Four Jewish leaders in Northwest Indiana, who were the architects of a merger uniting three separate federations into a single, professionally-staffed central community organization to provide better communal services for all, have been named winners of the 1960 Edwin Rosenberg Award for outstanding leadership: it was announced by Judge Sidney Goldmann of Trenton, chairman of the Awards Committee.
The four are: Benjamin Saks, president of the unified Northwest Indiana Jewish Welfare Federation; Harry Neison, president of the former Gary Jewish Welfare Federation; Simon Miller, president of the former East Chicago United Jewish Appeal; and Edward Rudin, president of the former Hammond United Jewish Appeal.
The awards, a hand-crafted silver medallion, suitably inscribed and mounted on a finely wrought silver stand, and hand-lettered, illuminated scrolls, will be presented at the 29th General Assembly of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds in Detroit, November 12.
The award was established by the Council in 1956, through a grant by the Ben and Bertha Touster Foundation, as a tribute to the outstanding leadership qualities of Edwin Rosenberg. The objective of the award is to encourage others to emulate the principles which his leadership exemplifies. Mr. Rosenberg, a vice-president of the CJFWF, was chairman of the committee which effected the merger of the United Hias Service.
The four Northwest Indiana Jewish leaders were chosen for statesmanship in erasing narrow geographical and political boundaries to create one integrated community organization, and for using their high community offices to strengthen the position of the new federation. The communities involved were Gary, a city of 3,000 Jews, largest of the three, East Chicago and Hammond. The combined Jewish population of all three is about 6.500.
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