Gail Gould

Born and raised in Toronto, Gail began her professional career in 1977, first as a front-line MSW social worker, and then manager with the North York branch of the Children’s Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto. The first years of her career focused on child physical abuse and then transitioned to specializing in child sexual abuse in 1986-1994 with the Special Committee on Child Abuse (now Boost) where she started consulting with Jewish Family and Child Service in developing policies and procedures for the investigation of child sexual abuse in the Jewish community. It was at that time she met her mentor Gordy Wolfe z’l. Gail began to see the clinical links between child sexual abuse and woman abuse in the early 90’s and was hired by JFCS as Supervisor of the Woman Abuse and Group Work program in 1995. While at JFCS, Gail developed a survivors ‘Speakers Bureau’ and did extensive public speaking and training on woman abuse in the Jewish community. While it was still considered to be a ‘shonda’ in the community Gail knew the importance of training professionals, Rabbis from all denominations, lay leaders and the larger Jewish community of the existence of woman abuse in the community. She remained at JFCS until 2000 when she decided to take a break from clinical work after 23 years and was hired by Kolel the Centre for Jewish Liberal Learning first as their Program Director and then Executive Director. During that time Gail continued to hone her executive leadership skills and in 2003 began her work with the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre (BJCC) as the Assistant Executive Director in helping shape what is now known as the Prosserman JCC. During this time Gail volunteered as Co-Chair of the Toronto Heschel School and was on the Board of Directors and Executive of Congregation Darchei Noam. Gail remained at the BJCC until she decided in 2009 that the issue of food insecurity was an area that she was passionate about and joined Daily Bread Food Bank as the Director of Agency Relations in charge of all food programs in Toronto. It was while at Daily Bread, that Gail was apprised by colleagues in the Jewish community that it was ‘time to come home’ and apply for the Executive Director position at the Bernard Betel Centre. Gail feels privileged to be the ED of Betel since 2015 where she has worked with thousands of wonderful seniors, an incredible and dedicated Board of Directors and a passionate, professional, and committed staff.