Lamar Odom was the main speaker at a benefit held by the non-denominational organization and the Au Contraire Film Festival. And the Cocktail des présidentes et des femmes leaders offered a relaxed networking opportunity.
LOVE AND ACTION MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: A while back, I received an email from Rabbis Ronnie Fine and Benyamin Bresinger, executive director and director of Chabad Lifeline respectively, asking me to cover an upcoming benefit event of theirs, presented with the Au Contraire Film Festival, which showcases stimulating films and discussions on perspectives of mental illness and addiction.
I replied in the affirmative. That said, I was somewhat unprepared for what lay ahead. It was, in a word, transformative. First off, the short films shown that night — Being Here and How Do You Type a Broken Heart — were riveting, immersing viewers in the complex and harrowing challenges of those confronting mental illness and addiction. Second, the featured speakers were equally compelling, underscoring for the 325 patrons of the sold-out event just how life-ruining addiction can be.
Fraidy Nash, courageous wife of recovering sex addict/community activist Eli Nash, set the stage, publicly confiding for the first time how traumatizing it was to go through her husband’s journey, lending solace to family members of addicts facing similar trials and offering hope in light of his incredible progress. Immediately following his wife, and proudly wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Porn kills love,” Eli spoke with candour of the harm addiction did to his life, making it clear that addiction causes wreckage to all lives it touches but that asking for help — and receiving it — from professional organizations like Chabad Lifeline (a non-denominational resource helping tens of thousands each year, no matter the circumstances) is the road to take.
Finally, the main speaker, former NBA star Lamar Odom, addressed the crowd before sitting down for a revealing Q&A with Rabbi Bresinger. Despite acclaim in the worlds of sports and entertainment (yes, Keeping Up With the Kardashians!), he too spoke of the insidious ways in which addiction devastated his life — in his case, almost killing him, but for the life-saving support he received, allowing him to help and inspire others.
Chabad Lifeline, you’re extraordinary, saving and transforming lives daily. Congrats to your dream team — including awesome in-house professionals as well as devoted supporters like executive committee chair Eddie Wiltzer, event chair Mike Flinker (who spoke eloquently of his involvement with the organization) and committee members Heleena Wiltzer, Stan Zack, Howard Dermer, Karen Dubrovsky, Denis Coderre, Lillian Aberman and Martin Goldenberg — without whom such successful fundraising and awareness-building would simply not be possible.
WOMEN LEAD BY EXAMPLE: We skip now to the inaugural Cocktail des présidentes et des femmes leaders, presented by Desjardins and founded and organized by RJV Communications. Held at Complexe Desjardins — in the presence of honorary chair Marie-Huguette Cormier, senior vice-president, human resources and communications at Desjardins, and Marie Grégoire, editor of Premières en affaires magazine and a media personality at Radio-Canada television — the innovative cocktail was aimed at women in leadership positions, with a view to honouring the integral roles women play in Quebec’s economy while offering a relaxed opportunity to connect with each other. Mission accomplished! From the overwhelming turnout of 300 impressive and enthusiastic female leaders representing a variety of companies and organizations, it’s clear the next edition will be equally inspired. Networking exceeded expectations, food and wine were exceptional, and prizes given to winners by event MC/media celebrity Geneviève Borne went next-level (a state-of-the-art Nespresso coffee machine and Spa Eastman escape).
The icing on the soirée? Thanks to solid support and admirable partners like Desjardins, BCF Business Law, Miller Thomson, CBRE, Loto-Québec, Pratt & Whitney, Alithya, Cain Lamarre Lawyers and Notaries, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Edelman, École de technologie supérieure, BMO and Jarislowsky Fraser, much-needed funds were committed to the Women’s Y Foundation of Montreal (YWCA), a gesture in keeping with the empowering event. Bravo!
Source: https://montrealgazette.com/life/chabad-offers-a-lifeline-to-those-fighting-addiction
