OU WEST COAST AND NCSY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO DISTINGUISHED HONOREES AND TO LAUNCH SEFER TORAH CAMPAIGN AT ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET, TUESDAY, JUNE 19 IN WESTWOOD
The Orthodox Union West Coast Region and NCSY will hold their Annual Awards Banquet on Tuesday, June 19 at the Sephardic Temple, 10500 Wilshire Boulevard, Westwood, to pay tribute to distinguished honorees and to launch the Ahuva Wernick Sefer Torah Campaign, in the memory of Ahuva Wernick a”h, one of the original founders of West Coast NCSY.
The program will begin at 5:45 p.m with a lavish dinner, followed by the awards ceremony.
“The banquet is the culmination of the year’s activities in our region, and gives us the opportunity to acknowledge and honor families and future leaders whose commitment to our organization is exemplary,” declared David Zeffren, President of OU West Coast. “Mira and I are so proud to be involved in the amazing work of the OU here on the West Coast and around the world.”
According to Rabbi Alan Kalinsky, Director of OU West Coast, “Our banquet enables us to share with the group of OU and NCSY supporters the achievements and accomplishments of the program year that is about to end, and to provide all those in attendance with the glimpse of programs that we will launch in the year ahead.”
“Countless individuals benefit from the work of the Orthodox Union worldwide. Our OU Headquarters in Los Angeles serves a vital role in the Jewish community on the West Coast, ensuring continuity of a vibrant Jewish life there. This year’s Annual Awards Banquet will recognize the OU’s West Coast leadership for their service to the Jewish people,” declared OU President Stephen J. Savitsky.
The Los Angeles-based OU West Coast Region plays an integral role in the Orthodox community on the West Coast and beyond, extending as far as Edmonton, Alberta, and Denver, and reaching Seattle and Vancouver. It provides synagogue-based programs, including its annual West Coast Torah Convention, Kollel Yom Rishon, and regional Sabbath programs in smaller communities. It also offers retreats and conferences specializing in parenting, marriage enrichment, professional development, as well as religious education.
Its youth component, NCSY, brings Jewish teens closer to their heritage and has chapters in all major West Coast cities, including Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Oakland, San Diego, and Vancouver. Its public high school chapter, the Jewish Student Union, is found in many high schools through out the Los Angeles area and beyond.
“West Coast NCSY and JSU have reached great heights. We reach well over 1500 Jewish students with the numbers growing daily,” stated Rabbi Efraim Goldberg, Director of West Coast NCSY.
At the Banquet, the OU will launch its Ahuva Wernick Sefer Torah Campaign to provide a Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll) for the OU Teen Center, located at West Coast Headquarters, 9831 West Pico Boulevard. The campaign is in the memory of Ahuva Wernick, a”h, who was the founder of West Coast NCSY and “Mom” to NCSYers, as well as a true believer that they were the key to the future.
The campaign is chaired by Dr. Larry and Wendy Platt of West Los Angeles and Allan Dalfen of Beverly Hills.
In 1994, when Mrs. Wernick was honored at an OU Dinner, she modestly said, “I am what I am because of what my parents were — my models, my teachers. They showed me how to be a leader in the community and how to give to the community.”
This year’s honorees include:
• Robert and Rosina Korda of Beverlywood will receive the OU Keter Shem Tov Award. They have rendered invaluable service to the OU and many other community organizations, while their three sons have been very active in NCSY;
• Dr. Stephen and Roslyn Rothman of Beverly Hills will receive the OU Synagogue Leadership Award. They are currently active in many local synagogues and organizations; their children followed in their footsteps and were actively involved in NCSY while growing up in Los Angeles.
The OU will also honor six young people from its West Coast communities. Rita Carla Bron of Beverly Hills, Ori Kanefsky of Los Angeles, and Ariela Rosenberg of San Diego spent the past year as Senator Joseph Lieberman Scholars. Los Angeles residents Asher Millman, Ari Platt, and Rachel Schultz are National Directors Fellows.
Senator Joseph Lieberman Scholars and National Directors Fellows are joint projects of the OU’s Institute for Public Affairs and NCSY, which seek to educate and cultivate future leaders of the Jewish community.
“The young honorees are true leaders with a lot of potential. They are greatly involved in outreach, and are very sensitive to the needs of Klal Israel. By putting themselves out there to get the job done they show what a little bit of effort can accomplish,” Rabbi Goldberg said.
For more information concerning the OU West Coast and NCSY Annual Awards Banquet or to participate in the Sefer Torah writing campaign contact 310-229-9000 ext. 200 or e-mail Westcoast@ou.org.