Carol Smokler
Carol Smokler is the oldest of two children. She grew up on Long Island and later in Tenafly, New Jersey. Carol's parents divorced when she was 14, and both remarried, giving her two step-families. She's a psychologist and philanthropist and was educated at Smith and the University of Michigan. Carol is married and raised three children in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After her children grew up, she and her husband lived part-time in Lenox, MA, Jerusalem, and Boca Raton, FL. A long-time activist for Jewish causes, she has worked with Hillel, the Federation, UJC (United Jewish Communities), the JCC (Jewish Community Center), and others. At the time of the interview, she was working with National Hillel.
Smokler shares memories of her Jewish experience, documenting her Reform Jewish upbringing and how her religious practice and community involvement shifted throughout her life. Smokler became more involved in the Jewish community, taking on various leadership roles. She depicts the early years of the Emergency Relief Committee with CJF, including her experiences working there as a woman in a predominantly male staff. Describing their response to Hurricane Katrina, she shares search and rescue stories and mentions the partnerships they formed with outside groups, including AEPi, and shares stories of their interactions with those outside the Jewish community. Additionally, she discusses the tough decisions surrounding allocating $28 million worth of funds. This included questions about balancing serving the Jewish community vs. the broader community. Throughout the interview, Smokler highlights the Jewish values and traditions that grounded their efforts and shaped their work and experience. She also touches on the psychological effects of media coverage and the PTSD that aid workers experienced. Smokler describes her experiences at the White House. She was invited to present her relief work and expressed her complicated feelings about how poorly the government handled the situation.
