Mayberg Foundation Joins Washington Leaders in Honoring Chabad's Community Impact at 2026 Lamplighter Awards
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Washington's philanthropic, communal, and corporate leaders were joined by elected officials to gather at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium on September 23rd for American Friends of Lubavitch's (Chabad) 2026 Lamplighter Awards. The evening recognized Hon. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the US Holocaust Memorial Council, and gave Senator Ted Cruz the Leadership Award for his role chairing the US Senate Commerce Committee. Event co-chairs Eli H. Miller and Norm Brownstein helped anchor a program that, as in past years, drew a bipartisan crowd and reflected Chabad's long-standing work supporting educational, cultural, and humanitarian efforts across the capital. President Trump and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger both sent video messages of support for the evening.
Accepting the Leadership Award, Senator Cruz spoke candidly about the political moment, telling the room that the fight against hatred demands action rather than resignation. "The only answer is to defeat this poison... defeat it with truth, defeat it with light, and defeat it with joy."
Introducing Miller, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called him "the keeper of the flame," pointing to Miller's work on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council as proof of a lifelong commitment to strengthening Jewish life in America. Miller used his acceptance to frame the fight against anti-Semitism as one that transcends party lines, telling the audience, "We do not need less commitment. We need greater coordination... one strategy, one coalition, one united front." He closed with a line that drew the room to its feet: "We did not survive Pharaoh, Haman, and Hitler to be driven into hiding. We are still here, and we are not going anywhere."
The evening also acknowledged several members of the military, along with Washington's chief of police and fire chief, thanking them for their service. Lieutenant General Jefferson O'Donnell of the Air Force, Brigadier General Shannon Brown of the Marine Corps, Major General Neil Richardson of the Air Force, and Colonel Clifford Sulham of the U.S. Space Force were among those recognized.
The Mayberg Foundation was well represented, with Rising Trustee David Mayberg, joined by fellow members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington's Young Leadership Cabinet (YLC), and several friends, alongside staff members Rob Levine, Managing Director of Operations; Amanda Mizrahi, Managing Director; Rina Schiff, Director of Marketing and Communications; and Ruchel Green, JEIC Managing Director, who were joined by Yitzi Teichman, Mayberg Foundation Executive Director Todd Sukol's son-in-law. Their presence reflected the Foundation's support for Chabad's work in drawing Jews from across the spectrum closer to their heritage, helping Jewish life flourish in Washington and beyond.