Sunday, May 4, 2025
Welcome at 3:30 PM PT | Program at 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET
Hosted at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center
With Livestream Broadcast Nationally
Please join us for the 2025 Guardian of Democracy Gala. When we gather on Sunday, May 4 we will be standing alongside activists fighting for a different reality in Israel. For a future defined by peace rather than war; partnership rather than hate.
All contributions will support NIF’s vital work advancing human rights, democracy, and a peaceful and secure future for Israelis and Palestinians.
We look forward to sharing this moment with you.
This year’s Gala is given artistic expression with the Purple Star Thistle, native to Israel and the Middle East—as a symbol of resilience and strength.
For questions and more information, please contact us.
Featured Speakers
Keynote Speaker:
Aaron David Miller
Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and NIF Board Member
2025 Gallanter Prize Winner:
Raghad Jaraisy
Civil Rights Attorney & Sikkuy-Aufoq Co-Executive Director
2025 Guardian of Democracy Honorees
Neil Goteiner & Nadine Joseph
Additional Speakers
Daniel Sokatch
Chief Executive Officer, New Israel Fund
Orli Bein
Deputy Vice President, New Israel Fund
Mickey Gitzin
Director in Israel, New Israel Fund
Special Thanks
Host Committee
Wendy Bear
Candice Gold
Jill Hersh
Leslie Kane
Karen Kronick
David Matz
Sheila Matz
Norman Postone
Honorary Committee
Joanne Abel
Jesse M. Abraham
Rabbi Melanie Aron & Professor Michael Dine
Eileen Auerbach & Larry Burgheimer
Elizabeth Bar-El
Jaime Rapaport Barry & Tim Barry
Melissa Batavia
Gail Bates Yessne & Peter Yessne
Wendy Bear
Michael Bien
Ellen Bob & David Waksberg
Mikhal Bouganim
Jeffrey & Susan Brand
Elizabeth & Steve Branoff
Becky & Dani Buckwald
Clergy of Congregation Emanu-El: Rabbi Ryan Bauer, Rabbi Madeline Budman, Rabbi Sydney Mintz, Rabbi Sarah Joselow Parris, Rabbi Rena Singer, Rabbi Noah Westreich, Cantor Marsha Attie, Cantor Arik Luck
Rabbi Mychal Copeland
Hali Croner
Kim Duir & Alice Prussin
Sandy Edwards
Lisa Erdberg & Dennis Gibbons
Concepción & Irwin Federman
Rob Fram & Jeanne Blamey
Janine Frier
David A. Friedman & Paulette J. Meyer
Drs. Elliot & Lily Gardner Feldman
Sandy & Linda Gallanter
Jerilyn Gelt
Gordon & Jodi Gladstone
Candice Gold
Dr. Robert & Sandy Goldberg
Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman Graf & Jonathan Graf
Sheldon L. Greene
Carl & Gay Grunfeld
Stephen Gunther
Jill Hersh & John O’Connor
Frederick Hertz
Susan Hirsch & Susan Leal
Grace Hughes
Alex Ingersoll & Martin Tannenbaum
Leslie Kane & Manuel Fishman
Sydney Kapchan
Jon Kaufman
Deborah Kaufman & Alan Snitow
Steven Kazan
The Kitchen Shared Society Project
Cathy & Jim Koshland
Hannah Kranzberg
Karen & Mel Kronick
Linda & Frank Kurtz
Mark Leno
Ron Lezell
Brian & Caroline Lurie
Rafael Mandelman
Daniel & Maryann Rabovsky
Sheila & David Matz
Willy & Susan Mautner
Barbara Meislin & Stuart Kaplan
Robin Mencher & Matthew Dimond
Dov Michaeli M.D, PhD & Patricia Salber, M.D, MBA
Paul & Eva Milgrom
Diane J. Mintz
David Myers & Nomi Stolzenberg
Howard Nemerovski
Ernest & Eva Miriam Newbrun
Louis Newman & Rabbi Amy Eilberg
Dr. Richard & Martha Pastcan
Karen Pliskin & Peter Jacobs
Janis Plotkin
Lee Labe Pollak
Deborah Pollack Levy
Norman Postone & Lisa Fruchtman
Harriet Prensky & Bill Pomeranz
Daniel & Maryann Rabovsky
Paul & Joan Resnick
Susan Romer & Donald Ungar
Phyllis Rothman
Sylvia Sabel & Joel Rubinstein
Ted & Sarah Schachter
Steve Scheier & Sarah Tyack
Debra R. Schoenberg
Rita Semel, Elisabeth Semel, & James Thomson
Rabbi Judy Shanks & James Gracer
Eleanor Shapiro
Ronald Shiffman
Asaf Shor & Hilla Abel
Howard & Ann Sohn
Gary B. Sokol & Paul Blanc
Vera Stein
Phil & Cindy Strause
Ingrid Tauber & Frank Taforo
Inbar Telem & Martin Lowenstein
Stephen Tobias & Alice Webber
Paul & Dorothy Wachter
Diane Wexler & Bruce Beron
Ben Winig
Drs. Terry & Carol Winograd
Rhoda L. Wolfe
Mark & Margie Zivin
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please use the form below: