The award recipients are:

• Judy Robins—Lifetime Achievement Award
• Elaine Asarch—Volunteer of the Year
• Bruce L. Plotkin—Special Leadership Recognition Award
• American Jewish Committee—Partner of the Year
• Daniel Feiner—Ruth and Warren Toltz Young Leadership Award
• Lisa W. Perlmutter—Charlotte Tucker Young Leadership Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

Judy Robins | Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to the individual who has devoted continuous time, energy, leadership and talent to building and sustaining Jewish life in Colorado, Israel and around the world.

We are proud to award Judy Robins, Federation’s past Coordinating Council Chair, with our highest honor, Federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her long-standing commitment to community service,” said Doug Seserman, Federation’s president and CEO.  “Judy is a role model for current and future leaders in the community and this award is a tribute to her dedication, leadership and volunteerism.”

Robins is a local business owner who has been actively involved in the Jewish community for over 30 years. She made the decision to become active in the community during the Yom Kippur war of 1973.  Since that time, she has served in a variety of lay leader roles for Federation including Coordinating Council Chair, Annual Campaign Chair, Young Women’s Campaign Chair, National Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) Officer and JFNA’s National Women’s Board.  She is also the founding chair of both the Lion of Judah division and the JFNA’s Young Women’s Leadership Cabinet for Federation.  In 1992, Robins was awarded Federation’s Gold Meir award.

In addition to Federation’s work, Robins is an active volunteer throughout the rest of our community, including Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS) board member, a member of the executive committee of the American Friends of Livnot U’Lehibanot, a former board member of BMH-BJ Synagogue and a former Denver Art Museum board member.

Volunteer of the Year Award

Elaine Asarch | Volunteer of the Year Award

The Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to the individual who has demonstrated during the past year a truly extraordinary commitment to furthering the mission of Federation through fundraising, leadership, and other activities.

During the past year, Elaine Asarch has served as Federation’s Annual Campaign Chair.  In this capacity, she helped us to raise more than $10.5 million for the Federation’s 2011 Annual Campaign.  Asarch worked diligently to engage more lay leader volunteers and build awareness and understanding of Federation’s mission.

Judy Robins, chair of the Federation’s Coordinating Council, stated,

Elaine served as a catalyst helping us to deliver against Federation’s mission to build and sustain Jewish life in Colorado, Israel, and around the world.  She has built a cadre of new volunteers, who have dedicated time and energy last campaign season and who will continue to help us moving forward.  Elaine’s warmth, passion, commitment and leadership are truly exemplary.  She has devoted countless hours of her time and energy to help Jews at home and around the world.  We are proud to honor her as Federation’s Volunteer of the Year.”

Asarch has served in a variety of lay leader position at Federation, including Women’s Department president, Womens’ Dept. Campaign chair, National Young Leadership Board, National Womens’ Philanthropy Board , Jewish Community Relations Council chair, and Israel, National and Overseas chair.  She also has been active in our community, serving on other committees including Anti-Defamation League board: Governors Holocaust Remembrance Program Chair, Allied Jewish Apartments board member and AIPAC National Leadership Council.  Additionally, she is the founder of the Community Help and Abuse Information, which is housed at Jewish Family Services, the Civic Center Conservancy and the Colorado steering committee for the Harvard Women’s Studies in Religion Program.

Special Leadership Recognition Award

Bruce L. Plotkin | Special Leadership Recognition Award

In recognition of extraordinary leadership efforts, Federation is proud to award Bruce L. Plotkin with the Special Leadership Recognition for three years of service, leading the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF).

We are extremely grateful to Bruce,” said Judy Robins, Federation’s Coordinating Council Chair.  “Not only did Bruce serve as the Foundation chair for three years, extending his two year term, but he took the helm in turbulent times during the worst recession in recent memory.  During his tenure, he helped to build and improve the Foundation, including designing a successful new investment platform.”

Plotkin, outgoing chair of the JCF, has been an active volunteer in Colorado and the Jewish community for over 15 years.  In January 2012, he will become President of the Colorado chapter of the American Jewish Committee.

In 1996, he became actively involved with Federation through fundraising and chairing various divisions including Federation’s Major Gifts campaign.  He also served as Federation’s Planning and Allocations chair, where he oversaw a three-year transition of Federation allocations to a system of grants based upon community priorities.  Plotkin was a member of the JFNA’s National Young Leadership Cabinet where he held several leadership positions.  A long time member of Federation’s endowment committee, he was a founding director of the JCF.

