YouthBridge-NY Night of Celebration 2023

YouthBridge-NY is a nonprofit leadership development organization that convenes and trains young people to meet the challenges of an increasingly diverseNew York City.

Since 1997, YouthBridge -NY youth leaders have been proactively involved in enhancing the leadership and diversity landscape of our city and are dedicated to improving the quality of life for all.

The YouthBridge-NY Fellowship is a two-year program for high school juniors and seniors.

First-year Fellows participate in monthly skill building workshops and specialized social action committees focused on either healthcare disparities, criminal justice reform, or food justice.

After a year of acquiring important leadership skills and experiencing Diversity Equity and Inclusion, second-year Bridgers are given the opportunity to further enhance and hone these skills. Bridgers meet monthly to learn about community organizing, advocacy, and opportunities in college.

Fellows and Bridgers also participate in an orientation summer retreat, special meetings with corporate and city leaders, build friendships with peers from all fiveboroughs, and much more!

Event Program

Welcome to the celebration! Entertainment provided by the Avenues Band. Grab some appetizers and a refreshing drink before the official ceremony begins.

YouthBridge NY Fellowship Graduation Class of 2023

 Opening Remarks

 Fellows Remarks

 Healthcare Disparities Committee

 Criminal Justice Reform Committee

 Food Justice Committee

 Each Committee awards a mini-grant to a non-profit

 Bridger Remarks

 Closing Remarks

Award Ceremony for our Distinguished Honorees

Rabbi Bob Kaplan Founders Award

Dr. Rada Sumareva & Robert Ukrainsky

Generation to Generation Award

Hosted and Sponsored by:

YouthBridge-NY is managed by the Center for Shared Society at the Jewish Community Relations Council of NY, a proud partner of UJA-Federation of NY.

Rabbi Bob Kaplan

Founders Award

Rabbi Bob Kaplan is the founding Executive Director of The Center for Shared Society, the intergroup division of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. The Center seeks to honor the dignity of others is order to harness diversity as a value. It engages diverse leaders from across New York City’s government, business, faith and not-for-profit sectors to assist diverse communities to thrive and prosper creating a better quality of life for all. The Center focuses on leadership in diversity, cultural humility, conflict prevention, coalition building and community building. Under Bob ’s 30-year stewardship the Center has created leadership initiatives such as YouthBridge -NY, We Are All New York, and the Haitian Leadership Fellowships annually training more than 100 diverse leaders in problem solving and community building. The Center has likewise incubated coalitions and initiatives such as The New York Jewish Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform, Interfaith United, We Are All Brooklyn, Project CARE in Crown Heights, the Queens Coalition on Immigrant Aging, and the Center for Bronx NonProfits at Hostos Community College. He serves as a Clergy Liaison to the NYPD. Bob Kaplan serves as a Commissioner for the NYC Commission on Human Rights. He currently serves on the boards of the NYU Langone-Brooklyn Medical Center/Family Health Centers, The Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College, Let’s Get Immunized NY, and The 67th Precinct Clergy Council. Bob Kaplan is called upon by the non -profit and government sectors and as an expert and consultant in the arena of diversity, community building, leadership development, coalitions, and intergroup relations. In February 2009, 2011 and again in 2019, Bob Kaplan, along with Mohammad Razvi, trained Jewish and Arab mediators and community leaders in the skills of coalition building, cultural competency and dignity work in mixed cities in Israel on the behalf of the U.S. State Department. He also served as a consultant for the United Kingdom Foreign Office working with groups in London and Bristol on Muslim/Jewish Relations. Bob Kaplan was a grief counselor for the American Red Cross at the respite center located at Ground Zero.

Bob Kaplan is married to Wendy Levinson and has three children and nine grandchildren.

Generation to Generation Award

Dr. Rada Sumareva, is a healthcare innovator and notable advocate for inclusion, diversity and humanitarian causes that benefit at-risk populations. She is the CEO and co-founder of Ziphycare, a digital health company with a mission to provide access to quality healthcare for all.

She is a co-founder and president of the RussianSpeaking American Dental Association and the Building Bridges Conference, which addresses the wide range of problems of people with disabilities — from access to health care to educational and employment opportunities — as well as a NY ambassador and a co -founding member of the Alpha Omega/Henry Schein Cares Holocaust Survivors Oral Health Program.

