JNF salutes Zlotniks

PAT JOHNSON

Young leadership was the unofficial honoree at this year's Negev Dinner Sunday night. The annual Jewish National Fund gala celebrated brothers Garry and Mark Zlotnik for their contributions to local and international Jewish life. As the youngest honorees in the history of the Negev Dinner, the Zlotniks were fêted by outgoing regional president of the JNF, Harvey Dales, himself the youngest regional leader in the international organization.

The relative youthfulness of the honorees was emphasized by the use of relatively modern technology in the unfolding of the evening's events. Almost all the speeches and remarks were prerecorded for video broadcast at the dinner, including a quip by Louis Eisman, in which he described the Zlotnik brothers as "part of the new young trailblazers who are taking over from alterkakers like me."

Garry Zlotnik, who was joined by wife Lis and children Samantha and David, has been a leading figure in the province's B'nai B'rith organization, as well as serving in numerous leadership positions with organizations including Vancouver Talmud Torah, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Jewish Community Foundation and the Richmond Country Club. Garry Zlotnik was pivotal in bringing the Maccabi Games to Vancouver in 2006 and served as co-chair of the event.

Mark Zlotnik, who shared kudos with his wife, Laurie, and four children, Ben, Yolanna, Sonny and Keegan, has been a leader with King David High School, the Louis Brier Residence Society and the Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation, Haro Park Centre, the Brotherhood Interfaith Society, Vancouver Talmud Torah and the Young Men's Christian Association.

In addition to the sold-out audience at the Four Seasons Hotel, the Zlotniks were celebrated with greetings from heads of government and heads of state of British Columbia, Canada and Israel, as well as community leaders locally and around the world. Mark Gurvis, executive director of Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, called the Zlotniks "a pillar family" of the local community.

"Keep doing what you're doing, Garry and Mark," said Izzy Fraeme via video. "We couldn't have better leadership than you.... Mazal tov to all the Zlotniks. As long as you guys are going to be here ... everything will be in order."

Commendations were heaped on the brothers from a string of Jewish Vancouver leaders, including JNF shaliach Araleh Lapidot, Combined Jewish Appeal campaign past-chair Craig Diamond, the head of the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver, Rabbi Philip Bregman, and innumerable others, including past recipients of the annual honor.

"From their grandparents on down," said Arnold Silber, "Garry and Mark were taught that, in order to receive, you must give."

Funds raised from the gala dinner and through the generosity of the Zlotnik family will support the monumental Yerocham Ecological Water Park, which is described as a crowning achievement of Jewish National Fund research and technology, a water purification plant with the capacity to purify more than one million cubic metres of wastewater annually.

The evening had added poignancy, as the men lost their father just three weeks before the dinner. Harold "Hal" Zlotnik, z"l, himself a longtime pillar of Jewish life in British Columbia, passed away May 23. Speaking at the end of the evening, Garry Zlotnik acknowledged that the past weeks had been exceedingly difficult for the family, but that the overwhelming support they have received from members of the community has been enormously appreciated.

Pat Johnson is, among other things, director of development and communications for Vancouver Hillel.

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