A large and enthusiastic crowd packed a main ballroom at the Museum of Jewish Heritage earlier this month at UJA–Federation of New York’s Russian Division Annual Charity Ball, celebrating the impact the Russian-Jewish community makes in New York and around the world. The gala event paid tribute to world-renowned perfumer, Sophia Grojsman, for her achievements in business and philanthropy. The event also inaugurated the Emerging Leaders Award, recognizing future leaders of the Russian Division. Four young adults whose efforts on behalf of UJA-Federation have significantly benefited the Russian-Jewish community were honored.

“This event brings together the founding Russian Division with Russian Leadership, our next generation,” said Elena Kliss, chair of the Russian Division, along with Amir Bronstein, chair of Russian Leadership. Both served as event chairs that evening. “We represent a dynamic cross-section of today’s Russian-Jewish Americans, all motivated to strengthen our connection with the Jewish community and help people in need.” For nearly a quarter of a century, UJA-Federation of New York’s Russian Division has been one of the best ways to connect to the Russian-speaking Jewish community and help ensure a strong Jewish future. It is through the Russian Division that the Russian-speaking Jewish community of New York officially “gives back.” Many of the founding board members were honored two years ago with the division’s leadership award, including Jennie Bronstein, Dr. Joseph Kleynerman, Sofia Garber, Dina Kislin, Svetlana Reznick, Diana Alperovich, and Rebecca Schmidt. Integral to the division’s enduring success have been Lana Kleynerman, Alex and Ella Javich, Ludmila and Michael Risman, Feliks Frenkel, Gene Rachmansky, Karina Plotko, David Kislin, and Irina Roller. The division has had the opportunity to honor numerous members of the Russian community who have become inspirations to so many, including Alex Shchegol, founder of ASA College, and Lawrence Wajnberg, former editor in chief of Novoye Russkoye Slovo, with lifetime achievement awards and entrepreneur Alexander Rovt with a humanitarian award. All of those mentioned above attended the Charity Ball, demonstrating their continuing dedication and support.
Russian Leadership, the division’s arm dedicated to the next generation, was formed in 1996. Recently, the Russian Chai Society was created to introduce UJA-Federation’s Russian Division to recent graduates and entry-level professionals.

Ms. Grojsman was presented with the Lydia Vareljan Humanitarian Award for her outstanding dedication to the multifaceted communal activities of UJA–Federation. The award is named in memory of Lydia Vareljan, an individual whose commitment to UJA-Federation’s Russian Division profoundly impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jewish émigrés from the former Soviet Union in the New York Jewish community. Honorary chair, and one of the founders of the division, Lawrence Wajnberg, described the honoree’s success as a world-renowned designer of more than 20 popular perfumes, and former senior vice president of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. She has been hailed as the “first nose of America.”

Accepting her award, Grojsman spoke movingly about how she and her family were able to move from the Soviet Union in 1957 and ultimately resettle in the U.S. with the assistance of HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), both of which are beneficiary agencies of UJA-Federation. “I’m proud of my success here,” she declared. “America is the best country in the world.” Ms. Grojsman is deeply dedicated to her family and her birthplace of Belarus.  

Enthralling the nearly 200-strong audience, UJA-Federation’s Executive Vice President & CEO John S. Ruskay lauded the members of the Russian Division for doing so much to strengthen Jewish life. “You made it possible to bring a million Jews from the former Soviet Union to Israel,” Ruskay stated, “and your efforts reinforce the many UJA-Federation-funded human-service agencies that set the standard of care for the elderly, the chronically ill, and so many others in need.” Dr. Ruskay went on to describe in personalized detail some of the uniquely beneficial results engendered by the organization’s charitable activities. “Through our work, a young girl who had just discovered that she was Jewish was enrolled in a Jewish summer camp for the first time,” he related. “She was simply elated after experiencing her first Shabbat there.”

Calling the gathering of Russian-Jewish supporters “a unique expression of areyvut (togetherness),” Dr. Ruskay disclosed that he had recently traveled on an organizational mission with 18 rabbis to the former Soviet Union. “We davened Ma’ariv right near the tomb of Lenin,” he said emotionally, “who was hoping to eradicate the Jewish people. Am Yisrael chai!” Proudly mentioning such UJA-Federation-funded Israel-themed programs as Birthright and MASA, Ruskay emphasized the importance of showing the world Jewish support for the Jewish state.

