Dear friends, we are approaching our
celebration – the Award Ceremony for the finalists of the "Person
of the Year 2024" competition, which will take place on September
15 at the "Troyka" restaurant. This competition is unlike any before.
It is special and shaped by the realities of the past 10 months, which have
revealed the depth and scale of civic engagement from everyone who cares about
the fate of Israel, still at war.
Japanese wisdom says: "Without
ordinary people, there are no great ones," and among us, the
"ordinary" people, we have highlighted those who are doing truly
great things, tirelessly engaging in charity and involving others.
Today, I am pleased to announce that among
the many nominations, the finalists of the competition are:
- Three people from Israel: Yuri Ishakov,
Mark Yadgarov, and Avraham Pinchasi;
- Nine from America: Gennady (Gavriel)
Binyaminov with Yury Vasilyev, Rafael
Nektalov, Svetlana Levitina, Nargiz
Malaeva, Michael Wostok, Lyuba Pilosova,
Dora Sofieva-Nektalova, and Jeremy Sofiev.
At our community celebration, you will see
on-screen and hear why their keen sense of justice and big hearts are
rightfully honored. Meanwhile, I’d like to share some of my impressions from
the meetings and conversations with the nominees during the selection of the
winners. I must admit – this is not an easy task! But it’s very interesting!
Especially because you discover new facets in those you’ve known for a long
time, as well as meet new people and feel their energy and reaction to the
nomination. Naturally, I am personally drawn to people who deeply understand
our community project and not only share their stories but also offer their
help when needed by our women organizers.
The most pleasant thing for me was to witness
the extraordinary modesty of all our winners – as the Japanese proverb rightly
says: "Deep rivers flow silently." Almost
every one of them wanted to stay in the background until they finally agreed
that their noble deeds should serve as examples, especially for the younger
generation. After all, one of the goals of our organization with such projects
is to inspire love for the community and generosity of spirit through the
example of others.
You may have noticed that there are only four
women among the winners!? But what women they are! These are the ones of whom
they say: "If a woman wills it, she will pass through a
rock." Indeed, all of them – Svetlana, Nargiz, Lyuba, and
Dora – are known for their multifaceted community activity, which has
especially stood out since October 7 and continues to this day.
I would like to point out that in addition to
the awards for the laureates, we have prepared several special surprise prizes
for some guests, but everyone will only find out about this at our festive
banquet.
Also, I think you’ll be delighted to spend
this time in the company of our wonderful and extraordinary hosts – Avi
Benjamin and Evgenia Aronova (JEKA), along with Eduard Zavolunov,
who will add a special charm and color to the event. After the awards, we will
all celebrate the 25th anniversary of our creation – Ladies' World Magazine and "Ester-a-malka" – in honor
of the activists of our organization and magazine, whose volunteer care for the
community is invaluable. And all this will be graced by our stars of musical
art, whose performances always make for an unforgettable celebration! Overall,
this event is designed to be both intellectually educational and festively
entertaining!
It is also worth emphasizing that, like
everything currently happening in the community, this event is charitable in
support of Israel. All proceeds from ticket sales will provide help to those
who need it there. We thank all the sponsors – those already announced and
those who will join. All sponsors will be acknowledged at the celebration and
in the media.
Here in America, the event will take place
during the day and will be broadcast live on Facebook by Kaykov Media,
so your family and friends in Israel, Austria, Germany, and other countries can
join the event during their evening time.
Friends, on September 15, we
invite you all to "Troyka" restaurant for a grand
celebration – the honoring of the "Person of the Year - 2024"
laureates and our 25th anniversary, where you can come without
a gift. Each of you is already a gift!
See you at our celebration!
