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2018 ANNUAL REPORT
The Global Voice of the Jewish Community


Annual Leadership Forum, Tribute Dinners, Awards, Grants


We saluted 175 years of history, action and advocacy at the annual Leadership Forum in New York City. Over three days, leaders, members, supporters and donors looked back at the indelible history of the organization that traces its founding to the Lower East Side of New York, on Oct. 13, 1843.

At this year’s forum, Charles O. Kaufman of Austin, Texas was elected president for a three-year term. Kaufman, who has dedicated decades of service to B’nai B’rith at the local, national and international levels, noted: “Organizations that celebrate 175 years — and there aren’t that many of them — have a strong mission, great resolve for success and an impressive ability to innovate. B’nai B’rith has built a proud history because we’ve shown that being nimble, bold and committed are keys to longevity.”

Seth J. Riklin of Sugar Land, Texas was appointed chairman of the executive. B’nai B’rith also installed new senior vice presidents: Brad Adolph, Hawthorn Woods, Illinois; Scott D. Knapp, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Roberto M. Nul, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rebecca Anne Saltzman, Centennial, Colorado; Stéphane Teicher, Paris, France; Morris Tobias, Melbourne, Australia; re-elected Treasurer A. Michael Gellman, Potomac, Maryland; re-elected Chief Justice William K. Peirez, Great Neck, New York. Gary P. Saltzman, the outgoing president who chaired the forum, was elected honorary president.

A featured event of the celebration was a gala dinner held on Oct. 15 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. There, B’nai B’rith honored pillars of the Jewish community and celebrated our dedication and commitment to the community at the grassroots and global levels over the last 175 years.

President Donald J. Trump sent a letter congratulating B’nai B’rith on its 175th anniversary and commending the organization for its good work over the decades.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres sent special greetings to the gala: “Thank you for being such strong and long-standing supporters of the United Nations. You were present at the San Francisco conference in 1945; you have been an accredited non-governmental organization since 1947; and today you remain a dynamic presence as we strive to build a world of peace, prosperity and dignity for all.” And the secretary-general later noted: “Often been called ‘the oldest hatred’ anti-Semitism should have no place in the 21st century. Indeed, the origins of the United Nations itself are rooted in the need to learn the lessons of the Holocaust. Being true to our Charter means combatting anti-Semitism across the world, and I am strongly committed to being in the forefront of the fight against it and against all forms of discrimination.”

Other shout-outs can be found here.

Corporate and community leaders honored with the Jewish Heritage Award during the gala, were prominent attorney Kenneth J. Bialkin; Andrew Borans, former executive director of the AEPi fraternity and executive vice president of the AEPi Foundation; Susan Goldberg, editorial director of National Geographic Partners and editor in chief of National Geographic Magazine; Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman and CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; active philanthropists and community leaders Adam and Gila Milstein; and David Yarus, founder of mllnnl and JSwipe.

Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals and the recipient of B’nai B’rith’s 2016 National Healthcare Award, which has recognized exceptional trailblazers in the health care industry for more than 30 years, was the evening’s emcee.

The evening examined B’nai B’rith’s founding 175 years ago and showcased how the organization was an incubator for many of today’s Jewish communal groups.

“B’nai B’rith is a unique and pivotal organization,” B’nai B’rith CEO Daniel Mariaschin (left), who also delivered a keynote address during the forum, said. “We meet with leaders in the fields of diplomacy and religion, at the U.N. and elsewhere around the world. We’ve evolved and expanded our mission over our 17-and-a-half decades, but our founders would still recognize our commitment to Tikkun Olam — making the world a better place.”

B’nai B’rith also hosted a conversation with Ambassador Dani Dayan, the Consul General of Israel in New York, at a luncheon discussion, part of our on-going Diplomatic Encounter Series. “Israel is stronger, more prosperous and has a better relationship with the world than we’ve ever had,” Dayan said.  

At the same diplomatic encounter event, we conferred the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Holocaust Memory upon Kimberly Mann, chief of the Education Outreach Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information.

A panel discussion entitled “The Crisis of Zionism in ‘Progressive Spaces’” looked at the challenges facing Zionists today. Too often, Zionists are shunted out of social justice movements and denied a voice on issues of equality and justice. Panelists Ann Lewis (far right with CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin), Democratic Party strategist; Amanda Berman (2nd from left), President/CEO, Zioness; and Emily Shire (left), journalist, talked about how we can work to overcome those who seek to dehumanize and alienate Zionists. “The word ‘Zionist’ is so sullied, we have to reclaim it,” Berman said. “If we had challenged the narrative all along, we wouldn’t be so far behind.”
B’nai B’rith also recognized the incredible energy of top young leaders who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to the work of B’nai B’rith. Five outstanding individuals received the Label A. Katz Award, given to exemplary individuals under the age of 45 who have demonstrated exceptional service to the totality of B’nai B’rith and have worked to achieve the goals of the B’nai B’rith Young Leadership program.

Left-Right: Outgoing B’nai B’rith President Gary P. Saltzman; Frank Goldman, Denver, Colorado; Jessica Kreger, Plantation, Florida; Scott D. Knapp, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Tali Schwartz, New York City; and Roni Sarfati, Petah Tikvah, Israel were recognized for their leadership skills and dedication to the organization. Pictured at far right is Rebecca Saltzman, chair of the Label A. Katz committee and former award winner.

With a depth of expertise and knowledge, B’nai B’rith subject matter experts held an interactive dialogue on some of B’nai B’rith’s top advocacy efforts: fighting for global human rights; advocating for Israel; promoting tolerance; finding inter-religious commonalities; combating anti-Semitism and the odious Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement; supporting seniors; and providing humanitarian aid around the world.

Each year, B’nai B’rith International recognizes the humanitarian and philanthropic efforts of key community and corporate leaders from around the world. We understand that doing well in business comes with a responsibility to do well in the community, and we seek out companies and their leaders who understand that giving back should be a vital component of any corporation’s mandate and vision.

We had several successful events this year recognizing outstanding individual and corporate leadership.

In April, we hosted our first 175th Anniversary celebration at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. We honored U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel; Rebecca Rubin, founder, president & CEO of the environmental firm Marstel-Day; and Ambassador Richard Schifter, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Jewish International Relations Institute. A fund for United Nations Reform was established at the dinner with a major donation by the Schifter family in honor of the ambassador. The fund will allow B’nai B’rith to further its work at the United Nations.
Our 2018 highly successful National Health Care dinner was held in June.
The event, chaired by Federation of American Hospitals and former
honoree Chip Kahn, attracts the support of major healthcare institutions
across the country. This was the 35th anniversary of the award and Dr.
Jonathan Perlin, president of Clinical Services and Chief Medical
Officer of HCA Healthcare, was the honoree. 



B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community.

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