Your Daily Phil: Oct. 7 survivor addresses U.N. on mental health
Good Friday morning.
In today’s edition of Your Daily Phil, we report on a speech by an Oct. 7 terror attack survivor at the United Nations on mental health. We cover this week’s Chabad Young Professionals gala and the Israeli government’s controversial antisemitism conference. We feature Andrés Spokoiny’s full address from this week’s Jewish Funders Network conference in Nashville, Tenn., and an opinion piece by Rabbi Leon A. Morris with takeaways from a new report on the impacts of participation in rigorous Jewish text study. As part of Diaspora Week, we are publishing essays from the upcoming edition of the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education’s The Peoplehood Papers series, with the final piece from Jeffrey R. Solomon.
Shabbat shalom!
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent eJewishPhilanthropy and Jewish Insider stories, including: After backing out of Israeli antisemitism confab over inclusion of far right, leaders condemn Jew hatred on all sides at compromise gathering; Jewish social service agencies brace for federal funding cuts amid uncertainty; and How an ‘accidental philanthropist’ donated over $700 million to Israeli causes in 15 years. Print the latest edition here.
What We’re Watching
The Hadar Institute in Israel is hosting its first-ever “National Shabbaton” starting today and running through the weekend at the Nir Etzion Resort Hotel in northern Israel, as the pluralist Jewish learning organization looks to expand its activities in Israel. If you’re there, say hi to eJewishPhilanthropyManaging Editor Judah Ari Gross.
The Israeli progressive religious group Smol Emuni (Faithful Left) is hosting its first American conference on Sunday at New York City’s B’nai Jeshurun Synagogue.
What You Should Know
Rita Yadid always loved dancing under a kaleidoscope of colors as the day dawned. On the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, she planned to dance with her husband and sister, watching the light illuminate their smiles, but instead awoke to a massacre, as one of the thousands in attendance at the Nova festival in southern Israel.
This week, Yadid shared her story at a special-U.N. event held at the world body’s New York headquarters showcasing innovative Israeli mental health NGOs, reports Jay Deitcher for eJewishPhilanthropy. In her speech, she spoke of the trauma she suffered but also her recovery through the treatment provided to her by SafeHeart — a mental health nonprofit that sprang into action within 24 hours of the massacres, providing Nova survivors with therapy from professionals who understood mental health and the festival scene, especially the way trauma interacts with mind-altering substances.
During the massacres, Yadid and her husband and sister sheltered in a ticket booth. “God is great,” she heard terrorists screaming in Arabic outside, murder echoing through the air. “Slaughter all the Jews.” For over five hours, she waited, believing she was going to die, she told the U.N. audience. At one point, the booth was riddled with bullets – her husband enveloped her body with his to protect her, and he was hit by three gunshots. After the army arrived and she exited the booth, all she saw was lifeless bodies everywhere. That day, she returned home to Haifa where her 2-year-old son was staying with family. Before putting him to sleep, she breastfed him, like normal, but she no longer could listen to music.
“The first few months, I didn’t really have pleasure waking up in the morning, it was more of a downfall,” she told eJP. “It took a really long time to cope with the idea that this really happened, it’s not a dream.”
The day after she returned home, Yadid’s other sister, a social worker, told her of a group of therapists providing free mental health treatment to Nova survivors, and that evening, she was on a Zoom call with over a dozen others who witnessed the terror.
Early intervention is essential when someone suffers from trauma, lessening the likelihood of severe post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. The therapists from SafeHeart were able to mobilize quickly because they were already a team. In Israel, attendees who frequent the electronic dance and music festival scene are known as “the tribe.” Before they had a name, the SafeHeart community was already a crew of therapists who supported “the tribe,” setting up shop at festivals to provide safe spaces, especially to those on mind-altering substances.
A Facebook post to their network led to over 400 clinical therapists volunteering to offer three free sessions to survivors and their families. The same day as the massacres, volunteer computer programmers created a rudimentary website, and within 48 hours, 650 survivors signed up for free therapy. Within the first month, 1,500 people sought services, and the cobbled-together crew realized they needed to go official, coming up with a name and reaching out to philanthropists seeking funds, so they could continue to support the community indefinitely. Today, all their staff are paid, and in 2024, the organization provided 29,000 hours of therapy to survivors, created 18 group therapy programs across Israel, and held 14 retreats.
