Daring to Dream: A Connections Update

On January 31, more than 400 women, including 75 first-time attendees, gathered for Connections, our annual outreach and fundraising luncheon. This year’s theme, Dare to Dream, needed no explanation once Alina Gerlovin Spaulding began her story. All were moved to tears, laughter and generosity, contributing $135,000 for the Community Campaign, including $14,000 designated for overseas Jewry.

Each woman was asked to bring a box of cereal yielding 250 boxes, all of which, plus 300 pounds of personal hygiene supplies from the centerpieces, were donated to the Jewish Family Service Food Bank.

After time to schmooze, the curious request for cereal boxes became clear as the charismatic Alina took the stage, sharing her incredible story.

Born in the Ukraine, Alina’s family originally enjoyed a life of privilege due to her father’s status as an Olympic hopeful skier. But all that ended when a fall left him with a severely broken leg. Her family immediately fell into disfavor and poverty, like tens of thousands of persecuted Jews and others in the former Soviet Union.

As her father’s health declined, Alina’s family slowly lost hope until the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Federation’s overseas arm, came to their rescue. Soon, she and her parents were relocated to the US with nothing more than two suitcases. Upon arrival, they were set up in Passaic, New Jersey with an “adoptive” Jewish family and a furnished apartment, clothing and many other basic necessities, including a box of Fruity Pebbles. Alina’s entertaining story of how her family had never seen food like this multicolored sugar-coated breakfast treat elicited many a chuckle from the crowd.

Alina’s tale of survival and triumph continued. After her father had been given less than a year to live, an anonymous Jewish donor connected them to a leading cardiac surgeon and paid for an experimental surgery that saved his life. Since then, her entire family has enjoyed lives of freedom, education and accomplishment, which they never even dared to dream about years before.

Alina’s personal story drove home how the work of the Jewish Federation, supported by members of the Jewish community, truly saves lives and allows all Jews to Dare to Dream.