Noah Podolnick was chosen to attend the 2017 NFTY annual convention in Chicago, Elijah Dornstreich will receive the AJC’s Human Relations Award and Benjamin Semanoff was honored by Temple’s School of Theater, Film and Media for his film work at the Diamond Screen Festival.
Cherry Hill native Noah Podolnick of Temple Emmanuel was chosen to attend the 2017 North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) annual convention in Chicago. As part of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)’s Reform Jewish Youth Movement, he’ll join more than 1,000 peers to learn valuable leadership skills and go through other bonding experiences. A high school junior, Podolnick will serve on NFTY’s Pennsylvania regional board during the 2016 to 2017 school year.
Elijah Dornstreich, vice-president of the regional board of directors of the executive committee of AJC Philadelphia/South Jersey and a board member of the National Museum of American Jewish History, will receive the AJC’s Human Relations Award for his outstanding commitment to the organization. The 1997 University of Pennsylvania grad, who founded NationsFirst Financial, is vice president and financial advisor for Bernstein Global Wealth Management. A 2011 selection by Leadership Philadelphia as one of the region’s “Creative Connectors,” and a 2012 selection for a Bronfman Fellowship in Israel, Dornstreich has focused on developing the “next generation” of regional Jewish leadership to advocate for the Jewish people and the state of Israel.
Temple University grad Benjamin Semanoff was honored by Temple’s School of Theater, Film and Media for his film work at the Diamond Screen Festival. Since graduating in 2001, he spent 15 years as a camera and Steadicam operator for feature films, TV, music videos and commercials. Among his films credits are HBO’s The Leftovers, Showtime’s The Affair and Creed, the latest chapter in the “Rocky” series.
