Back in Massachusetts about 80 years ago, a Camp Fire Girl pledged to be a kind and thoughtful person.
Forty years later, married and a mother, she joined the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada because she wanted to have an impact on her own community.
Now in her 95th year of life, Marion Poliakoff was recognized for her service in the bright beginning of this new year.
Debby Altow spoke about her friend and colleague on behalf of the Vancouver section of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada.
“We all know people who are good, kind, generous and loving. Some, like Marion, stand out because of their consistent commitment to humanity. Marion shows up,” she said.
Go back to New York City during the 1940s. Marion Secunda had a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, a career as a writer and editor, and an apartment in Greenwich Village across the street from the legendary Village Vanguard jazz club.
In that progressive environment Marion found practical ways to apply her avocation for social justice.
Marion and a co-worker unionized the staff at Scholastic magazine where she worked as National Affairs editor. Later on, she became the first Jewish person elected to public office in Tenafly, New Jersey, where only a few years earlier Marion and her husband, Mel Poliakoff had been denied residence in the restricted community.
In 1972, when Marion was 49, the Poliakoff family moved to West Vancouver.
“My husband was interested in new horizons,” she explains, “and we all liked the idea of living where we could ski and sail.”
Marion looked for a community of her own in this new country.
She joined the Vancouver section of the National Council of Jewish Women of Canada, drawn by its mandate to improve the lives of women and children through social action and education.
While working towards a second master’s degree at the UBC School of Social Work, Marion’s field placement introduced her to the diverse multicultural community served by Britannia Community Centre.
“Coming from predominately Caucasian New Jersey, this was a new experience for me. I knew nothing about the culture and experiences of the people we were serving, and there was very little information in those areas available to staff or throughout the community,” she says.
Marion developed information exchange programs to inform and educate herself, as well as the community and her profession, about multiculturalism in all its varieties.
“We named the programs Understanding Chinese-Canadians, or Understanding Italian-Canadians. The key word was ‘understanding,’” she says.
Marion’s gift for collaboration is a hallmark of her personal and professional life.
When the National Council of Jewish Women imported the HIPPY program to Canada, Marion saw its potential.
HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters) trains mothers to help new mothers.
The first pilot project in 1999 was a partnership comprising the council, Britannia and Simon Fraser University.
Today, HIPPY operates through the Mothers Matter Centre.
MARC, the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Committee established by Marion and her colleagues at the B.C. Association of Social Workers, continues today as a standing committee of the association.
Closer to home, Marion volunteered at Har El synagogue in West Vancouver and had a weekly date to cook and serve meals at Harvest House in North Vancouver.
Marion and a group of women who share the condition established the North Shore chapter of Osteoporosis Canada. Twelve years of public education about osteoporosis came to an end in 2014 when the chapter closed.
“I started it with other women with osteoporosis; we found one another. Our chapter provided an important service for post-menopausal women. It was hard to close down but we couldn’t find younger people to lead the organization.”
In her tribute to Marion, Debby Altow said, “The Hebrew word ‘Tikvah’ means hope; and its root is Kav—meaning, a thread. The threads of kindness, social justice, family, faith and music that run through Marion’s life burn as brightly as ever.”
Reflecting on her life and years of service, Marion said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to my community. I look back with satisfaction at what we achieved.”
Marion is looking ahead too.
She intends to contribute her skills and experience to improving the quality of life for West Vancouver seniors. She will participate in the Seniors Action Table’s first meeting of 2018, on Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to noon at West Vancouver Seniors’ Activity Centre.
For information about the meeting, visit the Lionsview Seniors Planning Society’s website at lionsview.ca or call 604-985-3852.
Laura Anderson works with and for seniors on the North Shore. Contact her at 778-279-2275 or email her at [email protected].
