FRANCES J. MANDELL (ARAD) is truly a gem of the Toronto Jewish community, and in fact, of the Toronto community at large. Her involvement is wide ranging and far reaching and we have all benefited from the work she has done. 

She started her commitment to the Jewish community in 1950, when, while living in Hamilton, she formed a Hadassah Rebecca Taylor Chapter. After moving back to Toronto in the mid 1950s, she increased her involvement and became active at the national level, and also joined the Associated Hebrew School parent association of Board of Jewish Education. While continuing her ongoing involvement with National Council, she also helped to found CHAT. 

She wasn’t only involved in the Jewish community though. One of her proudest achievements is that she is one of the founders of Early Bales Park (1967-70). In 1972, she decided that she really needed to step up her involvement with the needs of Israel and became co-chair of the 2nd Israel Day at Ontario Place, which attracted 35,000 attendees. She was the Founder of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as well as the Jewish Book Fair and served as President of J.N.F. Toronto.  She is so proud to have initiated the first J.N.F. Tour of Israel from Canada taking two planes at a time when all tourism had stopped due to the Gulf War; 2 planes carrying 760 Canadian passengers kicked off the restarting of tourism. She remains involved with National Council of Jewish Women of Canada among others.