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Kentucky Jewish Heritage Day honors local leaders

Honorees this year included Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rabbi Avrohom Litvin.

Rabbi Litvin and Sen. McConnell
Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council, presents the Abraham Lincoln Jewish Community Ally Award to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) during a visit to Washington, D.C., in March 2025. Credit: Photo by The Big Picture, @thebigpic.inc.

The Kentucky Jewish Council hosted the Annual Kentucky Jewish Heritage Day, a celebration of the rich history and contributions of the Jewish community in the Commonwealth. The event took place on March 6 in the Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda and featured an array of speakers and honorees.

This year’s program included speeches by Kentucky’s Attorney General Russel Coleman, Auditor Allison Ball, Treasurer Mark Metcalf, Secretary of State Michael Adams and Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, and rabbis and Jewish educators from across the Commonwealth. There was also a presentation by the Louisville Jewish Day School and video addresses from Israel’s Consul General to the Southeast United States Anat Sultan-Dadon, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and speeches from the honorees.

Two distinguished awards were presented:

  • The Louis Brandeis Kentucky Jewish Icon Award was awarded to Rabbi Avrohom Litvin in recognition of his 40 years of dedicated service as the director of Chabad of Kentucky.
  • The Abraham Lincoln Jewish Community Ally Award was presented to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) for his lifelong support of the Jewish community in Kentucky and across the globe.
Kentucky Jewish Heritage Day
Attendees at the Annual Kentucky Jewish Heritage Day observe a moment of prayer and reflection during the event held in the state’s capitol rotunda on March 6, 2025. Photo by Scott Hayes.

The event brought together state officials, community leaders and distinguished speakers to honor Kentucky’s Jewish heritage and reaffirm a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

“Kentucky Jewish Heritage Day is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the vital contributions of the Jewish community while strengthening the bonds of unity and mutual respect among all Kentuckians,” said Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, chairman of the Kentucky Jewish Council.

Media Contact: Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, KyJewishCouncil@gmail.com.

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Kentucky Jewish Council advocates for and ensures the rights, interests and values of the Kentucky Jewish community, and promotes classical Jewish ideas and standards in matters of public policy.
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