The U.N. contacted the organization because of its approach, according to Ori Schnitzer, SafeHeart’s director of partnerships and communications. “Even though we’re a new organization, what we’re doing is innovative,” he said. “We have research that is supporting our work.”
When SafeHeart asked Yadid to speak, “I felt super humbled,” she said. Her testimony brought members of the audience to tears. “Sharing my story is my therapy. That’s what God sent me to do. That’s my mission. I have to let people know that therapy works.”
Last Purim, she danced for the first time since the massacres, dressed as Captain America. “Captain America gives you powers,” she said. “You have secret powers.” Today, she wakes up grateful, dancing in the sunlight with her son. She had to seek therapy to continue to be there for him. “I was broken 13 times a day,” she said, “It was definitely not good for our child. We had to get stronger.”
In the days following the attacks, the Israeli government wasn’t prepared for the influx of survivors needing therapy, especially as Israel suffered from a mental health professional shortage, and seeking therapy through an HMO took time. SafeHeart lobbied the government to increase therapy provided to survivors, pushing the number of free sessions from 12 to 48, often provided directly through SafeHeart.
“Our hope is to create more long-term structures inside of Israel,” Schnitzer told eJP. “We’re a year and a half almost afterwards, and there’s still a lot of uncertainty about how long the government is going to provide them support… Philanthropy shouldn’t be the one who is funding individual therapy for survivors.”
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
Chabad Young Professionals honors VCs, raises nearly $1 million for new center in Manhattan at black-tie gala
As Manhattan’s Chabad Young Professionals seeks to fundraise for its new Upper West Side townhouse, hundreds of its supporters — dressed in their black-tie best — gathered on Tuesday night at the The Angel Orensanz Center for the group’s “Bringing It Home” gala. The sold-out event raised more than $950,000 towards a larger space for the new Chabad center, which is slated to open on West 86th Street at the end of this year. The new location “will serve as a positive, forward-looking Jewish space where young leaders thrive, learn and grow,” Rabbi Levi Shmotkin, who runs CYP, along with his wife Perel, told Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen for eJewishPhilanthropy.
Vaunted VCs: The gala honored Joe Lonsdale, founder and managing partner of venture capital firm 8VC; Sequoia Capital’s Shaun Maguire and OakTree Capital’s Adam Shapiro. It also featured remarks from New York City Mayor Eric Adams and a musical performance by IDF reservist Noam Buskila. Lonsdale credited Chabad with instilling in him an entrepreneurial spirit. “At Chabad you build,” he told the crowd. “You don’t wait for the culture to change. You shape it. You don’t whine about what’s wrong. You create what’s right.”
OPEN ARMS
WJC’s Sylvan Adams defiant at controversial Israeli conference on fighting antisemitism
Jews should not turn away friends who speak out against antisemitism, philanthropist and World Jewish Congress-Israel President Sylvan Adams said at the Israeli Diaspora Ministry’s International Conference on Combating Antisemitism on Thursday, which sparked controversy for including representatives of European far-right parties, reports Lahav Harkov for eJewishPhilanthropy’s sister publication Jewish Insider from the event.
Friends across the board: “We Jews need friends, and if members of the right or left dissociate themselves from and call out the antisemites, then I am happy they have agreed to come to Israel to publicly express their views,” Adams said. “Some of these parties will win elections in their respective countries, and their support for us will be enormously important.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a brief, oblique reference to the controversy about the conference in his remarks there, saying that he “welcome[s] all those from across the political spectrum, be they from the left or from the right, who realize that antisemitism is intrinsically evil and that it threatens their own future.” Yet the premier primarily focused on the “systemic alliance between the ultra-progressive left and radical Islam.”
Read the full story here and sign up for Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff here.
ICYMI
A diagnosis for the Jewish future: Andrés Spokoiny’s address to JFN 2025
“Imagine what you’d be doing now, both personally and philanthropically, if you weren’t afraid of failing,” said Jewish Funders Network president and CEO Andrés Spokoiny in his address to the 2025 JFN Conference this week in Nashville, Tenn., shared with eJewishPhilanthropy. “Imagine what the Jewish people could achieve if we weren’t obsessed with the fear of not being liked and accepted by others.”
