NY Lions Lunch
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
11:00 AM
placeManhattan
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Honoring
Leadership
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Join NY Lions for this year’s luncheon as we come together to recognize the extraordinary women who inspire us and the collective impact of our philanthropy.

We’re proud to honor Lauren Fixel, Laurie Girsky, and Fern Kwiat, whose dedication and leadership embody the spirit of NY Lions. Through their generosity and unwavering commitment to helping others, they have made a meaningful difference in our community and beyond.

Don’t miss this annual afternoon of connection and celebration in support of UJA’s vital work meeting urgent needs in New York, in Israel, and around the world.

This event welcomes donors who give a gift of $6,000 or more to UJA’s 2027 Annual Campaign.

Dietary laws observed. 

Honoring

Lauren Fixel

Martha K. Selig Young Leadership Award

Lauren has been actively involved with UJA for nearly 15 years. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors and the Women’s Executive Committee, she chairs Philanthropic Services, an initiative dedicated to creating meaningful volunteer opportunities and facilitating agency visits. Passionate about engaging the next generation in UJA’s mission, Lauren helps organize annual programs such as Wrapped with Love and back-to-school packing projects, providing children and teens with hands-on ways to make an impact.

Beyond UJA, Lauren and her husband, Lee, have supported the launch of the Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM) at Washington University in St. Louis, an...

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Laurie Girsky

Kipnis-Wilson/Friedland Award

Laurie is the immediate past Westchester regional chair, having assumed the role of chair in July 2024. In this capacity, she helped advance UJA’s mission of supporting Jewish communities across New York, Israel, and more than 70 countries worldwide. Previously, she served as chair of Women’s Philanthropy and Women’s Planned Giving for UJA. For the past eight years, Laurie has been a member of UJA’s National Women’s Philanthropy Board. She is also on the board of the Sunrise Association and has served as parent advisory chair for J-Teen Leadership. In 2004, Laurie was selected to participate in the Wexner Heritage Program.

Professionally, Laurie is a founding...

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Fern Kwiat

Spirit of Peggy Award

Fern was exposed to UJA at an early age through her parents’ involvement as longtime UJA donors. She wears her mother’s Lion pin with pride. 

She met her husband, Lowell, at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned degrees in biology and medical technology. She went on to work at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as a microbiologist.

Fern’s many charitable and community endeavors include serving as the women’s president and board member at the Glen Oaks Club, as well as co-chairing the American Cancer Society’s Babes Against Cancer program for 22 years. She was a board member of the Roslyn Y as it transitioned to the JCC. She was...

