Poopa Dweck Inspires a Roomful of Women
The Ladies Angel Network has done it again, successfully hosting another event with our community’s most inspiring women. Their latest affair, held at the home of Kim and Solomon Dabah, featured Poopa Dweck, our community’s esteemed Allepian Jewish cuisine expert, and author of Aromas of Aleppo, the official go-to book for recipes of our Sephardic heritage.
As a newbie cook, I often call my mother, aunt and grandmother in a panic Friday morning begging for their recipes. Many times, they simply tell me, “Yebrat? Throw in a pinch of sugar and a dash of lemon.”
It was all very confusing for me, a girl who had never boiled eggs before my wedding. I now use Aromas of Aleppo as my guidebook, referring to it for the measurements that my family sometimes fails to include in their instructions.
After a Mediterranean lunch, prepared by the president of the Ladies Angel Network, Kim Dabah, Poopa Dweck and mediator Sophia Franco took the stage. Poopa began by telling us about her recent trip to China. In Hong Kong, Bejing and Shang Hai, Poopa lectured to the Jewish women, cooking for hundreds of community members and Jewish ex-pats. “When I started Aromas, I hoped that it would go beyond the recipes and that it would lead to spirituality beyond itself,” said Poopa. “I cooked Friday night dinner for 200 people in China; and with the help of a Chinese staff, I taught the communities there how to make Syrian bread, pickles and many of our other delicacies. Our community has stayed together all over the world through our food. My children have dined with Syrian Jews across the globe and they have come home saying, ‘Ma, the food was exactly like yours!’ Across the world the Syrians maintain their connection through food.”
Poopa describes herself primarily as a homemaker. Being a mother and wife, she says, are the main joys of her life, “My primary identity is as homemaker and I say it with pride. My family comes first. Without that my career would be empty.” She described how she has inordinate respect for the women of our community for their ‘suffe,’ a word which she has introduced to the world in Aromas. Suffe, which means orderliness in Arabic, is what makes a Syrian woman stand out from the average homemaker. An immaculate house and impeccable dinners, all executed by a graceful and glamorous woman, are the norm, not the exception in our community.
Poopa advised the women to start small, “We have a tendency to think too big and then we don’t do anything at all. We have to evaluate who we are and try to search inside ourselves for our goals and figure out what our game plan is. We need to accomplish this with very tiny steps.” If there is something that you want to do, Poopa advised, do something about it every day, even if it is just a phone call.
Looking back 10 years down the road, you will see the connections. Some days you will get more done, some less. No matter what you do, however, you will get there.
When Sophia asked Poopa what she has learned from her experiences, Poopa replied, “No matter how passionate you are, keep your position in the family. Don’t let it slip. Prioritize that. Though we, as women, need to diversify our lives and go beyond that role. We need to use our creativity. We are happier when we are productive. A woman who has all day to plan dinner, will plan dinner all day. If you have something to structure your day and something to wake up to, a charity you love or a job, it will help. You can go beyond your wife role. Use your creativity; your kids will have more respect for you, and your husband will love you more. The more you have to do, the more you can do it.”
In the past six months since their launch, the Ladies Angel Network (LAN) has shattered all expectations. They have enrolled numerous women in the incubator system, launched businesses and more businesses are underway. Their four events have drawn over one thousand women. Their motto: family, community and entrepreneurship, is embodied in Poopa Dweck, who sets the gold standard on these measurements. Poopa is a lady of style and leadership. Her passionate words told every woman in the room that they too can overcome challenges and achieve success on every front.
What is the Ladies Angel Network?
Twenty years ago it was unusual to find a Sephardic woman who worked. Today, almost half of our women are working, whether it’s in hesed, inside or outside of the home. The numbers of those thinking about what they might want to do are growing every day.
LAN was founded in response to this growing group of businesswomen. The Angel experience was tailored to address the specific concerns that community women in business face. You have the dreams, they’ll give you the means. By teaming with Ladies who Launch (LadiesWhoLaunch.com) an amazing organization dedicated to helping women start and expand their businesses and creative ventures, LAN has discovered untapped valuable resources to build their own program.
Modeled after the Ladies who Launch programs, they have formatted their incubator and networking concepts to fit the needs of our unique and savvy community women.
The LAN incubator program is a “think tank” that includes a five-week program designed to explore, inspire and educate each woman’s business potential. The sessions are not only support groups; they offer tools and materials necessary to start or “jump start” any business or hesed venture. LAN has enjoyed successful growth since its launch in April 2007. The Incubator sessions have been recharged due to popular demand and now include guest business speakers and more tools to achieve your goals. Sales, marketing and accounting are just a few of the criteria that have been added to our new program. If you are interested in joining an Incubator and would like more information about LAN please call (718) 787-1400 x19 or visit Sephardicangelfund.org and click on the LAN logo.
Thanks to the following people who helped make this Ladies Angel Network event a success: Poopa Dweck, Kim and Solomon Dabah, Sophia Franco, Moderator, Back to Nature, Baz Baz for Video, Allison Sutton for photography, Rico Tusan, Audio and Microphone Equipment, Sticky Buns by Esther Faham, Victoria Dwek, Creative Outsourcing Services, Nina Korelitz Matza, Creator WhoMi Products, Beverly Lowry Sales, IFG Apparel, Rita Shabot and Elisa Shostack, Angel Fund Career Services, Shelly Franco, LAN Facilitator, Marissa Anteby, LAN Facilitator, Shelly Nachum, LAN Volunteer, Rochelle Shomer, Special Deliveries, Angel Fund Staff Irwin Dayan, Joanne Grazi and Michele Terzi.
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Nicole Cohen is a graduate of Barnard College. She resides in New York City where she works as a freelance writer. She frequently covers community events.
