UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary Gala

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Ryan Torok

April 21, 2022

Sharon Nazarian (center) is presented the Legacy Award by the Center’s Roslyn and Abner Goldstine Undergraduate Fellows, Chloe Levian (left) and Natalia Ureña-Tregillis. Photo by Vince Bucci

The UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies honored Sharon Nazarian, president of the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, with the Legacy Award, highlighting her unparalleled role in the founding of the UCLA Nazarian Center.

Nazarian was honored during the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center’s ten-year anniversary gala, held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on April 11.

Celebrating the Center’s efforts promoting the study of modern Israel, the event also recognized the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation with the Visionary Award, which was presented by UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and accepted by Foundation’s co-trustees Richard Ziman and Martin Blank, Jr.

From left: Dov Waxman, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair of Israel Studies at UCLA; Fernando Flint, husband of Sharon Nazarian; Soraya Nazarian, co-founder of The Nazarian Family Foundation; Israeli MK Merav Michaeli; Sharon Nazarian, president of the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation; Layla Nazarian, daughter of Sharon Nazarian; and Consul General of Israel Hillel Newman. Photo by Vince Bucci

The evening included a tribute to the late Younes Nazarian and concluded with a discussion between the gala’s guest speaker, Israeli MK Merav Michaeli — Israel’s Minister of Transport and Road Safety, member of the security cabinet and leader of the Israeli Labor Party — and Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of the Forward, who flew out from New York for the interview. Their powerful conversation covered the future of the Bennett–Lapid coalition government, the recent wave of violence in Israel and issues related to women in Israel, which has been a focus of the minister’s activism for years.

Sharon Nazarian, president of the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation (left) and Mayor of Beverly Hills Lili Bosse. Photo by Vince Bucci

Professor Dov Waxman, director of the Center and the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair of Israel Studies at UCLA, hosted the program, which opened with a recorded message from Isaac Herzog. The Israeli president expressed appreciation for the Center’s ongoing efforts supporting the unbiased, academic study of Israel by sponsoring UCLA courses, public programs and academic research and hosting visiting Israeli scholars, writers, and artists.

Nearly 300 people joined the UCLA Nazarian Center in celebration, including Block; Soraya, David and Shulamit Nazarian and family; Sinai Temple Rabbi David Wolpe; Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles Hillel Newman; Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt; Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles President-CEO Rabbi Noah Farkas; and Andrew Cushnir, executive vice president and chief development officer at the Federation.