The 20th anniversary Israel Cancer Research Foundaton (ICRF) of Montreal Women of Action Brunch took place recently at Le Windsor. This is a landmark year for ICRF, marking its 50th anniversary. This signature brunch honors the remarkable achievements, leadership, and dedication of women in business, science, and philanthropy—and serves as a powerful gathering point for its community of changemakers.

ICRF supports the best and brightest Israeli scientists conducting innovative early-stage cancer research. This year’s honorees were Dr. Pnina Brodt, Eva Derhy Sinai, Joanne Miller Eisman and Lillian Vineberg Goodman. This year’s program featured a special tribute to the original founders of Women of Action: Arlene Silver, former Executive Director, Heather Paperman, former President, and founding co-chairs Susan Lavy, Sheryl Rosen, Maureen Tajfel, and Julie Wiener. Sivan Yaari, a dynamic Israeli leader and global changemaker, was the keynote speaker. She is the founder and CEO of Innovation: Africa, a non-profit that brings Israeli solar, agricultural, and water technologies to rural African villages. Over the past 15 years, she and her team have brought clean water and light to more than 5.9 million people across 10 African countries.

Dr. Brodt is a Professor of Surgery, Oncology, and Medicine at McGill University and Senior Scientist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). A trailblazer in cancer metastasis research, her discoveries helped establish the study of the tumor microenvironment, now recognized as central to cancer biology.

Through her Metastasis Lab, Dr. Brodt leads groundbreaking research on the biology and clinical aspects of cancer metastasis, with a focus on liver metastasis. Her team is currently investigating:
• the IGF-axis and its signaling role in liver metastasis and microenvironment crosstalk;
• the inflammatory microenvironment that promotes metastatic spread;
• development of the IGF-Trap, a biologic drug designed to prevent cancer growth and metastasis;
• novel therapeutic strategies for adult and pediatric glioblastoma; and
• combinatorial immunotherapies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Ranked number two worldwide in liver metastatic disease (ScholarGPS, 2024), Dr. Brodt also co-founded the Liver Metastasis Research Network, an international collaboration advancing translational science in this field, and serves as a longtime scientific advisor to the Israel Cancer Research Fund.

Derhy Sinai is the Co-Founder of Derhy Law, a Montréal boutique firm she founded in 2010. Under her leadership, the practice has grown into a leading firm recognized for its entrepreneurial vision, legal excellence, and client-focused, strategic approach.
Beyond her legal career, Eva is a passionate community leader. She co-founded the Québec Jewish Legal Alliance, mobilizing lawyers to confront antisemitism and defend human rights through legal action. She has also spearheaded major initiatives—bringing 900 Montrealers to Israel, creating leadership programs to ensure continuity, and championing civic engagement by empowering her community to recognize and exercise the power of their vote.

At the heart of her work is her family. Together with her husband Patrick, Eva is raising four young children—all born within six years—whose spirit and resilience inspire everything she does. She credits Patrick’s unwavering support and the invaluable help of her “village” for making it possible to balance a demanding law practice, impactful community leadership, and meaningful family life. For Eva, her children remain her greatest purpose and motivation: a daily reason to create, celebrate, push limits, and take action. She dedicates this honour to the memory of her beloved cousin, Jessica Assayag Azoulay Z’’L, who lost her battle with cancer far too soon at the same age Eva is today. Jessica, a devoted mother of five, continues to inspire Eva to live with purpose, lead with heart, and always place family and community at the center of her actions.
Miller Eisman is an electrical and computer science engineer who began her career at CAE Electronics, where she worked in flight simulation for nearly a decade. In 2001, after her sister’s diagnosis with breast cancer and discovery of the BRCA gene mutation—which Joanne also carries—she and her husband, Dr. Harley Eisman, founded the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Foundation (HBOC).
For over 22 years, HBOC has supported the Montreal community by providing resources and guidance to more than 750 patients and families through dedicated clinical coordinators at the Jewish General and McGill University Health Centre. Under Joanne’s leadership, the Foundation has also hosted ten international BRCA symposia, attended by hundreds doctors from over forty countries, raised global awareness, and contributed almost $3 million to advance education, care, and support.

With her husband Harley, Joanne has raised three children who have been part of the HBOC journey from the very beginning. They have been her constant source of inspiration to continue this work, fulfilling Joanne and Harley’s wish that their children would face a future with better options than Joanne had when she first learned of BRCA.

This honour is dedicated to the memory of Joanne’s beloved sister, Marla Miller Gross, who lost her battle with cancer in 2003. Marla’s strength and spirit continue to inspire all who knew her, ensuring that future generations will be spared the tragedy she endured.
Vineberg Goodman is a trailblazer in higher education, healthcare, and community service. She was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors of Concordia University and is a past Chair of Hope & Cope at the Jewish General Hospital. She continues to play a vital role as a Governor at the Jewish General Hospital and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.
Actively engaged with pro-Israel and pro-Jewish student leaders at Concordia and McGill, Lillian remains a passionate supporter of cancer research together with her husband, Morris Goodman.

Her outstanding contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Queen’s Jubilee Medal (2002), the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2023), and the Humberto Santos Award of Merit for Lifetime Contribution to Concordia University (2006). She was named Person of the Year by the Jewish Community Foundation (2024) and one of Concordia University’s 50 Great Alumni (2025).
This year’s program featured a special tribute to the original founders of Women of Action: Arlene Silver, former Executive Director, Heather Paperman, former President, and founding co-chairs Susan Lavy, Sheryl Rosen, Maureen Tajfel, and Julie Wiener. Their vision and dedication twenty years ago laid the foundation for this extraordinary event, which continues to grow in impact and inspiration.

ICRF Montreal was proud to welcome Sivan Yaari as our 2025 keynote speaker. A dynamic Israeli leader and global changemaker, Sivan is the founder and CEO of Innovation: Africa, a non-profit that brings Israeli solar, agricultural, and water technologies to rural African villages. Over the past 15 years, she and her team have brought clean water and light to more than 5.9 million people across 10 African countries. She was recently listed as one of the world’s top 50 most influential Jews by the Jerusalem Post. She has received numerous international accolades, including the UN Innovation Award and the Light of Israel Award from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her work embodies the values we celebrate at Women of Action: innovation, impact, and leadership with purpose.

The event’s honorary chairs were: Susan Lavy, Debra Margles, Sheryl Rosen, Jenna Schwartz, Arlene Silver, Maureen Tajfel and Julie Wiener. Alana Wexler Schwartz and Stephanie Zucker were the event co-chairs. Sitting on the committee were: Jillian Aberman, Erinn Blicher, Erica Diamond, Lauren Forman, Alana Greenberg, Emily Grostern, Sara Halickman, Lindsay Hollinger, Katherine Issenman, Ali Lydynia, Arie Pesner, Jayme Rothstein, Leslie Spector, Joanna Stein, Lauren Tajfel, Shiri Tamam, Angela Tietolman, Dahlia Tietolman and Laura Toledo.
The ICRF Montreal Research Fund Co-Presidents are Robert Bard and Jeffrey Bernstein. Jordanna Feifer is the immediate past chair. The Scientific Advisory Board Chair is Dr. Walter Gotlieb.

By Mike Cohen