Lebovitz
asked Eugene Levy whether the
story of “Schitt’s Creek” draws
from his personal history.

He responded that the
fish-out-of-water story draws
from his own experiences
growing up Jewish in the
predominantly non-Jewish
community of Hamilton,
Ontario. The
interfaith marriage between Eugene
Levy’s Jewish Johnny Rose and
Catherine O’Hara’s Christian
Moira Rose also reflects the
real Levy family. Eugene Levy
is Jewish, his wife Deborah
Divine is Protestant and his
children Dan Levy and Sarah
Levy are a “delightful half-half
combination,” as Dan’s character
David Rose likes to put it.

The family also spoke about
Jewish milestones. Dan Levy
confessed that he was reluctant
to study for his bar mitzvah
as a boy but appreciated his
coming-of-age ceremony and
Jewish traditions in general
more as he got older. Sarah
Levy shared that she had never
had a bat mitzvah, but was
open to the idea.

“Let’s do it in Israel,
honey,” Eugene Levy said to
his daughter. “Next year in
Jerusalem.” l
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Actor Eugene Levy spoke about working with his children and Jewish
community for Jewish Federations of North America.

Photo by Eva Rinaldi Celebrity Photography licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Ultimately, being in a community that is
open, accepting and supportive without
question creates a safety net that allows people
to be unabashedly who they are.”
DAN LEVY
She said that Jewish
Federation distributed more
than 65,000 masks within the
community, including to every
resident of Federation Housing,
every client of the Jewish Relief
Agency and to teachers at 72
Jewish day schools. Funds also
went to rabbis to distribute
among congregants struggling
financially and to Jewish day
schools to help them reopen
safely. “This is our story, your
story,” Savett said. “We are
one people responsible for
one another. And together, we
are showing up, changing the
world and reimagining reality.”
Main Event co-chairs Jeffrey
Schwartz, Susan Schwartz, Lisa
Studner and Brett Studner spoke
about how Jewish Federation
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM helped them find community
as young adults and instilled a
desire to give back.

“Jeff and I find so much
meaning and connection within
this incredible Jewish commu-
nity and have enjoyed coming
together with you all today,
particularly during these diffi-
cult times when being a part of
a community has become more
important than ever,” Susan
Schwartz said.

When the Philadelphia
audience joined the national
audience, they also heard
from the first two Jewish
Changemakers cohorts. This
group of college students and
young professionals completed
a three-week online professional
development fellowship created
by the Jewish Federations of
JEWISH EXPONENT
SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
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