From Generation to Generation: NJOP Celebrates 26 Years of Achievement at Annual Dinner

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 07, 2014

On Tuesday evening, February 11, 2014, NJOP (http://www.njop.org) will hold its Twentieth Annual Dinner at the Grand Hyatt New York. The dinner will celebrate the organization’s twenty-six year history and honor the lifetime achievements on behalf of the Jewish people of these prominent community leaders who passed away this year: Ulo Barad z”l, Elli and Israel Krakowski z”l, and Martha Melohn z”l. Former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, will attend the Dinner and offer Words of Tribute, and a message from Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel, honoring the memory of Ulo Barad and Israel Krakowski will be shared as well.

The four recipients of the NJOP Lifetime Achievement Award have all displayed unparalleled devotion to Jewish life, culture and philanthropy. Ulo Barad, z”l, who passed away on January 19, 2013, was a supporter of NJOP and many other Jewish charities. Devoted to Judaism, he donated generously to foster Jewish learning and support Jewish life. He dedicated time, energy and financial resources to charities such as the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the American Society of Yad Vashem, of which he was a founder, and to many yeshivot and synagogues. Born in Zaleszcyki, Poland in 1928, Mr. Barad lost his parents and four brothers to the Nazis. The Ukrainian cave in which he and others survived for 16 months was recently rediscovered and featured in the movie No Place on Earth. He emerged as a leader, persevering against all odds. Intelligent, honest, daring and loyal, Mr. Barad succeeded in business as a legendary hotelier and real estate developer. He most valued his family, his beloved wife, Eva, son Gerald, daughter Cindy, and his three granddaughters. He led by example, modeling his virtues, to live an honest, productive, and moral life.

Israel Krakowski, z”l, who passed away on June 16, 2013, was also thoroughly dedicated to Jewish life. Born in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland in 1923, Mr. Krakowski survived the Holocaust and came to America when he was 27 years old. A charismatic and optimistic man, Mr. Krakowski entered the business world working in the hotel industry. Together with his wife of 63 years, Elli, z”l, who passed away on February 1, 2014, they were devoted to giving back, and were supporters of Keren Hatzolah, the Park East Synagogue, Bobov, and Ger and many other institutions. Through the American friends of Yad Vashem, of which they were founders, and the Shoah Institute, they were leaders of Holocaust commemoration. Mrs. Krakowski, who was born in Vienna and raised in Palestine, was a life-long and passionate Zionist. Mr. Krakowski was always “a doer” - a man who would do anything to help another person in need. Every Friday night was family night at the Krakowskis, as their daughter Lili, and son Harry, brought their own families to their parents’ home for the Shabbat dinner. The Krakowskis have been loyal supporters of NJOP since 2000.

Martha Melohn, z”l, who passed away in April 2013, was a pillar of the New York Jewish community. A descendant of the revered Chasam Sofer, she was born in Pressburg in 1936. Along with her sister, Mrs. Esther Oppenheimer, Mrs. Melohn survived the horrors of the Holocaust, enduring the deprivations of Theresienstadt and Bergen-Belsen. After the war, she married Joseph Melohn, z”l, and together they developed a highly successful real estate business. When Joseph passed away in 1984, Mrs. Melohn single-handedly raised her family and assumed the helm of the family business. Through the Joseph and Martha Melohn Tzedaka fund, the Melohns have been able to generously support hundreds of charities, institutions and yeshivot. In 2006, the Melohn family began sponsoring NJOP’s SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA and CANADA campaign in honor of their mother, and continue to do so in her memory.

Also being recognized for their contributions to Jewish life and to NJOP are Amy and Seth Litzenblatt and Susanne Goldstone Rosenhouse, who are receiving The Carl & Sylvia Freyer Young Leadership Award and The Leslie Nelkin Special Service Award, respectively. The Litzenblatts and Goldstone Rosenhouse have played key roles in helping NJOP to create joyous Jewish experiences for thousands across the country. Amy and Seth Lizenblatt were personally inspired by NJOP programs and are now proud supporters of the organization. Susanne Goldstone Rosenhouse has been an NJOP team member since 2004 where she has made exceptional contributions to the field of Jewish engagement as NJOP Social Media Coordinator, the driving force behind NJOP’s highly influential social media platforms @JewishTweets/JewishTreats.

About NJOP
NJOP (formerly National Jewish Outreach Program) was established in 1987 by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald in response to the spiraling losses of Jews from Jewish life due to assimilation and lack of Jewish knowledge. Through meaningful educational programming and influential social media platforms, NJOP conveys the vibrancy of Judaism to modern Jews. Over the last quarter century, NJOP has engaged over 1,400,000 Jews in positive, joyous Jewish experiences. NJOP’s renowned programs have been offered at nearly 5,000 synagogues and Jewish organizations across the nation and in 39 countries around the globe. NJOP is consistently ranked as the leader in social media, generating hundreds of thousands of daily impressions via the @JewishTweets Twitter feed and Jewish Treats blog and Facebook Page. The Jewish Treats YouTube channel boasts over one million views.

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