SAN DIEGO — The plague of 2020 still hangs heavily in the air, shuttering our theatres and concert halls. But thanks to the miracle of YouTube, the 27th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival goes on. Highlighting the lives and contributions of hard-working women, two of this year’s Women of Valor are Heidi Gantwerk, Board Chair of San Diego Jewish Academy, and Sharleen Wollach of the Jewish Community Foundation.
Heidi Gantwerk, portrayed by Lisa Robins:
“My life is woven throughout with Jewish rhythms.”
She is the lead vocalist in a musical family and her boys start jamming as soon as they get home from school. Though not professional recording artists, their living room is a well-equipped music studio.
Heidi Gantwerk hooked her husband by ‘stalking’ him when they were both students at Yale. Whatever dining hall he frequented, she would ‘just happen’ to bump into him. She could have scared him off and been handed a restraining order, but her strategy worked.
In these contentious times, when people on opposite sides of the political aisle can hardly speak to each other, Heidi organized dialogues between conservatives and progressives. By agreeing that they both wanted to do what was best for the people, they were able to get past arguing and actually come together on key issues.
“It doesn’t happen in one conversation. It takes time. Trust has to be built.” -Heidi Gantwerk
Not letting their talents go to waste, the Gantwerk Family closed with a musical number.
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Sharleen Wollach, portrayed by Julie Marcus:
“I like to say that I was manufactured in South Africa and assembled in the USA.” -Sharleen Wollach
Growing up in Apartheid South Africa, Sharleen Wollach was kept safe in a little bubble as a child. There were very strict rules about where, when and how people of different skin tones could associate with each other. It wasn’t until she became an adult that she realized how ridiculous these rules were. A trip to America in her youth convinced her to emigrate.
A cancer survivor, Sharleen Wollach has had her faith tested. She detests the trite aphorisms like “God has a plan” that people say to make themselves feel better. She credits the support she received from the community with giving her a gratitude that has exuded through her life.
Her work with the Jewish Community Foundation is a daily driving passion for her. Every day, she wants to do something meaningful for someone else, no matter who they are.
“The work that we do philanthropically is not because [the recipients] are Jewish. It is because We are. We believe in leaving this world a better place for those to come.” -Sharleen Wollach
You can continue watching Women of Valor on YouTube and get their full stories via this link.
All donations go to the three Jewish high schools in San Diego and the Covid-19 Emergency Fund.
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Eric George Tauber is an actor as well as a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.