Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) held a hugely successful Gala at Brae Burn Country Club on Tuesday, April 8th with more than 350 community and business leaders, government officials, and Westchester residents, all passionate advocates for helping those in need in Westchester. Scarsdale residents Joel S. Beckman and Gillian Rittmaster were honored at the celebratory event hosted by one of the largest human service non-profit organization in the county.
The evening was filled with inspiring words and personal, transformative stories of WJCS clients who shared their struggles before coming to the agency and how the organization transformed their lives. Behavioral health, LGBTQ+, Jewish, and disability programs were highlighted in the meaningful and moving Give for Good Auction, in which funds are raised for much-needed funds for the agency’s 80+ programs that serve 20,000 Westchester residents every year.
“WJCS is a lifeline for those suffering from emotional, physical, cognitive, and social challenges,” WJCS CEO Seth Diamond told Gala guests. “We are a beacon of light for people have nowhere else to turn. It is a privilege to honor two people who have lived their life with purpose and whose work continues to bring light to the world.”
Joel S. Beckman co-founded the Greenbriar Equity Group, a private investment firm, in 1999 and retired in 2017. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director and Partner at Goldman Sachs. He is a WJCS board member and previously served as a board member of UJA-Federation of New York, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, the Chordoma Foundation, SteppingStone Day School, and several other philanthropic organizations.
Gillian Rittmaster, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private practice based in Rye, NY. She specializes in supporting individuals and families navigating critical and chronic illness, caregiving, end-of-life issues, and bereavement. As former Assistant Executive Director of WJCS Jewish Programs and Health and Healing Services, she oversaw the agency’s Holocaust Survivor Program, caregiver support services for loved ones caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia, bereavement services, and community-based palliative care. She also facilitated mental health and wellness programs for over 25 synagogues, day schools, and JCCs throughout Westchester and continues her impactful work as a clinical consultant at WJCS.
