(Courtesy of Emunah of America) The annual Emunah Dinner, one of New York’s premier Jewish fundraising events, will take place on Sunday evening, November 10, at Chelsea Piers. The gala will raise critical funds for Emunah’s life-saving work in Israel.
Emunah operates over 160 unique projects—residential homes, trauma counseling centers and early childhood education centers—serving over 10,000 vulnerable Israelis every day. The dinner’s theme will highlight how Emunah’s children beat the odds, breaking cycles of poverty and neglect, and enabling them to grow into healthy, successful adults.
In addition to generating vital funds for our work with children and families at risk in Israel, the annual dinner raises awareness about our critical programs and allows us to celebrate the inspiring accomplishments of our 2019 honorees.
This year, Emunah of America will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Shirley Billet, a”h. The award will be accepted on her behalf by her children, Dr. Lynn Sugarman and Dr. Mark Billet. Shirley was a foundational pillar of Emunah—a past national president and treasurer, during whose tenure opened the Sally and Ata Solomon School of Geriatric Nursing—and was instrumental in securing funding and grants for many more capital campaigns. Shirley was an all-around powerhouse who helped build Emunah with dedication and tenacity.
Her volunteer efforts started with collecting funds for Israel on the New York subway and culminated in constructing buildings and innovative social service programs in Israel. Last November, despite being very ill, she continued to advocate for Emunah, securing a sizable gift, which, along with her legacy at Emunah, will forever change the lives of Emunah’s children.
We will also have the privilege of presenting the Dor L’Dor Award to Chani Chesner and Odit Oliner, whose acceptance will include a tribute to their late grandmother, Dr. Leila Bronner, a”h. Chani and Odit’s involvement in Emunah is a continuation of their grandmother’s legacy. Chani notes that her grandmother “made an ever-lasting imprint. She was extremely generous to her family and those in need, giving tzedaka to our community and many throughout the U.S., South Africa and Israel.”
The Young Leadership Award will go to Rachel Gindi, who sets an inspiring example for other young people to follow. Rachel was first introduced to the work of Emunah as a college student. She led the first summer trip to Emunah’s Achuzat Sara Children’s Home in 2016 and has been going back for the past four summers, in addition to visiting during the year. Rachel also has been involved in many other Emunah programs. She played a critical role in the creation of Kol HaNearim, arranged a week-long trip to Los Angeles for eight Neve Michael children and ran a half marathon with the children of Bet Elazraki.
The dinner will feature special guest speaker Sara Tegau Samay, who will share how Emunah enabled her to beat the odds, overcoming disadvantaged circumstances to become a nurse, get married and start a family.
Emunah’s Annual Dinner relies heavily on support from the community to ensure that we can continue to provide award-winning programs and services to all those who turn to us for help. Please join us on November 10 to enable vulnerable children in Israel to “beat the odds.” For more info visit www.emunahdinner.org.
