JCRC-NY 2023 Spring Gala Program

Spring Gala 2023 Monday, June 12, 2023 New-York Historical Society

Program WELCOME

#jcrcnygala Bennett W. Golub President, JCRC-NY

OPENING VIDEO GREETINGS

Hon. Israel Nitzan

Acting Consul General of Israel in New York

Hon. Charles E. Schumer

Majority Leader, United States Senate

Hon. Kirsten Gillibrand United States Senator

Hon. Eric L. Adams

Mayor, City of New York

Amy A. B. Bressman

President, UJA-Federation of New York ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND AWARDS CEREMONY

Cheryl Fishbein

BLUMBERG FAMILY YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARD

Gene Rachmansky

FOUNDER AND PRESENTER

Thomas A. Blumberg

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Hon. William C. Thompson, Jr.

PRESENTER

Michael S. Miller

COMMUNITY BUILDER AWARD

Jeffrey Gural

PRESENTER

Ethan Gural

CLOSING

Gideon Taylor

Chair of the Board, JCRC-NY

Vice President, JCRC-NY Co-Founder & Co-CEO, STYR Trade Board Member, JCRC-NY

Partner and Chief Administrative Officer, Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, The City University of New York CEO Emeritus, JCRC-NY

Chairman, GFP Real Estate LLC

Executive Vice President and CEO, JCRC-NY

JCRC-NY Officers & Board of Directors Officers

EXECUTIVE VP & CEO

Gideon Taylor

PRESIDENT

Bennett W. Golub CHAIR OF THE BOARD

Cheryl Fishbein

VICE PRESIDENTS

Sanford Antignas Josh Moskowitz Gene Rachmansky** Craig S. Unterberg SECRETARY

Robyn Polansky Morrison** TREASURER

Michael P. Lustig ***

CEO EMERITUS

Michael S. Miller FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Malcolm Hoenlein

Matthew J. Maryles Lester Pollack* Richard Ravitch Janice W. Shorenstein Charles S. Temel* Laurence A. Tisch* Peggy Tishman* Ronald G. Weiner

Past Presidents Martin S. Begun* Kenneth J. Bialkin* Cheryl Fishbein Judah Gribetz Gedale B. Horowitz* Alan S. Jaffe Ezra G. Levin*

Honorary President Jack D. Weiler*

Ezra Friedlander David J. Friedman Zoya Raynes Friedman Ester R. Fuchs Ruth Golan Jonathan Greenspun Jessica Haller Jay Hershenson Matthew J. Hiltzik Suzanne Denbo Jaffe*** Richard I. Janvey Karen Spar Kasner*** Judy Kaufthal Bradley Korn*** Alisa F. Levin*** Jerry Levin**** Jeffrey E. Levine*** Max J. Levine Richard S. Linhart Gustave K. Lipman

Jason D. Mack Joel R. Marcus Mendy Mirocznik Shira Nadel Michael Nussbaum Shelley Lieff Parker Simon “Shimi” Pelman Joseph Rafalowicz Andrew Rechtschaffen*** Eric Rechtschaffen Anna Propp Riesenberg Eugene Schneur David Schwartz**** M. Ronen Schwartzman*** Marissa J. Shorenstein Adam Shpeen**** Rada Sumareva*** Richard M. Weinberg Steven Wils Jacob J. Worenklein

Honorary Officers George Klein Rabbi Israel Miller* Daniel Shapiro*

Board of Directors Jonathan Adelsberg Karen R. Adler Marissa Alter-Nelson**** George Arzt Sharri A. Berg Abraham Biderman*** Thomas A. Blumberg*** Charles R. Borrok Jacques E. Brand W. Stewart Cahn Brian M. Cohen Steven D. Cohn*** Suzanne R. Davidowitz Suzanne W. Doft Camille Dunst Jennifer E. Falk David A. Fine Stuart Finkelstein Adam Fleishman**** Hon. Rachel “Ruchie” Freier

*Deceased

**Development Committee Co-Chair

***Development Committee Member

****Observer

JUNE 12, 2023

Dear Friends, It is our pleasure to welcome everyone to the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York’s 2023 Spring Gala. The core mission of JCRC-NY is to protect and enhance the quality of life of the New York Jewish community and of all New Yorkers. To accomplish its goals, JCRC-NY has always devoted a significant portion of its resources to security concerns and community-bridging programs - emphasizing the values and interests that unite all New Yorkers, Jews and non-Jews alike.

