Larry Levin honored for outstanding professional leadership;
Rachel Lubchansky and Jeffrey Sparks recognized as young leaders.
Jewish Federation of St. Louis has announced the 2013 winners of two prestigious awards, the Fred A. Goldstein Professional Leadership Award and the David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Award. Both awards will be presented at Federation’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 17 at the Jewish Community Center Arts & Education Building.
Larry Levin
Larry Levin, publisher/CEO of the St. Louis Jewish Light is the winner of the Goldstein Award, which recognizes outstanding professional leadership among those who work in a St. Louis Jewish organization. The award, which has been given annually since 1965, honors individuals who excel in their field, have a significant track record over time, have introduced important innovations, and are perceived as role models by other professionals and volunteers. Levin has overseen sweeping changes at the newspaper since becoming publisher/CEO in 2008, resulting in stronger financial footing, improved news coverage, enhanced design and online presence, technological upgrades, and improved community presence. In Levin’s tenure, the newspaper has received 16 local and national journalism awards. Levin has substantial experience in law, business, nonprofit organizations and journalism. He has two adult sons.
Rachel Milder Lubchansky and Jeffrey Sparks were named winners of the Grosberg Award, which recognizes volunteer leaders in the Jewish community who are 40 years and younger and demonstrate active Jewish Federation leadership and commitment to Federation’s Annual Community Campaign.
Rachel Lubchansky
Lubchansky is the director of admissions and communications at the H.F. Epstein Hebrew Academy. In the past 11 years, she has devoted much of her time to volunteerism. She was an executive board member for Federation’s Young Professionals Division (YPD) and was a Millstone Fellow in the inaugural class of the Federation leadership series. She will join the Federation’s Board of Trustees this fall. She co-founded the Barbara Mendelson Tomchei Shabbos Fund, which empowers Shabbos-observant families by providing food to prepare their own Shabbos celebration. The organization serves more than 40 families weekly. In addition, Lubchansky has served on the steering committee for the Jewish Community Center’s Maccabi Games and as social chair for Young Israel and was a Professional Leaders Project participant and a Corporate Achiever Honoree with the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has a background in marketing and fashion. She and her husband Adam have 4-year-old triplets.
Jeff Sparks
Sparks is a partner in RubinBrown’s Assurance Services Group. He has served as president, vice president of campaign and at-large board member for Federation’s YPD. He has shifted the focus of YPD toward supporting the community through giving, and under his leadership the YPD campaign has experienced continued growth. Sparks is also a member of Federation’s Board of Trustees and its Montefiore Society and Ben Gurion Society. In 2010, Sparks was named as one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s 30 Under 30. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors for the Jewish Community Relations Council and is a member of the Miami University Alumni Association and Miami University Admission Recruiting Network.
Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., president and CEO of Federation, congratulated the three award winners. “These individuals were selected by a diverse committee of community and professional leadership from among a deep field of nominees, all of whom were well deserving of praise for their contributions to our community,” says Rehfeld. “We look forward to honoring them and their distinctive contributions to our community at the Jewish Federation Annual Meeting.”
Register for Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ 2013 Annual Meeting online at www.jfedstl.org/jfed13.
