Genie Abrams, Newburgh

Genie Abrams is an activist in the Jewish community and also in the general community, focusing especially on helping her synagogue, Temple Beth Jacob; and her hometown, the City of Newburgh. She serves on the Federation’s Community Relations Committee and on TBJ’s Cemetery Committee, and was elected to City Council, representing Newburgh’s Ward 2, from 2014 through 2017. She is the current Poet Laureate of Newburgh.

Rochelle Marshall, Monroe

Rochelle Marshall’s dedication to Hadassah has always been equal to her love of Israel. Rochelle was the Chair of The Jewish Federation’s Community Relations Council for many years, and a past board member. In the past year, she has made several trips to Israel. She has volunteered in Israel and with Sar El, and always visits Hadassah’s hospitals on her trips. She took copious pictures, which we showed to several organizations when she returned, giving people here a good look at what was happening in Israel. She was interviewed on the Israeli television station i24 several times, but it was her first interview that went viral on the internet. In each of those interviews, she spoke up with a heartfelt plea for Israel and Hadassah. She is also a stalwart at the rallies Hadassah co-sponsors with members from Eitz Chaim in Monroe, led by Ofer Zivan, who coordinates the WhatsApp "Bring Them Home" group texts that let people know if there will be a rally or a cancellation. These rallies began in response to the atrocities of October 7th, 2023 and have been going on weekly, and will continue until every hostage is released. They have been an inspiration in a time of despair, with people in cars waving and honking and passersby stopping to talk in support. They encourage you to join them.

Michael Melasky, Warwick

On October 16th, 2016, on the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish calendar, a cemetery belonging to Temple Beth Shalom of Florida, NY was desecrated with the most vile, anti-Semitic iconographic symbology.
Michael Melasky, a retired public school administrator/humanities educator, who for well over a decade has co-managed this cemetery, had his life change dramatically. Learning that his local community and the broader populous were thirsty for, and wanted an intimate understanding of this incident and its aftermath, Michael helped to lead the conversation with respect to this incident, not only telling the story of what transpired, but created an interactive program on how to deal effectively with Hate Speech; offering proactive strategies to students, educators and all adults on the various tools to confront individuals who speak out using hateful language.
A resident of the Warwick Valley since 1988, where Michael and his wife Caryl, raised their family, Michael has spoken to thousands of students and adults, within various venues in New York and New Jersey on confronting hate speech.