As we celebrate our achievements this evening, we are pleased to pay tribute to Jeffrey Gural, recipient of the Community Builder Award; Gene Rachmansky, recipient of the Blumberg Family Young Leadership Award; and Hon. William C. Thompson, Jr., recipient of the Public Service Award. We are privileged to recognize these exceptional individuals for their commitment, dedication, and leadership.

We want to extend a special thank you to our Spring Gala Sponsors; Gene Rachmansky’s Development Co-Chair, Robyn Polansky Morrison; and the Development Committee. The tremendous support we have received from them and everyone gathered here this evening is a testament to JCRC-NY’s extraordinary achievements. Your faith in our mission and goals will ensure that our outstanding Officers, Board of Directors, and staff can continue to serve all the people of the New York metropolitan area for many years to come.

Thank you, and please enjoy the evening.

Sincerely,

Bennett W. Golub President

Cheryl Fishbein Chair of the Board

Gideon Taylor Executive Vice President and CEO

JCRC-NY REPRESENTS ALL OF JEWISH NEW YORK. As the voice of the mainstream Jewish community at the tables where the critical issues of the day are being discussed, we build bridges of dialogue and understanding with every segment of the city’s population.

For almost 50 years, JCRC-NY has been the primary community relations organization representing and advocating for the needs of the 1.4 million Jews in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.

A collaborative network of over 50 member organizations, we foster relationships with the WHAT WE DO: • Create a more connected New York Jewish community • Nurture relationships with the broader New York community to address critical issues and build a shared society

government and close to 200 faith-based and ethnic groups in our area. Our Board of Directors reflects the broad cultural, political, ethnic, geographic, and denominational spectrum of New York Jewry.

New York needs JCRC-NY now more than ever. Our advocacy work on behalf of the Jewish community is essential. Our expertise, our relationships, and our reach make us the most effective organization working to ensure a strong, vibrant, secure New York Jewish community.

• Keep the Jewish community safe and secure • Strengthen support for Israel among New Yorkers • Speak out on important issues affecting the Jewish community, New York, and Israel

WHO WE WORK WITH: Our partners within and outside the Jewish community include: • Ethnic and racial communities • Faith communities • Public officials • Jewish leaders from all streams • Non-profits

• Law enforcement • The labor, progressive, and conservative movements • Education systems

WHERE WE WORK: • Our reach extends throughout the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, and Israel.

THE JCRC-NY APPROACH: • We are a common table for New York Jews.

• We cultivate relationships with all city leaders, finding common ground and supporting the issues that are important to them.

• We show up to represent New York’s Jewish community, building relationships and supporting dialogue between Jewish and nonJewish groups. We care about all New Yorkers and cultivate mutual understanding, supporting issues that matter to other communities.

• In partnership with UJA-Federation of New York, through our community security initiative

• Our impact reaches far beyond New York, as we share best practices and consult regularly with Jewish nonprofits across the country.

(CSI), we have significantly upgraded the physical security of approximately 2,000 Jewish institutions in the New York area so that people of all faiths can feel welcome and secure in our communal spaces.

• We educate the educators, exposing them to different narratives and voices from Israel.

We’re helping to educate our children about the Jewish community and other communities, to dispel myths and encourage mutual respect and tolerance.

www.jcrcny.org

COMMUNITY BUILDER AWARD

Jeffrey Gural Chairman, GFP Real Estate LLC

Jeffrey Gural, known as Jeff, is Chairman of GFP Real Estate LLC. GFP Real Estate LLC has an ownership interest in 41 properties, almost all of which are located in Manhattan. Jeff, along with his son, Eric Gural, and nephew, Brian Steinwurtzel, are responsible for all future acquisitions and the managing and leasing of the 10 million square feet that they have an ownership interest in.

Jeff joined Newmark Knight Frank in 1972, and served as Chairman until 2017, after which he became Chairman Emeritus. Prior to that, Jeff was a member of the staff of Diesel Construction Co. for approximately six years, where he was responsible for the supervision and construction of more than one million square feet of new office space in notable buildings such as 437 Madison Avenue and 645 Madison Avenue.

of Liberty Foundation; member of the Board of the Settlement Housing Fund; member of the Board of Directors of New York City Outward Bound Schools; member of the NYC Board of Directors for the March of Dimes; President of The Realty Foundation of New York; and a member of the Executive Committee of UJAFederation of New York. Both Jeff and his father, Aaron Gural, were honored at UJA’s 1995 Annual Luncheon.

