Lezlie Poyastro
Lezlie Poyastro Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Lezlie Poyastro and her husband, Miguel, have been generously supporting the Miami Jewish community for over 35 years. In 2003, they became Pacesetters and two years later joined the Summit Division. In 2007, Lezlie and Miguel made the decision to perpetuate their annual gift through a life insurance policy, making them Forever Pacesetters and Lezlie a Forever Lion . “I believe you have to be the best you can be and part of that is being committed to our Jewish community in Miami and Israel, now and forever. We were very aware of our success
Lezlie receiving the Robert Russell Fellowship Award on June 5, 2002
and making this forever gift using life insurance made good financial sense. By participating in the Federation’s Special Life Insurance Program, we were able to leverage our premium payment into a much larger legacy commitment.” When asked how Lezlie first got involved, she responded, “I
was born into it.” Lezlie is second generation Canadian born of Yiddish-speaking parents and grandparents who left Belarus to forge a safer and more secure life in Edmonton, prior to the Holocaust. “My mother was part of that generation of pioneer women who built the Jewish community to the place of strength it is today.”
Lezlie’s parents were both very involved locally and ardent Zionists. Her Yiddish name is Golda Leiba and Meir was her maiden name, sharing the same name of one of her role models, Israel Prime Minister Golda Meir. “I identified with Golda Meir’s strength and strong commitment to the State of Israel, characteristics that I also saw in my mother and grandmother. I remember when Golda Meir passed away; my mother and I mourned her together, holding each other and crying.” Lezlie met her husband Miguel on a blind date, one summer in Edmonton where he
Lezlie and Miguel Poyastro
was playing basketball for the Israel team in the World Student Games. He and his family are Cuban Americans, Sephardim of Turkish descent. The rest, as they say, is history. They had two children and raised their son and daughter in the vibrant Jewish community of Miami, specifically south Dade. She and her family are members of Temple Beth Am and Lezlie and Miguel were also founding members of Bet Shira and Chabad of Kendall. Lezlie credits Adrian Dubow for first getting her involved in Federation. Adrian invited her to Women’s
Events and that led to her getting more involved on the South Dade board, which she ultimately chaired. Lezlie also served on a number of committees and chaired the Women’s Philanthropy Lion of Judah Breakfast. In 2007, she received the Robert Russell Fellowship Award, recognizing her deep commitment to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, in particular, the work Federation does overseas. For Lezlie, Jewish education and Israel engagement programs are a top priority. “These programs provide the next generation with a strong foundation of Jewish values which they can build upon during their life and help them navigate life’s challenges. My children, like me, went to Jewish Day School and Jewish sleep away camp; I spent nine summers at B’nai Brith Summer camp. These experiences have shaped our lives. It is also why Miguel and I are staunch supporters of Birthright Israel and Miami’s Leo Martin March of the Living. My daughter is a Birthright Israel Alum and both my children participated in March of the Living. I’m proud that my son and my daughter and her husband continue to stay involved in Jewish life in Colorado.”
Temple Beth Am AND Rambam Day School
Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
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