The Orlando Jewish community lost one of its most influential matriarchs

With the passing of Sunny Mandell z’l the Orlando Jewish community has lost one of its most significant matriarchs.

I would guess that the vast majority of Jews living in Orlando today did not know Sunny. For sure, most never met her. I wish that they had the experience of knowing and working with this unique and wonderful person.

Sunny was the first woman to chair the Major Gifts Committee of the Federation’s campaign. She was the first woman overall Campaign chair, and she was Federation president from 1981 to 1983.

Sunny’s commitment to the Jewish Community (locally and in Israel) was a mod...