Volunteer Leadership Profile—Karen James

 

Karen JamesIsrael and Overseas Affairs Committee Chair
Small business owner Karen James has committed a large amount of time to helping our local and international Jewish communities flourish. Karen has supported Jewish Federation in a number of volunteer roles, previously serving as community chair of Federation Annual Campaign, chair of the women’s philanthropy division, as well as chair of financial resource development. After becoming a committee member, Karen now serves as chair of the Israel and Overseas Affairs Committee (IOAC).

 

In addition to her extensive Jewish Federation committee experience, Karen also serves on the board of Jewish Family Service Agency and the advisory board of the Jewish Political Affairs Committee. Previously she also served in the Jewish Federations of North America’s National Women’s Philanthropy Board.

 

Role as IOAC Chair
The IOAC plays an important role in strengthening our local community connection with Jewish communities in Israel, and around the world. As the IOAC’s chair, Karen provides oversight to the committee as they assess strategic engagement with our partnership region in Israel. She leads the committee as they work with their sub-committees to fund important educational and social service programs in Israel and abroad, promote and facilitate an active program of educational and cultural Israeli-Canadian exchanges, and host local events that engage our community and raise awareness about Israel.

 

One of Karen’s main goals while serving as committee chair is to build upon the strong foundation of cross-cultural relationships that has already been established. “Our community determined that giving to Israel is a priority,” explains Karen, “and we punch way above our weight in terms of the percentage of our campaign dollars that go to Israel. I think we can feel really proud about that.”

 

Rewarded with Relationships
Believe it or not, Karen wasn’t always closely involved with Vancouver’s Jewish community. “When I moved to Vancouver,” Karen shares, “I was really disconnected. Getting involved in Jewish Federation helped me begin to establish ties. I find when you put your time into something, there’s an intangible reward: I am doing something for others but it is good for me too. I think the people I meet in the broader Jewish community inspire me to keep going.”