Gail Adelson serves as the National Chair of CIJA (Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, the Jewish Federations of Canada’s national advocacy agency) and a Vice President of World Jewish Congress (WJC). She is passionate about our community’s responsibility to combat the destructive and growing forces of antisemitism, anti Israel sentiment and Jewish hate here in Canada and around the world. She is also a Director on the Board of the Integrated University Health and Social Service (CIUSSS) Centre Ouest de Montreal and a Director of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation Board. She serves on the Governance and Ethics Committees of both organizations.
Gail first became involved with Federation Combined Jewish Appeal (FCJA) in 1990 and served as Campaign Chair for the Young Adult Division (YAD), Co-Chair of ProMontreal and President of Women's Philanthropy from 2009-2012. She co-chaired the first Montreal Mega Mission in 2014 and the Centennial celebrations in 2017; she completed multiple terms on the Board of FCJA and served as it’s President from 2019-2021. In her various leadership roles, she has focused on programs and initiatives that engage, inspire and educate.
Gail has previously served as a Director of Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA (JFC-UIA), the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF), the Akiva School as well as Camp B'nai Brith (CBB), where she was President from 2012-2014. She was the inaugural Chair of the Faculty Advisory Board for the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University.
Her contributions have been recognized with the Gertrude and Henry Plotnick Young Leadership Award in 2000, the Minnie Cummings Abbey Award in 2009, the Mildred B Lande Award in 2013 and is most recently as the recipient of the Kipnis-Wilson /Friedland Award of JFNA (Jewish Federations of North America).
Gail graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Civil Law. She is married to Alan and has 5 children and 3 grandchildren.