On June 9, 2015, ADL New York Region held its Annual Meeting at the Jewish Theological Seminary to celebrate another year of critical work in the community. The meeting was an opportunity to honor outgoing 2014-2015 Board Chair Gregg Mashberg for his exemplary leadership and service to ADL, and welcome incoming Board Chair Andrew J. Frackman.
The evening began with a private tour of the JTS Special Collections, led by Professor David Kraemer, Director of the Jewish Theological Seminary Library. Board members were treated to showings of rare documents and manuscripts, including Cairo Geniza fragments, censored versions of the Talmud from medieval Italy, and prayer books from 19th century Iran.
From L to R: Evan Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director; Gregg Mashberg, 2014-2015 ADL New York Region Board Chair; Leah Weingast, Vassar College student; Rabbi Daniel Sanoff, Chabad on Fulton; Andrew J. Frackman, 2015-2016 ADL New York Region Board Chair
Following the tour, ADL New York Board Members and Leadership heard personal testimony from Vassar College student Leah Weingast and Rabbi Daniel Sanoff about their experiences with anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias at Vassar College. Leah, who participated in ADL’s Words to Action program in May 2015, explained the program’s impact on her and her fellow Jewish students:
“This workshop was the first time that many students were able to open up about their experiences…We discussed how Jews are often seen as being privileged and white-washed on campus and how that manifests itself in anti-Semitism. We also discussed the differences between anti-Israel, anti-Zionism, and anti-Semitism. This was really useful because those terms are often thrown around without having concrete definitions attached to them.”
From L to R: Gabrielle Carlin Sherb, Director of Development, ADL New York Region; Future is Now Award winners Stephanie Feingold and Stephanie Weiss; Harris Scher, Co-Chair, Next Generation Philanthropy Community
Awards were also presented to exceptional New York Region lay leaders and professional staff for their significant work and commitment to ADL’s mission. The Generations of Justice Award was given to Daniel Beller, and the Future is Now Award was jointly presented to Stephanie Feingold for her longstanding dedication to the Lawyers Division and Stephanie Weiss for her two-year leadership position as Co-Chair of the Next Generation Philanthropy Executive Board. Gabrielle Carlin Sherb, Director of Development, received the Staff Achievement Award.
Finally, Regional Director Evan Bernstein provided a detailed report citing the region’s accomplishments and next year’s goals for ADL New York. His report included key programs such as the Bearing Witness Conference and the Advocacy Summit, the newly established Real Estate Division and Corporate Leadership Council, and new regions of focus, including Westchester and Long Island.
To learn more about leadership opportunities in the New York Region, please contact us at newyork@adl.org.