Arielle Gabai Lewis

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With signature enthusiasm and contagious joy, Arielle helps offset the isolation many elderly Selfhelp residents have felt since the pandemic began. As the Director of Resident Services and Community Outreach, she organized an iPad drive and collected over 25 iPads to help residents connect with friends, family, and each other.

When social distance policies created a challenge for communal Shabbat dinners, she created a Shabbat cart. Arielle energetically dances through the hallways, knocking on doors and making people feel festive, welcomed, and loved. Her devotion to the Jewish community truly shines, even under the hardest of circumstances.

AGE:
29

PRIMARY GIG:
Director of Community Outreach and Resident Services at The Selfhelp Home

ON THE SIDE:
Facetime-ing with far-away family with my daughter, June

RELATIONSHIP STATUS:
Married to a Chicago native

SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME:
At UC Berkeley, I was the president of the Jewish Student Union, representing the Jewish voice on campus.

HOW YOU JEW IN CHICAGO:
I am a board member at Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel, chair of the hospitality committee, and volunteer as a mikvah attendant.

IF TIME AND MONEY WERE LIMITLESS, I WOULD:
Go to culinary school