Standing Boldly For Truth, For Justice And For Israel - ZOA Celebrates Distinguished Honorees At Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award Dinner Superstar Gala In New York City

This year’s honorees included Representative Elise Stefanik, House Republican Conference chair and newly announced New York gubernatorial candidate, who received the ZOA Maccabee Award; Amb. Rabbi Dr. Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, who received the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Defender of Israel Award; Leo Terrell, Esq., Chair of the U.S. Department of Justice Task Force on Antisemitism, who received the Robert Kasowitz Defender of Jewish Civil Rights Award; Amb. Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, who received the Steve Sass Outstanding Diplomat Award and Irit and Jonathan Tratt, Philanthropists and Zionist activists, who received the evening’s highest honor, the Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award.

Presenters and participants included Dr. Miriam Adelson, Marc Kasowitz, Steven Sass, acclaimed radio host Sid Rosenberg, Ambassador Ofir Akunis and ZOA National President Morton Klein. The evening was emceed by Rita Cosby, Emmy-winning TV and radio broadcaster. Among other high-profile guests were U.S. Representative for U.N. Management and Reform Ambassador Jeff Bartos; the Administration’s choice for Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat antisemitism Ambassador Designate Yehuda Kaploun and Professor Alan Dershowitz.

“At this moment in history, we face a grave danger: Jew-hatred and Israel-bashing have been recast as badges of conscience and enlightenment. Bigotry against Jews has been normalized, legitimized and mainstreamed. Hatred now masquerades as virtue and hostility toward Israel is held up as moral decency,” said ZOA National President Morton A. Klein. “We at the ZOA will fight these monstrous lies. No appeasement. No conciliation. We will fight this hatred with every ounce of our strength, with all our hearts and souls.

“Each of our honorees tonight has joined that fight, standing boldly for truth, for justice and for Israel. For their courage and heroism, we at the ZOA, along with defenders of Israel across America and around the world, offer our deepest gratitude,” he added.

Each of the honorees spoke passionately about the urgent need to stand with Israel and to confront antisemitism in all its modern forms, including on college campuses, in the media and in international institutions.

Representative Elise Stefanik, who received the ZOA Maccabee Award, emphasized her unwavering commitment to Israel and Jewish civil rights. “It is humbling to receive this award from ZOA, which has stood for over a century as one of the great pillars of Jewish advocacy, Jewish identity and Jewish strength. For years, my service was in Congress, where I have fought tirelessly to combat antisemitism and strengthen the U.S Israel Alliance,” said Stefanik, who announced her candidacy for New York’s 2026 Gubernatorial Race just days earlier.

“A few years ago, I realized that there was another front in this battle, a battlefield that we are losing and one much closer to home. University campuses where we saw a scourge and skyrocketing of antisemitism after Hamas’s terrorist attacks on October 7th. I will never forget that hearing. It was a simple question and one I did not prepare and I asked it, expecting them to say yes. It was not a political question; it was a moral one. And I asked it to the presidents of Harvard, MIT and University of Pennsylvania. ‘Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate your university's code of conduct?’ I expected them to say yes, but one, after the other, after the other, said, quote, ‘It depends on the context’ and the world heard. Let me be clear with you all tonight: it does not depend on the context,” said Stefanik.

Leo Terrell, honored with the Robert Kasowitz Defender of Jewish Civil Rights Award, discussed his work combating antisemitism through law and policy, ensuring that Jewish Americans are protected and empowered.

“Fighting antisemitism is so simple because it's simply wrong. It is fundamentally right that Jewish Americans are protected in the same shape and manner as all Americans; it is not a Republican issue, it is not a Democratic issue, it is an American issue. Jewish Americans should have the same rights afforded to all citizens, without discrimination or the burden of the so-called ‘Jewish tax,’ the additional cost of security for Jewish Americans to go to the synagogue, to go to school, to go to work which must be eliminated,” said Terrell.

Ambassador Rabbi Dr. Yechiel Leiter, recipient of the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Defender of Israel Award, spoke about the shared values and destiny uniting Israel and the United States during this critical period for both nations.

“What I want to leave you with this evening, was the first line of my letter to the Secretary of State requesting to present my credentials. In it I wrote: I represent a people indigenous to the State of Israel. Analyze everything that we have faced for two years. Analyze everything that we are facing today? And it comes down to that one sentence. Zionism, depicting and expressing the unbreakable bond between the people of Israel and the land of Israel is the beginning of Jewish history. Our history in Israel begins when G-d told Abraham in Breishit, Lech Lecha, go to the land I will show you,” shared Amb. Leiter.

Ambassador Danny Danon, who received the Steve Sass Outstanding Diplomat Award, offered a stirring message of resilience and unity for Israel and the Jewish people amid unprecedented global challenges.

“My friends, we must be proud of our soldiers, our sons and daughters who showed the world that the day when Jews could be massacred without a response is over. Today we have the IDF, we have the Air Force. We have proved that today, we are capable of defending ourselves and securing our future. My friends, I am optimistic tonight about our future, because in our region, strength equals respect. And since the seventh of October, we have more than proven our capabilities,” said Ambassador Danon.

Ambassador Ofir Akunis, spoke during the event of the power of Jewish unity and the ZOA’s courage and clarity in standing with Israel at a moment when moral leadership is most needed.

“As we face one of the most challenging times for the Jewish people since the early days of Zionism, we must remain strong, proud and united. We cannot allow anyone, anywhere, to challenge our identity or question our right to defend our people and our homeland. Unity is the key to our success and when we unite around our shared values, evil will never win," he said.

Acclaimed broadcaster Sid Rosenberg, who also addressed the audience, brought his trademark passion and patriotism to the evening’s celebration, urging continued solidarity with Israel and vigilance against hate.

“I didn’t grow up the most religious kid in Brooklyn. I didn’t observe Shabbat or recognize every holiday and there are many others like me. But October 7th changed my life and on October 8th, I had never been prouder to be Jewish. We must stand together and fight antisemitism wherever it arises,” said Rosenberg.

Irit and Jonathan Tratt, recipients of the Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award, were recognized for their deep philanthropic commitment and lifelong dedication to Zionism and Jewish causes.

“We are humbled and honored to be surrounded by so many extraordinary honorees who are fearless and tireless giants in fighting for Israel and the Jewish people. We are extremely thankful to each of them and to Mort Klein and the ZOA who have courageously defended Israel while fighting against the disgusting lies being leveled against the Jewish state and the Jewish people,” said Irit Tratt.

The event also marked the introduction of the ZOA Women’s Leadership Division, a newly established grassroots initiative co-chaired by ZOA National Board Member Susan Good and Rhonda Small. The division is dedicated to upholding Israel’s sovereignty, strengthening Jewish philanthropy, advancing education and social good and standing fearless in the fight against antisemitism. Its formation reflects ZOA’s commitment to expanding advocacy and leadership opportunities for women who are passionate about Zionism, justice and Jewish continuity.

Founded in 1897, the Zionist Organization of America is the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States. The ZOA works towards strengthening US-Israeli relations through educational activities, public affairs programs, advocating on Capitol Hill and by combating anti-Israel bias in the media, textbooks and on campuses. The ZOA is dedicated to educating the public, elected officials, media and college/high school students about the truth of the ongoing and relentless Arab-Islamic war against Israel and the Jewish people.

For more information, visit: www.zoa.org.