As antisemitism, conspiracy theories, and Holocaust distortion surge across the world, we must unleash the power of Holocaust history and educate new generations about its ongoing relevance. On October 21, our New York community gathered to support this urgent mission. During this memorable and meaningful event, we discussed the Museum’s unique educational role and the importance of sharing the truth in today’s troubling environment. We also pledged to honor the memory of all the innocent lives that were lost in the Holocaust by working together to promote our common humanity. Please help us further our work by sharing your Museum experience with others, and if you haven't made a gift or would like to increase your support, please donate today.
Featured Guests
Honorees
Since the New York Real Estate Luncheon began in 2012, it has been one of the Museum’s most successful events in the tri-state area. As dedicated supporters of the Museum, Debrah Lee Charatan, Jeffrey Feil, and Lloyd Goldman have been involved with the luncheon since the beginning, serving as its long-standing co-chairs. Over the years, Debrah, Jeffrey, and Lloyd have continuously brought the real estate community together to raise millions of dollars in support of the Museum.
- Debrah Lee Charatan
The child of Holocaust survivors, Debrah Lee Charatan is deeply committed to the Museum and its mission to preserve Holocaust history for future generations. In addition to her involvement as a co-chair of the New York Real Estate Luncheon, Debrah donated her parents’ papers and her mother’s blouse to the Museum’s unparalleled collection of Holocaust evidence.
Debrah is the principal of BCB Property Management, Inc., a full-service real estate company focused on managing and redeveloping multifamily buildings in New York City, alongside her partner and son, Bennat Charatan Berger. Citing her success at launching the first female–owned real estate brokerage firm in New York City (Debrah Lee Charatan Realty), Forbes Magazine called Debrah, “the best man for the job.”
Debrah’s success in business is rivaled only by her generosity toward those in need. She serves as vice chair of the Selfhelp Community Services Foundation board, ensuring that the survivor population lives with the independence and dignity they richly deserve. She also supports a wide range of cultural, humanitarian, and civic causes through the Charatan Family Foundation, including the Park East Synagogue, the Central Park Conservancy, Chai Lifeline, Friendship Circle, and the Phyllis F. Albstein Fund for Brain Science.
Photo: Debrah Lee Charatan. Sean Sime Productions
- Jeffrey Feil
Jeffrey Feil, whose family has been involved with the Museum since it first opened in 1993, shares a commitment to educating new generations through the lessons of the Holocaust. In the face of an alarming rise in antisemitism, Jeffrey was inspired to increase his commitment, becoming a Builder of the new Beyond Our Walls fund.
Jeffrey is the president and chief executive officer of the Feil Organization, Inc., one of New York City’s oldest family-owned real estate firms. The Feil Organization owns and operates more than 26 million square feet of residential, retail, and commercial office space in ten states—with significant holdings in Louisiana, Florida, Washington, DC, and Chicago.
Along with his support of the Museum, Jeffrey is deeply involved with Weill Cornell Medical College, where he serves as vice chair on the board of overseers. He served as a trustee and vice chair of Sunrise Association of Long Island and was a trustee of Brooklyn Law School. Jeff also maintains a strong involvement with Northwell Health. He is the president of the Feil Family Foundation, and much of his philanthropy includes gifts that honor Feil family matriarch and patriarch, Gertrude and Louis Feil.
Photo: Jeffrey Feil. Courtesy of Jeffrey Feil
- Lloyd Goldman
Lloyd Goldman and his family have been involved with the Museum since its earliest days, supporting creative approaches to expanding the institution’s reach, from programming on college campuses to social media campaigns. Along with his siblings, Dorian and Katja, Lloyd is a managing trustee of the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation, which most recently helped fund the Museum’s special exhibition Americans and the Holocaust.
Lloyd is president of BLDG Management Co., Inc., which operates a portfolio of 20 million square feet of commercial properties and developments. Lloyd also sits on the mortgage loan advisory committee of M&T Bank.
In addition to his involvement with the Museum, he is chairman of the board of governors of Ben-Gurion University in Israel. He is also on the executive committee of Northwell Health, one of the largest healthcare systems in the United States, serves as vice chairman at Northwell’s Lenox Hill Hospital, and is a committee member on most of the major committees of Northwell. Lloyd is also a past chair of UJA’s New York real estate division.
Lloyd and his wife, Victoria, are parents to two children and grandparents of five.
Photo: Lloyd Goldman. Courtesy of Lloyd Goldman.
