Hadassah Announces 2021 Winners of Leaders of Tomorrow Award for Young Women

Monday, May 10, 2021

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Alix Friedman

afriedman@hadassah.org

Melissa Cohen

mcohen@hadassah.org


May 10, 2021 – New York, NY – Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), is pleased to announce the 2021 winners of its Leaders of Tomorrow Award for Young Women.  Liberty Lebos of Savannah, Ga. and Sabrina Skolnick of Atlanta, Ga. will each receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel to participate in the Gesher (formerly Machon) annual summer leadership program of Young Judaea. The oldest Zionist youth movement in the United States, Young Judaea encourages young people to become involved in social and educational activities that sharpen their Jewish and Zionist identity.

The Leaders of Tomorrow scholarships are awarded following a merit-based competition. They are given to young women who, because of the leadership roles they have taken on as students, have demonstrated their potential to assume even greater leadership roles as adults, potentially at Hadassah.  

During the summer program, the winners learn about the rich culture and history of Israel and the Jewish people and have the opportunity to hone their leadership skills, meet Israeli VIPs and give back to the local communities.  

The Leaders of Tomorrow program grew out of a partnership, now more than 100 years old, between Hadassah, the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States and one dedicated to the State and people of Israel, and Young Judaea, the country’s oldest Zionist youth movement.

Hadassah President Rhoda Smolow states: “We congratulate these exceptional young women, who provided an example of leadership during an incredibly difficult year. They exemplify Hadassah’s mission to empower and inspire women to become leaders in their communities.”

Lynn Davidson, Hadassah National Chair, Young Judaea, states: “We look forward to seeing Liberty Lebos and Sabrina Skolnick continue to grow as young leaders and ultimately become leaders of the next generation of Hadassah members.”

The Winners

Liberty Lebos, 17, is finishing her junior year at Savannah Arts Academy in Georgia. She attended Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, N.C., for seven years. An experience as a navigation leader in an Outward Bound program at camp gave Liberty her first true test as a leader as she safely led her group down the mountain to safety after an incident on the trail.  Liberty is the Fundraiser Ambassador for the Rape Crisis Center in Savannah and has volunteered with the local special-needs organization “UTime.” In her free time, she locates clothing at thrift stores to combine with her grandmother’s hand-me-downs to create new designs.

Sabrina Skolnick, 16, is completing her junior year at Midtown International School in Atlanta and, like Liberty, attended Camp Judaea. Sabrina’s grandparents are Holocaust survivors, and she grew up knowing that her life and the life of her family are miracles. Sabrina competed in the National History Day (NHD) international competition for three years and volunteered with the “Friendship Circle,” an Atlanta organization providing Jewish programming for children with special needs, and the Atlanta chapter of “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution,” a national outreach program with a mission to end human trafficking. She plans to major in Biomedical Engineering.

ABOUT YOUNG JUDAEA

Young Judaea, the premier Zionist youth movement worldwide, encourages young people from grade school through post-college to become involved in social and educational activities that sharpen their senses of Jewish and Zionist identity. Young Judaea programs include a variety of year-round activities: local havurot meetings; summer camps nationwide; Alternative Winter Break; Year Course in Israel (the largest gap year program); YJ Gesher Israel summer program for teens; Amirim college summer offerings; Onward Israel, and IsraelPro post-college internship and study programs. In 2012, after nearly fifty years as part of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), Young Judaea became independent as a “110-year-old start up”, meeting challenges and embracing new opportunities. For more information, please visit

www.youngjudaea.org

ABOUT YOUNG JUDAEA TEEN SUMMER PROGRAMS

Young Judaea's Teen Summer Programs in Israel connect participants with the land of Israel and people, its culture, and its spirit. With award-winning educational programming and special touring options, Jewish teens experience the best of Israel while building leadership and social activism skills. Participants are offered a variety of distinctive trips with a focus on science, social entrepreneurship, advocacy and volunteering. For more information, please visit Young Judaea's Israel Teen Summer Programs.

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About Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America:

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With nearly 300,000 members, donors and supporters, Hadassah brings women together to effect change on such critical issues as ensuring Israel’s security, combating antisemitism and promoting women’s health care. Through its Jerusalem-based hospital system, the Hadassah Medical Organization, Hadassah helps support exemplary care for more than 1 million people every year as well as world-renowned medical research. Hadassah’s hospitals serve without regard to race, religion or nationality and in 2005 earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for building bridges to peace through medicine. Hadassah also supports two youth villages that set at-risk youth in Israel on the path to a successful future. Visit www.hadassah.org or follow Hadassah on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and X.