Joan Lubar is a long-time supporter of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and now serves as the 2016 Annual Campaign Chair.
Lubar spoke recently with Stephanie Wagner, vice president of communications and strategy for the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Selected excerpts of that conversation follow.
You come from an incredibly philanthropic family. How has that influenced you?
My parents place a strong value on the importance of giving back to the community. We were raised with an understanding that giving back was essential. My parents have always been excellent role models and have led by example. Some of the causes that are especially important to my family are the arts and education.
My personal interests have been the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Planned Parenthood, and The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center’s Jeffrey C. Siegel Quality of Life Center, which was established in memory of my late husband.
I feel very strongly that Jews need to support the Jewish community. There are many people who will contribute to museums, the arts, and other programs in the general community, but there is a limited number of Jews who can support Jewish causes.
I’ve received a lot from the Federation. It’s enriched my life in so many positive ways. When I moved back to Milwaukee in my 20s I got involved with Federation. It helped me to develop my leadership skills and gave me a sense of Jewish community.
In addition I have met so many wonderful people over the years through my involvement and commitment. I’ve also had the privilege of traveling on behalf of MJF with JFNA. I’ve been on two Campaign Chairs and Directors Missions over the years (the first when I was chair of the Women’s Annual Campaign).
Tell me about your recent trip to Tbilisi, Georgia and Israel.
In July, Jewish Federations of North American organized a trip for campaign chairs and their directors. We travelled to Tbilisi and to Israel so we could see firsthand the impact of our dollars. It was amazing.
If I had to pick one person to tell you about, it would be Irina Davidovskaya. She’s a 68-year-old woman who had a very difficult life including being divorced from an abusive husband. She studied English in college and wrote some poems for us that were translated by a friend.
She lives in two tiny rooms with one sink where she does dishes and laundry and bathes. She has health problems that are causing a loss of vision, so she can’t leave her home or take care of herself.
Irina receives home health care, meals, utility payments and other support from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), which is funded primarily through federations like ours.
Has your involvement with MJF had an impact on your children?
My main involvement in the Jewish community has been through MJF. Over the years my children saw me going to MJF meetings and talking about my volunteer work. Now that they are older and making decisions on their own, I see that this has influenced them.
My daughter, Charlotte, recently spent a semester at Alexander Muss High School in Israel. She researched the school and made the decision on her own to attend. My son, Isaac, went on a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip this summer and he loved the experience!
Overall, I think my involvement with MJF continues to reinforce to my children the importance of giving back to our Jewish community and working to sustain and improve it for not only today but for their future children and generations to come.
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