Chair of the Board: Linda Schachter, BA, BCL, LLB

Linda graduated in Civil Law and Common Law from McGill University in 1989. She began her career in Civil and Corporate litigation, and is currently the Managing Partner at Devine Schachter Polak, a boutique firm which specializes exclusively in Matrimonial and Estate Law.  She has lectured at numerous conferences and universities and has co-authored publications and the book: “Droit De La Famille Jurisprudence en Tableaux 2009”. She is a member of the Quebec and Montreal Bar Associations and sits as a Governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation.  She has also been active in community having sat on the Board of JPS-Bialik  for many years as well as the former Jewish Family Services Agency. She is married with three sons.

 

 

First Vice Chair of the Board: Karen Sigman

Karen is a Pediatric Allergist. She received her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario and completed her Pediatric residency and Allergy subspecialty at McGill University. She is affiliated with the Montreal Children’s Hospital as well as Hospital Maisonneuve Rosemont. She also works at The Children’s Clinic. She specializes in the management of food allergies and is an Assistant Professor at McGill University. She is an Osler Fellow and mentors McGill medical students. She has been active in the Montreal Jewish Community for a number of years. She is a Past-President of Akiva School and Camp Massad. She is a past Board member of BJEC. She is a past chair of the Allocations and Community Relations Commmittee as well as the Governance committee of FCJA. She is married and the proud mother of four boys.

 

2nd Vice Chair of the Board: Igor Bernadski, CPA, CA

Igor is a CPA, CA and a McGill Graduate. Igor currently serves as the CFO of Montreal Mini-Storage, a private real-estate and self-storage Company. Prior to that he worked as VP Finance at Thinking Capital for 5 years and was a consultant in the Richter US Consulting group between 2011-2015. Igor started his career at Ernst & Young. Igor immigrated into Canada from Israel and has a strong passion towards the local community needs and Israel. He also serves on the board of Baron De Hirsch foundation and Jewish National Fund. He is married and a proud father of 3 kids.

 

 

Treasurer: Bonnie Lester

Bonnie Lester is a graduate of McGill University and worked at Richter for 5 years before joining her family business, Lesters Foods. In 2005, her and her husband purchased the company from her father and uncle, and she currently holds the title of CFO. Bonnie is the proud mother of 2 daughters and has actively participated in many community events over the years. Bonnie says she is honored to be involved in an organization like Ometz that supports youth and families in need and helps individuals reach their full potential.

 

 

Immediate past Chair of the Board: Jeffrey Berkowitz

Jeffrey Berkowitz is President and founder of Aurora Realty Consultants Inc., a leading brokerage and consulting firm working with and representing many of the top retailers around the world. Started in 1989 with an office in Montreal, today, the company operates across Canada as well as branches in the United States and Europe. International projects involving retailers, developers and landlords have included such markets as the Middle East, Russia, Central America and Japan. In 2017, Mr. Berkowitz co-founded Halcyon Brands – an operating platform set to license and joint-venture with international retail concepts for North America - expanding bricks & mortar, e-commerce and wholesale development. In addition to his business ventures, Mr. Berkowitz is actively involved in his community and sits on numerous volunteer boards. His involvement has included camps for underprivileged children, workshops for intellectually and physically handicapped individuals, mentoring young entrepreneurs and fundraising for numerous institutions. He holds a joint honours history degree, Certificate in Management and Diploma in Real Estate, all from McGill University. He lives in Montreal with his wife and 3 children.

 

 

Sacha Brand

Sacha Brand is married and the father of three children, two of whom were born in France and one in Montreal. He moved from France 23 years ago and chose to continue and grow his career in Canada in the field of investment and real estate management.

A dedicated professional, he has significant expertise in asset valuation.

Sacha has always been actively involved—though sometimes indirectly—in the community through various social and philanthropic projects.

He now joins the Ometz Board of Directors with great enthusiasm, eager to contribute to the organization’s vital mission of supporting its clients at a time when social issues are becoming increasingly pressing.

 

 

Danielle Pollack

is currently president of Equinoxe Lifecare, which offers case management, medical and non-medical staffing, integrated support services as well as high skill nursing for chronic disease management and end-of-life care. She was also the founder of the Equinoxe Virtual Clinic, a full-service healthcare management company based in Montreal, providing healthcare services in person and online.

Prior to founding Equinoxe, Danielle had a ten-year career in international conference planning, and spent five years as a professor in the Gerontology Department of College Marie Victorin.

Danielle has been a member of the MUHC Council on Palliative Care and served on the Board of the Jewish Public Library and the International Women's Forum.

She holds both Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Social work from McGill University in Montreal, and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Manchester in England.

