For 52 years, American Jewish Committee (AJC) has honored outstanding student volunteers of all faiths who have demonstrated a passion for making our community a better place in which to live with the Simon Lazarus, Jr., Human Relations Award.
On Wednesday April 26, 2017, at Rockdale Temple in Amberley Village, AJC celebrated the 52nd anniversary of the Lazarus Awards at a ceremony in which one junior winner and four junior finalists and one senior winner and four senior finalists were presented with cash prizes and recognition of their volunteer accomplishments.
Savannah Carrick, a senior at St. Ursula Academy, was a 2017 Lazarus awards finalist. After facing and overcoming her own personal challenges, Savannah chose to use her experiences to help others do the same. She completed the training required to certify her dog, Daisy, as a therapy dog, and began volunteering with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), an organization that temporarily houses homeless families while helping them find permanent housing and jobs. On a weekly basis, Savannah and Daisy offered emotional support to children facing exceptionally challenging circumstances. According to one supporter, Savannah was patient, calm and understanding, while "consistently working to connect with disconnected children." Through her volunteering, Savannah has learned that to combat prejudice and intolerance, we must employ understanding and empathy to break down the barriers between people of all backgrounds, and that while progress may be slow, even small efforts contribute to a solution.
Elizabeth Geraghty, a junior finalist from St. Ursula, has been supporting those in need through creativity and compassion. What began as a volunteer work creating a garden of fresh fruits and vegetables going to food pantries and shelters grew into a love of charity. Elizabeth is not only an excellent photographer, she is generous and kind-hearted. Her photos have been recognized and auctioned for charity raising hundreds locally and abroad. Her activity in local food pantries taught her that not only hunger, but necessities including coats are in great need, and took it upon herself to personally collect over 350 coats, sweaters, hats, and gloves for those in need. Elizabeth, as her sponsor has succinctly put it, "stands out for her kindness," and it is with pleasure that the Simon Lazarus Committee declares her a finalist. Throughout the years, dozens of local public, private, and parochial high schools have nominated deserving students for this prestigious award. Each school making a nomination received a book for its library, inscribed with the names of its nominees. Also at the Awards ceremony, all student nominees received a certificate recognizing their achievements. In addition to Elizabeth Geraghty, the other 2017 Simon Lazarus, Jr., Awards went to Jeremiah Weaver, senior winner, from Seven Hills Upper School and Chris Allgor, junior winner from Mason High School. The senior finalists were Alyssa Brooks, William Mason High School, Savannah Carrick, St. Ursula Academy, Alyssa Brooks, Mason High School Hannah Guttman, Cincinnati Country Day School, and Anna Mumma, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Junior finalists included George Arenas, Wyoming High School, Hannah
Throughout the years, dozens of local public, private, and parochial high schools have nominated deserving students for this prestigious award. Each school making a nomination received a book for its library, inscribed with the names of its nominees. Also at the Awards ceremony, all student nominees received a certificate recognizing their achievements. In addition to Elizabeth Geraghty, the other 2017 Simon Lazarus, Jr., Awards went to Jeremiah Weaver, senior winner, from Seven Hills Upper School and Chris Allgor, junior winner from Mason High School. The senior finalists were Alyssa Brooks, William Mason High School, Savannah Carrick, St. Ursula Academy, Alyssa Brooks, Mason High School Hannah Guttman, Cincinnati Country Day School, and Anna Mumma, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Junior finalists included George Arenas, Wyoming High School, Hannah
In addition to Elizabeth Geraghty, the other 2017 Simon Lazarus, Jr., Awards went to Jeremiah Weaver, senior winner, from Seven Hills Upper School and Chris Allgor, junior winner from Mason High School. The senior finalists were Alyssa Brooks, William Mason High School, Savannah Carrick, St. Ursula Academy, Alyssa Brooks, Mason High School Hannah Guttman, Cincinnati Country Day School, and Anna Mumma, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. Junior finalists included George Arenas, Wyoming High School, Hannah Beiting, Seton High School, Tindar Cyr, Seven Hills Upper School, and George Arenas, Wyoming High School.
The Simon Lazarus, Jr., Human Relations Awards are named for an accomplished leader of the American Jewish Committee. Simon Lazarus, Jr. was president of the Cincinnati region from 1951-1953, and a member of the national Board of Governors. The late Mr. Lazarus was a distinguished Cincinnati attorney. He also chaired the Mayor's Friendly Relations Committee, the forerunner of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission.
Simon, and his wife, Harriet Lazarus, were long-time active members of the American Jewish Committee, at both the local and national levels. In 1966, during the height of the era of national and local civil rights reform, they worked with the AJC Cincinnati to establish the Simon Lazarus, Jr., Human Relations Award. After her husband’s death, Harriet spearheaded an effort to stabilize funding of the program, through an endowment that was secured in 1990.
This year, the Lazarus Committee vetted 55 anonymous nominations submitted by 34 high schools. " AJC takes pride in recognizing these outstanding high school students. In a time when bad news gets a lot of press these students are a breath of fresh air,” stated Josh Sands, Lazarus Committee co-chair.
"The nominees are all exceptional individuals who share inspirational stories of philanthropy and desire to help others," added co-chair, Stacey Schimberg.
Members of the 2017 Lazarus Committee include Josh Sands and Stacey Schimberg, co-chairs, Robin Miller, David Solomon, Beth Stone, Felicia Zakem, Evelyn Fisher, Alana Gerson, Julie Heldman, Margie Kessel, Dori Mack, Hope Mendelson, Robyn Miller, Michelle Rothzeid Greenberg, Martha Schimberg, Leah Zipperstein, Dani Reiss, Susan Carlson, BJ Carter, Michael Claybon, Paul Korn, David Schmerler, Lauren Shmalo, and Fred Rothzeid.
An illustrious panel of judges diligently read and considered each unidentified applicant’s essay and recommendations, and selected the award winners and finalists. The 2017 Lazarus Award judges were Thomas D. Cassady, Board Chair, University of Cincinnati, Chris Graves, Reporter, Cincinnati Enquirer and Cincinnati.com, Tamara Harkavy, CEO and Artist Director, ArtWorks, Jeff Berding, President and GM, FC Cincinnati, and Aftab Pureval, Clerk of Courts, Hamilton County Courthouse.
AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and worldwide. For more than a century, AJC has been the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, with 22 offices across the United States, eleven overseas offices and/or representatives in Berlin, Brussels, Warsaw, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, New Delhi, Paris, Rome, São Paulo, Tokyo, and South East Asia, and institutes that engage in Latin America, the Far East, Africa, and Europe. AJC is uniquely qualified to provide a global response to critical issues facing the Jewish people, Israel, and the world today.
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Information courtesy of American Jewish Committee