Speakers
- Sara J. Bloomfield
Director, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Sara J. Bloomfield has led the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for 25 years, working to build a global institution that raises Holocaust awareness, deepens understanding of the lessons of the Holocaust, confronts denial, and advances genocide prevention.
She serves on the International Auschwitz Council, has been named Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French Republic, and is a recipient of the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland and six honorary doctorates. She joined the planning staff of the Museum in 1986 when it was a project in development and served in a variety of roles before becoming director in 1999. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Bloomfield holds a bachelor of arts degree in English literature from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in education from John Carroll University, and has studied business administration at the graduate level. Photo: Sara J. Bloomfield. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Joseph Nappi
Museum Teacher Fellow, 2024 New Jersey Teacher of the Year
A 2024 National Teacher of the Year finalist, Joseph Nappi teaches Holocaust history as well as US history to high school students at Monmouth Regional High School in New Jersey. During his tenure at Monmouth, he has taken more than 650 students to visit the Museum in Washington, DC.
A Museum Teacher Fellow since 2019, Joseph has helped lead the Museum’s efforts to ensure quality Holocaust education in secondary schools around the country. In 2022, Joseph worked with a national team of educators assembled by PBS to create lessons for Ken Burns’s film The U.S. and the Holocaust, which was partly inspired by a Museum exhibition. Joseph is an Alfred Lerner Fellow with the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous; a member of the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights and Genocide Education; and district liaison to the Diversity Council at Kean University. He has received numerous teaching awards, including the 2024 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year Award; the 2024 Facing History and Ourselves Upstander of the Year Award; the Ida and Jeff Margolis Medallion for Excellence in Multicultural Education; the US Navy Distinguished Educator Award; the Dr. Frank Kaplowitz Human Rights Educator of the Year Award; and the 2023 Monmouth County Teacher of the Year Award.
Photo: Joseph Nappi. Facing History and Ourselves
- Gretchen Skidmore
Director of Education Initiatives, William Levine Family Institute for Holocaust Education, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
As Director of Education Initiatives, Gretchen Skidmore works to extend the reach of the Museum into communities and classrooms nationwide. Gretchen leads the Museum's educational work with key stakeholders in all 50 states, including teachers, administrators, librarians, Holocaust centers, and other national and local partners.
She oversees a team of educators and historians advancing quality Holocaust education in schools across the country, including the development of classroom resources and professional development. In her 20-year Museum career, Gretchen has created programming and resources for both the visiting public and specialized audiences, including military and government leaders. She has produced numerous educational films; facilitated programs and workshops for government and military professionals, both nationally and internationally; and worked with key partners to support the US government’s commitment to train government leaders about genocide prevention. Before joining the Museum’s staff, she was a member of the humanities faculty at the North Carolina School for Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina, and served as an adjunct professor of English at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She received a BA in German and history from West Virginia University and an MA in modern European history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Photo: Gretchen Skidmore. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Event Leadership
Dinner Chairs
Richard Born* Rita Distenfeld* Jonathan Estreich Peter Fine Gary Jacob* Linda Mirels
Regional Co-Chairs Andi and Tom Bernstein Eva Cooper* Laura Gurwin Flug Marcia and Alan Lazowski* Stacey and Marc Saiontz* Betty Pantirer Schwartz and Howard Schwartz* Susan and Jeffrey Stern Caryn and Howard Unger* Diane and Howard Wohl *denotes past tribute dinner honoree
2024 Northeast Tribute Dinner Sponsors
Crown Gifts of $250,000 or more
Debrah Lee Charatan Deloitte LLP Lee and Jeffrey Feil /The Feil Family Foundation/The Louis Feil Charitable Trust Victoria and Lloyd Goldman Jane and Daniel Och Caryn and Howard Unger