Throughout our community, he has been involved with several other Jewish organizations including the American Jewish Committee, Temple Emanuel and BBYO.  He also has been an active fundraiser for select national and local political candidates.  As a participant in the Wexner Foundation’s Heritage Program for lay community leaders, the American Jewish Committee’s Comay Fellowship program, and Federation’s Leadership Institute, Plotkin has continuously taken an active role leading the Jewish community.

Partner of the Year Award

American Jewish Committee | Partner of the Year Award

AJC helped convene the community and coordinate efforts of civil discourse after some community members expressed opposition to Pastor John Hagee’s scheduled appearance at a Federation event.

Doug Seserman, president and CEO of Federation, said,

We are proud to partner with the American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy organization that promotes democratic values and societies where all minorities are protected. With the help of AJC, we worked to improve civil discourse in our community.  They helped us to facilitate discussions between community members with different perspectives of the same issues in an environment of mutual respect.  We sincerely appreciate their partnership.”

Accepting the award for the AJC are Don Schlesinger, AJC Director and David Seserman, AJC President.

Ruth and Warren Toltz & Charlotte Tucker Young Leadership Awards

The Ruth and Warren Toltz Young Leadership Award is presented annually to a male, and the Charlotte Tucker Young Leadership Award is presented annually to a female, who have met the following criteria:

• Be between the ages of 25 and 40
• Demonstrated a commitment to Federation, as well as the broader the Jewish community
• Demonstrated the ability to bring constituents together for committees, programs, events, and/or fundraising campaigns
• Possess the potential for greater leadership responsibility in the future
• Participated in a meaningful way in the Federation’s Annual Campaign

Daniel Feiner | Ruth and Warren Toltz Young Leadership Award

Daniel Feiner, recipient of the Ruth and Warren Toltz Young Leadership Award, began his involvement with Federation in 2007. He has worked on campaign, fundraising and young adult activities.  He is a third year member of the Federation National Young Leadership Cabinet (NYLC), serving as Federation’s chair of NYLC.  As such, Feiner holds a seat on the Federation’s Coordinating Council.  He also is a member of the Federation’s Allocations Task Force, the Jewish Resource Center Board, the Financial Oversight Group, and the Reimagining Design Team.  In the community, Feiner is a member of AIPAC’s Washington Club, and recently worked with the Rose Community Foundation in their Roots and Branches program.

Lisa W. Perlmutter | Charlotte Tucker Young Leadership Award

Lisa W. Perlmutter, recipient of the Charlotte Tucker Young Leadership Award, has been involved with Federation for more than 15 years. Locally, she has served in a variety of roles for the largest women’s philanthropic event for several years including CHOICES Outreach Committee and as a table captain.  She has been a member of the Women’s Campaign Committee in 2010.  Nationally, Perlmutter is a current member of the JFNA National Young Leadership Cabinet serving as the Ritual and Judaic co-chair from 2011-2012.  Additionally, she served as the recruitment co-chair for JFNA’s TribeFest in 2011.  She is involved with the community as a board member and co-chair Keshet of the Rockies, board member for The Jewish Experience and a co-chair for Denver Jewish Day Schools Parent Ambassador Committee.

Please join us to honor these deserving award recipients at the Federation and JCF’s Annual Meeting.  There is an $18 cost to attend.  For more information or to make a reservation to attend, please contact events at 303-316-6443 or events@ajfcolorado.org.  Reservations can also be made online at www.jewishcolorado.org/annualmeeting.

About the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado
For more than 60 years, the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado has been building and sustaining Jewish life across Colorado, in Israel, and around the world. Each year Federation mobilizes the Jewish community to raise the crucial funds required to provide food, refuge, comfort, education, and emergency assistance to millions of people in-need. Last year, Federation raised $10.1 million that benefited dozens of charitable agencies, both locally and worldwide.

We began the process by collecting information through focus groups, however, we want to increase our reach.  So to support this effort, we are conducting an anonymous online survey.  On Friday, July 15, we launched an online survey, which will be available for participation through Sunday, July 31.  As an incentive for people to participate, there will be a drawing to win an Apple iPad 2.

You may receive the survey from JewishColorado.org or you may also receive it through other Colorado Jewish organizations of which you are a member. Please take the time to respond and help us shape the future of the Colorado Jewish community. But remember, responses will only be counted once and you can only enter once for the iPad drawing.