Dr. Sumareva currently serves on the Board of JCRC, UJA-Federation of New York, Executive Board of AFTAU and Tel Aviv University Board of Governors. She is also a member of the Health Care Disparities Coalition and the Executive Healthcare Committee at UJA.

Dr. Sumareva is a recipient of numerous professional and humanitarian honors and awards.

Dr. Rada Sumareva

Robert Ukrainsky

Generation to Generation Award

Born and raised in New York City in a family of immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, Robert has always felt it was vital to participate in various interfaith bridging programs. His studies at Avenues, the World School, that emphasized global citizenship and connections and his participation in the YouthBridge program further motivated Robert to share, collaborate, learn, and immerse in other cultures, ensuring he can live by the principles of inclusion and diversity.

Robert co-founded the Young Musicians for a Smoke -Free Planet project, teens annual inclusion and diversity musical showcase, is a former board member of the Young Friends of Akim USA, and continues volunteering to raise awareness for causes he believes in.

Robert is very proud to have played an instrumental role in launching a vocational training program for young adults with intellectual disabilities at Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine. He’s still an active volunteer conducting regular music history classes for the mandarin speaking NYC-based senior citizens via Selfhelp community services.

Robert is a sophomore at the University of Chicago studying Economics and Asian Languages. He enjoys playing piano and saxophone, continues to advance his knowledge of Mandarin, and enjoys traveling.

BRIDGERS

FELLOWS

Graduating Bridgers

Angelina Acevedo Notre Dame School

Charmel Apilan Notre Dame School

Aishah Awotubo Qasim

New Visions Advanced Math and Science ll

Noah Baruch

North Shore Hebrew Academy HS

Zubin Bhattacharya

The Clinton School

Lalleyah Camara

Andalusia School

Joseph Doft

Ramaz Upper School

Asif Hussain High School for Community Leadership

Stefan Inderbitzin

The Bronx High School of Science

Gabriela Jimenez

The Bronx High School of Science

Adom Kirshner

Brooklyn Technical High School

Noah Louis

BASIS Independent

Brooklyn

Quindy Pan

Townsend Harris High School

Daniella SanchezBarillas

BASIS Independent

Brooklyn

Jahric Serrant

Brooklyn Technical High School

Morgan Stuart

BASIS Independent

Brooklyn

Tenzin Yingsal

Brooklyn Technical High School

Oscar Zheng

Brooklyn Technical High School

Continuing Fellows

Hallel Abrams Gerber

The Bronx High School of Science

Daiana Azimova

Brooklyn Technical High School

Rahmatulah Camara

Andalusia Islamic School

Erina Chowdhury Young Women's Leadership School of the Bronx

Ayushi Das

Floral Park Memorial High School

Yijin Dong

Brooklyn Technical High School

Jolie Futterman

High School of American Studies at Lehman College

Bhargavi Karthikeyan

South Brunswick High School

Kristen Lau

Edgemont High School

Chelsea Mclaurin

Edward R. Murrow High School

Isioma Okoh

Bard High School Early College Queens

Alexander Ottensoser

Ramaz Upper School

Joshua Paz

The Kew-Forest School

Allison Ticona

Academy of Finance and Enterprise

Alishba Waqar

Westfield High School

YouthBridge-NY Committees

Healthcare Disparities:

Fellows will be trained to understand how different social factors affect health outcomes with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. They will gain insight on the issues and struggles that vulnerable populations face due to conditions outside of their control. They will learn about initiatives that work to eliminate health disparities and to promote more accessible and higher quality care to underserved communities.

Hallel Abrams Gerber ● Daiana Azimova

Yijin Dong ● Bhargavi Karthikeyan

Joshua Paz ● Allison Ticona

Criminal Justice Reform:

Fellows will explore the history of mass incarceration, how the criminal justice system influences and shapes one’s life, and the challenges that continue to arise within a spectrum of inequalities. What is the narrative surrounding criminal justice, and how can we rewrite it? They will learn how to combat these issues and become an advocate for an empowered, uplifted community.

