The Circuit: Rahm Emanuel, Anti-Defamation League, John Lloyd Young, Hedva Amrani

American Friends of The Hebrew University’s (AFHU) Western Region hosted the Annual Leadership Education Forum (ALEF) at the Skirball Cultural Center on Jan.16, with former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as the keynote speaker.

From left: Western Region President Mark Vidergauz, ALEF co-chair David A. Lehrer, Rahm Emanuel, ALEF co-chair Michael Cypers, Western Region Chairman Richard S. Ziman and AFHU National President Martin E. Karlinsky.

More than $1.1 million was raised to help the Anti-Defamation League in its fight against anti-Semitism and bigotry during the organization’s Dec. 7 Los Angeles Dinner Celebration at the Beverly Hilton. Actor Hal Linden served as emcee for the event, which drew nearly 800 people. ADL National Director Abraham Foxman presented the Humanitarian Award to Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer and Mel Keefer. The Jurisprudence Award was presented to Peter Schwartz, senior executive vice president and general counsel of Westfield, LLC. Keynote speaker Mara Liasson, national political correspondent for NPR, gave an insider’s briefing on “inside the beltway” politics including the midterm elections and the run-up to the 2012 election.

From left: ADL Regional Director Amanda Susskind, ADL National Director Abraham Foxman, and honorees Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer, Mel Keefer and Peter Schwartz.

From left: John Lloyd Young, Tony Award-winning actor for “Jersey Boys” on Broadway, Israeli pop icon Hedva Amrani, philanthropist Barbara Lazaroff and Beverly Hills Mayor Jimmy Delshad, who gave Hedva a proclamation at the end of her star-studded Dec. 14 concert, “My Israel,” at American Jewish University. Photo by Orly Halevy