Nearly 200 guests gathered at the Union Club on Wednesday, June 19, to celebrate three decades of the World ORT Jurisprudence Award, an evening that honored not only this year’s recipients but the legacy of a tradition that began in Cleveland 30 years ago.
A Vision Realized
The night opened with a special tribute to Ken Liffman, who had the vision three decades ago to bring the Jurisprudence Award to Cleveland in support of World ORT. Liffman received his own award for that founding contribution, presented by his daughter, Danielle Garson, a member of the World ORT Midwest Region Board and an attorney at the same firm where he has spent his career.
For Liffman, the connection to World ORT’s mission runs through his own family history. His parents were Holocaust survivors, and they taught him that opportunity is never to be taken for granted. This is a lesson that echoes World ORT’s own history of teaching survivors in displaced persons’ camps the skills to rebuild their lives after the Holocaust. That understanding of education as a path to possibility was at the root of Liffman’s vision to bring the award to Cleveland, and it made the moment of his own recognition, presented by his daughter, a full-circle tribute to a legacy spanning a generation.
Honoring This Year’s Recipients
This year’s honorees, Ann-Marie Ahern and Lawrence E. Oscar, were celebrated for embodying everything the award represents: being a decent human being in and outside the courtroom and using wisdom and experience to make the world a better place.
Education at the Heart of the Evening
Education ran through the evening’s speeches, including remarks from special guest Michael Perlmuter, Immediate Past Board Chair of ORT America and current World ORT board member. Perlmuter, who helped lead the merger that formed World ORT, shared his experience visiting schools around the globe, most recently in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Watch the video of Michael Perlmuter below.
Thanks to the Team Behind the Evening
None of this would have been possible without the dedication of World ORT Midwest Region Board Chair Todd Gurney, Jurisprudence Event Co-chairs, Ken Liffman, Shawna Rosner and Jill Okun, and the honorary co-chairs, steering committee, and tribute committee who helped to bring the evening to life with generous support from sponsors and donors.
The Impact of Giving
The evening’s sponsors and donors were recognized for the role their generosity plays in powering World ORT’s mission. Thanks to their support, 80,000 students and 200,000 beneficiaries across 30+ countries and five continents are accessing world-class STEM, robotics, and enterprise education.
Photos From the Night
Check out a few of our favorite photos from the night!
See more photos from the event here.
Connecting across borders. Learning without boundaries. That is the power of World ORT.
To learn more about World ORT activities and events in the Midwest Region, contact Regional Director Rob Platt at [email protected].