The Women’s Philanthropy Advisory Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona is seeking nominees for its 12th annual Bryna Zehngut Mitzvot Award, recognizing an outstanding Jewish teenage girl.
Along with some of Bryna’s closest friends, the Advisory Council created this award to honor Zehngut, a community leader who died in 2005.
Award nominees must be current high school juniors or seniors who have shown leadership through community volunteering and have exemplified Jewish values similar to those Zehngut cherished. The award recipient will receive a gift of $613 — related to the Jewish tradition of 613 mitzvot — which she may use toward participation on a trip to Israel or another Jewish leadership or educational program or donate to a Jewish nonprofit organization. The winner will be recognized by Women’s Philanthropy during the 2018 Connections brunch on Feb. 18, 2018.
Nominees may self-nominate or be nominated by a community member or institution. Each nominee must submit a resume, letter of recommendation and a brief statement of her intended use for the award money. Nominations and nominee forms must be postmarked by Dec. 15.
“I encourage young women to be active members and leaders both within the Jewish community and in the wider Tucson community,” says last year’s winner, Zoe Holtzman, who is now a student at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is a member of the women’s water polo team, a tutor for Latino youth in St. Louis, and active with Hillel.
“I hope others will be involved in their communities not just because of the potential for recognition, but so they can form lifelong friendships and improve their communities,” says Holtzman.
For more information, contact Danielle Larcom at the Federation at 577-9393 or dlarcom@jfsa.org, or visit jfsa.org.
