‘Heroes’ Award Finalists Announced
By Josh Nathan-Kazis November 3, 2009
The Jewish Federations of North America today announced the five finalists in its controversial Jewish Community Heroes Awards — and while 12 of the 20 semi-finalists are Lubavitchers, only two of the finalists are associated with the movement.
They are Devora Benjamin, who raises funds for weddings for lower-income Jewish couples in Crown Heights, and Levi Shemtov, who founded an organization that provides mentors to children with special needs.
Chabad’s dominance in the contest’s semi-final round made the initiative a target for some critics.
The other three finalists are Yonah Bookstein, the executive rabbi of JConnectLA, an outreach and networking organization for young Jewish professionals; Ari Teman, the founder of the Jewish service group JCorps, and Shmuly Yanklowitz, the founder of Uri L’Tzedek, which promotes the ethical treatment of kosher industry workers.
After hundreds of nominees were whittled down to 20 in an online poll, a panel of judges picked the five finalists. The winner, who will be announced November 9 at JFNA’s General Assembly, will receive a $25,000 grant from the federations’ umbrella group.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
