On Tuesday, May 8, Jewish World Watch (JWW) celebrated its 14th year by honoring Ben Reznik as the 2018 Global Soul award recipient, recognizing his incredible commitment to and service on behalf of our organization. Held in the outdoor courtyard of the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City, Global Soul helped raised critical funds for JWW’s work in fighting genocide and mass atrocities and mobilizing awareness.
Over 400 guests – friends, family and colleagues of Ben’s, in addition to local officials, community members, and JWW supporters – joined us under the stars for a festive evening of theater, music and a gourmet buffet. The program opened with traditional African music, followed by excerpts from the play “Sister Africa”, which included testimonies from Congolese survivors of rape and mass atrocities. The event also showcased JWW’s work with our on-the-ground partners in Syria, Myanmar, Chad, Sudan, and Iraq in developing high-impact projects that improve the lives of survivors and help build the foundation for a safer world.
The evening continued with a video message from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti praising Ben and JWW for their commitment to activism, as well as remarks by former Los Angeles County Supervisor and JWW Board Member Zev Yaroslavsky, before presenting Ben with the 2018 Global Soul award.
With the help of our sponsors and all who contributed, Global Soul has almost broken a JWW fundraising record; another $18,000 and we will have set a new bar for the organization. During his acceptance, Ben spoke eloquently about his commitment to JWW, remarking: “This is why an honor from this organization means so much to me. I can think of no more deserving cause to support with my heart, my soul and my wallet.” If you would like to help JWW reach a new record, we ask you to kindly donate here.
As the son of Holocaust survivors, Ben has long been driven to memorialize the Holocaust by combating genocides and mass atrocities perpetrated in our generation. When his wife Janice Kamenir-Reznik co-founded JWW with Rabbi Harold Schulweisz”l in 2004, Ben helped play a critical role in the early years. He served as an adviser in helping to grow the organization and continues to be a staunch supporter and advocate of our work. As an attorney, philanthropist and activist, Ben has worked tirelessly over the past 15 years to ensure the financial health and viability of JWW. Through his diverse connections, his humility, his commitment to justice, and his optimism in working towards a future free from genocide and mass atrocities, Ben has helped raise significant funds and awareness for the organization over the years.
On behalf of Jewish World Watch, we are eternally grateful to our committed Honorary Chairs and Committee, the incredible Global Soul Sponsors, and all who contributed to make the evening such a success. We could not do the work that we do without your unwavering support and commitment to Jewish World Watch.
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Global Soul Digital Tribute Journal