December 19, 2021
11 a.m. Washington, D.C.
12 p.m. Washington, D.C.
1 p.m. Washington, D.C.
2 p.m. Washington, D.C.
|
December 20, 2021
|
Julius Bisno
Julius Bisno was an outstanding leader of B’nai B’rith and the Jewish people. A 1928 founding member of the Aleph Zadik Aleph of B’nai B’rith, he joined the B’nai B’rith professional staff in 1929 at the age of 19 as a national AZA assistant executive secretary. In 1933, he was appointed the first full-time executive director of AZA. It was Mr. Bisno’s vision, charisma and initiative that enabled the AZA youth organization to expand even through the difficult days of the Great Depression and World War II. He left B’nai B’rith in 1945 to serve the rapidly growing Jewish community of Los Angeles as executive director of the Los Angeles Community Council and Welfare Fund. He maintained his keen interest in B’nai B’rith, continuing as one of the organization’s most highly valued activists until the day of his death in 1983. Mr. Bisno is credited with bringing distinction to the Jewish service profession through his profound achievements for AZA and the Los Angeles Jewish community. His stellar reputation lives on through this award.
The Julius Bisno Award for Professional Excellence In 1982, an award for professional excellence in B’nai B’rith was established, honoring Julius Bisno’s dedication, devotion, vision and distinguished service as an outstanding member of the B’nai B’rith staff and exemplary Jewish community professional. The Julius Bisno Award is bestowed upon the B’nai B’rith professional staff member whose commitment, service and sacrifice provide an example to other professionals in the B’nai B’rith family. |
Moe and Berdie Kudler
Volunteer activists like Moe and Berdie Kudler have always been the mainstay of B’nai B’rith, setting an example for men and women who wish to contribute to their community.
Moe Kudler was a devoted member of B’nai B’rith throughout his life. Elected president of his lodge in 1941, he ascended the ranks of leadership to serve two terms as international treasurer and as a member of the Board of Governors for over 30 years. The Los Angeles businessman was particularly committed to the welfare of the State of Israel and invested much of his time working for the Jewish state through B’nai B’rith. The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith also benefitted from the time and talents of Mr. Kudler, who began his association with the civil rights organization in 1959. Berdie Kudler, a long-time member of the B’nai B’rith Board of Governors, was one of the most effective presidents in the history of the former B’nai B’rith Women. Moe and Berdie exemplify the spirit of volunteerism and the spirit of B’nai B’rith. The Moe and Berdie Kudler Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service An award for the most outstanding volunteers, recognizing enduring and distinguished service on behalf of B’nai B’rith and the Jewish community it serves, was first established in 1982. It honors the lasting contributions of Moe and Berdie Kudler. Following a rigorous selection process, it is presented to the one volunteer whose creativity, personal initiative and hard work surpass all expectations and have expanded the horizons of B’nai B’rith programs and activities. |
The Jack J. and Charlotte B. Spitzer
Philanthropic Fund of the B’nai B’rith Foundation of the United States
In 1980, Jack J. and Charlotte B. Spitzer established a philanthropic fund through which they made contributions to B’nai B’rith and other philanthropic organizations.
The Spitzers were lifetime B’nai B’rith members who generously supported Jewish youth, leadership and education programs in B’nai B’rith, BBYO, Hillel and elsewhere. They endowed the B’nai B’rith Hillel Spitzer Forum on Public Policy and, through their active participation and generosity, provided leadership and inspiration at the highest levels of American Jewish life. Before passing away in 2004, Jack Spitzer had a dynamic career at B’nai B’rith. From his presidency of AZA, the teenage boy’s component of BBYO, through his presidency of B’nai B’rith International, he had a great influence on all levels of B’nai B’rith, culminating in his service as an honorary president and as chairman of the board of trustees of the B’nai B’rith Retirement Plan. He also served as vice chairman of the Board of Governors for Ben Gurion University, where he and Charlotte endowed the Spitzer Department of Social Work, and was a public ambassador of the United States to the United Nations. At the conclusion of his presidency in 1982, Mr. Spitzer created the Bisno and Kudler Awards to recognize outstanding staff and volunteers. |
Charlotte Spitzer, who passed away in June 2009, was a lifetime member and served as a leader in B’nai B’rith Women, now Jewish Women International. A psychiatric social worker, she also served as a trustee of the King County Library System, one of the largest library systems in North America.
