American Jewish World Service Announces New Chair and Six New Members of its Board of Trustees

Leading Jewish human rights organization lauds dedication of new Chair and members to Jewish values and human rights

NEW YORK, NY – American Jewish World Service (AJWS), the leading Jewish organization working to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world, announced today that Monte Dube has been named as the new Chair of its Board Trustees. Additionally, AJWS welcomes six new members to its Board: Dr. Neal Baer, Ken Frieze, Sharon Leslie, Carol Yanowitz Miller, Bruce Rosenblum and Liz Seth.

“I am deeply gratified that Monte Dube will lead our Board of Trustees at this crucial time in history, when our support for human rights worldwide is more important than ever. Monte has been an integral part of AJWS’s leadership for years, and I know he will be an effective leader and partner as we support the needs of some of the poorest and most oppressed people in the world,” said Robert Bank, President and CEO of AJWS. “Monte’s commitment to Jewish values runs deep, and as the child of a Holocaust survivor, he recognizes the urgent need to protect and promote human rights in an increasingly authoritarian world,” added Bank. “I thank Monte and his predecessor, Kathleen Levin, for taking up the role of board Chair with focus and determination to strengthen AJWS’s impact worldwide.

“It is an honor for me to welcome Neal Baer, Ken Frieze, Sharon Leslie, Carol Yanowitz Miller, Bruce Rosenblum and Liz Seth to the AJWS board—they have long been supporters of our work, and I am humbled that they have chosen to dedicate their considerable talents and contribute their profound professional insights to AJWS,” said Bank. “Moreover, their dedication to the Jewish values of pursuing justice and repairing the world makes them ideal leaders of AJWS.”

“I am so pleased that Neal, Ken, Sharon, Carol, Bruce and Liz will be joining me, and the other members of the board, to help further the mission of AJWS, which helps some of the poorest and most oppressed people in the world,” said Monte Dube, Board Chair of AJWS. “AJWS is a community of Jewish global citizens fighting for a better world, and we could not be more gratified to welcome this new class of board members at a time when our work is needed more than ever,” added Dube.

Biographies & Quotes:

Monte Dube is an attorney at Proskauer Rose LLP, where he heads their Chicago-based health care department and counsels non-profit and for-profit health care companies worldwide on business and regulatory issues. Monte served as a board member of Aitz Hayim: the Center for Jewish Living and the Solomon Schechter Day Schools of Metropolitan Chicago. Monte is originally from New York, but has lived in Chicago for the last 30 years with his wife, Lori—raising their three children. Monte joined the AJWS board of trustees in June 2011.

“I am deeply honored to assume the role of board Chair for American Jewish World Service, an organization that embodies the Jewish values I most cherish—respecting the essential dignity of every person and repairing the world,” said Dube. “Since I began my board service six years ago, I have seen, time and again, how our inspirational work as an organization has transformed our enduring commitment to our values into meaningful action to build a more just and equitable world. I look forward to leading our board in the years ahead, as we advance our mission and support remarkable organizations and advocates who are tackling poverty and injustice and securing human rights for the most vulnerable people around the world.”

Dr. Neal Baer is a pediatrician and television writer who combines his passion for medicine with storytelling to challenge audiences’ views on a spectrum of social and political topics. Prior to his work as Executive Producer and Showrunner for Under the Dome, Dr. Baer was Executive Producer and Showrunner of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit for 11 seasons. Prior to SVU, Dr. Baer was Writer and Producer of the NBC hit series ER for its first seven seasons, where he received five Emmy nominations as a producer and two for writing.

“I’m honored to join the board of AJWS, an organization that has always supported human rights and promoted the tenets of human dignity for everyone on this troubled planet. As a gay man, I’m particularly grateful for the outstanding leadership AJWS has always shown in speaking out for the rights of the disenfranchised and by providing grants to organizations that battle the inhumanities too many human beings face every day,” said Mr. Baer.

Ken Frieze is the Chief Executive Officer of Gordon Brothers, a century-old special situations finance company. He sets the strategic vision for the firm across 25 offices worldwide. Mr. Frieze has over 25 years of leadership experience in restructuring, consulting, brand redevelopment, appraisal and asset disposition. For over 15 years he has served in executive positions at Gordon Brothers, including as President and leading the firm’s brand and appraisal practices. Mr. Frieze holds a BA from Lehigh University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

“After many years as a supporter of AJWS, I am now looking forward to the opportunity to work hands on as a member of the board. AJWS supports the world’s most vulnerable populations to push for basic human rights. With so much of the resources and attention focused on the living standards of industrialized nations, I feel it is essential to reach those far-off communities who need our help now more than ever. Fundamentally, it’s reflective of my Jewish beliefs of justice and repairing the world,” said Mr. Frieze.

Sharon Leslie, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist specializing in cancer rehabilitation and cancer survivorship. She founded and developed the cancer rehabilitation program at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, focusing on working with patients throughout cancer treatment and through their recovery to transition into a greater state of wellness and health. She is currently the founder and CEO of Survivorship Partners, a consulting group that helps bridge the care gap between the oncology and primary care setting.

“I am extremely honored to join the board of AJWS. AJWS empowers communities and people, and in doing so, compels and inspires all of us to take notice and strive to work together towards a better world,” said Ms. Leslie.

Carol Yanowitz Miller is a co-partner and co-founder of W4Sight, LLC, a Chicago-based women-owned management and technology consultancy focusing on working with nonprofits and the public sector. Ms. Yanowitz Miller is an active member at Chicago Sinai Congregation, having served for several years as a board member, chair of the Social Action Committee and member of the Engagement Committee and Technology Committee.

“It is ‘how’ AJWS does its work in the developing world that resonates with me, and one of the reasons I’m most excited to join AJWS’s board. As a nonprofit consultant, I understand the importance of empowering people to develop and carry out their own solutions, and I’ve seen this put into action firsthand by AJWS in its support of its grantees. It is this approach—empowering individuals and communities—that will help us to end poverty and realize human rights for all people,” said Ms. Yanowitz Miller.

Bruce Rosenblum is a managing director of the Carlyle Group, a leading global alternative asset manager headquartered in Washington, D.C. Mr. Rosenblum is a member of Carlyle’s Management Committee and is the firm’s Chief Risk Officer. Prior to joining Carlyle in 2000, Mr. Rosenblum was a partner at Latham & Watkins, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.

“I am thrilled to enhance my involvement with AJWS, an organization that has done such wonderful work across the world for many years. For me, AJWS represents the best of Jewish values and its mission is more important than ever,” said Mr. Rosenblum.

Liz Seth is a nonprofit development professional for The Akanksha Fund, a nonprofit organization that funds schools and after-school centers for some of India’s least-served children. Ms. Seth focuses on The Akanksha Fund’s major donor program, complementing her volunteer work for AJWS with this professional role. Ms. Seth graduated from Swarthmore College, majoring in Biology and Religion, and earned her MA from Columbia University in Philosophy of Religion.

“I am honored and thrilled to become a member of AJWS’s board. AJWS allows us to join as one humanity to serve the members of our global community whose human rights are threatened. To have a small role in guiding AJWS in fulfilling its mission allows me to fulfill my Jewish and also my human obligation to repair the world,” said Ms. Seth.

 

For More Information

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