Ask Jon and Francie Nobleman how they felt about receiving Jewish Federation of Edmonton's Kavod Award, and their first response is not pride. It's discomfort.

"There are so many people in Edmonton, who deserve this recognition more than us," Francie says.

Jon agrees.

Throughout a conversation about their lives, volunteerism and community involvement, the couple repeatedly shifts the focus away from themselves and onto others: fellow volunteers, community leaders, Federation staff and friends whose contributions they admire. It is a response that perfectly reflects the spirit that has guided them for decades.

The Kavod Award recognizes individuals whose leadership, generosity, and commitment have strengthened Jewish life in Edmonton. This year, that honour was bestowed on Jon and Francie, two people who have spent more than 40 years helping build, support and connect the community they love.

For both of them, those values began at home.

Jon grew up in Medicine Hat, where fewer than 40 Jewish families formed a close-knit community centred around a single synagogue. His parents were deeply involved in communal life and made Jewish education and identity a priority.

Despite financial sacrifices, they sent their children to Camp BB Riback and encouraged a strong connection to both Judaism and Israel.

"We developed a very strong sense of being Jewish," Jon says.

Francie grew up in Calgary in a family where community service was woven into everyday life. Her mother, Esther, was active in Hadassah and, after her own cancer diagnosis, founded CanSurmount, a peer-support network that grew from a single group in Calgary into a national program helping cancer patients support one another. Her father, Murray was known as someone who quietly stepped forward whenever help was needed.

Those examples left a lasting impression.

"They just gave and they did. Because giving and doing, that's just what we should do,” says Francie.

Neither family sought recognition. They simply modelled a life of service. Years later, those shared values led Jon and Francie to each other.

They met in Edmonton through Chaverim, a Jewish singles group led by Debby Remis, that helped young Jewish adults connect after moving to the city. Francie volunteered on the welcoming committee and happened to greet a newcomer named Jon Nobleman at one of the group's events.

At some point during the evening, she asked him to dance.

"He said, 'Well, I don't really... I'm not a great dancer,'" Francie recalls with a laugh.

She admits she immediately wrote him off. Fortunately, their mutual friend, Debby, thought otherwise.

After Francie mistakenly gave him the wrong phone number, the pair eventually connected. Nearly 45 years later, they continue to share a partnership rooted in family, community, and a belief that everyone has something to contribute.

Their partnership works because each brings different strengths.

Francie is known for her seemingly boundless energy, her ability to bring people together and her willingness to jump into a new initiative if she sees an opportunity to strengthen the community.

Jon's role is equally important but often less visible.

"He’s my rock," she says. "I'm flapping, flapping, and Jon is going, 'Okay, take a deep breath. Let's think about this.”

While Francie thrives on making connections and turning ideas into action, Jon brings thoughtful planning, steady leadership, and a long-term perspective.

"Jon does an equal amount, just without the fanfare,” says Francie.

Together, they have made an extraordinary impact.

Over the years, much of Francie's volunteer energy found a home in Edmonton's Jewish community. She became deeply involved with Temple Beth Ora, contributing to a wide variety of capacities, including Jewish education, programming, fundraising, and community-building initiatives. She also played an active role at Talmud Torah while her children attended the school, including founding a chess club that became a favourite activity for many students.

She worked to build bridges throughout the community, including helping create programming that brought Temple Beth Ora and Beth Shalom Synagogue members together.

One of the initiatives that best reflects Francie's approach to leadership was Mitzvah Day, a community-wide volunteer effort that ultimately engaged hundreds of people from across Edmonton's Jewish community.

What she loved most was not the scale of the project, but what it accomplished. Volunteers from Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform congregations worked alongside people who had little previous involvement in Jewish communal organizations. Friendships were formed, barriers disappeared, and people discovered common ground through service.

"It broke the ice," Francie says. "It gave an opportunity for all these people to come together."

Creating those connections has been a consistent theme throughout her volunteer life.

Jon's contributions have been equally significant.

After recognizing that members of the community sometimes faced financial hardships with nowhere to turn, he played a leading role in reviving Edmonton's Jewish Free Loan Society, which provides confidential, interest-free loans to individuals and families in need.

"It's a very good feeling that you're helping people," he says.

Over the years, Jon also served as executive director of Jewish National Fund Alberta, volunteered for many years with Sar-El in Israel, supported the Edmonton Jewish Community Charitable Foundation, participated in Partnership2Gether initiatives and devoted many years to Temple Beth Ora, including service on its finance and security committees.

Like Francie, he found meaningful ways to strengthen both local Jewish life and connections to Israel.

Both credit Ivan and Ruth Steiner with helping deepen their involvement in Partnership2Gether and fostering an appreciation for the relationship between Edmonton's Jewish community and communities in northern Israel.

Yet some of Jon's most meaningful contributions never appeared in annual reports or community newsletters.

After the death of the family's longtime nanny, Jon became trustee for her two children, helping guide them through their education and into adulthood.

For Francie, that story captures who he is.

"He's always thinking ahead weeks, months, years, of what's best for somebody," she says.

That instinct to think about others appears again and again throughout both of their lives.

It can be seen in Francie's work with CanSurmount, Edmonton’s Food Bank, and Chevra Kadisha. It can be seen in Jon's support of individuals facing financial challenges, his commitment to Israel, and his decades of volunteer leadership.

It is also evident in the way they talk about their community.

During the conversation, both repeatedly highlighted people they believe deserve recognition, from Lauren Tankel and Rebecca Asbell to the many volunteers, leaders, and Federation professionals who dedicate themselves to Jewish Edmonton.

When discussing the Federation's work, Francie becomes particularly passionate.

"I look at what Federation with its small staff, what you do for this community, and I am really grateful," she says.

For decades, she has canvassed on behalf of the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) campaign because she believes strongly in supporting the broader community and the organizations that help sustain Jewish life both locally and abroad.

"It's up to us to support Jewish causes because nobody else is going to do it,” she says.

Today, Jon and Francie continue to volunteer while spending more time with their children and grandchildren in Toronto, Edmonton, and Victoria.

Looking back, they sometimes wonder whether they were too busy when their children were young. Between careers, volunteer commitments, fundraisers, board meetings and family life, their days were often full.

But the values they inherited from their parents clearly found their way to the next generation.

Their children have each chosen their own paths, yet all three demonstrate a commitment to helping others, supporting their communities and stepping forward when needed.

"They all got the message," Francie and Jon say.

In many ways, that may be the legacy that means the most.