Rahmatulah Camara ● Erina Chowdhury

Ayushi Das ● Jolie Futterman

Isioma Okoh ● Alexander Ottensoser

Food Justice:

Fellows will deep dive into the world of food and income inequalities. There is plenty of food in our world where no one should go hungry and no one should have two or more jobs and still be struggling to survive. They will explore why these inequities exist, what systems are in place right now that either combat or contribute to these inequities, and we will discuss ways that we can advocate and make a change for a more just and equal society.

Kristen Lau ● Chelsea Mclaurin ● Alishba Waqar

YouthBridge-NY Board of Directors

William D. Abramson

Martin Bienenstock

Suzanne R. Davidowitz

Joanne Jaffe

Bradley Korn

Joel Levy

Michael S. Miller

Cecilia Nelson-Hurt

Mahin Rahaman

Mohammad Razvi

Lynn D. Sherman

Elizabeth Velez

Jason Williams

Founders (Ex-Officio)

David Chen

Hector Gesualdo*

Michael Gill

Marvin Jacob

Virginia Kee Serafin Mariel

Ira Millstein

Dennis Walcott

Staff

Bob Kaplan

Founding Director

Tiffany Moreno

Program Associate

*Deceased

Karen Lander Lafferty

Executive Director

Sharon Tham

MSW Intern

is proud to support

YouthBridge-NY and recognize the 2023 Honorees

Rabbi Bob Kaplan

Dr. Rada Sumareva

Robert Ukrainsky

and

The Graduating Bridgers & Continuing Fellows

Bennett Golub President

Cheryl Fishbein Board Chair

Gideon Taylor

Executive Vice President & CEO

UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK IS PLEASED TO JOIN

JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL OF NEW YORK IN HONORING

RABBI BOB KAPLAN

with the Founder’s Award and

DR. RADA SUMAREVA & ROBERT UKRAINSKY

with the Generation to Generation Award

Thank you for your incredible dedication to making our community a better and safer place.

May you continue to go from strength to strength.

Amy A. B. Bressman President

David L. Moore Chair of the Board

Eric S. Goldstein Chief Executive Officer

In honor of Rabbi Bob Kaplan

A truly gifted professional whose incomparably transformative expertise designed and actualized YouthBridge-NY, among countless other leadership training and communal bridgebuilding initiatives in New York and around the world.

Mazal tov!

Rabbi Michael S. Miller

We congratulate you on your success and share your commitment to improving the health of the communities we serve.

The values of YOUTHBRIDGE-NY of diversity, inclusion, empathy and community are the values by which Rada has lived personally and professionally. Robert continues the family tradition of caring for others, building bridges through music, Chinese, Russian as well as English. We are so proud of Robert and Rada receiving the Generation to Generation award and being the first recipients since Rada has been our inspiration for building bridges and improving the lives of all people here in NY and around the world. Robertcontinuesthisgreattradition.

We congratulate JCRC, the first group of YouthBridge-NYteenleadersandthankthe staffandboardforthisprogram.

We are proud to be Robert and Rada’s Family.

- Sam Ukrainsky, Gene Ukrainsky, and family

We acknowledge the outstanding commitment to love, harmony, and understanding, and fantastic work of Rabbi Kaplan, Dr. Rada Sumareva & Robert Ukrainsky

YouthBridge is fortunate to have you all involved in our journey.

Sincerely,

William, Jade, Mia Abramson and Susan Buchbinder

Joel and Carol Levy salute

Wendy Levinson and Rabbi Bob Kaplan honor this year’s graduates and the amazing alumni of our first 20 years.

We also thank the staff and Board of YouthBridge-NY, present and past, for their creativity and dedication, and for their tireless work to plant the message of honoring the dignity of all whom we encounter.

Thank you to all who have supported the work and mission and made this journey possible.

He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it;

Pirke Avot 2:16 (Ethics of our Fathers)

Congratulations

Council of Peoples Organization

Fulfilling the “American Dream” for Immigrants

to Rabbi Bob Kaplan & Dr. Rada Sumareva & Robert Ukrainsky

We are honored, proud and beyond excited to celebrate YouthBridge's 20th anniversary.

