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In the Community
     
 
UJA HONOREES  
 
   
Pam Wexler of Scarsdale, chair of UJA-Federation’s Westchester Women’s Campaign Division, was honored at the organization’s first annual county-wide community event at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase. In addition, eight women were acclaimed “everyday heroines” in recognition of their activities on behalf of UJA-Federation. Honorees were, from left, Robin Kamin, Stephanie Spiegel, Marilyn Rappaport, Phyllis Neider, Larilyn Ross Blatt, Ruth Suzman, Wexler, Nancy Zaro and Janet Greenfield.
  
JEWISH FILM FEST  
 
   
Record crowds attended the sixth annual Westchester Celebrates Jewish Film festival at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville. Opening night festivities included a screening of “Three Mothers” and a reception with filmmaker Dina Zvi-Riklis. Among the guests at the reception were, from left, Jane Stillman, Westchester Jewish Chronicle owner Roy Stillman, and Julia Rosen, office manager of the Burns Center.  
 


RIVERDALE AWARDS
The Riverdale Jewish Community Council will hold its 23rd annual Legislative and Awards Breakfast on Sunday, April 29, at 9:15 a.m., at the Riverdale Y, 5625 Arlington Ave.

The Andrew Zucker Jewish Community Service Award will go to Rabbi Nachman and Rebbitzen Ellen Cohen. Rabbi Cohen is the founding rabbi of Young Israel Ohab Zedek. January Akselrad, board president of the Riverdale Y from 2003 to 2004, will receive the Michael Schreck Community

BUILDER AWARD
The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale’s community choir, led by Jonathan Dzik, will receive the Community Organizational Award. The Martin Rollins Interfaith Brotherhood Award will be presented to the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, a non-profit organization that provides legal counseling and social services to immigrants. Accepting the award will be executive director Siobhan Dennehy. For information, call (718) 548-8200, Ext. 216.

The Riverdale Friends of Mesivtha Tifereth Jerusalem recently honored alumnus Akiva Werber at its annual breakfast. Werber, an Israeli citizen since 1975, is executive director of the Israel Aliyah Center.

WELCOME ABOARD
Richard Witten of Mamaroneck has been named to the board of trustees of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. Witten is senior managing director of the Orienta Group, an investment and financial advisory firm, and is the author of “Divided Loyalties,” a historical novel about World War II.

CONTEST WINNER
Timor Balaish of Rye won third place in a national essay contest sponsored by Areyvut, a non-profit organization that empowers Jewish youth to live their lives with kindness, charity and social justice. Balaish wrote about her bat mitzvah project, where she made a video about the beauty of Israel and sold bracelets to raise money for Yad Sarah, an Israeli organization that helps the sick, disabled and elderly.

NEW CLERGY
Heather Batchelor will be formally installed as cantor of Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel at a musical celebration on Sunday, April 29, at 3 p.m., at the synagogue, 575 King St., Port Chester. The celebration includes a family drumming workshop, a performance by Jewish bluegrass musician Dov Weitman and klezmer music presented by Cantor Ken Richmond and Shira Shazeer. For information, call (914) 939-1004.

EINSTEIN WOMEN'S GALA
Award-winning actress Sharon Stone will be among a group of distinguished women to be honored for their achievements in fields ranging from health care activism to child advocacy to journalism and philanthropy, at the 53rd annual Spirit of Achievement Luncheon of the National Women’s Division of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. The event, to be held Thursday, April 26, at 11:45 a.m., at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, will raise money in support of clinical research focusing on autism and other developmental disorders in children.

Other honorees are Alma Johnson Powell, chair of America’s Promise-The Alliance for Youth; Margaret Russell, editor and co-founder of Elle Decor magazine; Lynn Sherr, ABC-TV news correspondent; Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, a leading advocate for Alzheimer’s disease research; and philanthropist Lois Pope.