American
Friends of Open University of Israel Gala
Dinner at the Plaza.
President Ingeborg Rennert and chairman of the
Board Baron Robert de Rothschild of
the American Friends of the Open University honored Dr.
Paul LeClerc, president of the New York Public Library,
at a gala celebration on Monday, June 16 at The Plaza in New
York.
Two hundred guests attended the festive event and raised $400,000
for the university’s 43,000 students, its educational programs
and scholarships.
Guests included: Ingeborg and Ira Rennert,
David Avital, Dr. Patricia Cayne, Elaine Wolfensohn,
Larry and Kim Heyman, Lauren and Ezra
Merkin, Dalia and Larry Leeds, Eddie and Rebecca
Sugar, Nina and Mitch Davidson, Barbara and Donald
Tober, Gail and Ephraim Propp, Malcolm Thomson,
Judy and Stanley Zabar, Danielle Levine, Dan and Marlene
Arbess, Fanya Gottesfeld Heller, Marilyn and Lawrence
Friedland, William and Elyssa Friedland, Rochelle and David
Hirsch and the Honorable Raymond Kelly.
Dr. LeClerc received the coveted Yigal Allon Award, named in honor
of the late Deputy Prime Minister of Israel and former Minister of
Education.
The Open University of Israel has become Israel’s largest
university. The highly ranked institution
affords the military during the years of compulsory service, the
large immigrant population, the disabled, the indigent, and
the Yeshiva student, the opportunity to study via long-distance learning. The
Open University demonstrates that the Internet is the classroom
of the 21st century.
Co-chairs of the event included Baron Robert de Rothschild, Malcolm
Thomson, Patricia D. Cayne, Elie Wiesel, and Elaine
Wolfensohn.
Ira Leon and Ingeborg Rennert, honoree Dr. Paul LeClerc and Dr. Judith Ginsberg.
Elisabeth Doft, Nira Abramowitz, Alan Doft, Elaine Wolfensohn.
Andrew Lowinger, J. Ezra Merkin, Lauren Merkin and Basya Lowinger.
Raymond Kelly, Ingeborg and Ira Leon Rennert, Malcolm Thomson.
Ronnie and Ralou Stern.
Dr. Alan and Lori Harris, Lisa and Steven Perelman.
