UJA-Federation's Business and Professional Group Honors Leaders

UJA-Federation of New York’s Westchester Business and Professional Division honored Ken Fuirst of Chappaqua and David Glasser of White Plains at its 2016 Annual Luncheon on Thursday, May 12, at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York.

More than 250 guests came to recognize Mr. Fuirst and Mr. Glasser for their leadership in the Westchester community and 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 raised more than $200,000 for UJA-Federation, which supports a network of nearly 100 health, human-service, educational, and community-building nonprofits.

“We help families at risk and vulnerable populations, here in New York, in Israel, and in 70 other countries worldwide,” said Debra Abrahams Weiner of White Plains, who served as event chair of the luncheon along with Mitchell Ostrove of New Rochelle. “And when I say we help, I mean all of us. As supporters of UJA-Federation, it’s up to us to support this work.”

Mr. Fuirst is co-president of Levitt-Fuirst Associates, one of the tri-state area’s largest independently owned insurance brokers. Over the last 23 years, he and his partner, Jason Schiciano, have more than quadrupled the size of this third-generation firm. A member of the Westchester Business and Professional Division Board, Mr. Fuirst serves as chair of UJA-Federation’s regionwide Sports Talk, which has grown into one of the premier events in Westchester. A board member at the Chappaqua School Foundation, he also recently joined the board of Westchester Jewish Community Services, a UJA-Federation beneficiary agency.

Mr. Fuirst is also actively involved with Pleasantville Community Synagogue, where he served on the board for six years and has been in charge of fundraising for more than a decade, and volunteers for Columbia Business School’s Hermes Society, where he raises money from fellow alumni. Lehigh University, his alma mater, awarded him the Alumni Award in 1996 for his dedication to fundraising.

Mr. Glasser is the managing member of Keane & Beane, P.C., in White Plains, one of the largest law firms headquartered in Westchester County. Here he advises individuals and families on estate planning; serves as counsel in commercial and residential real estate conveyance, leasing, and financing transactions; and is a legal advisor to small- to medium-sized businesses. He has been instrumental in growing several practice areas since joining the firm in 1981, and has consistently set an example for other firm attorneys as an active, collaborative member of the business and civic community.

Demonstrating longtime commitment to the community and Israel, Mr. Glasser is former chair of UJA-Federation’s Westchester Business and Professional Leaders Division (where he still serves on the board) and vice chair of UJA-Federation’s Benjamin N. Cardozo Society. A past president of Temple Israel Center in White Plains, he was a member of the congregation’s executive committee and board of trustees for many years. He currently serves on the boards of the Westchester Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the Westchester Jewish Council, another agency that UJA-Federation funds. In addition, Mr. Glasser has taken a leadership role in many civic and professional organizations, including his service as a director of the Estate Planning Council of Westchester and as a member of planned-giving committees of White Plains Hospital Center and Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla.

Susan Taxin Baer of Scarsdale and Ben Blumberg of Larchmont are chairs of the Westchester Business and Professional Division. Judith Stern Rosen of Purchase is journal chair for the event.

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[Photo captions]

[Photo 1]

(From left) David Perlmutter of Chappaqua gives the award to honoree Ken Fuirst of Chappaqua; honoree David Glasser of White Plains accepts the award from Richard Greenfield of White Plains

[Photo 2]

(From left) Judith Stern Rosen of Purchase, Mitchell Ostrove of New Rochelle, and Debra Abrahams Weiner of White Plains

[Photo 3]

(From left) Jill Greenspan of Armonk, Jamie Schwartz of Mount Kisco, Bonnie Silverman of Pound Ridge, and Robert Rattet of Armonk

[Photo 4]

Karen and the Honorable David Everett of Larchmont

About UJA-Federation of New York


For nearly 100 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 50,000 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 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.