UJA Federation and the Sephardic Community

Gloria and Shaul Nakash recently opened their home for an event celebrating the relationship between the Sephardic community and UJA Federation of New York.

Shaul Nakash opened the evening by thanking those attending for their support, and introduced the program’s special guest speaker, Alan C. Greenberg, Vice Chairman Emeritus of JP Morgan Chase. Greenberg, widely considered a quintessential icon in the Jewish philanthropic world, stressed the importance of supporting the less fortunate as well as Israel.

The evening also included the presentation of the Sephardic Leadership Award to Al and Sonny Gindi for their dedication to UJA-Federation and their vision for the Sephardic community and for Jews around the world. Greenberg presented the award to Al and Sonny Gindi’s children, Isaac S. Gindi, I.G. Gindi, Jack Gindi and Eddie Gindi, and their grandson, Sonny.

Sephardic community leader Morris Bailey also spoke, detailing the work of UJA-Federation and stressing the importance of collective responsibility. UJA-Federation provides ongoing financial and special support to the Sephardic Community Center, a beneficiary agency, as well as assisting many of the community’s yeshivot.

Speakers said UJA Federation has proven to be a major source of support for the Sephardic community. In 1992, they were involved in rescuing more than 4,000 Syrian Jews. More recently, UJA Federation has been actively partnering with Sephardic community leaders on such issues as the day school tuition crisis, hunger and poverty, autism spectrum disorders, leadership development, and technical assistance. UJA-Federation is providing strategic consulting and vital information to Magen David Yeshivah, the Sephardic Community Alliance, and other major community institutions. And several key community leaders are involved with UJA Federation commissions and task forces, which are instrumental in building closer ties with the Sephardic community and forging a deeper understanding about UJA Federation.

In addition, UJA Federation has recently launched a full-scale study of New York’s Jewish population to gain a deeper understanding of demographics and communal challenges. Information garnered by the survey will provide essential information to plan strategically for the Sephardic community’s future.

At the event, organized by Event Chair Jack Dushey along with Sephardic Division Chairs David J. Hidary and Morris D. Matalon, many of those attending increased their pledges to UJA Federation in honor of the Gindi family, Shaul Nakash, and Morris Bailey.