CNS The Power of Women Who Fight Gun Violence featuring Gabby Giffords
May 6, 2021 @ 11:30AM — 12:45PM Central Time (US & Canada)
Hadassah Chicago-North Shore Annual Power Lunch
Choose your ticket option below and click "Register" then make your donation to honor Lana in the amount of $1000, $360, $180, $72, $54, or $36 on the next page. Can't attend? Scroll down and click the "Donate" button to make a donation in honor of Lana.
Like Gabby, Hadassah has long been a supporter of strong legislative gun control initiatives and believes that current laws do not go far enough, nor are enforced rigorously enough, to help prevent gun violence.
Together, with Gabby, Hadassah is committed to gun control with the goal of a safer future for all. Gabby will be joined by Robyn Thomas, Executive Director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Lisa Hostein, Executive Editor of Hadassah Magazine will join them in this critical conversation via Zoom. You also won’t want to miss the opportunity to celebrate Lana Eisenberg as we honor her for her 50-plus years of commitment to Hadassah.
Prize Drawing Prizes Include:
Assorted Wine tastings mailed to your home
Fur cleaning/storage by Bolton Krystian Furs
Various gift cards or gift certificates from the following businesses:
- ABT
- A Day at Chicago Botanic Garden
- Amazon Gift Card
- Bed, Bath and Beyond
- California Pizza Kitchen
- Cheesecake Factory
- Costco
- EJ's Pizzeria
- Emma's Bagel Café
- Garden Fresh
- Goldie LeWinter
- Jewel/Osco
- Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants
- Links by Laura: Gift Certificate & Necklace
- Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
- Macy’s
- Nordstrom
- Original Bagel & Bialy
- Sandwich Club
- Saranello’s
- Seasons 52 Restaurant
- Target
- Vera Bradley
About Gabby
We are honored to welcome Gabby Giffords to our 2020 Annual Power Lunch. Gabby may be immediately identified with what occurred on January 8, 2011 at a “Congress On Your Corner” constituent event in Tucson. She was Congresswoman Giffords at the time when she was shot in the head from near point-blank range. In that instance, Gabby became a victim of gun violence in our country, enduring life-threatening injuries. Forced to step down from Congress in January 2012, Congresswoman Giffords said, “I will return, and we will work together for Arizona and this great country.”
For nearly 20 years, former Congresswoman Giffords has dedicated herself to public service. As the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona state senate, she represented her community from 2000 to 2005, and then in Congress from 2006 to 2012.
In 2013, Gabby and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, founded the organization today known as Giffords. The organization has led the national gun safety movement, making gun safety a kitchen table issue; supporting gun safety champions in local, state, and federal arenas; and helping pass significant legislation. Hadassah’s own policies on gun safety are reflected in Giffords’ work.
Gabby Giffords is a Life Member of Hadassah. She resides in her beloved hometown of Tucson, Arizona.
About Robyn
Robyn Thomas joined Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence as executive director in 2006. Robyn supervises the organization’s work drafting and defending safer gun laws, as well as educating legislators about evidence-based gun policy. Under her leadership, Giffords Law Center has advanced a robust suite of policies that are proven to be most effective in solving our nation’s gun violence epidemic.
Robyn has testified in Congress and before state and local lawmakers as an expert witness on gun laws and the American gun violence epidemic. She has written about gun violence prevention for publications including the New York Times, Newsweek and Oprah Magazine. Prior to her work at Giffords, Robyn served as the executive director of the Tikkun Community and Tikkun Magazine.
Robyn is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Miami School of Law. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and moved with her family to New Jersey when she was five.
About Lana
We are pleased to honor Lana Eisenberg for her outstanding life-long commitment to the work of Hadassah. Lana has been involved in charities since the age of 10 when her father suddenly passed away. She and her sister made potholders on a loom and earned some money from selling them at the shiva, which became the seed money for the Yani Cohen Heart Foundation. Out of tragedy, a philanthropist was born.
Fast forward to Lana as a young mother in Deerfield, Illinois. One day, Lana answers a knock at her front door, and finds another young mother who hands her a copy of the book Balm in Gilead. Balm in Gilead is the story of Hadassah and the young mom at Lana’s door was Judy Falk. By coincidence, when the Yani Cohen Heart Foundation disbanded, the remaining funds went to Hadassah. Lana soon became involved with Hadassah and had the opportunity to explore her interest in fundraising and volunteer work.
Lana’s family loved football, a passion she did not share. So she began to volunteer at the Hadassah Resale Shop on Sundays. For the next 20 years, Lana would be found at the store on most Sundays, going on to become chair of the resale shop committee and taking a leading role in making the shop a success. Lana has also taken on roles in major gifts philanthropy for Hadassah, serving on the board of her Highland Park Chapter, and is a member of Hadassah’s esteemed Society of Major Donors. She presently serves as president of Highland Park.
Lana and her husband Cal live in Highland Park. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Lana’s children always knew that everything she did was for Hadassah.