Rob Spitzer continues to honor the tradition set by his parents. As they did, Rob serves as a member of the B’nai B’rith International Executive Board of Directors. A winner of the Label A. Katz Young Leadership Award, he contributed to the organization in a wide variety of leadership roles on regional and international levels, including, chair of the B’nai B’rith Foundation of the United States, chair of the Market Rate Housing Committee, Evergreen regional president and national fundraising chairman. He, like his parents, has also been active in both the Jewish and general community of Greater Seattle, including serving as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. Following the lead of his mother, Rob was a trustee of the King County Library System, the second largest library system in the United States. He recently completed 10 years of service as one of the five trustees. |
These awards are presented to individuals who exemplify the B’nai B’rith mission of “uniting the Jewish people in the work of promoting their highest interests and those of humanity.” The awards include a stipend, and the names of all recipients are inscribed and displayed prominently at the B’nai B’rith International Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
These awards are made possible by a donation from the Jack J. and Charlotte B. Spitzer Philanthropic Fund of the B’nai B’rith Foundation of the United States.
These awards are made possible by a donation from the Jack J. and Charlotte B. Spitzer Philanthropic Fund of the B’nai B’rith Foundation of the United States.
|
The Julius Bisno Award For Professional Excellence 1982 Phyllis Newman 1984 Sidney H. Closter 1986 William Korey 1988 Dr. Max F. Baer 1990 Shirley M. Feigenbaum 1992 Richard M. Joel 1994 Seymour “Si” Cohen 1996 Alan Schneider 1998 Harvey Berk 2000 Mark D. Olshan 2002 Rhonda Love 2004 Felice Caspar 2006 Stanley M. Berman 2008 Alan L. Lessack 2009 Eduardo Kohn 2012 Jeffrey Mandel & Janel Doughten 2015 Sharon Bender 2018 Edyta Szemiel 2021 Richy Leitner |
The Moe and Berdie Kudler Award For Outstanding Volunteer Service 1982 Abe Kaplan 1984 Hyman H. Haves 1986 Sam H. Hoffenberg 1988 Adi Kolber 1990 Jacques Lurie 1992 Horace A. Stern 1994 Abe Cramer 1996 Joseph Domberger 1998 Fred Simon Worms, O.B.E. 2000 Shalom P. Doron 2002 David L. Bittker 2004 Dennis W. Glick 2006 Allan J. Jacobs 2008 Marvin M. Siflinger 2009 Bruce Pascal 2012 Gerald Magel 2015 Seth J. Riklin 2018 Peter A. Perlman 2021 A. Michael Gellman |
The Sidney H. Closter Outstanding New Staff Member Award
|
Sidney H. Closter served B’nai B’rith International for 48 years, two-thirds of those as director of development. Upon retirement in 1996, he continued in a volunteer capacity as director emeritus of the B’nai B’rith Foundation and a member of the organization’s International Board of Governors, lending his years of expertise to fundraising and ensuring the general well-being of B’nai B’rith.
