Volunteer leaders help make Jewish Federation the vital resource it is. Our governance process, our fundraising efforts, events and projects – they’re all made possible by community members who dedicate their valuable time to the cause.
Meet Lana Marks Pulver - 2021 Federation campaign chair. A long-standing leader in our community, Lana has served as major donor’s chair and women’s philanthropy chair and vice chair. She has also served on the Jewish Federation Board for five years and the Jewish Community Foundation Board of Governors for 12 years. Currently, she is a member of the local partnership council for our advocacy agent, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and serves on the national board for Save a Child’s Heart.
Lana is a member of UJC National Young Leadership Cabinet, and is a recipient of Vancouver Federation’s Young Leadership and Lou Zimmerman Awards. She holds an MBA from Schulich School of Business, was previously a senior investment advisor, authored two books, and today is engaged in entrepreneurial activities, writing, civic engagement and investing. Lana is married to Doug and they are the proud parents of Benny and Chloe.
- Out of the four values that guide our work: chesed, tikkun olam, klal Israel, and tzedakah, which one is closest to your heart?
Chesed. Treating people with kindness is closest to my heart. I think it is critical for everyone to treat others with kindness, compassion and mutual respect. This ensures a world filled with tolerance and inclusion. As a part of chesed, I deeply value an expression of gratitude to let others know they are appreciated. I believe that tikkun olam, klal Israel and tzedakah all stem from chesed as it takes kind people to give of themselves to make the world a better place for all.
- What inspired you to first get involved with Jewish Federation?
I’ve always believed that in life, you get out whatever you put in. To me, getting involved not only benefits the community, but enhances my life as well. When I moved back to Vancouver in 1994, after living in Toronto for eight years, I was eager to engage with Vancouver’s Jewish community. I was asked to form the first Young Adult Division (YAD) with Jill Diamond. Our aim was to gather people in their 20s and early 30s for social events and to build awareness for Federation. I’d previously been involved in a variety of leadership roles during my schooling and always enjoyed contributing. YAD sounded like a fun way to get involved in Vancouver’s Jewish community and work with my best friend. I thoroughly enjoyed that experience and it led to a deep connection with Federation that after years of continuous volunteerism, led me to my current role as campaign chair.
- Tell us about the importance of women taking leadership roles in our community?
I believe it’s important for everyone, regardless of gender, to take on leadership roles in our community. We need capable, committed and caring volunteers to step up and make a difference.
I hope that having both women and men in leadership roles in our community demonstrates that gender isn’t a prerequisite for the job, and it inspires all young people to get involved. It has been close to 15 years since there was a female campaign chair and I’m honoured to have been asked to take on this role and hope to see many more women in leadership positions in the years to come.