Justice, in Hebrew, is “tzedek.” In St. Louis, it’s often the result of work that doesn’t make headlines—it just happens quietly.

On May 20, the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis will recognize those efforts at its annual Tzedek Awards at the Clayton Plaza Hotel, honoring leaders from across the Jewish and broader St. Louis community who are helping shape a more connected, more just region.

“In a world that is so polarized, real change often starts with relationships,” said David Cohen, executive director of JCRC of St. Louis. “Before you make change, you may need to create a relationship first.”

This year’s honorees include longtime volunteers, emerging leaders and interfaith partners—some who’ve spent decades behind the scenes, and others just beginning to leave their mark.

Building bridges, year after year

At the top of the list are Leonard and Julie Frankel, recipients of the Batya Abramson-Goldstein Legacy Award, honoring enduring leadership and long-term impact on JCRC’s mission.

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For Julie Frankel, that impact has been building for decades—often without much fanfare.

A former educator and guidance counselor—and a 2022 Jewish Light Unsung Hero—Frankel has become a fixture across the St. Louis Jewish community, volunteering with organizations ranging from the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival to Congregation B’nai Amoona and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum.

After retiring from the Ferguson-Florissant School District, she redirected her energy into community work—helping lead major cultural programs, teaching Holocaust education and supporting efforts that connect Jewish identity across generations.

Along the way, her leadership has been recognized beyond the organizations she serves. Frankel was selected as part of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Levy Fellows program, which brings together lay leaders from across the community to strengthen leadership and build lasting connections among institutions.

Lenny is a former JCRC Chair and his leadership and kindness is contagious.

“He models for all what it means to be a mensch and what it means to support building bridges in our community,” said Cohen.

Beyond one story, a broader network

That same thread—quiet, consistent impact—runs through the rest of this year’s honorees.

“These leaders are doing the kind of quiet, relationship-building work that can create change one interaction at a time,” Cohen said.

Clarence Jackson, executive director of the Ecumenical Leadership Council, will receive the Norman A. Stack Community Relations Award for his decades of interfaith leadership, including work bringing communities together for moments of shared remembrance and dialogue across religious lines.

Nikki Weinstein, JCRC vice chair, is being recognized with the Michael and Barbara Newmark Emerging Leader Award, part of a rising group of leaders helping shape the organization’s future—and a member of the Levy Fellows cohort, reflecting that same investment in next-generation leadership.

The Joel and Joanne Iskiwitch Israel Award goes to Rachel Miller and her initiative “Shaving Israel,” a St. Louis-based effort that provides essential supplies to Israel Defense Forces soldiers—work rooted in Miller’s personal history and commitment to meeting basic human needs with dignity.

Jean Estrin and Judy Hoffman will receive the Student to Student Outstanding Volunteer Award, honoring their role in supporting a program that puts Jewish teens in classrooms across the region, sharing personal stories and building understanding one conversation at a time.

And through the Newmark Institute for Human Relations Pluralism Awards, four St. Louis leaders—Brian Jennings, Joyce Jones, Blake Hamilton and Mary Pedersen—are being recognized for advancing collaboration across schools, faith communities and immigrant support networks, helping shape a more connected and inclusive region.

A program that started here

The evening will also highlight Student to Student, a program of JCRC’s Newmark Institute that began in St. Louis and has since expanded nationally.

“When people share their story and show they’re a real person, not a caricature, that’s how we break down barriers,” Cohen said.

Through the program, Jewish teens visit classrooms across the region, sharing their personal stories, answering questions and helping to replace stereotypes with real conversations—one of JCRC’s most visible and lasting contributions to community relations work.

Event details

What:  The 2026 Tzedek Awards
When: Wednesday, May 20, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the program beginning at 6 p.m.
Where: Clayton Plaza Hotel
More Info: Tickets, tables and tributes are available online through May 12.

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