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Leadership

Host Committee

*in formation

Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson • Shari Adler • Beth Altschuler • Eneas Arkawy • Charlotte Balsam • Staci Barber • Bonnie Barest • Roberta Bar-Levav • Pamela Barnett • Natalie Wolf Barth • Judith Baum • Carol Becker • Karen Belfer • Stacey Bennett • Ronit Berkman • Gayle Berg • Erica Berman • Caryn Beyer • Marnie Black • Gillian Bland • Simona Blau • Judith Bloom • Jill Harnick Bodian • Andrea Brandt •  Frances Brandt • Jill Breitstone • Debra Buslik • Sandra Cahn • Emily Caslow • Miriam Caslow • Elizabeth Chau • Jill Citron • Rebecca Citron • Samantha Claster • Susan Claster • Nikki Cole • Marla Cornejo • Dorit Corwin • Stephanie Diamond • Suzanne Doft • Adina Dolfman • Karina Eichenberg • Lisa Eisenstein • Rachel Epstein • Lynn Falkove • Cherie Feinberg • Lauren Feldman • Susan Felton • Anna Fisch • Rosele Frishwasser • Patti Fuchs • Rachel Furer • Jennifer Galeon • Valerie Garten • Mindy Geller • Caron Gelles • Marilyn Tune Gessin • Marina Glezer • Randi Goldberg • Terri Goldberg • Jill Goldsmith • Natalia Good • Carly Goodman • Judy Goodman • Rena Goodman • Shira Gordon • Michele Gould • Sandra Greenberg • Judy Greenblatt • Deborah Gross • Linda Gross • Phoebe Gross • Ellen Grossman • Jennifer Gruber • Kim Hartman • Alyssa Hattem • Susan Held • Stacy Helfstein • Lesley Heller • Pamela Henes • Erica Hermann • Nancy Hoffman • Stacy Hoffman • Avital Ingber • Amy Jaffee • Robin Joseph • Rachel Kalnicki • Robin Kaplan • Judith Kaufthal • Shelly Kivell • Joanne Klaristenfeld • Kate Belzberg Klein • Arlene Kleinberg • Laura Kleinhandler • Rosemarie Klipper • Cynthia Heller Knoll • Candice Koerner • Deena Kornblau • Annette Krassner • Jessica Kravitz • Susan Krevat • Natasha Krupp • Nancy Lascher • Sandy Lenger • Tammy Levine • Rebecca Levy • Rita Levy • Tracy Levy • Blair Lichter • Stacey Lowenberg • Heidi Lurensky • Andrea Lustig • Marla Maidenbaum • Reva Mandelbaum • Cindy Masters • Cindy Matte • Eileen Meyers • Mia Minen • Ruth Mirvis • Wendy Modlin • Lori Moore • Stacey Novick • Tricia Pantzer • Gail Port • Vicki Portman • Tina Price • Karen Rafalowicz • Pauline Raphael • Danielle Rayman • Monique Rechtschaffen • Tracy Retchin  • Mindy Richenstein • Seryl Ritter • Michelle Roberts • Jennifer Rochkind • Judith Rosen • Leora Rosenberg • Randi Rosenblatt • Tara Rosenblum • Jodi Rosenthal • Robin Ross • Beth Rubin • Stefanie Ruch • Lauren Sadkin • Nicole Sambur • Wendy Sandler • Susan Schlaff • Tami Schneider • Minna Seitelman • Karen Seltzer • Donna Senter • Beth Shabto • Lauren Shalem • Sharon Shane • Deborah Shapiro • Joyce Sharfstein • Alexandra Shear • Rita Sheena • Wendy Shenfeld • Emily Shteinhauz • Geri Silverman • Joanne Silverman • Patricia Silverstein • Amy Sirotkin • Molly Snyder • Geula Solomon • Cari Sommer • Robin Spielman • Amy Sprung • Suzanne Stadler • Beth Steinberg • Genia Taub • Stephanie Tessler • Leslie Topper • Judy Tuchman •  Dena Rosenberg Verhoff •  Myra Wagner • Nancy Waldbaum • Vicki Warner • Laura Wein • Shanna Weinblatt • Shahla Weiner • Beth Weingarten •  Sandra Weingarten • Tina Weinstock • Dana Weintraub • Edith Weisfeld • Pamela Wexler • Inna White • Jane Wilf • Dana Wilkins • Faye Wisen • Erika Witover • Diane Wohl • Gabrielle Wolf • Cynthia Wolff • Joyce Wolitzer • Carol Wolowitz • Samantha Yablon • Joy Zelin • Dana Zeller • Mauri Chotin Zemachson • Michelle Zimmerman • Jane Zimmy • Rachel Zuckerbrot

Chair: Robin Kaplan
Women’s Leadership Chairs: Beth Altschuler • Anna Fisch • Rachel Kalnicki • Geula Solomon • Sandra Weingarten