If you are interested in hearing some results from the survey, we will be reporting out themes from the responses to the community at our 2011 Annual Meeting on Monday, August 29 at 7 p.m. at Comedy Works South at Landmark, where we are honoring some amazing members of our community, as well.

To take the survey, please click here.

To RSVP for our Annual Meeting, please click here.

To make a tribute to one of our Annual Meeting award winners, please click here.

Debra Weinstein | 2011 Golda Recipient

The Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado’s Jewish Women’s Philanthropy Center will present its 32^nd Annual Golda Meir Award to Debra Weinstein at a lunch to be held on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 11:00 AM at the JW Marriott Cherry Creek in Denver.  The “Golda” is presented annually to a local Jewish woman who exemplifies extraordinary leadership, involvement, and support of the Federation, as well as an outstanding ability to inspire others to become passionate about the Federation’s mission.

“Debra is a driving force in the Colorado Jewish community,” said Amy Toltz-Miller, Campaign Chair.  “Her impact is amazing.”  As the overall Annual Campaign Chair, Debra’s passion and enthusiasm has raised the bar for Jewish philanthropy and giving, not only among women, but the community as a whole. During Debra’s role as chair of the Jewish Women’s Philanthropy Center, Debra set the tone for a new wave of marketing for our LOJE women. Since 2005, when Debra was first chair, every woman who has endowed their gift has worn their Lion of Judah pin in their LOJE portrait that hangs on the wall of our board room and Legacy Hall.

The success of our Mountain Lion and LOJE programs are a true testament to Debra’s drive, creativity and dedication to the Colorado Jewish community. Debra’s commitment to this community was recognized in 2007 when she was awarded our prestigious “Volunteer of the Year” award at Federation’s Annual Meeting.

Receiving the Golda Meir Award is further proof of Debra’s genuine passion for the Jewish people. This award further proves Debra’s sense of dedication and responsibility to the Jewish community, one that few people are capable of carrying. Debra has been a major community leader for over a decade whose sense of caring, understanding and love resonates beautifully back through our Colorado community. Federation’s Coordinating Council chair, Nancy Gart, said,

Debra reaches across the spectrum of our community, positively impacting the people she comes into contact with. She is a community builder, a wonderful friend and an incredible leader.  I cannot think of a more perfect recipient for this award and all it embodies.”

Please join us in honoring Debra Weinstein at the Federation’s 32^nd Annual Golda Luncheon.  The cost to attend is $50 per person.  For more information or to make a reservation to attend, please contact events at 303-316-6443 or events@ajfcolorado.org.  Reservations can also be made online at www.jewishcolorado.org/golda.

Lt. Ori is a 23-year-old drone operator in the Israeli Air Force from Rosh Ha’ayin near Tel Aviv.  Ori started flight school and then moved to the 200th Squadron which is responsible for unmanned aerial vehicles.  During his free time, Ori enjoys traveling around Israel with his friends.  He will finish his Army service next year.  Ori joined a Birthright Israel trip in 2008 and remembers the excitement of the Bar Mitzvah of one of the participants on the top of Masada.

Capt. Adi is a 24-year-old from Tel Aviv who is doing her Army service in Mafat, the Israeli Defense Resarch and Project Agency.  Her job is to develop anti-missle systems for the Israeli Air Force.  Adi has made a nine-year commitment to the IDF.  When not on the job, Adi enjoys swimming, running, hiking and roller skating and also volunteers with an organization that tutors high school kids from distressed neighborhoods.

(Both officers requested that their last names not be published.)

Art talked about the early days of Birthright and the phenomenal growth of the program in the last ten years, as well as their partnership with the IDF in staffing the trips.

Thanks to Strategic Resources for sponsoring this Happy Hour, including an open bar period.

Be sure to watch for information on Jews, Brews and Start-up Gurus, this month’s Third Thursday Young Adult Happy Hour next Thursday night.  This special edition is so named as part of Boulder Start-up Week next week.

According to news reports, a 16-year-old boy was critically wounded when the rocket exploded. The bus was dropping off children at the gates of Kibbutz Nachal Oz, less than one mile from the Gaza border, when it was targeted. Miraculously, no other students were on the bus. The bus driver was also wounded by shrapnel in Thursday afternoon’s attack, Haaretz reported.

Given the direct targeting of a school bus by an anti-tank weapon, the attack is being viewed as an escalation of an already deteriorating security situation in the south of Israel.