Jeff is a member of the Executive Committee of The Real Estate Board of New York; Former President of the enCourage Kids Foundation; Chairman of “I Have a Dream Foundation – NY” and Co-Sponsor of the Chelsea-Elliot “I Have a Dream” Project; former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Times Square Alliance; member of the Board of Trustees of The New School; Chair of the Board of Governors for Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School; Former Chairman of the Board of Directors for Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York; Vice President of The Broadway Association; member of the Board of Directors of the Museum at Eldridge Street; member of the Board of Directors of the Statue

As a sideline, Jeff is a major owner and breeder of Standardbred racehorses and has two farms in Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania. Jeff owns a casino in Upstate New York, Tioga Downs, and a racino at Vernon Downs. Jeff is also Managing Partner of New Meadowlands Racetrack LLC, which is the current lessee and operator of the New Meadowlands Racetrack. The Meadowlands recently opened a $120 Million grandstand, which is a state of the art facility.

Jeff is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with a degree in Civil Engineering. He is married, has three grown children and five grandchildren, and resides in Manhattan.

BLUMBERG FAMILY YOUNG LEADERSHIP AWARD

Gene Rachmansky Vice President, JCRC-NY Co-Founder & Co-CEO, STYR Trade

Gene is proud to be a JCRC-NY Vice President and member of its Executive Committee.

Since his involvement with JCRC-NY began in 2012, he has served on and chaired various committees addressing strategy, organizational planning, and development.

Gene was born in Israel to Ukrainian émigré parents, and after living in Italy and Canada, came to the United States in 1980.

He began his communal involvement as a legal intern at NYANA, working on political asylum applications for refugees, which fostered an appreciation for the breadth and reach of Jewish communal organizations. As a young professional, Gene was one of the founders of the Young Russian Division and Emerging Leaders and Philanthropists (ELP) at UJA-Federation of New York. Subsequently, he had the privilege of serving on UJA’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He also held leadership roles on several UJA committees working to strengthen Jewish identity and renewal, including a focus on engaging Russian-speaking Jews in established and new Jewish communal institutions globally.

Gene started his professional journey as an attorney at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP and later was a principal at a private asset manager specializing in financial futures and commodity option trading. Together with his son, Gene recently co-founded and is Co-CEO of STYR Trade, a sneaker and collectibles digital trading platform.

Gene received a BA in International Politics from New York University and a JD from the Fordham University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review and recipient of the Fordham Law School Prize. Gene and his wife, Anna, live in downtown Manhattan; they have two kids, Oscar and Vivienne, and a shaggy dog named Luna.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Hon. William C. Thompson, Jr. Partner and Chief Administrative Officer, Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, The City University of New York

Hon. William C. Thompson, Jr., known as Bill, a dedicated advocate for innovation, diversity, and progress in the public and private sectors, was appointed Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at The City University of New York (CUNY) in June 2016.

CUNY is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. Under Bill’s leadership, the CUNY Board of Trustees passed a sweeping package of reforms of the University’s governance and administrative policies, creating greater transparency and accountability and putting CUNY in the vanguard of reform efforts in higher education.

Bill is a Partner and Chief Administrative Officer of Siebert Williams Shank, a leading national Women and Minority Owned investment banking firm.

Bill served two consecutive four-year terms as the Comptroller of the City of New York. He served five terms as the President of the New York City Board of Education, with oversight of the nation’s largest school system. Bill currently serves on the Board of the Mount Sinai Health System, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the Regional Plan Association, and has previously served on the boards of many museums, schools, libraries, and other organizations.

A lifelong New York City resident and a product of its public schools, Bill graduated from Tufts University with a BA in Political Science. He is a Trustee Emeritus of Tufts University.

2023 Spring Gala Sponsors As of June 4, 2023

Presenting Sponsor GFP Real Estate LLC Cindy and Bennett W. Golub

Benefactor The Blumberg Family Citi Goulston & Storrs Brian M. Cohen Cheryl Fishbein and Philip Schatten

Patron Ambassador Randi Charno, Jeffrey E. Levine and Family Douglaston Development Mastercard Vicki and Ronald G. Weiner

Partner Geller & Company/The Geller Family Foundation Karen and Jay Kasner and Family Rachel R. Brody, Michael P. Lustig and Family Mount Sinai Health Systems Newmark Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC

Chai Suzanne and Jacob Doft The Litwin Foundation Jason Mack Anna and Gene Rachmansky Kim and Eric Rechtschaffen David Reis Diana and Ira Riklis Anna and Gene Schneur The Temel Family

2023 Spring Gala Sponsors (Continued) As of June 4, 2023

Advocate Anita Sibony de Adelsberg and Jonathan Adelsberg Andrew W. Albstein Goldberg Weprin Finkel Goldstein LLP American Triple I Blavatnik Family Foundation Maria and Jacques Brand Buchbinder & Warren LLC and Buchbinder & Warren Realty Group LLC Sandy and Stewart Cahn Clairvest Group Inc. Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson Jaimie and Stuart Finkelstein HUB International NE Suzanne Denbo Jaffe George Klein Leora and Richard Linhart Gustave K. Lipman L’Oreal Marcus & Pollack LLC Mitzi & Warren Eisenberg Family Foundation Haley and David Schwartz Janice and Stuart Shorenstein Hon. William C. Thompson, Jr. Times Square Alliance Whitestar Consulting & Contracting Inc.