Informing the crowd that a previous census had revealed that one out of every five Jews in New York is of Russian descent, Dr. Ruskay stressed that cultivating leadership from the ranks of the Russian-Jewish community is crucial in order to foster its advancement, and he happily noted that there are now a number of communal agencies run by Russian Jews. “You have so much to teach us about how we can fertilize Jewish life with Russian-Jewish input,” he insisted. “We must continue striving to create an inspiring Jewish life for all those who seek it.”

Presenting the Russian Leadership’s Emerging Leaders Award, Edward Geyman, a former chair of Russian Leadership and an award honoree himself, opined that it takes an extra level of motivation to help a fellow Jew who lives in a distant part of the world and to whom the giver does not feel an immediate connection. “That’s what UJA-Federation is all about,” Geyman asserted. He then conferred the honor on Eugene Braude, Rebecca Buyanovsky, Eric Golynsky, and Yelena Klurfeld, whose dedicated efforts for the organization were outlined in a captivating video. Accepting the award on behalf of the group, Klurfeld — the Russian Division’s outgoing co-chair — exhorted the audience to contemplate how fortunate they are to “live in freedom and opportunity, while others are oppressed around the world.” Klurfeld also expressed her “heartfelt gratitude to UJA-Federation” for enabling her to be a leader in her community.

Speaking with the Jewish Voice following the program, the 28-year-old Klurfeld noted that she was born in Kiev, and was here thanks to the relief work of the UJA-Federation-funded HIAS. “I work as a lawyer and have been volunteering for UJA-Federation for the past three years,” she said. “Tonight is our success story; through sheer will, the Russian-Jewish community has been able to accomplish so much.” Fellow honoree Eugene Braude explained to the Jewish Voice that “UJA-Federation has been lifting the Russian community’s mentality to foster new leaders from within.” Braude stated, “My passion stems from the concept that for us, this is ‘full circle’ — we were saved by Jewish organizations and now we in turn are here to help other Jews in need.” Twenty-nine-year-old Eric Golynsky, who devotes much of his time to UJA-Federation despite his demanding position in transportation finance, expressed to the Jewish Voice how privileged he felt to be honored at the event. “I am hoping to increase my involvement in the coming year,” Golynsky disclosed.

Rebecca Buyanovsky, who belongs to the Russian Chai Society and directs its Giving Circle venture, spoke passionately about the value of UJA-Federation. “It’s great at positively affecting multiple community organizations,” she enthused. “UJA-Federation engages Russian Jews in an attempt to produce lay leaders who will take on the role of overseeing other divisions.”

UJA-Federation Russian Leadership division board member Edward Mermelstein, who attended the Charity Ball, told the Jewish Voice that among the many new organizations gaining traction within the Jewish community, some are recognizing the importance of the burgeoning Russian-Jewish population. Citing in particular the Wexner Foundation, which he says has recognized the vital need to educate young people, Mermelstein pointed out that in the late summer it will inaugurate an education program for Russian Jews. “This speaks volumes about the Russian community’s significant growth and its impact on the broader Jewish community,” he asserted. Mermelstein also lauded the speakers at the Russian Division Charity Ball, saying that they were truly shown to be new leaders of the Jewish community.

Amir Bronstein explained that he feels a major part of his mission is to explain to other members of his community how necessary it is for them to help out. “Many Russian Jews just don’t realize that charity can make a big impact in the world,” he commented, “and there are wealthy individuals as well who would like to give back to the Jewish community, for all it’s done for them. We are here to show them how to do just that.”

 “I feel, that if not for UJA-Federation, I would not be here in the United States,” Russian Division Chair Elena Kliss said. “In fact, most Russian Jews came to New York through the assistance of the New York Association for New Americans and the JDC.” Kliss revealed that she looks forward to attracting new people who can be helpful to the division and the organization through their volunteer efforts and financial contributions. “It was great to see so many young people at this year’s Charity Ball,” she marveled, “including my own 23-year-old daughter. Through UJA-Federation, we can all continue to make a difference.”