Celebrating the accomplishments of these amazing women!
WOW AWARDEES
Abby Kellner
Abby (Alon) Kellner grew up in Lawrence, NY and attended HAFTR high school. She graduated from NYU with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and is currently finishing her Masters to become a nurse practitioner. She lives on the Upper East Side with her husband and daughter.
Abby first got involved with Emunah through Kol HaNearim’s summer program, where she was a coordinator at Achuzat Sara. After seeing first-hand the important work that Emunah does for at-risk children in Israel, it was important to her to stay involved year-round. She continues to serve on Emunah’s Young Leadership Committee and hopes to work with Emunah for many years to come.
Rachel Kupfer
In 2013, Rachel embarked on her entrepreneurial journey and founded On The Table, a beloved store that has become a local institution. As the summer of 2023 approaches, Rachel eagerly anticipates the momentous milestone of celebrating her store's ten-year anniversary—an achievement that speaks volumes about her unwavering dedication, hard work and commitment.Rachel's passion and love for Israel shines through her business, as she goes above and beyond to spread support and awareness for Israel within her community. Among many events, she orchestrates epic Yom Haazmaut celebrations, getting other stores on Queen Anne Road to participate, creating a positive and uplifting environment for customers to enjoy and freely express their love for Israel.
Rachel's authentic personality and warm demeanor are a significant part of On The Table's success, making her store much more than just a place to shop. Her silly and playful character on Instagram brings customers into the store, but it's her genuine warmth, honesty and welcoming disposition that keeps them coming back as friends, not just customers. Rachel has a deep commitment to philanthropy and never says no to donations wether large or small from schools, shuls and organizations like Emunah, to smaller ones like community bake sales or school plays. Her generosity and compassion have earned her the respect and admiration of her community, solidifying On The Table's position as a beloved and essential part of Teaneck and the surrounding areas.
Betty Mikhly
Betty was raised in Brooklyn, and currently resides on the Upper West Side. Betty earned her Juris Doctorate degree at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and practices as an attorney in Manhattan. She specializes in the area of real estate transactions, including representation of buyers and sellers for cooperative, condominium, single/multi-family homes as well as commercial and multi-family transactions. She is now concentrating her practice on representing lenders in the financing of commercial, multi-family and mixed-use properties in New York, in a variety of transaction types.
Betty was introduced to Emunah by her dear friend Alana Karp, A”H, who in her role as Senior Director of Events and Young Leadership at Emunah successfully engaged Betty, and those women privileged to have known her to become involved with the innovative programs and events she created, including WOW, which is now dedicated to honoring her memory. Betty became involved with Emunah through volunteering, assisting, and patronizing the annual dinners and previous WOW events. She has worked on committees, and many projects that highlight and raise awareness for this wonderful cause. She is thrilled to be able to perpetuate Alana’s legacy of devotion to Emunah by supporting the important and meaningful work Emunah accomplishes in Israel.
Lisa Sugarman
Lisa Sugarman grew up in Miami Beach, Florida, where she attended Hebrew Academy Elementary School and Hillel High School. A lover of the Florida sunshine, Lisa was sad to leave the warm climes but was excited to continue her learning at Midreshet Moriah in Israel and then at Stern College in New York. Lisa received her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University and has specialized in Pediatric OT for over 20 years in Teaneck. Beginning in private practice, Lisa now continues her work in Jewish day schools in Bergen County. In the summer, Lisa devoted herself to the position of Director of Sports for girls at Camp Regesh, where she worked tirelessly to revamp physical education, publish a weekly newsletter, and bring new energy to this important staple of our children’s summer experience.Lisa lives in Teaneck, New Jersey with her husband, Ari, and their children, Ilan, Doron, Daphna, and Meital. They are active members of B’nei Yeshurun. Lisa was lucky to be exposed to Emunah’s great work through her husband’s grandmother, Shirley Billet. Shirley served as past president and was a founding member of Emunah, and she passed her love of Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael to her children and great-grandchildren.
Lisa and her family had the opportunity to spend time in Achuzat Sarah Children’s Home to celebrate her niece’s Bat Mitzvah and her boys’ B’nei Mitzvah. Those experiences have had a lasting impact on the whole family and are a true highlight for her children, who have had the chance to interact with the children of Achuzat Sarah firsthand. Together with Ronnie Faber, Lisa assisted her son Ilan in developing a Bar Mitzvah project that remains close to the family’s heart – the first running program at Achuzat Sarah. Ilan, who loves to run, took advantage of the time outdoors during Covid to run with his grade in the Frisch parking lot, to raise tzedakah for Achuzat Sarah. Enabled by these efforts, and encouraged by a family visit this past summer for Doron’s Bar Mitzvah trip to Israel, 30 men and women from Achuzat Sarah ran the Jerusalem Marathon this year, with the help of the running program’s leader. Emunah’s Director of Communications noted, “Crossing that finish line brought this incredible satisfaction and feeling of success, resilience, and pride!”
Lisa is looking forward to being involved in many more Teaneck Chapter events. Lisa continues to be touched by Emunah’s work - “Seeing the next generation of our children and their friends taking responsibility to create change is inspiring and pushes us to want to do more!”
Lauren Turk
Lauren Turk grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, and studied at The Moriah School, The Frisch School, and Queens College. Three years ago, Lauren opened the Hangout, a designer consignment boutique in Englewood, New Jersey, just three weeks before the start of a global pandemic. Despite that “minor speed bump”, Lauren was able to persevere and managed to successfully create a space where people could shop sustainably, network, and hang out. As her internet following blossomed, so did her role as a representative and advocate for businesses and non for profits. When she is not selling and evaluating beautiful clothing and accessories in her store, she can be found visiting other local establishments and promoting them on her social media. Last summer Lauren attended the WOW Dinner 2022 and was deeply inspired by the impassioned dedication to Emunah of so many of her customers and consignors- women whom she now calls close friends. She looks forward to her continued involvement with Emunah.