“I am passionate about how things work and understanding all aspects of what happens behind the scenes. That’s why I love my role at SCC. I also thrive on helping people.” – Kathy
Ellen Geller Kamaras
Please meet Kathy Shabot. Kathy is a mother, wife, and Director of Arts and Culture at the Sephardic Community Center.
Born to Iraqi Jews, Reuben Solomon from Singapore, and Myrtle Ezra from Bombay, India, Kathy’s parents agreed on the name Kathryn. Although Reuben wanted to name Kathy after her great grandmother, the couple agreed that Kathryn would be better suited for the mostly Ashkenazi community in Los Angeles. Her mom shortened Kathryn to Kathy. Myrtle’s family moved from India to London and then to LA where Myrtle met Reuben. Reuben’s family lived in Singapore with a nice community of Iraqi Jews and made their way to LA.
Kathy is the youngest of three. Her siblings are Tamara and David. Tamara married and settled in Teaneck, NJ, and David lives in the same Singapore community that her father belonged to.
Growing up with parents from exotic places prompted a lot of questions from Kathy’s friends. Many had never heard of Singapore or knew that there were Jews in either India or Singapore. The foods her family ate were also very different.
Although Kathy remembers being a very quiet, shy child, she had many close friends that she is still in contact with today.
Kathy attended Emek Hebrew Academy through 8th grade and Valley Torah High School in North Hollywood, California.
Extracurricular activities energized Kathy. She played basketball and worked on the school yearbook. “Logistics was always my thing – I like to know how things work, the behind-the-scenes facets captivate me.”
After two years in college in LA, Kathy headed east and enrolled in NYU and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality. Kathy’s sister had studied out-of-state for grad school and most of Kathy’s friends attended out-of-town colleges. Kathy’s parents supported her choice.
Kathy’s Core
Kathy describes herself as caring, compassionate, organized, empathetic, fun, and calm. She is also heart-centered. Her care and compassion shine through in everything she does. She has a calm demeanor, which she sees as a blessing. And, of course, there is her energy.
“I am very easy going with all my relationships, personal and professional. I tend not to push very hard and I don’t like conflict. I do have a problem saying ‘no’ but I am working on it. I am a work-in-progress.”
Kathy had many role models growing up but the ones that most influenced who she would become were her grandparents: “I watched them navigate through hard times and be successful in a new environment. My grandparents were always teaching my siblings and me to look on the bright side, not dwell on the negative, and trust that Hashem is great and will always be on our side.”
At the Center, Kathy was fortunate to have fabulous work mentors who shaped her development and helped her to develop important skill sets. They helped her to build confidence in her professional abilities.
Kathy is a lifelong learner with a growth mindset, absorbing new information and proficiencies and using them for the future. One can tell by the diverse projects she supports that she embraces challenges.
And Then Came Marriage
Hashgachat pratit was present when Kathy was introduced to her naseeb, Toby Shabot, a Brooklyn Syrian Jew, eight years her senior. Kathy’s first cousin Jonathan, who had moved to the Brooklyn Syrian community, set her up with Toby while she was at NYU. Her cousin was friendly with Toby’s brother Ezra and thought it would be a good match.
The two married and raised their family in the Brooklyn Sephardic community. Since Kathy was close with her family, the Shabot’s visited LA for holidays and vacations.
Kathy and Toby have four children ranging from seventeen to twenty-four. “I am proud of the solid relationship Toby and I have. Despite life’s challenges, we have remained well balanced and have our special time every morning, having coffee together.”
Toby and the kids are so proud of Kathy’s passionate work activities at the Center and her contributions to the community. When her children were young, she volunteered at Barkai Yeshiva, loved her PTA involvement, and made good friends through her children.
“I tend to be very calm and relaxed. In raising the kids, I was easy going and tried to determine where each child would thrive. It’s not a parenting style per se, but it’s more about my children showing me what they needed. I felt it gave them a sense of pride and confidence. I hope I was right. My children are my proudest accomplishment. We nurtured and raised them to feel loved, supported, and confident to make appropriate decisions.”
Career
While Kathy was in LA,she was thrilled to work in a hotel and use her hospitality education. She worked a 6:30pm to 3am shift and knew that she wouldn’t be able to work those hours as a mom. After she graduated from NYU, Kathy began her career in the corporate world. She progressed at various positions at Aon, a multinational corporation specializing in risk and human capital.
When Kathy was expecting her third child, she left her corporate job. She pivoted to working at the Center in 2010. She was hired to work on the Encore Jr. program, a variety show for kids nine years and older. It later transitioned into a drama program under the Encore music school and continues annually with a musical production. Kathy learned a lot , conquered spreadsheets, and felt confident at the Center. “I met many people and my co-workers became my close friends, almost family. That was wonderful as I was far from my family in LA. And from there I grew up!”
Kathy was offered a position in the new Gitta Sultan kitchen when the Encore program took a break. “I was working with a team on educational cooking classes for the women in our community. I started with logistics. I bought supplies, organized menus and ingredients, and I stayed in all the classes, learning from the many chefs. I had always been comfortable in the kitchen, but now I knew about all the facets of cooking.”
Joey Tawil, a former CEO, said, “Now you can cater,” and that’s what she did. “I grew into my position. I took on every role I was asked to and did every task needed. I loved being part of the team, the family.”
Kathy became a sous chef. Some of the chefs at SCC asked her to help them at their private events.
Rewards and Challenges
“I work with so many different departments planning programming and I have my hands in many facets of the projects including the logistics, budgets, and funding.” Kathy expressed gratitude to the amazing volunteers who work on the project committees. She enjoys managing and helping them perform their awesome hesed activities and using her vision to achieve success.
One of her favorite projects is Simply Traditional. Two volunteers, Rosie Bawabeh and Rochelle Dweck, spearheaded the project. “We go into family homes, film grandmas, great grandmothers, and whole families cooking together and then we edit the video into a beautiful keepsake for years to come.”
Kathy also specializes in young adult programming. The SCC Board has a clear and strong mission to grow and cultivate the community’s young adults. “The Center plans an annual Thanksgiving trip. Watching young adults connect is rewarding, and the excitement when marriages happen is like fireworks!”
Kathy’s Challenge and Balance
Growing professionally meant Kathy had to develop herself. “I dug deep, learned about myself, becoming more confident, and came out of my shell.”
Self-assurance and teamwork have led Kathy to thrive in her career. Building confidence has made her a stronger person and she understands that it’s important to have a team in place and to not work alone. Getting along with other employees and leading teams with fun and excitement are paramount to her. She treats everyone with respect and feels like she has a team of friends, not employees.
Kathy has a full work schedule but carves out time to be with family. When her children were young, she ensured each one had Mommy time and she attended school events and milestones.
Downtime and Community
To unwind, Kathy enjoys reading historical fiction novels and watching documentaries. She enjoys cooking, creating healthier, easier meals. And she loves fixing problems!
Kathy believes that community is an integral part of development for children, adults, and relationships. “Our community is very special in supporting everyone with everything. Seeing and living it develops good, compassionate and understanding people.”
Kathy strives to continue to grow and stretch herself.
“There is nothing more rewarding than working for a not for profit. It’s a real job and people count on you. Listen, learn, and work.”
Connect with Kathy at kathyshabot@gmail.com.
Ellen Geller Kamaras, CPA/MBA, is an International Coach Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach. Her coaching specialties include life, career, and dating coaching. She can be contacted at ellen@lifecoachellen.com.