By Mike Cohen

The Donald Berman Chai Lifeline Canada supports children and parents who are facing life-threatening or life-long illness by providing services that foster resilience and hope for the whole family. They lead with dedication and integrity and bring empathy, respect, and humility to the families and community they serve.

On April 1, 2025 more than 500 people packed the Shaar Hashomayim Congregation in Westmount for the Rebuilding Dreams 2025 Gala.

When a child is born or diagnosed with a serious illness, Chai Lifeline knows that the illness impacts not just the person who is sick, but their entire family. Its programs and services take care of everything from the mundane, like help getting to doctors’ appointments and hot meals when children are hospitalized, to the extraordinary, like medically supervised overnight camps that give children confidence, courage, and life skills they need to fight dreaded illnesses. All programs and services are free of charge

Among those honored were Montreal Genetic Disorder Fund Chair Julie Kristof as Parent of the Year; real estate power couple and Young Leadership Award recipients Brittney Rozenblat and Jacob Strich; and Montreal Children’s Hospital Senior Advisor for Patient Experience Jordana Saada, receiving the Health Impact Award. One other honoree asked that their name not be published.

Outstanding Israeli standup comic Yohay Sponder was the featured performer. The evening began with cocktails and a vast buffet followed by the program, expertly organized by Morty Silber’s Mad Strategies and event planner Angela Lehrer. It was a well-oiled machine, flowing beautifully. The format rotated between video presentations about the winners and the important work the organization does to words of inspiration from Montreal Director Yaacov Blanshay and Founder Rabbi Simcha Scholar. At the end of the program it was time to eat again with a decadent sweet table. Sponder had everyone in stitches, sharing how so many of his shows have been cancelled in Europe because of antisemitism. He joked that the ensuing media coverage merely resulted in him selling out his other engagements. One of his best lines of the night was how Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. “And we have had the same Prime Minister for 20 years,” he said in reference to Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sponder stuck around after the show, posing for selfies and talking to fans. Watch my chat with him here from my Instagram account.

Here is some more about the award winners:

Julie Kristof

Julie has been married to Murray Yazer for almost 25 years and has two children, Alex,20, and Mimi, 17, who is affected by Familial Dysautonomia. Julie holds a BSC, an MBA and works in marketing research professionally. She sits on the board of JEM, Nellie Foundation, and is chair of the Montreal Genetic Disorder Fund raising awareness of genetic disease and increasing access to testing. She is involved in many community organizations and sits on multiple committees in the English Montreal School Board, including as Parent Commissioner of Special Education services. Julie is an advocate and believes we have to use our voices, skills, luck and education to make the world better. Julie has supported Chai Lifeline Canada for many years in so many ways including riding in the Tour de Simcha event and fundraising, attending events with her family or sitting on our Montreal leadership team. She gets inspired when witnessing a child feel seen not for their illness but for who they are, like they do at Camp Simcha where her daughter Mimi has been for several summers. Her wishes are that Chai Lifeline Canada continues to bring hope and light to darkness in our community.

Brittney Rozenblat & Jacob Strich

Brittney and Jacob are parents of three beautiful boys and have a private family real estate office. Brittney has also written a children’s book, The ABCs of Finance. Becoming parents has been the most rewarding aspect of their lives deepening their sense of empathy and their desire to make a positive impact in the world. They take inspiration from the strength and resilience they see in the families that Chai Lifeline Canada supports and from the Jewish community, its unity, commitment and dedication especially in times of hardship. Chai Lifeline Canada holds a very special place in their heart as it was the beginning of their philanthropic journey and has grown into something deeply personal and meaningful to them. For more than six years they have been sponsoring and delivering holiday packages for Chai Lifeline Canada and spreading happiness and comfort. When they deliver a package and see the joy it brings, it fuels their passion to keep doing more. Their hope is that Chai Lifeline Canada will continue to receive the support it needs to expand its programs, bring comfort and happiness to the families so they don’t have to navigate illness alone.

Jordana Saada

Jordana is a Registered Nurse by training and has worked in a wide variety of healthcare settings, in the pharmaceutical industry, and at McGill University. She currently works at the Montreal Children’s Hospital as Senior Advisor, Patient Experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master’s in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Holocaust studies. Jordana has become an integral partner with Chai Lifeline Canada by providing valuable guidance, developing inter-organizational relationships with key personnel, and spearheading personalized initiatives. Her dedication and efforts create an environment of collaborated care and support for Chai Lifeline Canada children and their families.

Laura Sonego Assor and Michelle Cola Hasen chaired the program, with Reitzu Iczkovits as event lead.

For more about this wonderful organization go here: https://chailifelinecanada.org/