Pearl Seril Pell, a former Sanctuary Board member, passed away on July 17, 2023. Pearl left an impact on Sanctuary that has extended throughout the organization. Through the eyes of her sister Bobbie Seril, who has recently joined Sanctuary’s Board, we gain insight into a woman whose compassion knew no bounds and whose commitment to helping others shaped decades of meaningful work.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Partnership

Pearl’s relationship with Sanctuary began in an unexpected way — through Bobbie’s connection to the organization. In 1994, while finishing law school, Bobbie learned of a Sanctuary attorney who was collecting toiletries from traveling colleagues to create gift baskets for Sanctuary clients.

Years later, when celebrating her 50th birthday, Bobbie asked guests not to bring gifts. “I said I’m happy to invite you to a party, I just don’t want any more scarves,” Bobbie laughs. Instead, she asked for donations to Sanctuary, and a tradition was born. Her birthday parties became legendary affairs, with over 50 guests arriving with shopping bags full of donations. This ultimately inspired Pearl to host a birthday luncheon for Bobbie with donations going to Sanctuary—kick-starting her involvement with Sanctuary’s work.

Pearl particularly liked including on the party invitations the line, “Please be sure to remember our sisters in the shelters.” This phrase captured something essential about Pearl’s worldview.

Education and Empowerment

Pearl also cared deeply about the importance of children’s education. Beginning with her older son’s Bar Mitzvah in 2003, she launched what would become known as Sanctuary’s Back to School Program. In place of traditional bar mitzvah games, Pearl organized an assembly line of children to stuff backpacks with notebooks, pens, pencils, and other school supplies. Eight years later, she tweaked this meaningful project for her younger son’s Bar Mitzvah by having the kids put together toiletry kits for the women and children in Sanctuary’s shelter network. These programs exist to this day—providing thousands of children living in shelters with the supplies they need to thrive in school, as well as some personal items to make their arrival into the shelter more comfortable.

A Lasting Legacy

Pearl’s connection to Sanctuary spanned decades, evolving from collecting clothing donations, to providing financial support as the organization’s needs changed, to offering advice relating to some of Sanctuary’s properties. Her final gift through her estate reflects a lifetime of thoughtful giving and genuine care for the organization’s mission.

“I think she would have just loved it,” Bobbie says of Pearl’s posthumous impact. “She really would have been pleased to know that it’s doing something. She understood that this money can make a huge difference in a person’s life and in an organization’s ongoing success.”

To ensure Pearl’s legacy continues, her family and Sanctuary are proud to announce that the backyard at Sarah Burke House — Sanctuary’s transitional shelter in the Bronx — will be named in Pearl’s memory.

“This beautiful outdoor space, where children play, learn, and heal, will stand as a living tribute to Pearl’s lifelong commitment to helping survivors of gender violence rebuild their lives in safety and dignity,” said Judy Kluger, Sanctuary’s CEO. “We are so grateful to Pearl’s family for making such a significant contribution in Pearl’s memory.”

“My mom would have been overjoyed to see children laughing and playing freely in that backyard—safe from violence and surrounded by love,” said her son Nathan. “It’s exactly the kind of joy and security she worked so hard to make possible for others.”

Continuing the Work

Today, Bobbie serves on Sanctuary’s Board, a role she sees as carrying forward Pearl’s legacy. “When I told my friends and family I was asked to be on the Board, I said I’m kind of taking Pearl’s seat,” she explains. Pearl’s husband, Owen, and sons, Nathan and Adam, were pleased by this continuation of their mother’s work.

“Pearl was fierce in her support of Sanctuary’s mission to provide a voice to those silenced by abuse and an escape for women stifled and confined by dangerous circumstances,” said Owen.

“Whether it was her work with backpacks and toiletry kits, job training programs, or ongoing projects to maintain the shelter network, Pearl loved Sanctuary for protecting families and respecting the inherent dignity of survivors of gender violence. She would be proud to see her sister Bobbie continuing that advocacy,” added Adam.

Remembering Pearl

As we remember Pearl, we see someone who combined compassion and a firm sense of right and wrong with practical action. Her legacy lives on not only in the programs and services she supported, but in the model she provided of how to live with purpose and care for others.

Pearl’s story reminds us that the most meaningful contributions often come from those who see giving not as an obligation but as an opportunity — the chance to make a real difference in the lives of others and to build a more compassionate community for all.

Pearl’s impact on Sanctuary continues through Sanctuary’s ongoing work, made possible in part by the generous gift she left to Sanctuary in her will, and the dedication of Board members like Bobbie, and her family, who carry forward her commitment to serving those in need.