WEST HARTFORD – Author and women’s studies professor Iris Krasnow, an expert in the adult female growth cycle, will be guest speaker at the 2016 Living with Intention event hosted by the Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford on Monday, May 23, 7 p.m., at Beth El Temple in West Hartford. The event will also mark the launch of Tara’s Closet, a Jewish Family Services program that provides clothing to individuals and families in need (see “Tara’s Closet: Shining a Light on Mental Health,” Ledger, May 13, 2016).

“Iris Krasnow speaks to what is important to us in our Living with Intention series, which is how to live with intention and how to live a more meaningful and deliberate life,” said Carolyn Gitlin, 2016 Women’s Philanthropy chair. “She will be talking about the circle of life, from mothering children to mothering aging parents. Iris is going to talk about how to create fulfillment and growth at every stage of life, in terms of family, relationships, and female empowerment. We’re going to learn about the balance of life, work, family, and personal growth and I think it will be a great opportunity for women of all ages to collaborate and connect on these topics that are always important to everyone and to learn about how to live with intention and balance in our lives.”

A native of Oak Park, Illinois, Krasnow is the author of several New York Times bestselling books, including Surrendering to Motherhood, Surrendering to Marriage, Surrendering to Yourself, and I am My Mother’s Daughter. Krasnow’s most recent work is Sex after…Women Share How Intimacy Changes as Life Changes. Her articles have also appeared in Time, O: The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, The New Yorker, U.S. News and World Report and Redbook. And, she is a frequent guest on national television and radio programs, including Oprah, Good Morning America, Today and CNN.

“Women’s Philanthropy practices tikkun olam and our Living with Intention events provide women of all ages an opportunity to collaborate and connect,” said Debbie Glassman, the Federation’s associate vice president of Development and Women’s Philanthropy. “When they come to an event, they gain something personally but they also start to learn about Jewish Federation and how we help and support people in Greater Hartford, in Israel, and all over the world. Our goal is for people to get to know us so that, down the line, if they want to help repair the world in any way – whether through volunteerism or donations or whatever they’d like to do – we hope that they’ll do it with us.”

The 2016 Living with Intention event will begin at 7 p.m. with a kosher dessert reception followed by the program at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $15 (no minimum gift required). For reservations or information, contact Abbey Cohen at acorn@jewishhartford.org or (860) 727-6131.

CAP: The Living with Intention Committee: (back row, l to r) Debbie Glassman, Dana Keller, Kim Margolis (director of development, Jewish Family Services), Lauren Fine, Nancy Baron, Elise Rosenstock (chair, Living with Intention), Barbara Roth, Leslie Weinstein, Jill Stoner, Carolyn Gitlin (chair, 2016 Women’s Philanthropy), Abbey Cohen (development assistant and event coordinator; (front row, l to r) Leslie Silverman, Merrill Kate Mandell, Jessica Fish, Wendy Freed (bookkeeper, Jewish Federation. Photo credit: Shelby McInvale