Honoring
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Join us as we honor Carol Harrison with the Mark Ramer Award and Amy & Ross Epstein, Ellen & Gary Hisiger, and Barbara Leistner & Robert Barrack with the Community Leadership Award.
 
As UJA continues to respond to the ongoing needs in Israel in the aftermath of October 7 and to the surging antisemitism here in New York, we know coming together has never been more important.  

This event is intended for donors of $500 or more to UJA’s 2025 Annual Campaign or $250 for first-time participants. 

Dietary Laws Observed
  
The Inaugural will feature a Roll of Honor. Please join us in demonstrating your support by making a gift to the 2025 Annual Campaign. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. 
 
The deadline for the Roll of Honor is Friday, August 23, 2024. Your participation in it is completely voluntary, although we hope you will agree to have your name listed for the Inaugural and our Long Island Roll of Honor.   
  
Leadership Circle   $36,000+*  
Philanthropist        $25,000+*  
Champion              $18,000+*  
Guardian                $10,000+*  
Humanitarian         $7,500+  
Benefactor              $5,000+  
Ambassador           $2,500+  
Community Leader $1,800+  
Patron                     $1,000+  

 

If you cannot attend and would like to make a donation, please contact Randy Newman at 516.762.5836 or .


* A contribution of $10,000 or more includes membership in one or more of UJA’s donor giving societies: Tzedek Society ($10,000+), King David Society ($25,000+), Ambassador’s Round Table ($50,000+), and Prime Minister’s Council ($100,000+). Membership includes exclusive access to briefings, volunteer experiences, missions, and other benefits.

Honoring

Honoree Portrait

Carol Harrison

Mark Ramer Award
   
Following in the footsteps of Carol’s parents, Carol and her late husband, John, have always supported UJA. UJA’s mission of caring for those in need wherever they are and rescuing those in harm’s way resonates deeply with Carol and her family.

Carol was born in Brooklyn and raised in Hewlett Harbor and met her husband John at Hewlett High School. They married in 1968 and moved to Woodsburgh in 1974 with their daughters. Carol was a longtime member of the PTA during their school years. 

Carol helped establish the Hewlett-Woodmere Alumni Association in 1994 to provide scholarships to students continuing their education...

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Honoree Portrait

Amy & Ross Epstein

Amy and Ross Epstein are dedicated supporters of UJA, understanding the importance of strengthening the Jewish community locally and globally. They believe strongly in UJA’s allocation of funds, supporting local food pantries, funding summer camps and Jewish education, and more. Supporting UJA is a vital part of the legacy passed down from Ross’s grandparents, Marcy and Joseph Sirulnick, and maintaining this connection is very important to them.

In addition to their involvement with UJA, Amy and Ross have supported the Michael J. Fox Foundation, hosting an annual fundraiser for 10 years and raising over a million dollars. They are also active in the South Shore Community...

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Honoree Portrait

Ellen & Gary Hisiger

Ellen and Gary Hisiger both have strong connections to many Jewish organizations, starting with B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, where they met and were active both as youth and in an adult advisory board capacity. Together, they support the Barry & Florence Friedberg JCC, a UJA partner, in Oceanside, and were founding members of Sunrise Day Camp, where Gary serves on the board of directors. 

Ellen and Gary give to UJA because UJA supports many of the philanthropic organizations they care about and extends help to those in need who may not know where their next meal is coming from or how they will keep a roof over their head. Most importantly, UJA is creating a...

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Honoree Portrait

Barbara Leistner & Robert Barrack

Barbara and Bobby Barrack have supported UJA for many years, as they appreciate all the good that UJA does for Israel and the Jewish people around the world, and for anyone in need. Barbara and Bobby visited the site of the former World Trade Center with Larry Silverstein and UJA post 9/11, and Bobby just visited Israel on a UJA solidarity mission. Both opportunities left them with true admiration for UJA’s work.

Bobby grew up in Queens, and his family was active in the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights. He received his B.A. and M.B.A. from NYU and is a CPA. He started his career at Arthur Andersen & Co. and went on to work in a tax practice, as an investment banker, as the...

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Guest Speaker

Honoree Portrait

Mickey Bergman

Renowned Expert in Hostage Negotiations

Mickey Bergman is the CEO of Global Reach and vice president of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, nongovernmental, nonprofit organizations that negotiate the release of political prisoners and hostages around the world. A special-operations veteran of the Israel Defense Forces, Mickey has spent the past decade freeing Americans from some of the most complex and insulated countries on earth, including Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, Syria, Gambia, and Sudan. He is the author of In the Shadows and is an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service, where his graduate courses focus on the art of emotional intelligence in international...

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Featuring

Honoree Portrait

Tyler Gildin

Comedian and Award-Winning Filmmaker

Tyler Gildin is a comedian and award-winning filmmaker whose work has been featured on NBC, CBS, Sirius XM, Huffington Post, Daily Mail, and Newsday. He has performed at renowned clubs throughout the tristate area, including Caroline's on Broadway, New York Comedy Club, Governors, and The Brokerage.

In 2017, Tyler founded the production company Gildin Media, which specializes in original productions, social creative, and marketing campaigns for over two dozen brands. In 2019, Gildin Media released its first documentary, The Starfish, based on Tyler's late grandfather's Holocaust story. The film received international press and premiered at the Miami Jewish...

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Leadership

Ilene and Larry Cohen 
Nancy and Alan Hoffman



contact us

Questions? Get in touch.
Randy Newman

516.762.5836