Getting unstuck: “Fear prevents us from dreaming. It kills imagination and it destroys empathy. And because we, as funders, are in leadership positions, our fear trickles down to the entire community. Now is the worst time for leaders to be afraid, because these times demand more courage than ever. We need to find our voice and speak out in defense of our people, in defense of our values, in defense of democracy. If we say that this is not the time, then it will never be. So, how do we extricate ourselves from our delusions? How do we get unstuck? In other words, how do we lead in these times? I’m far from having all the answers, but I’d like to offer a few ideas.”
JEWISH DEVELOPMENT
Why the Torah should be our north star
“I’ve often argued that some answers to many of the challenges facing the Jewish people today are found within the Torah,” writes Rabbi Leon A. Morris, president of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, in an opinion piece for eJewishPhilanthropy. “Our texts are rich with meaning and wisdom — they should be a galvanizing force to elevate us individually and to strengthen our sense of peoplehood.”
Learning’s legacy: “Our work at the Pardes Institute is centered around this principle. Amid the ups and downs of life, passing trends in education and engagement, and challenges (to say the least) in Israel, meaningful and rigorous Jewish text study serves as a steady North Star. We now have a new report that shows the impact of this approach to learning and its effect on Jews of various backgrounds, throughout their lives. This should inspire anyone who cares about engaging young people in meaningful Jewish learning.”
THE PEOPLEHOOD PAPERS
Back to basics: Critical moments in Israel-Diaspora relations
“Our shared history is filled with amazing examples of the miracles that can occur when Israel and Diaspora Jews align. Just ask the 900,000 participants in Taglit/Birthright Israel, whose commitment to Judaism, Israel and the Jewish people was transformed by the experience. Ask the olim from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, Syria and Yemen, none of whom would be there were it not for multinational diplomatic and economic efforts led by Israel and Diaspora Jewish communities,” writes Jeffrey R. Solomon in an essay featured in eJewishPhilanthropy from the upcoming volume of The Peoplehood Papers, which will be published next month by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education.
Keep the conversation going: “I, for one, bought into the triangle implied in [Israel’s Declaration of Independence]: liberal democracy, fairness and peace. While not a citizen and very clear about my limitations as a Diaspora Jew to be but a limited partner in the Zionist enterprise, I have both agency and a voice in expressing my expectations for the state. We need to become more serious about the mechanisms that exist in which we can undertake those expressions… As with all debates for the sake of Heaven, we need to engage with honesty and respect, but with the certainty that, as with most families, disagreement need not lead to disunity. Our shared history, values and destiny will overcome any arguments of the moment. But agency and voice must be a prerequisite for a loving global relationship.”
Worthy Reads
When You’re Gone: In The Times of Israel, Hadara Ishak, president and COO of the Jewish Future Promise, makes the case for legacy giving. “Jewish philanthropy has always been the foundation of our community. From building schools and synagogues to funding vital programs that support education, security, and cultural preservation, every act of giving has played a role in sustaining Jewish life. Now, we can elevate that tradition and make an even greater impact… One of the most powerful ways to secure our future is through legacy giving… A financial legacy is important, but so is passing down your values. Unlike legal wills that focus on material assets, ethical wills communicate what truly matters- your Jewish identity, your commitment to community, and the values that have guided your life. By drafting an ethical will, you ensure that your children and grandchildren understand why you supported Jewish causes and what your heritage means to you. It is an opportunity to tell your story, articulate your dreams for the Jewish future, and inspire your loved ones to continue your legacy of generosity and commitment.” [TOI]
Power of Persuasion: In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Eric Weingartner argues that foundations should offer up their research and knowledge in order to attract donors. “One of the great mysteries in philanthropy right now is why the wealthy are donating less even as they grow wealthier. What gives?… Some have argued that this trend reflects a crisis of generosity, but many factors are likely at play, including economic uncertainty, political polarization, and a pervasive feeling that philanthropy is too ideological and not results driven… Fortunately, this is one problem with a straightforward solution: As a sector, we need to start sharing our expertise with those who have money to give but aren’t sure where to put it. The dismantling of government norms by the Trump administration should be a call to arms for all foundations to do more with the resources they have. That means disbursing their intellectual as well as their financial wealth… Foundations with subject-matter expertise are sitting on ‘a treasure trove of information,’ says Jamie Hackleman, the U.S. team lead for the Philanthropy Centre at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. ‘Sharing insights on how they vet grantees, measure impact, and what funders should focus on could be incredibly valuable.’” [ChronicleofPhilanthropy]
