OU Statement to The Press - From the OU Department of Public Relations
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

Department of Public Relations

Main Office:
333 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10001

Phone: 212-613-8321
Fax: 212-564-9058
E-mail: media@ou.org

Sharyn Perlman
Director

May 25, 1999

PRESIDENT OF RABBINICAL COUNCIL OF AMERICA TO BE HONORED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO JEWISH LIFE

New York, NY: Rabbi Jacob Rubenstein, Mr. William Rapfogel and Mr. Neil Ellman, will be honored for making significant and lasting contributions to Jewish life, at the Orthodox Union's (OU) Centennial Anniversary National Dinner, Sunday, June 6,1999, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York.

"These outstanding individuals have dedicated their lives to altruism and philanthropy," said Mandell I. Ganchrow, President of the OU. "They, each in their own way, exemplify the highest ideal of chesed."

The president of the Rabbinical Council of America, Rabbi Jacob S. Rubenstein is Rabbi of the Young Israel of Scarsdale. His writings, which span the academic to the popular, have appeared in numerous newspapers, journals and books. Active in outreach, social activism, legislative advocacy and philanthropy, Rabbi Rubenstein served as the organization's first vice president and as chairman of its Social Action Committee. Prior to that, Rabbi Rubenstein chaired the Rabbinic Advisory Council of the U.J.A.-Federation of New York.

Mr. Rapfogel is the Executive Director of the Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty, a nonprofit providing home care, housing, employment, crisis intervention and other social and community services. Prior to his present position, Mr. Rapfogel, a lifetime New Yorker, served as Executive Director of the OU's Institute for Public Affairs and Executive Director of the American Jewish Congress Metropolitan Region.

The co-founder and Vice President of a medical supply company, Mr. Ellman, who lives in Monsey, NY, is president of the Chai Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoting to funding Jewish education. A strong supporter of Jewish institutions, Mr. Ellman is on the board of the directors of the Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy of Rockland County and the Caucasus Network, an international organization focusing on Jewish in Central Asia and the Caucasus

The OU will also be presenting awards to the Heinz and Manischewitz companies.

The Orthodox Union, celebrating 100 years of service to the Jewish community of America and beyond, a foremost leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world's most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 220,000 products in 62 countries around the globe.

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OU Statement to The Press - From the OU Department of Public Relations

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