Shlucha Wins ‘Jefferson Award’

By COLlive reporter

A Chabad Shlucha in the capital of New York was one of the 10 finalists in the region for the annual Jefferson Awards for their public service to improve the lives of others.

Mrs. Liba Andrusier, founder and director of the local chapter of The Friendship Circle of Albany, was selected from dozens of nominations received.

The Jefferson Awards were founded in 1972 by First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard and are given at both national and local levels.

Described as “a Nobel Prize for community and public service,” it was named after Thomas Jefferson, American Founding Father and principal author of the Declaration of Independence, for his “spirit of excellence.”

Andrusier received a medal at a ceremony on Thursday, April 17, 2014, at the Century House in Latham, N.Y.

Andrusier was chosen because of her decade of work “with students in middle school, high school and college after school and on weekends to enable children with special needs to have positive and meaningful interactions with peers.”

The ones judging also noted that Andrusier “runs weekly and monthly programs to provide play dates for children so parents can rest and is the driving force behind winter and summer camps and annual fundraiser walks.”

The event, which turned out to take place on Chol Hamoed Pesach, “was a great Kiddush Hashem,” Andrusier told COLlive. “They allowed us to bring in our own Matzah, wine and Pesachdik food for our whole table.”