Good Idea Gone Bad: The Atlantic’s Michael Powell examines how human rights organizations are increasingly applying a double standard to Israel. “Amnesty’s goal was to serve as an advocate for victims and prisoners of conscience, and to stand apart from the polarized politics of the Cold War. The same ethos influenced the founders of Human Rights Watch and Doctors Without Borders. As the latter group proclaims on its website: ‘We are independent, impartial, and neutral.’ More recently, though, human-rights leaders have grown accustomed to looking at the complicated stew of politics and culture in Israel and Palestine and blaming Israel foremost. As the cultural and political left has come to dominate the human-rights community, young staffers with passionate ideological commitments have helped rewrite the agendas of the best-known organizations. Critical theories of social justice, built on binaries that categorize Palestinians as oppressed and Israel as the oppressor, now dominate many conversations about the Jewish state, which a constellation of groups casts as uniquely illegitimate — a regressive, racist ethnic ‘Western’ state in an Arab sea.” [TheAtlantic]
A Subjective Experience: In The Times of Israel, Elana Stein Hain proposes that what constitutes salvation in Megillat Esther depends on where the reader lives. “[I]s the salvation of Purim the ability to survive and thrive in [the] Diaspora or is salvation the ultimate return to the Jewish homeland? Some will view the Megillah as satire: don’t Jews who remain in Diaspora realize that Haman is lurking at their door, and next time they may not be so lucky? Don’t they see that persecution is their punishment for not returning home, or at least a direct outcome of it? How many Israeli Purim sermons delivered this year will rhetorically ask when Diaspora Jews will decide to finally come home? That said, I also expect so many Purim sermons delivered this year in North America to focus on the Jewish ability to thrive in [the] Diaspora… And maybe some will even go part of the ancient rabbinic route toward the influential Jewish presence in America being necessary to buttress support for Israel… Purim is a gift. We need the joy that it will afford us this year. But perhaps recognizing the different ways we read ourselves (and each other!) into the story can bring us something even more abiding: deeper relationships.” [TOI]
Adaptive Arts: In The Art Newspaper, Anny Shaw presents a roundup of challenges facing the arts philanthropy world in advance of “Reimagining Philanthropy: New Models for Private Funding in the Arts,” a summit taking place March 17 during Tefaf Maastricht, an annual arts fair in Maastricht, Netherlands. “The Sacklers, Warren Kanders, Baillie Gifford, BP. These are just some of the names of individuals and corporations that museums and other cultural organisations have severed ties with as sponsorship deals come under greater scrutiny. This, coupled with deep public funding cuts and changing attitudes towards philanthropy among the younger generations, is forcing museums around the world to rethink how they engage with private funding for the arts… High-net-worth individuals and family foundations have traditionally been the biggest givers, but [Tefaf Maastricht’s managing director, Dominique] Savelkoul notes that a new cohort of ‘socially conscious donors’ is reshaping the landscape. Unlike previous generations, she says, they ‘often prioritise long-term initiatives over one-off sponsorships’ and seek ‘systemic change rather than transactional support.’” [TheArtNewspaper]
Word on the Street
The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington has allocated an additional $180,000 to assist families with members that have been affected by the Trump administration’s funding cuts and layoffs…
The Wall Street Journal interviews former hostage Omer Wenkert about the more than 500 days the Israeli man spent in Hamas captivity in Gaza after being taken from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023…
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl to thank him for his comments in support of the 59 hostages still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza…
Jewish Insider interviews Michael Kotlikoff, who entered office as Cornell University’s president last week…
Harvard’s School of Public Health has suspended a formal collaboration with Birzeit University, a Palestinian university in the West Bank that has faced scrutiny for its ties to Palestinian terror groups.
