Political Quotes

“today I would like to reflect on the loss of a dear family friend, Karen Shapira. Karen recently passed away after a battle with breast cancer. The Shapira family has suffered a tremendous loss, and I offer them my condolences and deepest sympathy during this difficult time. Karen always called herself a ``professional volunteer'' and that is what she was. She was an extremely caring and selfless individual. For more than 20 years, she served the Jewish community, both in Pittsburgh and abroad. Most notably, she chaired the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh, which is responsible for delivering grants for educational, cultural, and human service programs. Her deep involvement in the Jewish community led her to Israel, where she met with Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon. Through her capacity as chair of Partnership 2000 at the United Jewish Federation, Karen worked on projects with several schools, camps, women's health centers, and job training facilities in Israel. She also chaired a revolving loan fund of the Israel Emergency Appeal, which supports Israeli small businesses. Karen could also be found serving her local community in Pittsburgh. She had a major leadership role at the United Way of Allegheny County, cochairing the Early Childhood Initiative, and she served on the boards of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Jewish Healthcare Foundation in Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Shady Side Academy.”