- Legacy Giving Stories
The Auntie Irene Hannah Rubens Girls Can Be Anything Fund provides assistance—both financial and practical—to enable women, especially single mothers and women in transition, to fulfill their ambitions and establish careers. Emphasis is given to women who pursue nontraditional careers, providing opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable to them.
Barbara Meislin created her named continuity fund in December 1993 to honor the memory of her beloved aunt. Irene Rubens inspired her niece to follow her dreams and to help other women do the same.
Barbara fondly remembers Irene, born in 1903, as a well-before-her-time feminist who had her own checking account and credit card and firmly believed that women should become judges and doctors. Although Irene never realized her personal dream of becoming an actress, she lived a full life as a legal secretary in New York City and the partner of her husband, Bill, a union organizer. Even in her late 70s, Irene was still politically active, working for tenants’ rights and always supporting the “underdog.”
Barbara, raised by her single mother, always considered her aunt a surrogate mom and fondly remembers the two women encouraging her to pursue her own dreams in spite of adversity. Now, through her fund at JFCS, Barbara makes it possible for others to fulfill their own ambitions by following their hearts.
Shared from the Heart
Having a passion for what you do in life is part of being a joyous human being. The Auntie Irene Fund is about creating a more joyous world, one woman at a time.—Barbara Meislin
If you would like to start a Named Endowment Fund at JFCS, please contact [email protected] or 415-449-3858.