Jewish Chicago gathers Sept. 13 for 123rd JUF Annual Meeting

Jewish Chicagoans will assemble for the 123 ^rd Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation to celebrate the extraordinary milestones of the past year and extend recognition to those who spearheaded this important work.

Under the leadership of Susie Spier Chapman, a member of the JUF/Federation Board and Women’s City Council, the gathering will be held at Ateres Ayala in Skokie on Sept. 13 at 11 a.m. There also will be an option to attend virtually.

Some highlights:

* Harvey L. Miller will receive the 60 ^th annual Julius Rosenwald Memorial Award, the Federation’s highest honor. The award, named for the business icon and philanthropist, recognizes a lifetime of dedication to Chicago’s Jewish community.

An avid businessman and philanthropist, Miller believes strongly in “giving back to the community.” Born and raised in Chicago, he served in the U.S. Navy before joining his brother Jack as co-owner of the Quill Office Supply Co. He helped to develop the company into the Quill Corporation, a preeminent direct marketer of office supplies.

Miller’s passion is Jewish continuity, and he has been widely recognized for his leadership and generosity in the Jewish community at the local and national levels. A proud American who believes in the importance of civic engagement, Miller also is active in Chicago’s business and civic arenas.

* In the annual State of the Federation address, President Lonnie Nasatir will discuss the situation in Israel, the multi-faceted ways JUF/Federation is providing support for Jews impacted by the war in Ukraine, the organization’s deepened investments in security and mental health, and his vision for the coming year and beyond.

* The Davis, Gidwitz & Glasser Young Leadership Award, celebrating the achievements and promise of outstanding young volunteers, will be presented to Jacob L. Shapiro and Lisa Tarshis. Both of this year’s winners are past 36 Under 36 honorees.

Shapiro is the outgoing co-chair of the Jewish Federation of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet and the co-chair of JFNA’s 2024 Washington Conference. He has been involved in JUF since attending an Israel mission at age 13 and served on the Young Leadership Division Board after participating in Write On For Israel during college. Professionally, he is the president of Karlov Street Capital, a private investment firm.

Tarshis–a past president of JUF’s Young Leadership Division–has served on a variety of key JUF committees, including Community Outreach and Engagement, Scholarship, Marketing Communications, and Community Building and Jewish Continuity. She is also a past chair of the Ben-Gurion Society Advisory Council. Tarshis is the executive director of the Primer Foundation, dedicated to building schools in low-income communities.

* The Samuel A. Goldsmith Award, spotlighting exemplary young Jewish agency professionals, will go to Eve Reingold Kleinerman and Molly Rudnick.

Kleinerman is the Illinois Regional Director at Sharsheret, the Jewish Breast & Ovarian Cancer Community. Inspired by her mother’s battle with breast cancer, she spearheaded the opening of Sharsheret’s Illinois office in 2019 and has actively fought to expand knowledge and advocacy for the fight against cancer.

Rudnick, YLD Director, is an innovator at heart. She introduced a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee to JUF–which recently launched the Peers program for adults with disabilities along with Encompass and TOV–and spearheads YLD’s Big Event Fundraiser.

* The Shofar Award will be presented to 2023 JUF Annual Campaign Chair Carey Cooper, as an expression of the community’s gratitude for his tremendous commitment and leadership.

* The Federation membership will elect the 2023-2024 Board slate.

To register for the Annual Meeting, visit JUF.org/AnnualMeeting .