Katie Couric will speak at the ‘Find Your Voice-Change the World’ event at West Hartford’s Emanuel Synagogue.

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The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford’s Women’s Philanthropy annual event, Voices, will feature award-winning journalist and Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric as its keynote speaker on Friday, Oct. 2, 2015, at the Emanuel Synagogue, 160 Mohegan Dr. in West Hartford.

This year’s program, “Find Your Voice-Change the World,” will focus on how women can use their voices to speak out and make a meaningful difference in their communities and the world. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The lunch and program begin at noon.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford is a change-maker, thought leader and advocate in the local community in the fields of caregiving, Jewish education, health care, aging, philanthropy, inclusion, Israel and global affairs. The Federation’s Women’s Philanthropists are a powerful and dedicated group of women who are the change-makers and community-shapers of Greater Hartford and beyond. These compassionate and committed women of all ages are engaged in making the world a better place, or fulfilling the Jewish value of Tikkun olam (healing the world).

Debbie Glassman, the Associate Vice President of Development and Women’s Philanthropy at the Jewish Federation said, “The Federation inspires and empowers women to become decision-makers and leaders. Our collective philanthropy enriches our own lives while improving the lives of others”.   Women’s Philanthropy Chair, Carolyn Gitlin, added, “We are honored to have Katie Couric as our keynote speaker, as she has certainly used her voice to speak out and change the world”.

In addition to her career as a journalist and television personality, Couric is a well-known cancer advocate, documentary film producer and New York Times best-selling author of “The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives”. In November 2013, Couric joined Yahoo as Global News Anchor. Couric said, “I’m very much looking forward to joining the Federation’s Women’s Philanthropists and their inspiring group of change-makers making very positive impacts on their communities and beyond.”

The event will be moderated by Alison Lebovitz, an author, television host, speaker and “for purpose” executive who believes that each of us has the power and responsibility to make the world a better place. Alison served as the 2013-2014 co-chair of National Young Leadership for Jewish Federations of North America.

The event sponsors are Connecticut Jewish Ledger, The Hartford Courant, Simsbury Bank, Cohn Reznick, The Arlene M. Lipton Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation, Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation, Saint Francis Care, and Bank of America. The money raised through the event will support the 2016 Women’s Philanthropy Annual Campaign.

Tickets are $65 per person (which includes lunch) with a minimum gift to 2016 campaign of $365 or $1 per day. Advanced paid reservations are required and the deadline has been extended to Sept. 23. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Federation’s website (www.jewishhartford.org) or email Debbie Glassman ([email protected]).

About Women’s Philanthropy:

The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford’s Women’s Philanthropy provides opportunities for women of all ages to collaborate and connect. Through leadership and community service, Women’s Philanthropy practices Tikkun olam (healing the world).

With donations and hands-on community service, Women’s Philanthropy plays an important role in fighting domestic violence, improving women’s health and nutrition, providing shelter to vulnerable children, protecting at-risk seniors and so much more. This powerful and dedicated community of women also supports Israel with both dollars and a presence. The goal of Women’s Philanthropy is to secure a Jewish future, to forge new opportunities for creative philanthropy, and to influence the global agenda with the Jewish values of compassion and loving kindness.

2016 Women’s Philanthropy Chair: Carolyn Gitlin

Voices 2015 Co-Chairs: Shari Cantor, Dana Keller, Jodi Schwartz, and Leslie Weinstein

About the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford:

The Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of Tikkun olam (healing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning). To learn more about the work of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, visit www.jewishhartford.org.

About Katie Couric:

Katie Couric, Yahoo Global News Anchor, is an award-winning journalist and TV personality, cancer advocate, and New York Times best-selling author of The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons From Extraordinary Lives.

Couric joined Yahoo in November 2013 as Yahoo Global News Anchor, where she reports on live world events, anchors groundbreaking interviews with major newsmakers, and hosts the digital series World 3.0 and Now I Get It. Couric is an executive producer and narrator of Fed Up, a documentary about the alarming spread of childhood obesity, released in 2014.

In September 2006, Couric became the first female solo anchor of an evening news broadcast as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Couric joined CBS News after a 15-year run as co-anchor of NBC’s Today Show.

Couric is a co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) and the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA) with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). Couric is also a co-founder of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health. SU2C has raised $370 million to fund scientific dream teams that tackle myriad of cancers in collaborative and innovative ways.

Born in Arlington, Virginia, Couric graduated with honors from the University of Virginia in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in English and a focus on American Studies. She lives in New York with her husband and two children.