The 1984 recipient of the organization’s Julius Bisno Award for Professional Excellence, Sidney Closter was the consummate Jewish communal worker. His devotion to fundraising was enhanced by his vast encyclopedic knowledge of B’nai B’rith history, personal recollections of the organization’s notable leaders and friendships with key volunteers from around the world. In March 1977, Closter was one of 123 hostages held for 39 hours at B’nai B’rith’s former Rhode Island Avenue headquarters. He often remarked that this experience helped strengthen his resolve and increased his commitment to Jewish continuity. A graduate of New York University, Closter served in the U.S. Army from 1942-1946, where, under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, he earned a Bronze Star for meritorious service. After the war, he resumed his law studies, earning a juris doctor from the George Washington School of Law. Shortly after completing law school, an Army colleague invited him to join the staff of B’nai B’rith as associate director of the B’nai B’rith National Youth Services Appeal. Over the next half-century, Closter helped to raise millions of dollars for B’nai B’rith programs and services. Sidney Closter believed in the importance of service to the community. Utilizing his fundraising expertise, he devoted many hours to his neighborhood school board, local universities, his synagogue and other charitable organizations. Few elements of his job gave Closter more enjoyment than the opportunity to mentor new staff. In tribute to his exceptional service, and in order to perpetuate the memory of his notable accomplishments, B’nai B’rith proudly established the Sidney H. Closter Outstanding New Staff Member Award, and salutes its recipients as esteemed bearers of his enduring legacy. The Sidney H. Closter Outstanding New Staff Member Award is presented to a member of the B’nai B’rith staff, who is in the early stages of his or her B’nai B’rith career and embodies the dedication to B’nai B’rith and Jewish communal service that were epitomized by the career of Sidney Closter. |
The award is presented to an individual who, in the opinion of the judging committee, embodies creativity, personal initiative, ambition and hard work.
11th Recipient of the
Sidney H. Closter Outstanding New Staff Member Award Alex King Director of Digital Strategy December 19, 2021 
Alex King Director of Digital Strategy Alexander King is B’nai B’rith’s Director of Digital Strategy. He produces all aspects of B’nai B’rith’s virtual programming and crafts messaging to further the organization’s core mission and advocate for a world without anti-Semitism. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Alex focused on expanding B’nai B’rith’s online presence, bringing more than 150 conversations with leading voices and subject matter experts to the B’nai B’rith community and beyond. Capitalizing on the world’s digital transformation, he has more than doubled the number of our YouTube subscribers, increased our Facebook and Twitter impressions, and overall expanded our reach across the world. Alex attended the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications, where he received his bachelor’s degree in public relations, and The George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School, where he earned his Master of Public Policy (MPP). During this time, Alex worked with various local and federal government agencies and congressional offices in Washington, D.C., including in Senator Chuck Schumer’s national press office. Born and raised in New York City, Alex is an ardent Yankees fan and has deep roots in the B’nai B’rith New York chapter, where his family has been active for nearly 50 years. |
Previous Recipient
|
|
Shortly after the death of Sidney Closter in May 2005, family members and friends, looking for a way to preserve Sid’s memory, established the Sidney H. Closter Memorial Fund. Recognizing Sid’s love for mentoring new staff members, an award was created to perpetually honor his memory by presenting annually a monetary stipend and a beautiful plaque to the most outstanding new staff member of B’nai B’rith International.
Additional contributions may be made to:
B’nai B’rith Foundation of the U.S.
Attn: Sidney H. Closter Memorial Fund
1120 20th St. NW, Suite 300 North, Washington, DC 20036
Additional contributions may be made to:
B’nai B’rith Foundation of the U.S.
Attn: Sidney H. Closter Memorial Fund
1120 20th St. NW, Suite 300 North, Washington, DC 20036
The B’nai B’rith Label A. Katz Young Leadership Award
|
The B’nai B’rith Label A. Katz Young Leadership Award is named for the youngest person to attain the office of International President of B’nai B’rith. The award has proven a good barometer of future achievement in B’nai B’rith and many, if not most, of our current leaders were Label A. Katz award winners.
