The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) celebrates its 2018 Gala Dinner on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, at The Pierre Hotel in New York City honoring Andrew Morse, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CNN Digital Worldwide; Tom Blumberg and his son Ben Blumberg; and Stuart Force, father of the late Taylor Force. Sander Gerber, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment officer, Hudson Bay Capital, will receive special recognition for his efforts to ensure the passage of The Taylor Force Act. Bill Weir, Anchor and Reporter, CNN, and Host and Executive Producer, “The Wonder List with Bill Weir” will serve as emcee.
Awards will be given to these outstanding community leaders: Andrew Morse will receive the Media Visionary Award in recognition of his continued commitment to serving communities through his tireless pursuit of knowledge and truth. Tom Blumberg and Ben Blumberg will receive the Generation to Generation Award in recognition of their deep and invaluable dedication to family, community and Jewish tradition.
Stuart Force will receive the Continuing Strength Recognition Award in memory of his late son Taylor and his extraordinary legacy that will impact generations to come. Sander Force will receive special recognition in tribute to his perseverance and determination to pass The Taylor Force Act, ensuring justice for generations to come. Taylor Force was a West Point graduate murdered in Tel Aviv by a Palestinian terrorist whose family subsequently received generous stipends from the Palestinian Authority.
The Taylor Force Act passed in Congress prevents U.S. tax dollars from being used to support the families of terrorists. Speakers at the Gala Dinner will include Ambassador Dani Dayan, Consul General of Israel in New York.
The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) serves as the central coordinating body and resource organization for the Jewish Community in the metropolitan New York area and as an advocate for a strong and secure State of Israel. An active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY builds working relationships within the Jewish community, with other ethnic and faith communities, and with public officials and government agencies.
Sander Gerber
Sander Gerber is Hudson Bay Capital’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer. He is also a fellow at the Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs and a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and the New York Economic Club.
Sander served as a member of the AIPAC Board of Directors from 2004 to 2016. In June of 2005, Sander was sent by President Bush to represent the United States at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Conference on Anti-Semitism and Other Intolerances in Cordoba, Spain. In February of 2006, the President appointed Sander to be a Trustee of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (a public policy research center within the Smithsonian Institution) where he served as Chairman of the Investment Management Committee and as a member of the Audit Committee.
Additionally, in December of 2008, the President appointed Sander to be Vice Chairman of the Wilson Center for a six-year term where he served up until 2016. In November 2017, Sander was awarded the 2017 JINSA Henry M Jackson Distinguished Service Award for championing the Taylor Force Act.
Sander graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania, with a BSE in Finance from Wharton and a BA in Humanistic Philosophy from the College. He resides in New York City with his wife and seven children.
STUART FORCE
IN MEMORY OF HIS LATE SON TAYLOR FORCE
On March 8th, 2016, Taylor Force – a West Point graduate, who served several U.S. Army tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, and an MBA student at Vanderbilt University on a university tour in Israel – was stabbed to death in Tel Aviv by a Palestinian terrorist.
After his rampage, which injured 11 other innocent civilians, the terrorist’s relatives were provided with a generous monthly stipend by the Palestinian Authority. Such payments to terrorists and their families serve as incentives for Palestinians to further commit acts of violence and bloodshed.
After much hard work, Congress passed the Taylor Force Act, in his memory as well as all those murdered by terrorists. The new law halts U.S. funds that directly benefit the Palestinian Authority until it ceases these payments which hinder a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Tom & Ben Blumberg
Tom Blumberg is formerly a Group Vice President and Principal of Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc., and he has been involved in a number of charitable pursuits and social causes.
He has been active in New York’s Jewish community for a quarter of a century. A Member of JCRC-NY’s Board of Directors for more than 20 years, Tom served as co-chair of JCRC-NY’s Commission on Intergroup Relations and Community Concerns, now known as The Center for Community Leadership. He currently is a member of the Executive Committee, the Israel and International Affairs Committee, and the Marketing Committee, where he spearheaded the design of JCRC-NY’s current logo.
Tom began his communal service philanthropy at UJA-Federation of NY, where he has served on the Executive Committee and as Vice President of Human Resources. He is currently a Member of its Board of Directors. Most recently, Tom was Chairman of Hillel International’s Board of Directors. He was an integral leader in the merging of Hillel of NY with Hillel International, and he chaired its rebranding campaign. He is also a member of the Boards of Directors of Limmud FSU and WellLife Network.
Tom has been married to Lanie for 60 years, and they have three children, Ben, Karen, and Betsy and seven grandchildren.
Ben Blumberg is Executive Vice President and Partner at Stark Office Suites. Prior to assuming his position at Stark, Ben was the owner of Sales Works, a Co-Founding Partner at InSITE Services, and Marketing Manager at Leviton Manufacturing Company. Ben received his B.A. in Psychology from Tufts University and attended Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business Administration.
Philanthropically, Ben serves as Co-Chair of UJA Westchester’s Business and Professional Division and a Board Member of the Westchester Jewish Council. He also volunteers with the Westchester Jewish Community Services Compeer Program, which matches individuals in one-to-one relationships with adults recovering from mental illness, and the Midnight Run, which organizes more than 1,000 relief missions per year. The Midnight Run organizes students and members of churches, synagogues, and other civic groups to distribute food, clothing and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City.
Ben lives in Larchmont with his wife Sue and two children.
Andrew Morse
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER CNN DIGITAL WORLDWIDE
Andrew Morse is Executive Vice President and General Manager of CNN Digital Worldwide. Andrew is responsible for CNN’s global digital business, including editorial, product, technology, emerging platforms, business development and partnerships. Andrew is also the co-founder of Great Big Story.
Previously, Andrew was Senior Vice President of Editorial for CNN US, responsible for the network’s domestic newsgathering organization, regional bureaus, as well as Washington coverage and programming.
Before joining CNN in 2013, Andrew served as Head of Bloomberg Television in the U.S., where he oversaw editorial, programming, operations and development. While at Bloomberg, he launched a new programming slate, established the network’s technology coverage and San Francisco Bureau, and spearheaded the launch of the network’s digital video operation. Andrew also led the network’s coverage of the 2012 Presidential election.
Prior to Bloomberg, Andrew spent 15 years at ABC News in a number of executive and production roles. He served as Executive Producer for Innovation, overseeing the network’s digital portfolio. Andrew also served as Executive Producer of Good Morning America’s Weekend edition and as a senior producer for World News Saturday and Sunday. Earlier in his career, he was ABC’s Asia Bureau Chief and Producer and worked as a producer and assignment editor based in London. During his time overseas, Andrew reported and produced from over 40 countries. He spent significant time covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. He also covered the USS Cole bombing in Yemen and the terror attack in Bali, Indonesia. He was one of the first reporters on the ground following the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, and he led ABC News’ on-the-ground coverage of the earthquakes in Haiti and Japan. Andrew’s travels at ABC also brought him to Mt. Everest Base Camp and on board a maxi-catamaran attempting to break the trans-Atlantic sailing record.
Andrew began his career as a Desk Assistant in ABC News’ Washington Bureau and was one of the initial staffers for ABCNews.com. He graduated from Cornell University, where he was Editor-In-Chief of the Cornell Daily Sun. Andrew lives in New York City with his wife Ana and children