6 minute read
Connecting to Carin Savel New CEO of Local Federation
Connecting to Carin Savel: CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County
BY DIANA SUSSMAN
The Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County has a new face at its helm. Let’s meet their new Chief Executive Officer Carin Savel.
A native New Yorker from from the Upper West Side, born in Westbury, Carin’s journey to Fairfield County has been quite the winding path. While raised with her brother and sister in a Conservative Jewish household that impressed the importance of helping others, Carin initially focused on the arts. In her early 20s, this drama major from Syracuse University started the original CSI, Carin Savel Incorporated, a PR firm that branded artists like Celine Dion and Debbie Gibson. She segued into the not-forprofit world through music. She served as the director of corporate responsibility with LIFEbeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS, raising money for AIDS education. In that role she oversaw UrbanAID, CountryAID, and the Barbra Streisand concert in Madison Square Garden. Four years later, she took a job for the United Way and, along with her two young sons, moved down to Raleigh, North Carolina. Shortly after settling in, her son’s Hebrew schoolteacher, Rick Glazier, approached her about running his campaign for Senate. She ran her first political campaign and they won by only 123 votes. Carin then joined him at the General Assembly as policy director and chief of staff. Soon, other legislators started asking for her help with their campaigns, which led her to creating an independent political consulting firm. As a campaign-fixer, she successfully helped both Democrats and Republicans get into office. Carin commented that this set her up well for her eventual role in Jewish Federation, which is “not partisan but is political.”
In 2014, United Way again recruited her to serve as CEO in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. At that point, the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Western MA tapped Carin to chair its Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC). Immediately, she had a problem to solve — someone had been placing BDS stickers on Sabra Hummus containers sold at the Springfield Big Y store. After talking to community members and doing some research, she learned that tampering with food in a grocery store was a federal offense. Once she explained this to the Big Y, they removed the stickers and the problem stopped, but also it ignited her passion for fighting for Jewish lives and values.
Shortly after, the Federation sent her to join the Jewish Council on Public Affairs on a leadership mission to Israel. During the meeting at the Peres Peace Center, former Prime Minister and then President of Israel himself, Shimon Peres, came and spoke to the group about the responsibilities of Jews helping Jews. He asked Carin what she did for a living. When she said that she worked for United Way, he told her, “In this ear, I hear a smart woman. In this ear, not so smart. A smart woman goes home to work for Jews.” Said Carin “When Shimon Peres tells you to work for the Jews, you go home and work for the Jews.” She resigned from the United Way, called Federation in New York and asked them to “Find me a Federation.” She chose to return to Raleigh, as CEO of the Federation.
Within the first six months of leading the Federation in North Carolina, Carin steered a landmark anti-BDS bill through the North Carolina legislature, and witnessed the Governor sign it into law. While she relished her work at the Federation, she found it difficult to be a New York Jew in the South, so she left to be closer to home in the Northeast.
By 2019, she was back in Connecticut working as the new Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut. But six months after arriving, Carin found herself in quarantine and running the organization from her living room. When the Jewish Federation of Fairfield County needed a real mover and shaker to take over as the new Chief Executive Officer, they reached out to Carin Savel. She began in February 2022 and has hit the ground running — reaching out to people from every demographic. When asked about whether Covid concerns curtailed her activities, Carin noted, “It’s not Jewish to stay home. It’s Jewish to reach out to others in need.”
Carin is excited to develop sustaining programs targeted to families. Favorite projects include the PJ library program (run by TCS member Monique Lions-Greenspan), which provides children with a book a month and community activities. Under her leadership, the successful new Federation Young Family program was created, run by Sara Beitman. She also oversaw the creation of a second Merkaz campus, which is located at TCS and run by Seth Marion. Carin also put missions back on the Federation calendar. In January, the Federation will lead a Civil Rights Journey to Atlanta, Montgomery,
Birmingham, and Selma, that Steve Ginsburg (former CT ADL Director) will be leading. In April 2023, they will travel to Israel for its 75th birthday celebration.
As a first generation born American whose ancestors fled pogroms in Russia, Carin feels strongly about Holocaust education and awareness. To this end, Carin is working with American Friends of Yad Vashem in NYC to open a Holocaust Resource Center (HRC) in June 2023. Agnes Vertes, president of the Holocaust Survivors of Connecticut and a Jewish History Society Board Member, will be involved in HRC programing. Combatting the rise in antisemitism is critically important today, and Carin is working with a task force to pass Connecticut’s anti-BDS bill, similar to the North Carolina Bill she helped pass. Carin was also instrumental in raising over $300,000 in aid sent to Ukraine, and helped charter three planes (one was a TCS plane) to the Ukraine war zone to rescue Jewish Ukrainians and resettle them to Israel. Since her father was born in Cuba, she empathizes with the need to escape from a country embroiled in conflict. Looking at the many achievements that Carin has already had in less than a year, it is safe to say that Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County is in good hands. This vivacious, fun-loving dynamo is someone you will want to meet. She certainly stands out in a crowd with her curly red hair and big persona. When she reaches out to you, make sure to make some time for her. She’s worth it.
Parents! Join Federation Young Families for a meaningful giving-back opportunity!
Did you know that 20-30% of people who menstruate lack access to feminine-hygiene products? Dignity Grows provides monthly personal and hygiene products to menstruators in our community who cannot afford them. Join Federation Young Families and Dignity Grows to fill totes with hygiene essentials that go directly to neighbors in need. Meet other young parents for wine & cheese and packing to help end period poverty. When: Tuesday, Dec 13 at 7:30 pm When: A parents’ home in Westport Address provided upon registration Register online at https://tinyurl.com/5n7bkd2d Email Sara@ShalomCT.org for more information