2023 Spring Gala Sponsors (Continued) As of June 4, 2023

Contributor Sanford Antignas Ark Restaurants Corp.

Sarah and Abraham Biderman The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Jana and Steven D. Cohn Suzanne R. Davidowitz Feil Family Foundation Martine and Stanley Fleishman The Golan Family Jessica and Chad Haller Edward J. Hart Howard L. Zimmerman Architects & Engineers, D.P.C. The Katz Foundation Judy and Uri Kaufthal KeyBank Real Estate Capital John J. Manginelli, President Hudson Valley/Metro New York Kirsh Foundation Erica Temel and Max J. Levine Gladys and Matthew J. Maryles

Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment Robyn Polansky Morrison Jewish Women INVEST Alisa F. Levin and Charles Nathan Dale and Michael Nussbaum Shelley and Jeffrey Parker Arnold S. Penner Phase 3 Interiors Karen and Joseph Rafalowicz Realty Foundation of New York Vincent Ribortone Area Builders Corp Anna and Gedaliah Riesenberg SL Green Realty Corp.

M. Ronen Schwartzman Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood Linda and Jerry Spitzer Tioga Downs Casino Resort Walter T. Gorman, P.E., P.C. Madelyn and Steven Wils

Family Anonymous Julie Blinbaum and Ethan Marcovici George Arzt Marcum LLP Karen and Jeffrey Bank Fred Berk Lois Kohn-Claar and Gary Claar The Moinian Group Falcon Rappaport & Berkman LLP Josh Moskowitz David J. Friedman Georgette Bennett and Leonard Polonsky Zoya Raynes Friedman and Naftali Friedman Peter Quinn Angelo J. Genova, Esq. Deem Plumbing Inc. Genova Burns LLC Richard Ravitch Edward Geyman Evelyn Kenvin and Art Rosenbloom The Kandell Fund/Digby Management Co., LLC Vertical Transportation Consulting, Inc.

2023 Spring Gala Sponsors (Continued) As of June 4, 2023

Friend AWR Group, Inc. Kenneth Adams LaGuardia Community College/CUNY Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson Bay City Metering Co. Inc. Camille Dunst Rivkie Feiner Feiner Grant Strategies Gregory Floyd and Executive Board of Teamsters, Local 237 Brian Geller Business Development Director, Alexander Wolf & Son, Inc. Robert M. Kaufman

Peter Lehrer Richard Liskov N&A General Construction Corp.

PAC Electric Corp.

Avi Piontnica & Dentons Charles Rosenberg Rosemark Management Lee S. Saltzman Bette and Richard Saltzman Shira Nadel and Jason Schifrien Harvey Schulweis Faith and Bob Sterling Harriet and Marc Suvall Richard Weinberg

Young Leadership Dmitriy Berman Merrill Lynch Adam Shpeen

Supporter American Fire Restoration LLC COJO Flatbush Goldfarb & Fleece LLP Jonathan Greenspun Saundra and John Harrington Harrington Construction Inc. Haynes and Boone

Hon. Rebecca Seawright Hershenson and Jay Hershenson The Jewish Education Project Lynn and Jules Kroll Mendy Mirocznik Sarene Shanus and Harold Treiber

JCRC-NY Staff & Consultants Gideon Taylor Michael S. Miller Adam Berish Robyn Berman Emily Bogdan Mary Britt Terry Byrne Ethan Erlich Liron Filiby Marcy A. Fishman Noam Gilboord Jennifer Glick Seth Goodstein Susan Green William Hayes Dov Horwitz Tara Isler Sharon Jacker Rabbi Bob Kaplan David Kerner

Daniela Kogan Peter Kohlmann Karen Lander Lafferty Rachel Lissy Jamie Matos Jill Mendelson Tiffany Moreno Gabriella Negrin Karen Ostrove Jeremy Paulson Mindy Perlmutter Howard Pollack David Pollock Patrick Regan Shahar Sadeh Jackie Shapiro Tzipporah Shapiro Halle Shumate Mitchell Silber Marc Wolf

Jewish Community Relations Council of NY 520 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1400 New York, NY 10018 212-983-4800 WWW.JCRCNY.ORG