JOIN US IN-PERSON OR VIRTUALLY
We are excited to celebrate our 2022 Gala in-person this year! Our venue is spacious and has large open windows for the utmost safety. Alternatively, you may stream the event live from home.
WE ARE PLEASED TO RECOGNIZE
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.
GALA COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIRS
Staci & John R. Barber
Debrah Lee Charatan
Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat
Patti Askwith Kenner
Raymond V.J. Schrag
Brian Steinwurtzel
VICE-CHAIRS
Dennis Baum
Kimberly & Matthew A. Cantor
Jeffrey & Paula Gural
Carol & Jerry Levin
Ilse Melamid
Mindy Schneider & Michael Lesser
COMMITTEE
Michael Bamberger
Lisa Barr
Ernest L. Bial
Felice Cohen
Corey Dicker
Brian Eizenstat
Jeff Fells
Lee Jason Goldberg
Amy Goldberg Michel
Cathy Hull & Neil Janovic
Peter H. Jakes
Stuart & Rosemary Kaplan
Karen & Fred Kastenbaum
Nina & Daniel Libeskind
Russell Lusak
Ralph P. Marash
Judi & Andy Marcus
Brian & Gabrielle Marcus
Kate Marks
Jessica Milstein
Alfred E. Netter
Michele Pollack
Heidi & Richard Rieger
Ron Ries
Thomas H. Roche
Jeremy Shell
Lilian Sicular
Steven G. Tepper
Dina Ufberg
Tai & Tony Wang
Evelyn J. Wolff
Victor A. Wyler
Charles Yassky
GALA SPONSORS
BENEFACTOR
Dana Golding, Richard Scharf & Family
René Plessner
UNDERWRITER
Kirsh Foundation/Linda Mirels
SUSTAINER
Jody and John Arnhold
Staci & John Barber
Debrah Lee Charatan
GFP Real Estate/The Gural & Steinwurtzel Families
Jane and Mark Wilf
VISIONARY
Kimberly and Matthew Cantor
Charles Kushner
Omni New York LLC

Mindy Schneider and Michael Lesser
Anna & Gene Schneur
CHAMPION
Stefany and Simon Bergson
BFC Partners

Martha and Ernest Bial
Henry Buhl / ACE
Susan and Jonathan Bram
Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat
Brian and Erin Eizenstat
Excel Global Security
Jeff Fells/Langdon Title
Goldberg Weprin Finkel Goldstein LLP
Heller Foundation
Carol and Carl Hess

Christine Hikawa and David Windreich
HUB International

Jack Jaffa & Associates
Stuart and Rosemary Kaplan
Patti Askwith Kenner
Carol and Jerry Levin

Isabel Marcal and Thomas Roche
Jessica Milstein
Principal Building Services
Melodie & Martin Scharf
Raymond V.J. Schrag
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP

Leonard and Allison Stern
Lynne and Michael Wolitzer
Vivian & Jim Zelter
ADVOCATE
Albanese Organization
Adam Arnow
Michael Bamberger
Benchmark Title Agency
Karen Berger
Albert Bialek
David Boccio
Jolean and David Breger
Buchbinder & Warren
Champion Elevator, Corp.
Chase
The Corner Foundation & KT Elghanayan Foundation
Funded by the principals of TF Cornerstone
Davis Polk
Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Alan and Ronnie Fisher
Mary Ann Fribourg

Goodhart National Gorman Agency
Peter Green
Jim Hanley - Taconic Builders, Inc.
HEICO Corporation
Karen and Peter Jakes
Katsky Korins
The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation
Ralph Marash and Carlo Villorente
PKF O'Connor Davies, LLP
Sheri and James Rosenfeld
Schleifer Family Foundation
Susan R. Schulman
Thomas Steinmetz
Nell and Victor Wyler
SUPPORTER
Alex. Brown | The McHugh Group
Americare
Anonymous (2)
Pamela and Max April
Brad Axelrod
Candace and Michael Bara
sch
Natalie and Brett Barth
Bay City Metering
Carol Becker
BK Kuck Construction
Leonard and Enid Boxer

Simon Brecher and Company, Inc.
Bright Power

Bronx Pro Group
Capital One
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
Peter Ezersky
Rick Feld & Max Feld - Bevmax Office Center
Flushing Bank
Global Pest Control
Goldfarb & Fleece LLP
Pearl and Nathan Halegua
Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP
Israel Discount Bank/Milton Miller
Cathy and Gary Jacob
KA Design Group
Kasirer
Katten
Jeff and Erica Keswin Family Foundation and Lyrical Partners

Jeffrey and Cara Klein
Juliette and Richard Lam
Leeding Builders Group LLC
Lettire Construction
Sean O. Mahoney
Manhattan Shade & Associates
Jen and James Marden
Abby and Andrew May
Ilse Melamid
Katherine and Joseph Mele
Judy and Fred Netter
The NRP Group
OPEN Impact Real Estate
Tricia and Jason Pantzer
Arnold Penner
PEP Real Estate & Sohojohnny
Property Resources Corp.
Melissa and James Rinzler
Pamela and George Rohr
Tamar & Robert Scharf / Sondra & Adam Lesman
Faith and Bob Sterling
Jane and Jim Stern
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan
Togut, Segal & Segal LLP
Tuller McNealus Feld Architects LLC
Mindy Unger

Barbara van Beuren and Stephen L. Glascock
Lisa and Mark Walsh
Howard and Marjory Widensky
Whitestar Consulting & Contracting Inc.
Howard L. Zimmerman Architects and Engineers
Selfhelp Community Services Foundation
520 Eighth Avenue, 25th Floor
New York, NY 10018
www.selfhelp.net
Questions? Contact Alyssa Wolf at [email protected] or 212-971-5491.

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