jewishcommunityheroes.org.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Four Connecticut residents are among several hundred community “heroes” nominated in the third annual Jewish Community Heroes campaign that aims to shine a national spotlight on local leaders, volunteers and professionals whose work impacts their respective communities.

Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of North America (JFNA), the campaign culminates in the selection of Jewish Community Hero of the Year, who will receive a $25,000 grant from JFNA to be used as an investment in his/her community project or non-profit effort. Additionally, the four remaining finalists will each receive a $1,000 grant, and the Federation Hero of the Year will receive a $5,000 grant.
Nominated by member of their communities, twenty semifinalists for Jewish Community Hero of the Year are selected through online voting. The semifinalists will be split evenly between ten professionals and ten volunteers. A panel of judges, made up of prominent members of the Jewish community will then select five finalists, including the Jewish Community Hero of the Year, from the semifinalist selection. All five finalists receive a Heroes grant.
The four Connecticut nominees are: Rabbi Shimmy Trencher of West Hartford, Dean of Students at the Hebrew High School of New England; Dr. Charles Small of New Haven, founder and director of YIISA, the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism (recently eliminated by Yale University); Dr. Eitan Kilchevsky of Newtown, a volunteer and supporter of Israel and the Jewish community; and Audrey Lichter of West Hartford, executive director of the Chai Mitzvah program.

Trencher

Small

Kilchevsky

Lichter

Voting is now open online and will remain so until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10. To vote for your “Hero” – and to read more about the Connecticut nominees – visit www.jewishcommunityheroes.org.