The University of Michigan will close its diversity, equity and inclusion offices and end its use of diversity statements in response to policy changes from the Trump administration…
The Milwaukee Jewish Federation has created a new community security service: the Wisconsin Jewish Security Network…
The White House has withdrawn its nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY) to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations due concerns about protecting Republicans’ thin House majority…
The New York Times looks at the efforts, considered by some to be controversial, of a German nonprofit to excavate and rebury the remains of German soldiers killed during WWII…
The Washington Post spotlights the meeting between the grandson of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and the grandson of Holocaust survivors…
Ten thousand members of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity have signed the Jewish Youth Promise, committing to “being active, contributing members of the Jewish community throughout their lives”…
Amir Dagan has been named CEO of the Hadassah Medical Organization‘s technology transfer firm…
A new study by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism found that white supremacist propaganda focused primarily on two themes last year: hatred of Jews and hatred of immigrants…
Child marriage has been banned in Washington after the Jewish-led organization Unchained At Last created an advocacy coalition that pushed for the legislation that was signed into law last week…
Billionaire scrap metal tycoon Adam Weitsman is selling two of his three Skaneateles, N.Y., lakeside mansions for a total of $23 million…
Philanthropist Leonard Polonsky, whose foundation largely focused on supporting the arts, died on March 14 at 97…
Pic of the Day
Black and Jewish members of the dialogue organization Rekindle at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the group’s inaugural trip to the capital this month.
Birthdays
Israeli journalist, focusing primarily on social issues, she is both a television and radio news presenter for the Kan broadcaster, Keren Neubach, celebrates her birthday today…
FRIDAY: Professor emeritus of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize in physics, Jerome Isaac Friedman… Chairman and CEO of the Hartz Group and Hartz Mountain Corporation, a leading seller of pet supplies, Leonard Norman Stern… Israeli electrical engineer and business executive, he was the founder and first general manager of Intel Israel and the inventor of the EPROM chip, Dov Frohman… Expert on the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, and wife of the late U.S. Sen. and vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, Hadassah Lieberman… Glenview, Ill., resident, Genie Kutchins… Iranian-born CEO of Los Angeles-based toy company MGA Entertainment (maker of Little Tikes and Bratz and Lalaloopsy dolls), Isaac Larian… Former member of the Knesset for 13 years, she served as the leader of Israel’s Labor party, Shelly Yachimovich… Special envoy and coordinator for the U.S. Department of State’s Global Engagement Center during the Biden administration, James Phillip Rubin… One of four hostages held at gunpoint for 11 hours at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, in January of 2022, Jeffrey R. Cohen… Former rhythmic gymnast, now teaching yoga in Connecticut, she represented the U.S. at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Valerie Le Zimring-Schneiderman… Senior editor for The Economist, he is the younger brother of U.S. Sen. (D-CO) Michael Bennet, James Douglas Bennet… Presidential historian and Jewish liaison in the Bush 43 administration, he is now a senior scholar at Yeshiva University and a senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute, Tevi Troy… President and CEO of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, Adam Lehman… Journalist and writer who has spent most of his career in Japan, he assisted the U.S. State Department’s investigation into human trafficking in Japan, Jake Adelstein… Novelist, television producer and journalist, one of her novels was made into a major motion picture, Jennifer Weiner… U.S. senator (R-FL), she was appointed this year to the seat vacated by Marco Rubio, Ashley Moody… Author of eight best-selling novels including The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger… Member of the Knesset for the Likud party since 2015, now serving as the minister of culture and sports, Makhlouf “Miki” Zohar… Benjy Spiro… Los Angeles-based, Israeli-born fashion designer, Yotam Solomon… Retired MLB outfielder for the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs, now a real estate developer in Bali, Indonesia, Ryan Kalish… Vice president at Tradepoint Atlantic, a 3,300-acre global logistics center near Baltimore, Michael Hurwitz… Senior vice president of asset management at Hackman Capital Partners, Zachary David Sokoloff… Quarterback for the Brigham Young University Cougars football team, the first Jewish quarterback in BYU history, Jake Retzlaff…
