P
eggy and John Garson have always been active participants in the Cleveland Jewish community – and they come by it honestly. The tradition of community involvement goes back many generations in both of their families. Peggy still remembers her grandparents’ 50th anniversary party, where in lieu of gifts they requested donations from friends and family and then used the funds to open a dental clinic in an underserved area in Louisville, Kentucky where they lived. John also recalls that his grandmother was president of the sisterhood when Abba Hillel Silver became the Rabbi at The Temple-Tifereth Israel. Peggy’s mother came to Cleveland to work as a social worker, and she remembers her mother was always involved in leadership roles in various Jewish agencies. Peggy’s mom was head of the Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Division and was president of Jewish Vocational Service, as was John’s dad. As a young couple Peggy and John continued the tradition of supporting the Campaign for Jewish Needs, and their involvement grew over time. John began in the Young Business and Professionals Division, and he served on and chaired many committees over the years. He credits Federation staff member Howard Berger (z”l) for mentoring young leaders – he says that Howard got to know you and directed you to the right place in the organization.
Combining Two Passions to Create
ONE IMPACTFUL GIFT 8 8
Peggy was involved through the Women’s Philanthropy Division – beginning in what was then known as the Young Women’s Division. She rose through the ranks and ultimately became the chair of Women’s Philanthropy – and one of her proudest accomplishments was combining the separate education and fundraising groups within Women’s Philanthropy. Under her leadership, she determined that the groups should be merged, which required a change of the by-laws of the Federation. Both Peggy and John are proud of Cleveland’s national reputation as having one of the strongest lay-professional partnerships among all Federations. They believe that this partnership is what makes Cleveland such a thriving Jewish community, and why they feel so good about sharing their time, talent, and treasure with the organization.
