The mini hot dogs were back and more delicious than ever.

After a year of Zoom, we were delighted to gather in person on Monday for our Wall Street Dinner, with many hundreds more joining online. We came to pay tribute to the extraordinary philanthropic leadership of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, recipient of the Gustave L. Levy Award, and Stephanie Cohen of Goldman Sachs, recipient of the Alan C. Greenberg Young Leadership Award.

Heartfelt thanks to Lloyd Blankfein, who oversaw his fourth dinner as chair of our Wall Street Division, and whose leadership has truly elevated the division. With his customary honesty (and levity), Lloyd reminded the audience that most there were blessed to have had a relatively easy time through the pandemic — with access to technology, food delivery services, medical and child care, and even the chance to spend more quality time with family. But he then spoke of the pandemic experienced by the vast majority of our community: People in service jobs who had to show up even during the scariest of times and those whose jobs didn’t survive the pandemic. Those with kids at home in uncomfortably small apartments who couldn’t afford babysitters, PPE, or doctors' visits. The elderly and infirm, who were isolated and cut off from visitors. And Lloyd remarked: “Because of UJA, tens of thousands of New Yorkers and so many others in Israel and around the world have help and hope, when help and hope is most needed.”

Stephanie Cohen, Global Co-Head of Consumer and Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs, stirringly echoed Lloyd’s message, noting that 1.5 million New Yorkers are struggling to feed themselves and their families right now, including 1 in 4 children. Stephanie then cited the 200,000 people UJA helps to feed monthly through our support of Met Council. 

The other theme of the evening was rising antisemitism, an issue of intense focus and funding at UJA. We’re actively engaged in strengthening our community’s physical security, and educating Jews and non-Jews alike about the modern face of antisemitism, equipping them with the tools and confidence to confront anti-Jewish hate in all its forms.

In Mike Bloomberg's impassioned remarks at the dinner, he offered an in-depth look at the reality of antisemitism in America today. He urged people to call out Jew-hatred in their own ranks, whether on the left or the right, saying: “Partisan affiliation has become a religion…and it blinds us to shameful wrongs in our own party that we would be outraged if it occurred in the other party.” More broadly, Mike spoke about how we must show a much more united response to antisemitism, whether it's spewed by those who march openly with torches or those who speak in coded language.

His bottom-line message, which resonates deeply: "We need to do a better job of standing together.”

I invite you to watch the video and to heed Mike's powerful call to action.       

Shabbat shalom