Diamond Gifts of $100,000–$249,999 Stefany and Simon Bergson Andi and Tom Bernstein Kathy and Gene Bernstein Jonathan Estreich Hilary and Joseph Feshbach The Sol Goldman Charitable Trust Leslie and Roslyn Goldstein Foundation Greenberg Traurig LLP JPMorgan Chase & Co. Marsha and Henry Laufer Howard M. Lorber Madaleine and Arnold* Penner Shari Redstone The Sidley Austin Foundation
Platinum Gifts of $50,000–$99,999 Madelyn Bucksbaum Adamson and Allen Adamson Dr. Kathryn Beal and Mr. Bruce Beal Jr. The Belfer Family Debbie and Richard Born EBA Foundation Katherine Farley and Jerry Speyer Peter Fine and Family Laura Gurwin Flug Dorian Goldman and Marvin Israelow, Katja Goldman and Michael Sonnenfeldt on behalf of the Joyce & Irving Goldman Family Foundation Cathy and Gary Jacob The Kirsh Foundation Cheryl and Philip Milstein NBA Stacey and Marc Saiontz
Gold Gifts of $30,000–$49,999 Ruth M. Bernstein Elisa Spungen Bildner and Robert Bildner Eva Cooper Pfizer Inc. Robin and Steven Rotter Betty Pantirer Schwartz and Howard Schwartz
Sapphire Gifts of $18,000–$29,999 Andrew and Carolyn Albstein/Goldberg Weprin Finkel Goldstein LLP Joseph S. Allerhand and Randi L. Schatz The Benmosche Family The Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation Rita and Fred Distenfeld Janet Dore Susan and David Edelstein Meredith and Joel Gantcher, Diane and Gary Katz, Wendy and Matt Waxman Lauren Schor Geller and Martin Geller Glenwood Management Company Jay Hanflig and Donna Sinden Benjamin Heller M&T Bank Olshan Properties Publicis Groupe US Rowan Family Foundation Silverstein Properties The Solomon Organization Spruce/S3 Capital Partners Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg 1992 Charitable Trust Laurie and Sy Sternberg The Wilf Family Diane and Howard Wohl Barbara and Michael Zimmerman
Silver Gifts of $12,000–$17,999 Bank of America Private Bank BankUnited Andi Barchas and Daniel Adler The Bonadio Group Milton Cooper Customers Bank Davis+Gilbert LLP The Douglaston Companies East West Bank The Scott Erlich Family/The Susan Erlich Family The Susan and Leonard Feinstein Foundation George Comfort & Sons, Inc. GFP Real Estate LLC Horing Welikson Rosen & Digrugilliers PC Jones Lang LaSalle Patti Askwith Kenner Nakash Family Foundation Sam Rosenblatt Meredith and Steven Rotter Selfhelp Community Services Foundation 60 Guilders Susan and Jeffrey Stern Tavros Capital Bronze Gifts of $5,000–$11,999 Adams & Company Real Estate Staci and John Barber Norman Bobrow Braha Brothers Sandra and Stewart Cahn Citi Private Bank David M. and Abby Joseph Cohen Peter Cohen/Michael Boxer Crown Acquisitions/The Chera Family Extell Development Company Melissa and Jeff Fishman Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP Lisa and Ed Friedland Josh Goldberg Beth Gordon and Woody Heller Laureine and David Greenbaum Family Foundation Greenberg, Trager & Herbst, LLP Herrick, Feinstein LLP Rena and Scott Hoffman Luisa Hunnewell and Larry Newman Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP Martin Kravet/Royal Abstract Amy and David Landesberg Karen and Scott Langan Cindy and Richard Leibovitch Eric Lowenstein Marcus Rosenberg & Diamond LLP Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management Mount Sinai South Nassau Susan and Michael Mukasey Suzanne and Russell Palmer Brian and Caridad Palumbo Elisa and Alan Pines Joanne Podell Polsinelli Elisa and Jeffrey Port Barbara and Wayne Prigoff Pryor Cashman LLP The Ratner Family Jonathan Resnick The Ripple Foundation Randi and Stu Rosen Daryl and Steve Roth Richard Scharf and Dana Golding Joan Serchuck William D. Siegel Naomi and Robert Spira Estera Stawski and Abi Wrobel Emanuel Stern David Werner Real Estate Investments Lynne and Michael Wolitzer Peter J. Worth, Alliant Insurance Services Cory Zelnik The Donald and Barbara Zucker Family Foundation Copper Gifts of $2,500–$4,999 Joshua S. Amsel Charles and Karyn Bendit Aviva and Charles Blaichman/Bella Sekons Randall Briskin/Andrew Wiener Debra and Brian Ezratty Erika Feil-Lincoln and Matthew Lincoln Paula Gottesman The Gutenplan Family/Affiliated Adjustment Group The Halegua Family and Marty Newman Drs. Martin and Elizabeth Harrington Leslie Harwood Rochelle and David Hirsch Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP The Koenigsberg Family Carol and Michael Laub Lemberg Foundation, Inc. James L. Levy, MAI and Sharon Locatell, MAI, CRE William and Phyllis Mack Rebecca and David Nathan Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. Corey and Shari Schneider Susan B. Stearns S.W. Management LLC c/o Stanley and Alan Wasserman Mary Ann Tighe, CBRE Weill Cornell Medicine Arthur Wrubel Charlie Yassky *deceased
Northeast Regional Office
The Northeast regional office serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, metropolitan New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Find out more about past programs and how to contact us.