Women leaders in Riverdale: Pioneering change and community engagement

You can do anything at any time in life. We can always create change for ourselves. Learn something new or be something better”

Lisa Bruskin, Riverdale Temple executive director

After several weeks of the kinds of political scenarios about which fiction is written, the United States could see the first woman president in its 235-year history of such elections. 

Hillary Clinton made modern day history in her runs for the presidency in 2008 and 2016 and before her Victoria Woodhull paved the way as the first recorded woman to run for president in 1872. 

Kamala Harris has already made history by becoming the first women vice president — and she may make more in November — back here in the greater Riverdale area, women are already leading the charge for change. 

Laura Polanco is a parent coordinator for P.S. 207 The Godwin Terrace School and mother of two. Polanco said she is thriving in her newfound school community. Three years ago, she spent weeks begging local schools to hire her to do anything because, after missing years of her daughter’s performances and events, she decided she was not going to miss any of her memories with her son. 

Polanco began as a school aide but has since become parent coordinator, taking charge of initiatives like the parent resource room, which holds clothing of all sizes for parents and students to both take from and donate to. The parent resource room already existed with spare outfits for students who may need them but Polonco’s vision included clothes for everybody, like mothers who may need an outfit for an interview. 

Polanco said she found her “why” while working at P.S. 207.

“My drive to continue to do what I do is my students giving me that love and appreciation and also just being able to show up for myself,” she said. “My daughter in college, being able to show her that you can be anything that you want.” 

Riverdale Temple executive director Lisa Bruskin has her hands full at work but when she took on the role two years ago, she knowingly accepted the challenge.

The temple has two synagogues inside as well as a nursery school. Prior to her work at the temple, Bruskin worked overseeing gyms and memberships but when she toured the temple in her interview she was hooked. 

“You can do anything at any time in life,” Bruskin said. “We can always create change for ourselves. Learn something new or be something better.” 

Since taking over at the temple, she has made it her mission to cultivate a real sense of community within, for both members and nonmembers. 

Bruskin said she is excited about upcoming events she’s organized, including a Labor Day BBQ and the temple’s first 5K run, which is being held Sept. 22.

During her tenure, she has held workshops, lectures, and art shows. all in an attempt to bring people in who need what she believes is the necessity of human connection. 

“When I’m here I’m thinking, what can I do next,” Bruskin said. “I just want to connect people, that’s what motivates me. If I can do it, I’m going to do it and if I can’t I’ll figure it out.”

She says her goal is to bring people in and make the temple a hub where it doesn’t matter if people are Jewish or not. Bruskin aims to make a space for seniors to socialize and for younger families to bring their children to the playground. 

Another woman, locally known as the “Animal Shelter Lady,” is leading the charge on animal rescue. 

Suzanne Mauro spends her time rescuing and collecting donations for local animal shelters. She said her love of animals started young and, eventually, led to her rescue work. 

“I went to camp and I would bring turtles, frogs and snakes and birds and I just always loved animals,” Mauro said. 

Despite her love for helping animals in need, Mauro had a day job for many years, working in public schools as a teacher and later a counselor but it never stopped her animal work, she intersected the two. As a middle school counselor, Mauro said she always kept animals in her office and, when the children found a bunny in the yard or a dog chained to the fence, they always knew who to call. 

In addition to her work in schools, Mauro spent the better half of 25 years rescuing cats, dogs and other animals throughout Riverdale. She still tries to rescue when she can but has found the process to be very difficult both financially and in finding placement for her rescues with foster parents or already inundated shelters. 

Mauro said her work matters because animals are not given the opportunity to speak on their own behalf and, with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reporting nearly 920,000 animals are euthanized in shelters every year, Mauro’s work is more important now than ever. 

“If I can help one animal, I’m saving a life,” she said. 

Currently, Mauro runs a stand at the Riverdale Y Sunday Market once a month, collecting donations of all kinds for shelters, rotating between five each month. She posts shelter wish lists to her Facebook prior to her attendance at the market so people can bring items like peanut butter, paper towels, pet food and more. 

Speaking of the Riverdale Y Sunday Market, its organization is no small feat but, for the last five years, Shira Silverman has accomplished the task. 

Silverman joined the Riverdale Y in 2019, when she took on the role of market manager. She helped transform the market into the community staple it is today. Silverman said the market began in 2011, founded to bring in fresh food with the idea of it becoming a “village square” for people to convene and engage with one another. 

A typical Sunday means Silverman is stepping onto the Riverdale Temple property at 7 a.m. for the 9 a.m. opening to ensure all booths are where they need to be and the vendors are set up properly. Then she spends the day overseeing a smooth and effective market. 

Most exciting for Silverman is curating vendors for the market. Typically the market has anywhere from 12 to 18 vendors but they have a rotating total cast of 25, many of whom are invited in on special occasions. There are tables like Art for Aid, which has been at the market nearly since its inauguration; collecting one man’s trash they then sell to raise profits for causes like The Friendly Fridge.

Another vendor whose work she brought to the market creates and sells board games. 

For Silverman, her work matters because she brings fresh food into the community.

“It feels really worthwhile,” she said. “It makes a big difference to me that you can go to the market and know where your food is coming from.” 

A woman president would be unprecedented in American history, but the women of greater Riverdale are already in charge, changing the lives of people right here.

Every day.