Nancy Avis L'Dor V'Dor Awards 2024

Seats are limited. Please email Sylvia at SCohen@sijcc.com for availability.

Join us as we continue the legacy of Nancy Avis and honor six extraordinary women.

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Robin Lefkowitz
First Generation Award

Robin Lefkowitz, Northfield Bank’s Executive Vice President, Chief Branch Administration, Deposit Operations and Business Development Officer, has 35 years of banking and financial experience.Specializing in customer relationships and growth of the bank’s overall branch system, Robin’s wealth of experience spans throughout the Northfield Bank network, located in Staten Island, New Jersey and Brooklyn.

Prior to her 17+ years with Northfield, Robin was Vice President, Business Development, for Independence Community Bank, where she was responsible for developing customer and account growth throughout the Brooklyn marketplace.She joined Independence in April 2004 following its merger with SI Bank & Trust.With SI, Robin was Vice President, Trust and Investment Development, where she held that position for over four years.Prior to SI Bank, Robin worked for GreenPoint Bank in the capacity of Branch Manager, throughout the Brooklyn, Long Island and Manhattan marketplace.

Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics, from Brooklyn College and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Wagner College.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Robin and her husband Danny moved to Staten Island in 1988.As a long-time, active community member, Robin’s involvement includes holding the positions of Board Member for each, Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) Foundation, Eden II Foundation and (formerly) Integration Charter Schools.Robin also serves as a Director of the Woodbridge Township Economic Development Corporation, a Board Member for the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC), and a newly elected Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR) Board Member.Robin is a founding member of the Executive Women’s Council (EWC), under the direction of the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation, where, in addition to her role on their Board of Directors, she currently hosts the SIEDC’s Community Television production of “Beyond the Ferry”. Additionally, Robin is co-host, along with Christine Dehart, owner/broker, from Salmon Real Estate, of “Locally Grown,” a social media historical program, focused on Staten Island’s historical locations, developed and produced by SI Live.

When she is not working or involved in community activities, Robin enjoys traveling and dining out with her husband Danny and spending time with family and friends.

Anita Bruckmeir
First Generation Award

Anita began her career at the JCC more than thirty years ago, in October 1990, as the part-time director of Membership and Adult Programs. In that role, Anita played an instrumental part in spearheading the membership campaign for the mid-1990’s grand re-opening of the Avis/South Shore building.

In the late 1990’s, Anita began working alongside then Executive Director, Lew Stolzenberg, writing and securing grant funding for the agency, eventually working her way up to Development Director and later to Chief Development Officer.

Under Anita’s guidance, the JCC expanded its grants portfolio exponentially, securing a myriad of private, City, State and Federal grants over the years. Anita was pivotal to the JCC securing its first DYCD Beacon School grant, its New York Child Health Plus (CHIPS) grant, its DFTA Innovative Senior Center grant, and its Reality Check grant, just to name a few.

Over the years, Anita played key roles in agency special events such as the 2000 Maccabi Games, the groundbreaking of the Bernikow Building, and, more recently, SunriseWalks. Anita provided executive level supervision to the JCC’s Health Insurance Navigation and Adult Education departments. After over 30 years of dedicated service, she retired from the JCC in summer of 2023.

In her personal life, Anita successfully balanced her heavy workload with raising two daughters, Allison and Jamie, who somehow blossomed from the two little girls they were when Anita first began her JCC career to the two strong, independent women that they are today. Now Anita enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren, Alexandra and Elijah.

Sim Lenner
Next Generation Award

Sim is a multimedia creative whose journey with Judaism was spurred by joining Temple Israel–but was pushed along by independent research started during the pandemic and continued to this day. Through confirmation classes and many many articles online, she was able to discover more about what it means to be Jewish in the modern world–and what that meant to her personally. The more that she learned about her culture, the more that Sim felt the need to express her Jewishness through style, art, and music.

When asked to assist with the music at the Sunday morning services at the temple, it was only natural that a fresh-out-of-quarantine Sim would agree. After a few weeks of practice, she was on the bimah with a guitar and some sheet music– and a few weeks later she stood on her own. Since then, Sim has led the musical portions of every Sunday morning service, along with a couple of Shabbat evening services. She also teaches the music class of the Religious school, hoping to spread the joy of Jewish music to the future of Temple Israel and more broadly the Jewish community.

Joan Cusack
Bridge to the Community Award

Joan Cusack has a decades-long career in public service. After attending Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, Joan worked as a legal executive assistant for several years. She then began her career in government, working for Guy V. Molinari during his Congressional and Borough Presidential Terms. She then chaired the NYS Crime Victims Board, advocating for domestic violence victims, children, people with disabilities, and seniors. She was instrumental in bringing people together to help those impacted by 9/11 and advocated for benefits for 9/11 families. She then worked at the Human Resources Administration, where she did additional advocacy work after Hurricane Sandy. She currently serves as the District Manager of Community Board 1 on Staten Island.

She has been active in the local community for many years, serving as a volunteer for Catholic School Board 20 and the Catholic Youth Ministry Athletic Association. Among her many affiliations, she has served as a board member of the Grace Foundation and the Sister Elizabeth Ann Rehabilitation and Nursing Home. Joan has received numerous awards and citations, including from Governor Pataki, NYS Attorney General, and the NYC City Council. In her personal life, she is a proud mother and grandmother.

Tzipora Guttman & Jasmine Harpargas
Nancy Avis Legacy Award

Jasmine Harpargas was born in Guyana and came to the United States in 1981 and lived in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. She moved to Staten Island in 2003 and married Milton Guttman, who shared her immense love for the JCC.

She worked for Institutional Investor for 10 years, managing 30 full-time employees. Later, she opened a telemarketing company, and after five years, segwayed to working at Children’s Aid where she has been working for the past 15 years.

Jasmine is a passionate volunteer, actively involved in her daughter’s school PTA and at the JCC. She loves to cook and plan parties. She also enjoys singing and dancing, especially to Neil Diamond and Elvis Presley songs.

She has one wonderful daughter, Tzipora Guttman.

Tzipora Guttman was born and raised in Staten Island and began attending the JCC at age 2. She is now a Junior at Staten Island Technical High School.

She has interned at the JCC for the past two summers. Last Summer, she had a wonderful experience in Israel, sponsored by the JCC, which she will never forget. For the past 3 years, she has been the ambassador for the JCC teen group iTeens, actively involved in all activities. She volunteers with special needs girls and is currently completing her Gold Award Project focused on raising awareness for young girls with neurological disorders.

Tzipora is an active member of her school community, serving as the president of her school’s Jewish club, treasurer of the debate team, and event organizer for her school’s social committee. In addition to being a passionate singer, she plays the clarinet in her school’s Symphonic and Marching Band. She is also an active member of the Jewish Student Union, serving on the New York Executive Board as Director of Torah and Israel Education and a proud member of the JSU Leadership Institute.

Tzipora and Jasmine are actively involved at the Arden Heights Boulevard Jewish Center where Tzipora frequently helps lead Friday night services and tutors younger Hebrew School Students.