Congratulations to the Winners of the Cohon Award.
Take some time to read about these amazing people below!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
  • 2011 Winner - Rabbi Bentzion Kravitz

Rabbi Kravitz arrived in Los Angeles during the '70s and observed a situation that challenged him.  Young Jews who searched for meaning were getting involved with missionary and cult groups.  Their families frequently were in crisis about this.  He began working with them, developing an approach that succeeded in reuniting these straying individuals with their heritage and their identity.  In the process, he organized Jews for Judaism, and since then he has brought more than 1,000 Jews "home."

Now his organization functions in places throughout the world, and he has important plans for the future.  He received his award for Unity at Temple EmanuEl of Tucson, certainly not the first Reform congregation where this Orthodox rabbi has spoken.  And he regaled the Shabat attendance with a few stories about his experiences in his sacred work. 

     
  • 2010 - Barbara Ribakove Gordon
    Barbara won over other highly qualified candidates because of her truly remarkable service to Klal Yisrael, the total Jewish people. She led the Rescue of Ethiopian Jewry which relocated 120,000 people from the poverty and oppression of Ethiopia to freedom in Israel, and continues to rescue their children and their culture helping them become valuable citizens of Israel.

    Click HERE to Watch a Video with Interviews and Award Ceremony Footage!
     
  • 2009 - Syd Mandelbaum and Dr. Michael Hammer
    Syd Mandelbaum of Long Island and Dr. Michael Hammer of Arizona. Together they are using their scientific discoveries to help Klal Yisrael, the entire Jewish people.  Their field is human genetics, specifically DNA.  They created the DNA Shoah project, to re-unite families torn apart by the Holocaust. Mr. Mandelbaum is the son of two survivors. His own grandfather disappeared from a slave labor camp and was never found. Other families were similarly fractured. Now our winners urge those who seek to find the missing, to add their own DNA's to the file. A match could still happen! Go to their website, www.dnashoah.org and learn the details.
      

  • 2008 - Dr. Jose Nessim
    Dr. Nessim is founder of the Sephardic
    Educational Center in Jerusalem, for education, seen here accepting his award at the opening night of the Sephardic Film Festival at Paramount Studios, Hollywood.

    Click HERE to Watch a Video with Interviews and Award Ceremony Footage!
Dr. Nessim      


  • 2008 - Roz Rothstein
    Rox is a founder of the StandWithUs organization, for unity, she received her award at Temple EmanuEl of Tucson, Arizona, headquarters of the Cohon Memorial Foundation.
      
  • 2007 - Ivan Ceresnjes of Jerusalem for both rescue and education. As president of the Jewish Community of Sarajevo during the Balkan War in the '90s, he saved 3,000 lives – Jewish and non-Jewish – leading them through the guardposts of three enemy forces. As a result of his work, his community maintained good relations with their Christian and Muslim neighbors. An architect by profession, now living in Israel with his wife and family, he continues his service by documenting the architectural heritage of Eastern European Jewry for the Hebrew University.
      
  • 2006 - Simon Frumkin
    Si Frumkin of Los Angeles & Glenn Richter of New York City for rescue. With his co-winner Glenn Richter (not pictured) Si led the Soviet Jewry movement in the United States, influencing the Jackson Vanik Amendment which facilitated the rescue of nearly a million Russian Jews from Soviet oppression and danger to safety in the United States and Israel. Himself a Dachau survivor, Si received his award at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. Sadly for us all, he received his eternal reward in 2009.
     
     
  • 2005 - Henry Sapoznik of New York City for creative arts. Highly instrumental (in more ways than one) in the Klezmer revival, he brought the joy of Klezmer music to a new generation. He continues his service with his ongoing KlezKamp program, acquainting American Jewish youth with Yiddish music and culture and Jewish tradition. Hank received his award at a Cantors Assembly convention in the Catskills.
      
  • 2003 - The Koppel Family of Cleveland, Ohio, in the field of education and information. Independently, these fine people produce a regular reference list of worldwide Jewish publications. For nearly half a century now, their work is an indispensible asset to anyone working in the Jewish field. They received their award at their congregation in Cleveland, Ohio.