*in formation

Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson • Shari Adler • Beth Altschuler • Eneas Arkawy • Charlotte Balsam • Staci Barber • Bonnie Barest • Roberta Bar-Levav • Pamela Barnett • Natalie Wolf Barth • Judith Baum • Carol Becker • Karen Belfer • Stacey Bennett • Ronit Berkman • Gayle Berg • Erica Berman • Caryn Beyer • Marnie Black • Gillian Bland • Simona Blau • Judith Bloom • Jill Harnick Bodian • Andrea Brandt •  Frances Brandt • Jill Breitstone • Debra Buslik • Sandra Cahn • Emily Caslow • Miriam Caslow • Elizabeth Chau • Jill Citron • Rebecca Citron • Samantha Claster • Susan Claster • Nikki Cole • Marla Cornejo • Dorit Corwin • Stephanie Diamond • Suzanne Doft • Adina Dolfman • Karina Eichenberg • Lisa Eisenstein • Rachel Epstein • Lynn Falkove • Cherie Feinberg • Lauren Feldman • Susan Felton • Anna Fisch • Rosele Frishwasser • Patti Fuchs • Rachel Furer • Jennifer Galeon • Valerie Garten • Mindy Geller • Caron Gelles • Marilyn Tune Gessin • Marina Glezer • Randi Goldberg • Terri Goldberg • Jill Goldsmith • Natalia Good • Carly Goodman • Judy Goodman • Rena Goodman • Shira Gordon • Michele Gould • Sandra Greenberg • Judy Greenblatt • Deborah Gross • Linda Gross • Phoebe Gross • Ellen Grossman • Jennifer Gruber • Kim Hartman • Alyssa Hattem • Susan Held • Stacy Helfstein • Lesley Heller • Pamela Henes • Erica Hermann • Nancy Hoffman • Stacy Hoffman • Avital Ingber • Amy Jaffee • Robin Joseph • Rachel Kalnicki • Robin Kaplan • Judith Kaufthal • Shelly Kivell • Joanne Klaristenfeld • Kate Belzberg Klein • Arlene Kleinberg • Laura Kleinhandler • Rosemarie Klipper • Cynthia Heller Knoll • Candice Koerner • Deena Kornblau • Annette Krassner • Jessica Kravitz • Susan Krevat • Natasha Krupp • Nancy Lascher • Sandy Lenger • Tammy Levine • Rebecca Levy • Rita Levy • Tracy Levy • Blair Lichter • Stacey Lowenberg • Heidi Lurensky • Andrea Lustig • Marla Maidenbaum • Reva Mandelbaum • Cindy Masters • Cindy Matte • Eileen Meyers • Mia Minen • Ruth Mirvis • Wendy Modlin • Lori Moore • Stacey Novick • Tricia Pantzer • Gail Port • Vicki Portman • Tina Price • Karen Rafalowicz • Pauline Raphael • Danielle Rayman • Monique Rechtschaffen • Tracy Retchin  • Mindy Richenstein • Seryl Ritter • Michelle Roberts • Jennifer Rochkind • Judith Rosen • Leora Rosenberg • Randi Rosenblatt • Tara Rosenblum • Jodi Rosenthal • Robin Ross • Beth Rubin • Stefanie Ruch • Lauren Sadkin • Nicole Sambur • Wendy Sandler • Susan Schlaff • Tami Schneider • Minna Seitelman • Karen Seltzer • Donna Senter • Beth Shabto • Lauren Shalem • Sharon Shane • Deborah Shapiro • Joyce Sharfstein • Alexandra Shear • Rita Sheena • Wendy Shenfeld • Emily Shteinhauz • Geri Silverman • Joanne Silverman • Patricia Silverstein • Amy Sirotkin • Molly Snyder • Geula Solomon • Cari Sommer • Robin Spielman • Amy Sprung • Suzanne Stadler • Beth Steinberg • Genia Taub • Stephanie Tessler • Leslie Topper • Judy Tuchman •  Dena Rosenberg Verhoff •  Myra Wagner • Nancy Waldbaum • Vicki Warner • Laura Wein • Shanna Weinblatt • Shahla Weiner • Beth Weingarten •  Sandra Weingarten • Tina Weinstock • Dana Weintraub • Edith Weisfeld • Pamela Wexler • Inna White • Jane Wilf • Dana Wilkins • Faye Wisen • Erika Witover • Diane Wohl • Gabrielle Wolf • Cynthia Wolff • Joyce Wolitzer • Carol Wolowitz • Samantha Yablon • Joy Zelin • Dana Zeller • Mauri Chotin Zemachson • Michelle Zimmerman • Jane Zimmy • Rachel Zuckerbrot

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contact us

Questions? Get in touch.
Jessica Shtutman

212.836.1404