In New York, President Shimon Peres responded to news of the attack saying it was “another clear example of Gaza’s transformation into a terror state.” He told UN Security Council ambassadors that “hundreds of thousands of mothers and children in southern Israel are not able to sleep peacefully at night as a result of rocket fire from Gaza.”

Sha’ar HaNegev Principal Aharele Rothstein said, “The children had just got off the bus; it was a miracle,” pointing out that the incident had been just moments away from being an even greater tragedy.

Terrorists have already fired over 200 rockets and mortars at Israel this year from Gaza, compared to 238 for all of last year. Israel has the right and duty to defend its citizens against this daily barrage of missiles.

Other rockets fired from Gaza today hit a home in the Eshkol region. Luckily no injuries were reported, but the house sustained damage.

To put this in perspective, the distance between those firing the missiles and the civilians they hit is less than the distance between the Pepsi Center and the Denver Zoo.

The last few weeks have seen a new upsurge in deadly terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. In Jerusalem, a bomb set in the busiest part of the city killed a 59-year-old woman and injured dozens more. The bomb was set shortly after terrorists butchered five members of the Fogel family including three children and both parents in the West Bank community of Itamar.

Our thoughts and prayers go to out the families as well the staff and students at Sha’ar HaNegev High School.

I know many of you would like to help. As you may know, your Federation dollars go to support victims of terror around the world. Federation supports the “Fund for Victims of Terror” with our overseas partner, Jewish Agency for Israel.

Thank you.

Doug Seserman, President and CEO

“The Israel Community Ambassadors Program is designed to encourage and develop knowledge, awareness and commitment to the Jewish community and to Israel,” said Janet Sherman, director of Federation’s Israel, National & Overseas Board.

The stipends will be awarded to those applicants between the ages of 16 and 30 who demonstrate an ability and willingness to become ambassadors for Israel in Colorado upon their return. Applicants must be Colorado residents to be eligible. An approved program is an organized educational experience in Israel that focuses on strengthening one’s Jewish identity and connection to Israel.

Applications are due April 29, 2011, and decisions will be announced by Monday, May 16, 2011. You can download the application and read the guidelines here.  For questions, please contact Janet Sherman at jsherman@ajfcolorado.org or 303-316-6490.

Richard Galdieri, BJDS Board president and parent of two current students, is devastated that his children will not be able to attend the school next year, but is grateful that they will at least have the chance to finish this school year.  “It has been a sad and difficult time for all the BJDS families as they undertake the challenge of finding new schools for next year,” said Galdieri. “We are extremely grateful to Federation for helping us finish out the remainder of this academic year, as closing mid-year would make this transition even more difficult.  Their support, in addition to our own fundraising will enable us to give the children time to say goodbye to the school they love.”

BJDS, a community day school that has been in existence for 17 years, serves students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 5^th grade.  Three years ago, the school’s enrollment reached an all-time high with 65 students but has since declined to the 26 students currently enrolled.  School leadership was projecting a further decline for the 2011-2012 school year, prompting the decision to close the school.

Marnie Miller, chair of Federation’s JRC Board, worked with BJDS and Federation volunteers and staff to facilitate the emergency funding agreement.  “I am so happy that Federation is able to respond to BJDS’s emergency request, and that 26 young Jewish children will have a positive experience as they complete the school year,” said Miller.

“It is most unfortunate that BJDS is closing,” says Judy Robins, Federation’s CC chair. “Federation has supported the school during its years of serving the Boulder Jewish community, and we are committed to assisting the school as it faces this challenge. This is what Federation is all about – being there for Jewish communities in Colorado and around the world when they are in need.”

The Coordinating Council approved up to $35,000 in emergency funding for BJDS at their meeting on March 23, 2011: one immediate installment of $10,000, with the remaining $25,000 to be funded incrementally, as BJDS raises its share of the deficit.  Release of matching funds will be dependent on BJDS collecting the remainder of their tuition revenue for the 2010-2011 school year.  While BJDS will not operate during the 2011-2012 school year, if the school becomes operational after next year, the emergency funding must be repaid to Federation with interest within 24 months of the first day of school.

Federation will be implementing a supplemental campaign to enable donors in the Denver/Boulder area to help support the school through the end of the year.  For more information or to make a donation, please contact Dani Gilady at dgilady@ajfcolorado.org or 303.316.6466.

