At last, the truth:
In previous years, the Jewish Women’s Philanthropy Center has presented its highest honor, an award called The Golda, as part of a skit in which assorted friends and relatives of the honoree literally sing her praises.
This time around, tribute to recipient Robin Chotin was paid via video, which gave several of her nearest and dearest the opportunity to share “the real story” of how their friend was able to reach such status.
“Whenever you hear someone saying Robin did this or Robin did that, just remember they’re talking about ME, the one who spells her name R-o-b-y-n,” claimed Robyn Loup, a 1995 recipient of The Golda who, like Chotin, has held numerous leadership positions in the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, including chair of the organization’s governing body.
While those who claimed responsibility for guiding Robin’s volunteer career were doing so in jest, there was more than a kernel of truth to what they said.
“Robin once was a shy and timid person,” recalled her husband, Steven. “She was uncomfortable meeting new people and afraid of traveling on her own. But she has grown into a magnificent woman who isn’t afraid to stand before hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people and speak. And she has traveled on her own to places like Argentina, Cuba, Russia and Israel.”
Daughter Whitney Chotin pointed out that for the past 10 years, “Our mom has devoted her life to helping Jews around the world, and this work has given her more strength than she knew she had.”
AJF president Doug Seserman described Robin as a person who “always takes the high ground. Terrorists may be concentrating on blowing up the planet, but she concentrates on building community. We are unbelievably proud of her.”
In addition to her husband and daughter, family members on hand for the joyous occasion included son Ross Chotin; daughter Mauri Zemachson and her husband, Scott; grandson Jaxon Zemachson; brother and sister-in-law Steve and JoEllen Cohen; and aunt, Ida Strauss.
Other well-wishers included U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar; state Rep. Nancy Todd; Essie Perlmutter with daughters Vicki Dansky and Lisa Cook; Joyce Zeff; Sheryl Feiler; Ruth and Warren Toltz, whose daughter, Lisa Toltz-Miller, is the retiring chair of the Jewish Women’s Philanthropy Center board; Toltz-Miller’s successor, Dottie Resnick; Vicki Trachten-Schwartz; Gary and Terri Yourtz; Leslie Williams; Marlin Barad, who would be honored by CAJE (Colorado Agency for Jewish Education) several days after The Golda festivities; Jewish Family Service chief executive Yana Vishnitsky; Andrea Hyatt; Elaine Asarch; Ellen Beller; Sharon Whiton Gelt; Paula Shapiro; Debra Tepper; Jody Epstein; Mitzi Kurtz; Krista Boscoe; Evi Makovsky; Faye Gardenswartz; Debbie Foster; Shelly Sapkin; and Arlene Hirschfeld.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