The award goes to individuals under 45 who have demonstrated outstanding service to the totality of B’nai B’rith and have worked to achieve the goals of B’nai B’rith’s Young Leadership program. Label A. Katz was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1918, where he eventually became a U.S. Attorney, realtor and community leader. In high school, Katz was a member of Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) and was involved in B’nai B’rith from then on. He served in various district and national offices of the B’nai B’rith Hillel Foundation, headed District 7 and later became national chairman of the B’nai B’rith Youth Commission. At age 40, Katz became not only the youngest international President in B’nai B’rith’s history, but also the first president who could read and speak Hebrew fluently. He served for two terms, from 1959 until 1965, during which time he was passionately concerned with Jewish education, the welfare of Israel and the plight of Soviet Jewry. |
|
He was also active in international affairs. Among many international endeavors, he met with Pope John XXIII in 1960 to discuss Catholic-Jewish relations. In the summer of that year, he conferred with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion to discuss the relationship between Israel and American Jewry. He also met with State Department officials to discuss the situation of Moroccan Jews, and, in 1964, he helped organize the American Jewish Conference on Soviet Jewry.
Beyond B’nai B’rith, Katz also served as a leader in the United Jewish Appeal, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and other leading American Jewish agencies. |
B’nai B’rith President Label Katz presents a Judaica embellished silver medallion to President Kennedy in 1962.
|
2021 Recipients
|
Margo Rocklin Goldman
Margo Rocklin Goldman is currently Senior Vice President, Board Member and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) representative for B’nai B’rith Colorado. In May 2020, Margo led the creation and launch of B’nai B’rith Colorado’s COVID-19 Relief Effort alongside her husband, Frank Goldman, the current President and Chairman of the Board of B’nai B’rith Colorado and a previous Label A. Katz Award recipient. Over the past 18 months, the organization procured, donated and distributed nearly $100,000 in personal protective equipment and food assistance in Colorado and beyond. As B’nai B’rith Colorado’s JCRC representative, Margo was instrumental in convincing Colorado lawmakers to enact a 2020 law mandating Holocaust and genocide education in Colorado public schools. Margo earned a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa. She also obtained her Master of Science with distinction in Theory and History of International Relations from the London School of Economics. She is a practicing attorney, focusing on corporate and securities law, and dedicates a significant amount of time on speaking engagements and pro bono legal representations, particularly in the immigration space. In addition, Margo serves on the executive board for the London School of Economics National Alumni Association, the Board of the Coalition Against Global Genocide and the Hillel at Denver University Business Board. |
|
Alberto Levy
Alberto Levy has been a leader in B’nai B’rith in Panama City for more than a decade, first in the youth program and now serving as the president of the Irving Zapp Lodge of B’nai B’rith Panama, the largest in District XXIII. He also served as president of the Human Rights Commission of B’nai B’rith Panama and led a campaign to respond to anti-Semitism in the community that arose after the conflict between Hamas and Israel in May 2021. Alberto led the delivery of health supplies to areas of the community that were particularly in need when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Central Hebrew Community Council of Panama, which serves as the umbrella organization in the community. He was Panama’s representative to the 2018 Diplomatic Seminar for Young Jewish Leaders, organized and sponsored by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2019, he represented Panama at the Emerging Leaders Program organized by the March of the Living. Professionally, Alberto is a partner in the law firm of Delvalle, Escalona, Levy and Corro. He has been designated as one of the top 40 Latin American pro-Israel advocates and leaders by the Jewish News Syndicate, JNS. |
