Each year, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia recognizes young leaders in our community for their involvement.
The Young Leadership Awards honor adults ages 25 to 45 with an exemplary record of participation and performance in the Jewish Federation and Philadelphia’s Jewish communal affairs, philanthropic investment to the Jewish Federation’s annual campaign and demonstrated potential for significant future growth within the leadership ranks of the Jewish Federation and its partner agencies.
The three people honored this year truly represent the best of Jewish values in their professional careers and in their contributions to the Jewish community.
The Mrs. Isadore Kohn Young Leadership Award is presented to Dayna Finkelstein.
Finkelstein is a partner at Blank Rome LLP in the commercial real estate group. She has spent her entire professional career at Blank Rome, progressing from college intern, to summer associate, to associate and now partner. Finkelstein concentrates her practice in all facets of commercial real estate matters, including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, financing and joint venture work.
Outside the office, Finkelstein is an adjunct professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law, where she teaches a contract drafting course to second- and third-year law students.
Finklestein’s involvement in Jewish Federation dates to 2011, when she was selected to be a part of the Jewish Federation’s inaugural Israel360 trip, a 10-day trip to Israel for 40 young professionals in Philadelphia.
She has been actively involved in the Jewish Federation ever since, as a participant in programming for NextGen, BGS Society, Jewish Federation Real Estate (JFRE) and as a frequent General Assembly attendee. Locally, she serves on the Jewish Federation’s Commission for Social Responsibility and on the Women’s Philanthropy Board. Finally, she is a proud first-year member of Jewish Federation
of North America (JFNA)’s National Young Leadership Cabinet and recently returned from her first cabinet study mission to Morocco and Madrid.
The Myer and Rosaline Feinstein Young Leadership Award is presented to Ilan Sussan.
Sussan is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Pennsylvania and has earned the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation. A firm believer in helping to make our world a better place, Sussan has spent most of his career leading value-added accounting, reporting and communication initiatives for mission-focused organizations within the financial services industry.
A native of Washington, D.C., Sussan previously served as the president of Congregation Olam Tikvah (Fairfax, Va.), where he served on its board of directors, co-founded ABBA — a social and community service group for fathers of young children — and received the synagogue’s Young Leadership Award.
Sussan is a fifth-year member of Jewish Federations of North America’s National Young Leadership Cabinet, where he serves as an ambassador to the Jewish Agency for Israel and recently returned from the cabinet study mission to Morocco and Spain. He is an active volunteer in the Philadelphia community through engagement with the Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia, where he has been nominated to serve on its board of trustees; the Jewish Relief Agency, where he serves on its finance committee; and Temple Sinai, where he serves on the board of directors of its Men’s Club.
The Jack Goldenberg Young Leadership Award is presented to Andy Kaplin.
Kaplin is the director of development of Revolution Development Group, a real estate company focused on the development, acquisition and operation of commercial and multifamily properties in the Philadelphia area. He is responsible for all aspects of the company’s development and construction projects. The family-run company brings together finance, legal and design professionals for complex real estate development projects. RDG has developed and built multiple apartment and condominiums buildings, shopping centers and other commercial properties in the Philadelphia region.
Kaplin is a member of the Policy, Strategy and Funding Committee, NextGen Board and JFRE. He is also a vice chairman of the Philadelphia office of the Anti-Defamation League and a regular guest chef at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House.
