Benjamin Brafman, noted criminal defense attorney, will serve as Master of Ceremonies at ICRF Gala, November 24, 2019, The Pierre Hotel, New York City
Edited by: JV Staff
The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) Tower of Hope Gala will honor Ariella Riva Ritvo-Slifka, PhD, Chairwoman of the Alan B. Slifka Foundation, and Dr. Michael Weiner, Hettinger Professor, Vice Chair of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Sunday November 24, 2019 at the Pierre Hotel in New York. Benjamin Brafman, renowned criminal defense attorney, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Event co-chairs are Cynthia Perl,
Lisa Oved and Joel Pelofsky.
“At the Tower of Hope gala, we will be honoring two towering figures in their chosen fields of endeavor,” said Dr. Mark Israel, National Executive Director of ICRF. “It is our honor to be able to thank them. I hope some small fraction of the many people they have helped and supported will join us to express their gratitude on this special occasion.”
Dr. Weiner has been a pediatric oncologist for 35 years specializing in the care of children with leukemia and lymphoma. He led efforts to establish and gain recognition for the Division of Pediatric Oncology at Columbia, where, under his leadership, innovative treatments for many cancers were introduced, an outstanding clinical training program that has sent highly talented pediatric oncologists to major treatment centers was developed, and America’s leading Integrative Medicine Program for pediatric cancer patients was established.
“We are pleased to honor Dr. Weiner who is nationally and internationally recognized as a key leader in pediatric oncology. In just a few decades, the survival rates for children with cancer have improved dramatically, and Dr. Weiner has been at the forefront of this breakthrough,’’ said Dr. Israel.
Dr. Ritvo-Slifka is chairwoman of the Alan B. Slifka Foundation, which is dedicated to the pursuit of inclusion, diversity, peace and healing. It seeks to “build a world safe for difference, celebrate the diversity of Jewish experience and expression in the U.S. and Israel, and to combat disease through cutting-edge biomedical research.” Her late husband, Alan, was her life partner and mentor. Their visions aligned closely as they worked to heal the world, and Dr. Ritvo-Slifka continues to honor that important work. The Foundation is also focused on eradicating sarcoma and melanoma, two cancers that have directly impacted the Slifka family. Her professional background is in autism research, clinical practice and teaching. She is an assistant clinical professor at the Child Study Center at Yale University School of Medicine.
“Dr. Ritvo-Slifka brings to the cancer fight a rare combination of generosity, compassion, rigor and forethought. She has been a tireless fighter and advocate—for her family and humankind—and has been relentless in her pursuit of cures and better treatments. Ariella knows well the world class quality of Israeli cancer research and we are so gratified by her participation and support,” noted Rob Densen, ICRF President.
For more information about the Gala, please contact Ken Gabel, Tel. (212) 969-9800, ext. 225, [email protected].
