B’nai B’rith International President Gary P. Saltzman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
We are pleased to announce our 175th anniversary gala dinner will take place on Oct. 15 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. In addition to paying tribute to our founding on New York’s Lower East Side, we will also celebrate outstanding Jewish leaders of today who are impacting philanthropy on many levels.
Founded in 1843 by German Jewish immigrants, B’nai B’rith has an unparalleled commitment to championing global human rights, supporting and defending Israel, advocating for the health and well being of our seniors and administering disaster relief. We recognize and work for Jewish continuity and commit to connecting generations in global Holocaust education programming. We focus on combating anti-Semitism and promoting tolerance and inclusion education. And we recognize the importance of identifying and training the next generation of Jewish influencers.
Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals and the recipient of the 2016 National Healthcare Award, which has recognized exceptional trailblazers in the health care industry for more than 30 years, will serve as the evening’s emcee. This once-in-a-lifetime gala evening will be a celebration of our dedication and commitment to the community over the last 175 years.
We will be honoring several corporate and community leaders with the Jewish Heritage Award, including prominent attorney Kenneth J. Bialkin; Andrew Borans, former executive director of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and executive vice president of the Alpha Epsilon Pi 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.
Bialkin’s practice with the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom encompasses a broad range of corporate and securities law matters, including activity in U.S. and international merger and acquisition and corporate finance transactions, and SEC enforcement matters. Bialkin has previously served as chairman of ADL, chairman of the America-Israel Friendship League, president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He has served as a strong advocate for Israel and the American Jewish community in the face of adversity.
Borans is actively involved in a number of national and international Jewish causes, including AIPAC, Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, B’nai B’rith International, Hillel and Chabad on Campus. He has been the recipient of several awards for his tireless dedication to Israel and commitment to the Jewish people, and is a noted authority on the Jewish student experience on university campuses.
Goldberg has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, including serving as the top editor for two major metropolitan newspapers, The San Jose Mercury News and The Cleveland Plain Dealer. In 2013, she was voted one of Washington D.C.’s 11 most influential women in the media by Washingtonian magazine; in 2017, Washingtonian again selected Goldberg, naming her among the most powerful women in Washington, D.C. across professions. She is active in professional journalism organizations, and sits on the boards of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at MSU, and also is on the board of the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Hoenlein was the founding executive director of the JCRC of Greater New York and of the Greater New York Conference on Soviet Jewry. Hoenlein appears regularly in the media, has three weekly national radio broadcasts and has lectured and met leading officials around the world. He has received numerous awards from U.S. and foreign governments and institutions, including four honorary doctorates.
Adam Milstein is a co-founder and National chairman of the Israeli-American Council, an organization that strengthens the Israeli and Jewish identity of our next generation, the American Jewish community, and the bond between the peoples the United States and the State of Israel. Gila Milstein sits on the board of several organizations, including the American-Israel Education Foundation and StandWithUs. She is the president of Stand By Me, an organization that supports Israeli-American cancer patients and their families.
Yarus’ mllnnl is a social and creative agency that helps global brands and Jewish nonprofits like Taglit-Birthright Israel, Hillel International, Schusterman Foundation and the Israeli Consulate understand and engage the millennial consumer. JSwipe is the world’s largest and fastest-growing Jewish dating app, with more than 1 million users across 70 countries — acquired by Spark Networks in 2015. He is passionate about human connection, millennial empowerment and all things future.
The gala dinner is part of B’nai B’rith’s annual Leadership Forum, which brings together members and supporters from across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Australia for lively and topical debate and exchange.
