[Archived from April 3, 2009]
Jewish Family & Career Services will honor five individuals at the fourth annual MOSAIC Awards on Tuesday, May 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the Henry Clay Hotel. This salute to New American recognizes immigrants and refugees who have made a significant contribution in their profession and in our community.
The 2009 honorees are Sundeep Dronawat, Ph.D., Dr. Arun Gadre, Dr. Rajanathan Karalakulasingam, Helen Lang and Edgardo Mansilla, LCSW.
Dronawat, from India, is president and general manager of Bellwether Software. He is also CTO and co-founder of Rural America IT and founder of Proresoft.
Dr. Gadre, also from India, is medical director of the Heuser Hearing Institute Hearing Services Center. In addition, he is an associate professor in the Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Louisville Medical School, and serves as the director of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery.
Dr. Karalakulasingam, from Sri Lanka, is a specialist in nephrology at the Louisville Kidney Center and director of Dialysis Centers in Bowling Green and Glasgow, KY.
Helen Lang, of Chinese Descendent, is the founder of the Crane House.
Mansilla, from Argentina, is the executive director of the Americana Community Center.
Additionally at this event, JFCS recognizes first generation Jewish individuals who were a part of establishing the Jewish community in Louisville. Families can honor their ancestors who were immigrants at this event through a Family Tribute Sponsorship.
“This idea came from the event committee, many of whom had ancestors who were refugees and immigrants when they came to Louisville,” commented Judy Freundlich Tiell, JFCS executive director. “We think it’s a great opportunity to spotlight those newcomers from the past in the context of highlighting New Americans today.”
Family Tribute sponsors will receive two tickets to the MOSAIC Awards, and a tribute will be made of their honored family member, which will be a part of a permanent memorial at the Roth Family Center. The tributes also will be a part of the video presentation the evening of the awards ceremony.
Previous Family Tributes have been made for Joseph and Anna Bass, Myer and Ester Berman, Albert and Rose Mash Robinson, Emil and Augusta Kramm Klempner, Max and Annie Shapira, Boris and Naomi Pressma, Rebecca Bass Bierman, Samuel Weisberg, Kucil Rosenstein, Shalom and Sarah Feige Goldberg, Marcus and Mali Schachter Spector, Harry and Lena Goodman Shapiro, Gabe and Marjorie Van Damm Belker, David and Evelyn Levy Van Damm, Barnett and Sadie Cohen Levy and George and Mariam Blue.
Local developers and philanthropists Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson are the honorary chairpersons of the MOSAIC Awards. Jewish Hospital and St. Mary’s HealthCare and WLKY are the lead sponsors. Proceeds from this event will benefit Jewish Family & Career Services.
MOSAIC is an acronym for Multicultural Opportunities for Success and Achievement In our Community.
JFCS, through its Multicultural Services, helps people build a new life in their new home through their work, education, and integration into the community. By recognizing those individuals who have succeeded in various fields, JFCS hopes to inspire others to make a positive impact on their own lives and their community.
Individual tickets are $100 per person, and numerous levels of sponsorships are available to individuals and businesses.
For more information on how to create a Family Tribute, purchase tickets or inquire about sponsorships, please contact Beverly Bromley at 452-6341, ext 223.
