The Chabad of Sutton Place “New York Strong” gala was held on Jan. 13 at the Harmonie Club in New York City, a historic venue long associated with civic, cultural and philanthropic gatherings. The evening brought together community leaders, supporters and honorees for a program focused on Jewish identity, resilience and responsibility during a period of heightened concern for Jewish communities locally and globally.
The gala recognized several individuals for leadership and service aligned with Chabad’s mission of strengthening Jewish life and community engagement:
- Michael Hershman received the Builders Award for his role in shaping New York City and supporting civic and communal initiatives.
- Israel Zipes was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his service and enduring contributions, including his distinguished military record as a U.S. Marine during the Korean War.
- Sam Weinberger received the Young Leadership Award in recognition of his emerging leadership and commitment to community involvement.
According to Chabad of Sutton Place, the honorees were selected for exemplifying values of service, leadership and responsibility central to the organization’s work.
The gala welcomed members of the community, government officials and friends. Guests gathered in support of Chabad’s mission to foster Jewish life through inclusion, education and moral leadership.
John Catsimatidis, one of the evening’s guest speakers, addressed the importance of standing visibly with the Jewish community. He reflected on his long-standing tradition of 27 years of lighting a public menorah on East 59th Street, emphasizing that acts of faith and solidarity carry meaning precisely because they require courage. He also paid tribute to Hershman, his longtime friend and honoree, describing him as one of the city’s true builders who continues to invest in New York despite uncertainty. His remarks reinforced a central theme of the evening: resilience through commitment.
“I’m here with my Jewish brothers, and I’m here to say fight, fight, fight, but I’m also here because of my friend Michael Hershman. He is one of the builders of this city, and there are people scared to build in the city. At the end of the day, New York is resilient, New Yorkers are resilient; we will win this,” said Catsimatidis.
Hershman delivered a thoughtful and measured talk on confronting antisemitism without losing moral clarity. At the same time, he urged care in how the term is used, warning that overuse can weaken its meaning and allow genuine hatred and bigotry to go unchallenged.
He stressed that disagreement, debate and even sharp criticism are not acts of hate by default, noting that the Jewish tradition itself is rooted in questioning and discourse.
Hershman also drew a clear distinction between legitimate political disagreement and antisemitism, emphasizing that criticism, including criticism of Israeli government policy, is not inherently antisemitic. However, he was unequivocal that denying Israel’s right to exist or singling out Jews as undeserving of sovereignty crosses a moral line.
“Denying the existence of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people is antisemitism, saying Jews have no right to sovereignty is antisemitism, saying every people has a right to safety and self-determination except the Jews, is antisemitism, singling out Israel and only Israel is antisemitism,” he stated.
He also highlighted the deep compatibility between Jewish values and American democratic ideals, noting that Jewish identity and American patriotism are not in conflict but mutually reinforcing.
Hershman concluded by pointing to Chabad as a model for Jewish unity, welcoming all Jews with dignity regardless of background, observance or political views, and urged the community to lead with generosity, wisdom and courage.
The evening closed with a shared sense of purpose from Andrew Sassoon: to bring light, integrity and unity forward in New York City and beyond.
For more information, visit: chabadsutton.org.