SATURDAY: Chemist, professor emeritus at Hebrew University, winner of the 1974 Israel Prize, Raphael David Levine… Organizer of annual morning minyan services since 1983 for runners in the NYC Marathon, Peter Berkowsky… Attorney, New York Times best-selling author, sports agent for many athletes including Cal Ripken, Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Kirby Puckett and Eddie Murray, Ronald M. Shapiro… Houston-based labor law, employment law and personal injury attorney, active in Jewish organizations, Carol Cohen Nelkin… Orthopedic surgeon, he is a former professional boxer, Harold “Hackie” Stuart Reitman, MD… University of Chicago professor and winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for economics, Roger Myerson… Investor, computer scientist and founder of D. E. Shaw & Co., a hedge fund based upon high-speed quantitative trading, David Elliot Shaw… Economist and chairman of consulting firm Roubini Macro Associates and professor emeritus at NYU, Nouriel Roubini… Miami businesswoman, JoAnne Papir… U.S. deputy secretary of defense, he was the co-founder and co-CEO of Cerberus Capital Management, Stephen Andrew Feinberg… Hollywood mogul, co-CEO of entertainment and media agency William Morris Endeavor until he sold it this past week, Ariel Zev “Ari” Emanuel… U.S. senator (D-NV), Catherine Cortez Masto… Director of the Mossad, David “Dadi” Barnea… French film director and writer, best known for his 2011 film “The Artist” which won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Michel Hazanavicius… Secretary of the budget for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Uri Z. Monson… Deputy chief of staff at The Rockefeller Foundation and adjunct fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Eric Pelofsky… Founder of Leopard Strategies, Liz Jaff… Assistant to the president and White House staff secretary, he was a 2024 candidate for Attorney General of Missouri, Will Scharf… Communications director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, David A. Bergstein… Associate director at Power Insights, Annie Rosen Pai… Director of business development at Logical Buildings, Alexander Zafran…
SUNDAY: Partner of Rose Associates, a real-estate firm in the NYC area, Elihu Rose… Professor of international trade at Harvard and winner of the Israel Prize in 1991, Elhanan Helpman… Cherry Hill, N.J., resident, Zelda Greenberg… Film and television director, Michael Stephen Lehmann… Comedian, actor, television personality, screenwriter, author and musician, Paul Reiser… Host of Public Radio Exchange’s “The World,” Marco Werman… District attorney of Philadelphia since 2017, he is running for a third term this year, Larry Krasner… U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria under Presidents Obama and Trump, he is a past president of the American Foreign Service Association, Eric Seth Rubin… Actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Ian Ziering… Owner and founder of the D.C. area’s Ark Contracting, Noah Blumberg… Actress, director, producer and ballerina, Juliet Landau… U.S. special representative for international negotiations in the first Trump administration, now at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Jason Dov Greenblatt… Regional director in the Washington office at AJC: Global Jewish Advocacy, Alan Ronkin… Associate dean of students at Bard College, she helped 350 people escape Afghanistan amidst the U.S. withdrawal, Danna Harman… Tel Aviv-born actress, she appears on television and film in both Israel and the U.S., Mili Avital… Mexican-American chef, she won a James Beard Award for her PBS television series “Pati’s Mexican Table,” Patricia “Pati” Jinich… Former treasurer of Oakland County, Mich., Andy Meisner… Iranian-born L.A.-based retired actress, best known for her roles in “Crash” and the “Saw” franchise, also as the mother of the inspirational amputee Ezra Frech, Bahar Soomekh… Communications consultant, Gabriela Schneider… Jerusalem-born documentary photographer for the Associated Press, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography in 2007, Oded Balilty… Detroit-area Jewish leader and founder at Multifaith Life, Alicia Chandler… Best-selling author of The Oracle of Stamboul and The Last Watchman of Old Cairo, Michael David Lukas… Former senior advisor to then Ambassador David Friedman at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, Aryeh Lightstone… Author, composer and playwright, market development director of Sh’ma Journal, Robert J. Saferstein… Senior advisor at Avoq, Zach Silber… Senior reporter at the Huffington Post, Jessica Schulberg… Third baseman for MLB’s Boston Red Sox, Alex Bregman… Associate at Arnold & Porter, she is a granddaughter of the late Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Leora Einleger…