|
Joshua Sushan
Joshua Sushan has been involved with B’nai B’rith International for a number of years, with a focus on young leadership programming through B’nai B’rith Connect. His involvement began through the organization’s partnership with the AEPi fraternity, working with young alumni around the world to teach them leadership development and civic engagement skills. Josh currently serves as the vice-chair for B’nai B’rith Connect and has had the honor of representing B’nai B’rith on numerous occasions, including participating in the 2018 Kakehashi Project—Japan’s Friendship Ties, as a delegate on the Greece/Cyprus/Israel Diaspora Trilateral mission in 2019 and as a delegate to the World Zionist Congress in 2020. Professionally, Josh is a Principal at On Deck with its Scale program where he builds, cultivates and stewards communities around the world for some of the most impressive venture-scale startups driving global change. Having spent the last few years working in technology, finance, higher education and advising startups, his core competency has been building communities around the world. Outside of his work, he is an active investor in numerous startups, several of which he sits on the board of, a podcast host focused on amplifying the stories of startup founders around the world and a volunteer with other organizations focused on the career development of college students globally. This work has brought him to college and university campuses around the world as a speaker, helping students develop themselves and scale their ideas. Originally from the Chicago metropolitan area, Josh is a first-generation Jewish American, whose family fled religious persecution in the Soviet Union, and the great-grandson of a Holocaust survivor. His connection to his identity fuels his emphasis on the importance of advocating for global Jewry and connection to Israel through his work with B’nai B’rith. |
List of Previous Label A. Katz Winners
|
1976
Tommy P. Baer, Honorary Michael S. Feldma, District 4 Alan T. Greenberg, District 1 Michael Kiefer, District 6 Alan Levin, District 3 1977 Stephen I. Bloom, District 2 Malcolm Fromberg, District 5 Rene Maduro, District 23 Ira J. Meltzer, District 3 1978 Lawerence Greenwald, District 2 Myles Mattenson, District 4 Robert G. Sugarman, District 1 Jerome Zwicker, District 22 1980 Paul L. Backman, District 5 Alan Borden, District 22 William K. Peirez, District 1 Henry Rosenberg, District 25 Harold Steinberg, District 7 1981 Michael Cherry, District 4 Jules Kronis, District 22 Paul A. Prince, District 3 Bruce Raskin *obm, District 5 Brian Royston, District 15 1982 Gary Ableser, District 4 Eugene F. Briskman, District 1 Meyer L. Rosenthal, District 3 1983 Ronald Carl Diamond, District 24 Leon Duval, District 21 Dennis W. Glick, District 3 Richard D. Heideman, District 2 1984 Dan Goldman, District 6 Marc Gottlieb, District 3 Douglas Sugarman, District 1 1985 Sherman Shrager, District 3 Stephane Teicher, District 19 Richard Wolf, District 7 1986 Allen Heisler, District 3 Frank Rosen, District 5 Bruce Sherman, District 2 Moishe Smith, District 22 Benjamin Trajtman, District 27 1987 Irene DeBelozercovsky, District 23 Dr. Stanley A. Levin, District 5 Jacques A. Lurie, District 3 Norman Zuick, District 2 1988 Jeffery Marlin, District 3 Peter A. Perlman, District 6 Richard Solomon, District 5 Miriam Suss, District 21 1989 Paolo Altman, District 27 Roger Baskin, District 1 Ellen Rae Kushner, District 3 Gary Saltzman, District 2 Robert Spitzer, District 4 1990 Abraham Chazanovitz, District 14 Mark Gilgus, District 2 Walter Klinger, District 2 David Perelman, District 3 Anthony Stanley, District 15 1991 Ron V. Berkowitz, District 7 Stephen D. Holtzman, District 3 Aaron Liverant, District 23 Mark Sandler, District 22 Dr. Kenneth Stern, District 5 1992 Michael Abramson, District 6 Dr. Robert H. Hason, District 14 Alan W. Hausman, District 3 Charles Kaufman, District 7 Claudio Gustavo Zon, District 26 |
