HONOREES
The Guardians of the Future Award
The Golub family is humbled and thrilled to be honored at this year’s METNY USY Scholarship Dinner. Their involvement with USY goes back 40 years, with Jonathan, along with his brothers, Walter and Andy, having each served as Chapter Presidents of Orangetown Jewish Center. Over the years, The Golub’s have participated in Wheels, Pilgrimage, Encampment, International Conventions, Camp Ramah, and more Kinnusim than they can count.
Their children, Mikayla (19), Daryn (17) and Aidan (17), have carried on the family tradition and became active USYers. Mikayla and Daryn have each served as Chapter Presidents at Temple Israel Center of White Plains, as well as in leadership capacities on Emek, METNY and USY’s International Board. All three are active in community service including involvement in J-Teen, AIPAC, and AJC’s Leaders for Tomorrow. Aidan recently served as Student Body President at Schechter Westchester. In this role, he worked to ensure the school’s long-term success through his involvement in capital campaigns, prospective family recruitment, and other strategic initiatives.
Jonathan is the Chief Investment Strategist for Credit Suisse, and appears regularly on financial news outlets such as CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Barron’s and The Wall Street Journal. Rhonda is active in AIPAC and co-heads Schechter Westchester High School’s PTO.
The Avodah Award
Marc Klee has been an active volunteer for Jewish causes ever since he joined Beth El Synagogue’s Religious School Board over 20 years ago. Besides serving on numerous committees at his kehilla, Marc co-chaired the Rabbi Search committee, was a long time Trustee, and held numerous positions culminating in a term as president. Subsequently, Marc joined the METNY Advisory Council and later was on the District Council, Vice Chair and Senior Vice Chair. Additionally, he has been an officer of the Westchester Jewish Council for the past five years and continues to serve on a variety of committees at both the Council and Beth El. Marc has been involved in portfolio management ever since he got his MBA from Wharton in 1977. Along the way, he has been a general partner of various entities in areas ranging from private equity to the development and ownership of hotels to ownership and operations of Minor League Baseball teams. Marc and his wife Barbara have lived in New Rochelle for 30 years, where they raised two sons both of whom are graduates of Beth El’s Religious and Hebrew High Schools.
The Young Leadership Award
Loen Peltz Amer is the Director of Youth Engagement at Bet Torah in Mount Kisco, NY. She was the Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator for Ramah Israel. Loen worked with teens at two other METNY kehilot: Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn Heights (TBS is now part of the BethRock USY chapter), and the Woodbury Jewish Center. She was the Wohl Family Engagement Coordinator at the Hillel at Hofstra University, and volunteer Education Coordinator for the Rakevet Division (z”l). Loen has a voracious love for lifelong Jewish learning, and most recently studied Torah le’shmah at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. She has also studied at Gratz College, Columbia University, and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She is a graduate of the Solomon Schechter School of Long Island. Loen has been an experiential Jewish educator working with teens since she was one herself. As a USYer at Midway Jewish Center, Loen served as Religion/Education VP for the chapter, Rakevet, and finally METNY (2003-2004). The Peltz and Amer families have deep ties to METNY. Loen’s parents, Audrey Peltz and Jeff Amer, met through the SNUSY Division (z”l). Loen’s siblings were METNY leaders: Callia was 2005 Rakevet Spring Kinnus Co-Chair. Arinn was Rakevet President, 2006-2007. Moss was METNY President, 2008-2009. Loen is honored by the opportunity to support the METNY USY Scholarship Fund.