The honor of your presence
is cordially requested at the presentation of the

Institute for Public Affairs

National Distinguished Leadership Award
to

and

Chibat Tzion Award

Featured Speaker
The Honorable Rick Santorum
United States Senator, Pennsylvania
Chairman, Senate Republican Conference

Monday, November 10, 2003

Marriott Marquis
1535 Broadway, New York City

Dinner Chairman
Howard T. Friedman

 
For reservations and Tribute Journal information,
please call Malka Laks at 212-613-8144.

Distinguished Leadership Award

Lionel A. Kaplan's extraordinary devotion to Israel and his love of the Jewish people have propelled his rise to the top levels of leadership in the American Jewish community, as both President and Chairman of the Board of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). In these positions, Mr. Kaplan has been able to bring the case for Israel to the highest levels of government in Washington, both in the Administration and the Congress. In addition, he has served in major leadership positions in the UJA-Federation system.

Mr. Kaplan began his work for AIPAC in 1988 as Chairman of the Princeton/Mercer Area, a position he held until 2002. During the intervening years, he also served as Member of the AIPAC Executive Committee; Member of the New York Regional Board; New Jersey State Chairman; Member of the National Board of Directors; National Development Chairman; and then, from 1998-2000 as President and 2000-2002 as Chairman of the Board. Throughout, he demonstrated his skills as a consummate fundraiser for pro-Israel causes.

In the UJA-Federation system, Mr. Kaplan has served as a member of the UJA National Young Leadership Cabinet, as a leadership and fund-raising trainer at the UJA National Training Center, and as Vice President of the Jewish Federations of New Jersey. Locally, he has assumed a variety of roles, including Campaign Chairman and President of the Jewish Federation of Princeton, Mercer, and Bucks Counties. Among his other communal involvements, Mr. Kaplan has been Chairman of the New Jersey "Jerusalem 3000" Committee and Co-Chairman of the New Jersey Israel Commission.

An attorney, Mr. Kaplan has been a partner since 1972 in the firm of Joseph D. Kaplan & Son, P.C., in Trenton, and is a Member of the American, New Jersey and Mercer County Bar Associations. He is a graduate of Harvard University and received his J.D. from Rutgers.

Lionel Kaplan and his wife, Gail - who is a member of the AIPAC Executive Committee - reside in Princeton. They have one child, Shana, who is married to Joshua Epstein.

Chibat Tzion Award

Arriving at the Orthodox Union in 1992, Betty Ehrenberg currently serves as the Director of International Affairs and Communal Relations for the Institute for Public Affairs, the political action and public policy arm of the OU and coordinating and resource body for close to 1,000 Orthodox synagogues across the United States. In this capacity, she has substantially increased the OU's presence and activity in Israel and countries around the world, in the American political arena, and in Jewish communal umbrella organizations.

Prior to assuming her current position, Ms. Ehrenberg served as Bureau Director for the Consul General of Israel in New York. Past positions she has held include Executive Director of Dor Hemshech, the young leadership division of the World Zionist Organization; Assistant to the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York; and Liaison Officer for the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations. A frequent visitor to Israel, she has traveled to many countries around the globe on behalf of the OU to promote Israel's interests and to increase international understanding.

A graduate of the City University of New York and Yeshiva University, Ms. Ehrenberg also has an extensive background in Jewish education and taught Judaic Studies at the Ramaz Upper School. She speaks to many groups across the country on a wide variety of issues of importance to the Jewish community and her articles have appeared in many Jewish publications.

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