1993
James Eskin, District 7 Jack Eskanazi Cohen, District 23 Rick A. Karp, District 3 David M Lovit, D.M.D,, District 5 Luis Schwartzman Hasson, District 27 1994 Harlan G. Dolgin, District 2 Hedva Levy, District 14 Mannie Lowe, District 5 Edith G. Orenstein, District 1 Philippe Rochman, District 19 1994 Couple Award John and Marsha Rofel, District 6 1995 Jack Berkowitz, District 1 Bruce Coane, District 7 Jose Daniel Gulioff, District 27 Janet Weisberg, District 2 Walter Zoller, District 5 1996 Ian Berkowitz, District 5 Patricia Picciotto, District 23 Michael J. Epstein, District 6 Dr. Alan Kotzen, District 3 1996 Couples Award Elana Claudia Alterman De Morgan and Pedro R. Morgan, District 26 1998 Bernard Thalheimer, District 4 Jonathan Hudis, District 5 Lori Beth Sussman, District 7 Sheldon Libfeld, District 22 Mario Sadovnik, District 27 Eric Felt, Liberty Stuart D. Rosenfield, Texarkoma Shari Zuskind Barash, Chesapeake 2000 Joshua Lakin, New England Steven Handler Carolyn Fish, Southeast Aaron D. Rose, Evergreen Uri Arkin, Chesapeake Adam Weiss, Adam H. Jacobs *obm, Mid-America Samuel Domsky, Liberty 2002 Andrew M. Chaban, New England Brent Novoselsky, Midwest Scott J. Svonkin, SoCal 2004 Heath Goldman, SoCal Claudia Gurovich, District 23 Charles Hoffmann, Liberty Stuart Novick, Great Lakes 2006 Rebecca Luft Sinclaire, Chile Steve Rotenberg, Great Lakes Andres Yusupoff, Uruguay 2009 Eric Engelmayer, Luxembourg David Mizrachi Fidanque, Panama Nathalie Gamain, France David Geller, Florida Jacob Reckess, New York Victor Salomon, Uruguay Matthew Waas, Washington D.C. 2012 Rafy Attie, Panama Eduardo Weinstein Gottlieb, Chile Izzet Hatem, Turkey Edwige Ouaknine, France Rebecca Saltzman, Colorado Stephen B. Stern, Maryland 2015 Eduard Redensky, Illinois Rachel Silvestain, Colorado Alberto Eduardo Seelenberger Farba, Chile Daniel Citone, Italy Rachel Taubman Glickfeld, Michigan 2015 couples Award Silvia Kleiman De Pupkin & Ricardo Pupkin, Chile 2018 Roni Sarfati, Petah Tikvah, Israel Tali Schwartz, New York, NY Scott D. Knapp, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Frank Goldman, Denver, Colorado Jessica Kreger, Plantation, Florida |
2021 B’nai B’rith International President’s Award Recipients
|
Victor Batis
Community Service and Leadership Athens, Greece Dias Ben Zion Community Service and Leadership B’nai B’rith Portugal -- Oporto Tania Breitfeld Community Action Commission Montevideo, Uruguay Marcus Brodzki “Enlighten America” Program Atlanta, Georgia Gabriela Cantergi Community Service and Leadership B’nai B’rith Portugal -- Oporto Arlene Cohen Community Service for Senior Housing Deerfield Beach, Florida Joseph Gabriel Community Service and Leadership Hasbara Program, Costa Rica Richard & Phyllis Heideman “Durban Revisited” Leadership Washington, D.C. Michael & Estrella Hessing Community Service Atlanta, Georgia Charles N. Kahn III Leadership and Service Healthcare Dinners Vonne Kaufman Woman of Valor, Advisor Austin, Texas |
Jerry & Lois Kravitz
“Cares for Kids” Program Atlanta, Georgia Boris Lubetzky Community Service and Leadership Auckland, New Zealand Trey Meehan Community Service and Leadership Washington, D.C. Dr. Benny Monheit Community Service and Leadership Melbourne, Australia Haim Musicant Community Service and Leadership Paris, France Richard J. Pollack Leadership and Service Healthcare Dinners Zvi Rotenberg Preserving History, The National Library Jerusalem, Israel Eve Swabe Community Service and Leadership London, England Allen Weiss Community Leadership Greater San Fernando Valley, California Asher Weill Dedicated Leadership, World Center Award for Journalism Jerusalem, Israel |
