The Circuit

Barbara Balser, national chair of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the first woman to lead the organization in its 91-year history, was the special guest speaker at its 10th annual Deborah Awards Gala on May 20 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The dinner honored Christina Sanchez Camino, director of public affairs KMEX34/Univision; LaVerne Davis, vice president external affairs, Verizon; Sarita Hasson Fields, president of Star Staffing Services, Inc; and Kim Ng, vice president and assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Deborah Award is named for the prophetess Deborah, who in the Book of Judges was known for her courage, wisdom and leadership. The awards are presented to women whose leadership in their professions and philanthropic and civic contributions exemplify the qualities of Deborah and theideals of the ADL.

Before the dinner, guests were invited to look at "Faces of L.A.," a beautiful collection of photographs of daily life in Los Angeles, which were taken by students of the ADL's Dream Dialogue youth program, which brings together a diverse group of young people from different ethnic groups to develop teen leadership skills in monthly meetings. Two Dream Dialogue ambassadors, Shirley Eshaghian and Sina Grace, spoke to the crowd about how much the program meant to them.

Summing up the sentiments of the evening and the organization was singer-songwriter Daniel Nahmod, who played guitar and sang his original composition, "No Place for Hate."

A Gala for Graboffs

Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFS) celebrated its 150th anniversary on May 23 with a gala at the Regent Beverly