About the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado
For more than 60 years, the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado has been building and sustaining Jewish life across Colorado, in Israel, and around the world.  Each year Federation mobilizes the Jewish community to raise the crucial funds required to provide food, refuge, comfort, education, and emergency assistance to millions of people in-need.  Last year, Federation raised $10.3 million that benefited dozens of charitable agencies, both locally and worldwide.

• BMH-BJ Congregation
• B’nai Chaim
• Boulder JCC
• Boulder Jewish Day School
• Chabad Garden, South Metro
• Denver Academy of Torah
• Hebrew Educational Alliance
• Hillel Academy
• Robert E. Loup JCC
• Rodef Shalom
• Temple Emanuel
• Temple Sinai

The funds were made available from Federation’s new Early Childhood Education Scholarship Fund (Fund), generously funded by Rose Community Foundation (Rose).  Federation has partnered with Rose to create new sources of funding to provide ECE scholarships for families in need who have children currently enrolled in any of the twelve Denver/Boulder Jewish ECE centers.  By augmenting the current level of available scholarships, these centers now have help to “fill the gap” that exists between funds currently available and requests for assistance.  For middle class and at-risk families hit hard by the economy, they will be able to continue providing their young children with a high-quality Jewish ECE.

The awards for the $85,000 in scholarship funds were for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years, and were awarded based on per capita student enrollment.  Each ECE Center was responsible for determining the demonstrated financial need of families applying for this assistance—applications for early childhood scholarships were not accepted by Federation directly.  To qualify, recipient Centers must have met criteria in the following areas:

• Health, safety, and quality-of-programming requirements
• Documented history of providing need-based scholarships for at least one year
• Compliance with specified reporting deadlines
• Publicity of available scholarship assistance

The $85,000 awarded is part of a larger grant to Federation from Rose, totaling $484,000 over three years.   Federation and Rose will work together to provide a total of $200,000 to fund the need-based scholarships to be awarded for qualified recipients over a period of two years:  $100,000 in 2010-2011 and $100,000 in 2011-2012.  Federation will raise a minimum of $50,000, and Rose will provide up to a $50,000 dollar-for-dollar match, during EACH of those two years.   In addition, the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) will create a new $500,000 restricted endowment that would provide ongoing funding for these scholarships in perpetuity.  During the next three years, Federation and the Foundation will raise a minimum of $250,000 to create the endowment, and Rose will provide a $250,000 Challenge Grant once those funds are secured.  Additionally, Rose awarded Federation $49,000 to assist in creating a volunteer committee to govern the Fund, and help to assist in creating the new endowment and share the news to local families in need.

Nancy Gart, chair of Federation’s Early Childhood Education Scholarship Fund Committee, states, “Research shows that positive experiences at Jewish Early Childhood Education centers can determine whether or not a family continues to pursue Jewish connections and a Jewish education throughout their lives.  By working together with Rose Community Foundation, Federation provided the first $85,000 in additional scholarships that will enable parents to continue to provide their children with access to the  highest-quality Jewish early childhood education available in our community.  We are grateful to Rose for providing us with the opportunity to partner with them on this very important initiative, and we look forward to working with them over the coming years to make more scholarship funds available, including the $100,000 for 2010-2011 school year now available.”

Cindy Wolfe, director of early childhood education at Temple Emanuel, adds, “This additional funding comes at a time when both early childhood education centers and families are being asked to make tough choices regarding the education of our community’s children.  Thanks to these additional funds, ECE centers across our community will be able to provide valuable financial assistance to even more families who need it.  Thank you to Federation and Rose for providing our centers with a place to turn for help during these challenging economic times.  The scholarships you are providing will make a difference in the lives of so many children and families throughout the Denver/ Boulder Jewish community, and for that we are extremely grateful.”

Importantly, children under age five who have never attended a Denver/Boulder Jewish Early Childhood Center may also be eligible for MazelTot, a Rose Community Foundation initiative, which provides discounts to attend ECE centers along with information about other resources for young families. Please see the MazelTot website for more information at www.mazeltot.org.

Federation has recently secured pledges totaling more than $49,000 in scholarship funds to be provided during the 2010-2011 school year, and Rose will provide up to an additional $50,000 in scholarship funds through a dollar-for-dollar matching grant.  Federation will now focus fundraising efforts on securing pledges towards the 2011-2012 scholarship fund match, as well as raising funds for the $250,000 endowment challenge.  For more information—or to make a tax-deductible donation in support of this initiative—please contact Dirk Bird, JCF’s executive director, at 303.316.6448 or dbird@jcfcolorado.org.