Margie Shabat

Dedicated to helping others through writing, charity, and service, Margie Shabat is proof that with the right attitude, one can overcome adversity and lead a rich, happy, and fulfilling life. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Margie Shabat was raised in Brooklyn, where she internalized her parents’ commitment to family, Judaism, and the power of positivity. When Margie Shabat was diagnosed with breast cancer, first in 1997 and again in 2001, she drew strength from the example of her father, who survived Auschwitz yet lived joyfully, with humor, wisdom, and a resounding commitment to Yiddishkeit (Jewish way of life). Seeking to share her father’s example with others, Ms. Shabat started a personal website, where she writes regularly about the experience of survival. Through her writing, she hopes to inspire people to remain courageous in the face of life's challenges. Margie Shabat is the mother of two, and the grandmother of four young children. When she is not busy with work, service, or family, she enjoys writing, listening to music, prayer, and shopping. She frequently raises money for a number of charitable organizations, including the Arie Crown Hebrew Day School, Madraigos, Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov High School, Vaad Hatzedakos, Chicago Center for Torah & Chesed, and the Antonia Spitzer Jewish Library. Equally committed to the work of Israeli coalitions, Ms. Shabat supports groups such as Migdal Ohr, a community-based charity devoted to improving educational, religious, and social opportunities for children in Northern Israel.