Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life will honor world-renowned Jewish leader Edgar M. Bronfman at an April 6 New York gala that will highlight his global achievements in Hillel and other philanthropies. The event will take place at The Pierre Hotel and will feature a special dialogue with journalist Charlie Rose. Information on the event may be obtained from Robert Katz at 212-279-6300 x16.
"Through his work in education and public affairs, Edgar is not just securing the future of the Jewish community, he is ensuring that it is a future filled with meaningful Jewish content," said Hillel President Avraham Infeld. "What is most remarkable about Edgar is that he has given generously of his time throughout his chairmanship, visiting with students on more than 100 campuses around the world."
As founding chairman of Hillel's International Board of Governors since 1994, Bronfman has helped to bring about one of the most significant turnarounds in the history of Jewish organizations. In the last decade, Hillel has been transformed from an under-resourced, overlooked Jewish organization to the world's largest Jewish campus organization with more than 35 new buildings, affiliates on five continents, leadership from the top ranks of business and philanthropy, thousands of student activists, and a cadre of trained professionals.
The event Honorary Committee includes U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel; Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.); university presidents Lee C. Bollinger (Columbia University), Avishai Braverman (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev), Richard M. Joel (Yeshiva University), Itamar Rabinovich (Tel Aviv), Morton Owen Shapiro (Williams College), and John Sexton (New York University); and university chancellors Matthew Goldstein (The City University of New York) and Henry T. Yang (University of California, Santa Barbara). The committee includes dignitaries from Israel: former Foreign Minister Moshe Arens, Ambassador to the United States Daniel Ayalon, former Knesset Chairman Avraham Burg, Knesset Member Yuli Edelshtein, Ambassador to the U.N. Dan Gillerman, Consul General Arye Mekel, Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky, and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Zalman Shoval.
The largest Jewish campus organization in the world, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life is committed to creatively empowering and engaging Jewish students through its network of more than 500 regional centers, campus foundations, program centers and affiliates. Its long-standing dedication to building Jewish identity, while nurturing intellectual and spiritual growth in a pluralistic community, positions Hillel as a leader in building a stronger Jewish people and stronger Jewish future. For more information, visit www.hillel.org.