DANA GOLDING, RICHARD SCHARF & FAMILY
CARING FOR GENERATIONS AWARD
As the child of Holocaust survivors, Richard Scharf, along with his wife Dana Golding, hold a special place in their hearts for Selfhelp. They have shared this love with their children, Maxine, Nathan, Spencer, and Tatum, the older two having done their Bar and Bat Mitzvah projects at Selfhelp. Nathan also has served as the youngest facilitator on Selfhelp’s Virtual Senior Center.
The family’s generous support of Selfhelp reflects three generations - Selfhelp’s Manhattan and Nassau County Holocaust Survivor programs bear the name of Richard’s father, Abraham Scharf, a Holocaust survivor who, together with Richard’s mother, Rose, came to the United States in 1951. Rose Scharf was the first recipient of Selfhelp’s Fran Eizenstat Legacy Award in 2014.
In addition to serving as Secretary of the SCS Foundation Board, Richard serves on the board of Camp Dora Golding and Camp Dina, not-for-profit camps that were started by Dana’s great grandmother, Dora Golding. He is also one of the founders of Lema'anchem-Maflee La'asot, which provides medical counseling and guidance free of charge in Israel, as well as providing for the educational and rehabilitative needs of children with physical disabilities. Dana has served on the Young Leadership Committee of Camp Dora Golding and is a trustee emeritus of the Children’s Museum of the East End. Dana and Richard are involved in many organizations focused on the education, recreation, and healthcare of children and are honored to be members of the prestigious Sir Harold Acton Society of New York University.
Richard is the co-owner, President, and CFO of ABRO Management Corp., a leading real estate management company. Dana is in charge of Design Development and oversees all interior construction at ABRO. In 2008, Dana started Rose Hill Interiors LLC.
Selfhelp is indeed privileged to honor Richard, Dana, Maxine, Nathan, Spencer, and Tatum for all they have done to enrich the lives of those we serve.
RENÉ PLESSNER
Fran Eizenstat Legacy Award
Successful entrepreneur, business investor, and creative thinker may all be descriptors of René Plessner. But simply put, René is a man of action, one who is committed to education, social justice, and making the world a better place.
A Holocaust survivor born in Belgium, and dedicated supporter of Selfhelp for the past several years, René is passionate about teaching the lessons of the Holocaust to younger generations, supporting a variety of educational initiatives throughout the United States.
In addition to Selfhelp, Rene’s involvements include Daniel's Music Foundation, the Double Discovery Center, and the Columbia University Center for Justice, where he founded the René Plessner Scholarship, an esteemed scholarship for formerly incarcerated students.
A graduate of Columbia College, René began his career at Helena Rubinstein and also held positions at Faberge and Revlon. Entering business for himself, he started Spectrum Cosmetics, Inc., a manufacturer of a prestige cosmetics line for black women. In 1972, he founded René Plessner Associates, Inc., an executive search firm committed to finding corporate executives who are both business-minded and creatively inspired.
Selfhelp is honored to present the Fran Eizenstat Legacy Award to René Plessner.