 

 

Brenda Gewurz

Brenda Urman Gewurz is a distinguished leader in both real estate and Jewish communal life. Professionally, she has served as Vice-President of Marketing and Sales for Proment Corporation for the past 30 years.

She has been a leader in the Jewish community since the early 1980s. She was Hebrew Academy’s first female President; served as President of the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre ; has been on the Board of Directors of Federation CJA; served as Vice President of Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA; and is the immediate Past Chair of CIJA Quebec, among other roles.

She was awarded the distinguished leadership award at Federation CJA, the Manny Batshaw prize for community leadership, and The Samuel Bronfman Medal. Brenda is also a member of the Board of Ensembles Quebec, and a member of the Campaign cabinet of the Montreal General Hospital.

She is married to Samuel, and they enjoy their three children and eleven grandchildren.

 

 

Guy Vadish

Guy Vadish is a seasoned entrepreneur and committed community leader. Together with his wife they are raising three teenage children. A staunch Zionist with deeply personal ties to Israel, Mr. Vadish actively contributes where he can. He currently serves on the board of Akiva School, where his children attended elementary school, and mentors entrepreneurs across Montreal. He brings to every role a strong sense of purpose, responsibility, and belief in the power of enterprise to drive change.

 

 

Gilbert Tordjman

Gilbert Tordjman is Vice President, Administration and Finance of the Montreal Clinical Research Institute. A certified general accountant, Gilbert previously held the role of Executive Director of Advancement Services at Concordia University’s Advancement and Alumni Relations. Prior to this position, he was Vice President, Administrative Affairs at the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé. In addition, he served as Director, Finance and Administration at the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and also Medical Research Financial Management Officer at the Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital. He also worked as an accountant at Friedman & Friedman.
Committed volunteer, he is the immediate past Chair of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District I and a former member of the Federation CJA Board of Directors.

 

 

Janice Heft

Janice Heft has recently retired from her position as Manager of Volunteer Services at Ometz. Her experience at Ometz, in which she worked closely with all departments, makes her uniquely qualified to serve on the Board of Directors. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Kehilla Montreal, and has previously been involved with several other community organizations including Just for Kids Foundation, Auberge Shalom and MADA. She began her career as a lawyer practicing real estate and family law.

 

 

Micol Haimson

Micol Haimson is a graduate of McGill University and is currently Senior Vice President and Branch Manager of Raymond James Trust. Prior to that she had a 20-year career of senior executive roles in wealth management at a major Canadian bank. Micol is an active volunteer serving or having served as: Board member and President, Investment Committee, of the McGill University Health Centre Foundation; Vice-Chairman, The Trafalgar Ross Foundation; past Director of Membership of the Treasury Management Association of Canada; and past Committee Member, MS Society of Quebec.

 

 

Bonnie King

Bonnie King is a Senior Consultant with Philanthropica, working with charitable and community organizations on executive recruitment, fundraising strategy, governance, and organizational development. Prior to joining Philanthropica, Bonnie spent nearly a decade at McGill University in senior advancement roles focused on donor relations and fundraising policy.

Prior to her career in the non-profit sector, Bonnie practiced law after earning both her Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Common Law degrees from McGill University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Western University.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Akiva School and is actively involved in the Montreal Jewish community. Bonnie lives in Montreal with her husband and two sons.

 

 

Beverley Shimansky

Beverley Shimansky is the Chief Campus & Culture Officer at Hillel Ontario, the largest Hillel in the world. A senior Jewish communal leader with more than 20 years of experience, she has held leadership roles with Hillel Ontario, Hillel Montreal, and Federation CJA. Beverley has expertise in organizational strategy, community engagement, fundraising and philanthropic partnerships, mental health and wellness, and crisis management.

Beverley holds a Bachelor of Social Work from McGill University, a Master of Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, and a Master's degree in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute. More than 20 years ago, she completed a social work field placement at Ometz and has partnered with the organization throughout her career to support students and young adults.

Beverley lives in Montreal with her husband, Jason, and is the proud mom of Harry and Olivia.

 

 

Frédéric Saadoun

Frédéric Saadoun is a Managing Director at PwC Canada with more than 25 years of experience in consulting and information technology. He is also actively involved in Montreal's business community, serving as a board advisor and startup mentor.

Twenty years ago, he moved from France to Montreal with his wife, Valerie, and their two children, and chose to build his family life in Canada. As a former Ometz immigration client, he knows firsthand what an amazing organization this is, and is excited to be able to give back to the community now as an Ometz Board Member.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Frédéric has a long-standing commitment to community service in both France and Canada through various social and fundraising initiatives. He is also closely involved with CJPAC. Frédéric says Ometz is especially close to his heart, and he is honored to have the opportunity to give back to such extraordinary people.