Highlights of the OU 112th Anniversary Dinner

Hundreds of friends and supporters of the OU attended the organization’s 112th Dinner and Awards Presentation, held at the Grand Hyatt in New York City this past March. Among the distinguished honorees were OU Honorary Vice President Gustave Jacobs of Queens, New York; Drs. Marcy and Sylvan Schaffer of Queens, New York; Mordecai and Halina Schwartz of Staten Island, New York; Gerry Kean of Ventura Foods, LLC, and Nestlé Nutrition. The gala event, which was attended by Itamar Mayor Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith and his wife, Leah, included emotionally stirring videos of the honorees and their families. The dinner followed the OU’s third Emerging Jewish Communities Home and Job Relocation Fair, which attracted more than 1,000 participants. (See article on page 62.)

“Our distinguished honorees this year represent everything the OU stands for—high levels of achievement, community service, leadership in the synagogue world, and the highest standards of kashrut,” says Dr. Simcha Katz, OU President.

Rabbi Avi Berman, Director-General, OU Israel
(left) and Dr. Simcha Katz, OU President (right)
present Gustave Jacobs with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. Mr. Jacobs has been involved
with the OU for almost five decades.

Rabbi Steven Burg, Managing Director of the OU
and International Director of NCSY; Drs. Marcy
and Sylvan Schaffer, National Community
Service Awardees; and Lenny Bessler, OU Senior
Human Resources Officer.

Mordecai and Halina Schwartz of OU-member
synagogue Young Israel of Staten Island are
presented with the Distinguished President and
First Lady Award. Pictured above: The Schwartzes;
David Cutler, Director of NCSY Summer Programs
and Finances; and Srulie Rosner, International
Director, OU Job Board—both of whom are
members of the Young Israel of Staten Island.

Rabbi Steven Weil, OU Executive
Vice President, with Mr. Jacobs.

Hundreds of friends and supporters of the OU
attended the organization’s 112st Dinner and
Awards Presentation in NYC.

Rabbi Burg with his longtime friend Mr. Jacobs.

Rick Jentis, Head of Marketing, Infant Formula
and Infant Cereal, Nestlé Nutrition, accepts the
National Kashrut Leadership Award.
Pictured: Rabbi Dovid Bistricer, OU Rabbinic
Coordinator, Mr. Jentis and Rabbi Menachem
Genack, CEO, OU Kosher.

Gerry Kean, who is retiring from Ventura Foods,
LLC, received the Professional Commitment
Award. Pictured: Rabbi Genack, Mr. Kean and
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, OU Rabbinic Coordinator.
Photos: Richard Lobell