UJA-Federation’s Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Honors Visionary Leaders

More than 200 people joined UJA-Federation of New York’s Larchmont-Mamaroneck community to honor Wendy and Neil Sandler and pay tribute to Eugene and Emily Grant, all of Mamaroneck for their longstanding leadership in the Westchester community and their generous philanthropy, as well as to support UJA-Federation in its mission of caring for people in need, inspiring a passion for Jewish life and learning, and strengthening Jewish communities in New York, in Israel, and around the world.

The event took place at Larchmont Temple on Thursday, May 29, 2014.

Both Wendy and Neil Sandler are dedicated, longtime supporters of UJA-Federation and have served as co-chairs of UJA-Federation’s Westchester King David Society for the past four years. Wendy is a past co-chair of numerous Larchmont-Mamaroneck Women’s Philanthropy campaign events, including a parenting series and community dinner. Neil currently serves on the UJA-Federation Board of Directors, as well as on the board of Westchester Jewish Community Services, a UJA-Federation beneficiary agency that offers a diverse range of mental-health services, residential home care, and human-service programs throughout the county.

For more than 20 years, the Sandlers have been members of Larchmont Temple, where Wendy has served as chair of the Caring Committee and as a member of The Second Generation of Holocaust Survivors group. Neil has led the Endowment Committee there for the past seven years. Wendy has just completed a course of study to be accredited as a gallery educator at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. Additionally, she is a trustee on the Emory University Alumni Board.

“Exposed to UJA’s broader mission, I have a greater appreciation of what we do and our unique role,” said Neil Sandler in his acceptance remarks. “We have the resources to tackle both long-term and acute challenges that only scale can solve and we’ve harnessed the talent and team orientation to actually accomplish our objectives.”

UJA-Federation Executive Vice President & CEO John Ruskay presented Emily and Eugene Grant with the first Emily and Eugene Grant Community Leadership Award, which was established in their honor. Eugene, a past UJA-Federation annual campaign chair and trustee, and Emily, an honorary member of the Board of Directors of Westchester Jewish Community Services, also were leaders in the establishment of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center of Westchester.

They have been instrumental in helping a wide range of organizations, such as the Food Bank of Westchester, the Metropolitan Opera, the Westchester Arts Council, the Westchester Philharmonic, and The Jewish Museum of New York. Avid supporters of education, they have provided scholarships to hundreds of deserving students at Purchase College, where Emily served as chair of the Purchase College Foundation for 18 years.

“Honestly, UJA-Federation gives life, supports life, and allows us periodically to celebrate” important moments, Eugene Grant said.

Event chairs were Cindy and Ben Golub and Judi and Dan Karson, all of Mamaroneck.

About UJA-Federation of New York


For more than 95 years, UJA-Federation has inspired New Yorkers to act on their values and invest in our community for the biggest impact. Through UJA-Federation, more than 55,000 donors address issues that matter most to them, pooling their resources to care for New Yorkers of all backgrounds and Jews everywhere, to connect people to their Jewish communities, and to respond to crises close to home and around the globe. Working with nearly 100 network beneficiary agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, UJA-Federation is the world’s largest local philanthropy; our reach spans from New York to Israel to more than 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. For more information on how to donate or volunteer, please visit our website at www.ujafedny.org.