For Judith and Daniel Kantor, a lifetime of involvement in Jewish Buffalo has never really been about the titles they held, the events they organized or even the dollars they helped raise. It has been about people.

“Building community one by one,” is how Judy describes the philosophy that guided her 30-year career with the Buffalo Jewish Federation. Next week, as hundreds gather for Federation’s Campaign Kickoff, that legacy will take center stage when community professional Patty Simonson presented with the Judith and Daniel Kantor Professional Service Award, an honor bearing the names of two people whose own professional and volunteer lives have been deeply intertwined with Jewish Buffalo.

Judy, a lifelong Buffalonian, came to Federation almost by chance. In 1984, her friend Lana Benatovich, then the Community Relations Director, asked her to apply for a position. What followed was a career dedicated to strengthening relationships, raising critical funds, and helping volunteers shine.

Judy’s first professional Federation title was Women’s Campaign Director, in which she helped elevate women as philanthropic decision-makers in their own right.

“Judy really made it important for women to be involved, rather than just a family or men’s gift,” Daniel remembers.

Her success eventually grew into broader development leadership, and later in the 90s, she became the Director of Development.

Judy’s work also took Jewish Buffalo far beyond Western New York. Judy was involved in 15 missions to Israel, along with experiences in Washington, New York, Prague and Budapest. There were women’s conferences, educational opportunities and new approaches to engaging men to lead their own philanthropy initiatives.

“We had incredible experiences,” she says.

But some of the moments that stayed with her happened right here at home.

Two days after September 11, 2001, Judy was preparing for Federation’s Kickoff dinner, expected to feature George Stephanopoulos. When a breaking-news commitment forced him to cancel, Judy and her team faced a decision: cancel the event or move forward. They moved forward.

Six hundred people came together, not simply for a program, but because the community needed one another. Judy still remembers it as one of the most meaningful events of her career.

Judy is quick to point out that Federation’s work was never accomplished by staff alone.

“We had committees after committees,” she recalls. For Judy, investing in those volunteers and giving them opportunities to shine was part of the work itself.

Daniel’s path to Federation was different, but his commitment to community began long before he joined its professional staff.

He moved to Buffalo from Pittsburgh at age three and later graduated from the University at Buffalo with a business degree. A job he expected to hold for one year became a 35-year career, eventually leading him to own the company. Throughout those years, he was deeply involved in Jewish and civic life, including the Bureau of Jewish Education, social service agencies, the JCC Board, and Temple Beth Zion, where he jokes he “probably held every role except President.”

The motivation came partly from his father, who taught him that giving back is essential.

After his business career, Daniel eventually brought that philosophy to Federation as its Executive Director. By then, Judy had already made a name for herself.

“When I came to the Federation, one of the interview questions was, ‘How do you think you’ll get along with Judy?’” Daniel recalls. “Which was a funny question because we’d already been married 30-plus years. I told them I think we’ll get along fine, and now we’ve been married 64 years.”

Daniel also understood the power of connecting a donor’s interests with an idea that could benefit the entire community. He remembers talking with one individual who wanted to make a meaningful investment in Buffalo. Daniel proposed a speaker series. The donor committed $60,000.

That support helped bring nationally known figures including Tim Russert, Wolf Blitzer and Cory Booker, Paul Begala, James Carville, Judy Woodward, David Gergen and more  to Jewish Buffalo, creating experiences that drew people together and expanded Federation’s reach.

Across decades of service, Judy and Daniel approached the work from different directions but arrived at much the same place: Jewish community is strengthened when people are invited in, entrusted with meaningful roles and given opportunities to contribute.

That makes the award carrying their names particularly fitting. The Judith and Daniel Kantor Professional Service Award does more than recognize outstanding professional service. It carries forward the values the Kantors modeled themselves: a belief in relationships, leadership, generosity and helping others succeed.

For Judy, it still comes back to those four simple words:

“Building community one by one.”

Don’t miss the presentation of the Judith and Daniel Kantor Professional Service Award next Wednesday, September 23 at the UB Center for the Arts. Register for the Kickoff event, and be a part of Federation’s continuing mission to build community, one by one.