Our core values of ghting radicalization, antisemitism and racism in any form while building bridges, understanding and tolerance between all nations and religions are fundamental to democracy. A cornerstone of the important work we do consists of education in order to develop awareness and empower our future leaders from a young age onwards.

Rabbi Bob Kaplan has been the driving force and inspiration behind bringing YouthBridge to Munich. His vision of building bridges on a global level and relentless commitment to bringing people, regardless of geographical distance and perceived di erences closer together is invaluable for our common goal of working towards a more united, kind and safe future for humanity. We deeply appreciate Rabbi Kaplan and everything he has done for this important project.

It is very humbling to see how much we have already achieved through this work together and are looking forward to continuing on our path with the aim of achieving even more in the future.

Our heartfelt thanks and congratulations for all involved on this wonderful and important journey of setting the foundations for a more understanding and tolerant future.

Happy anniversary YouthBridge New York!

Eva Haller, Olga Kotlytska and the YouthBridge team Munich

The Fellows and Bridgers

And the awesome staff of YouthBridge-NY

to Dr. Rada Sumareva and Robert Ukrainsky

Rabbi Michael S. Miller

Whatbetterrole model BobKaplan

Congratulations to all the Fellows and Bridgers.

We are so proud of your commitment.

A special shout out to Joey Doft.

We love you, Suzanne and Jacob Doft

Bob Kaplan

Your steadfast commitment and leadership in YouthBridge-NY is admired from community to community and coast to coast.

accomplishments.

Karen Spar Kasner

Co-Chair, Center for Shared Society JCRC of New York

I am thrilled to work with you side by side and very proud of your

Congratulations to all of our YouthBridge-NY students for a wonderful year of great accomplishments!

Thank you to Bob Kaplan for lifting the organization to new heights and for his commitment to the mission of diversity and inclusion.

Jason T. Williams

We are proud to support YouthBridge-NY

Congratulations to Bob Kaplan for having the foresight and vision to see what unites diverse groups. And for having the wherewithal, energy and commitment to make your vision a reality.

Lynn D. Sherman & Hank Halperin

YouthBridge-NY Board Chair and Development Committee

Rada and Robert

"From One generation to another"

All our love, Danielle and Allen Finkelstein

Congratulations to YouthBridge-NY and this year’s Generation to GenerationAward honorees.

Building Bridges celebrates honorees and ambassadors Robert Ukrainsky and Dr. Rada Sumareva for their commitment to and advocacy of charitable causes dedicated to inclusion and diversity.

We are looking forward to many new philanthropic initiatives, educational programs and events.

Best wishes for your continued success!

Building Bridges Conference and RADASpecial Care for Special Needs campaign committees

Rabbi Bob Kaplan

Thank you for being a beacon of hope in the community & Providing a platform for the next generation of leaders

Fondly, Congregation Tehillah & Rabbi Linda & David Shriner-Cahn

Way to go, Rada!

Thank you for your selfless service and inexhaustible positive energy, you are an inspiration to all of us!

Boris Rjavinski

Congratulations to my friends Rada Sumareva and Robert Ukrainsky, deserving recipients of this year’s Generation to Generation Award

Lisa Sohmer

Sohmer College

Counseling

GREETINGS!

Thank you to Rabbi Bob Kaplan for creating this visionary program. Thank you to all the young leaders who have completed their fellowships and are out there" walking the walk" and doing good in the world. Congratulations, Shira Gordon

Congratulations, Rabbi Kaplan, on your years of investment in our communities. Your commitment to the greater good is inspiring!

- Adeline Medeiros

Congratulations to Rabbi Bob Kaplan - your changing lives is changing worlds. Thank you for what you do.

Fondly, Jessica Haller

Kol Hakavod to my amazing friend Rada and her incredible family! -

Lena Katsnelson

The

Allianz Foundation for North America congratulates Rabbi Bob Kaplan, Dr. Rada Sumareva, and Robert Ukrainsky on being honored by YouthBridge NY as well as the graduating Bridgers and continuing Fellows of 2023.

It is a privilege and pleasure to join these distinguished honorees in advancing the work of YouthBridge NY. We are proud to call YouthBridge NY our partner in preparing a new generation for leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion, thus empowering young people to shape a more secure future for all.