Ezra N. Rich will be honored with the Ann S. & Dr. Meyer H. Riwchun Emerging Leadership Award next month. He will receive the award at a joint Annual Meeting of the Buffalo Jewish Federation and Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies on Monday, December 6 at 5:30 pm (The event will be live-streamed from Temple Beth Zion’s Sisterhood Chapel – register HERE). The award has been recognizing emerging leaders who demonstrate a commitment to the growth and sustainability of our vibrant and caring Buffalo Jewish community since 1964.
Ezra is the Marketing Communications Manager at Uniland Development Company. In this role he supports the marketing communications, social media, and public relations initiatives for projects such as Uniland’s transformation of the Eastern Hills Mall into a town center and the launch of HANSA workspace, a coworking and shared office facility. Ezra began his career working in Manhattan for two global public relations agencies and added marketing to his skillset at the Princeton office of the technology research firm SRI International.
A CUNY Brooklyn College alumnus, Ezra grew up in a small Jewish community in Fairfield, Connecticut, and later lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. His community involvement is inspired by his parents and late grandparents who were active in their local Jewish communities, from the synagogue and day school to Israeli charity work.
Ezra and his family moved to Buffalo in 2017 when his wife, Rabbi Sara L. Rich, accepted the role of Executive Director at Hillel of Buffalo. In the ensuing years, he has embraced his adopted home with gusto. Ezra currently serves on the boards of the Buffalo Jewish Federation, Temple Beth Tzedek, and the Hebrew Benevolent Loan Association of WNY. He is also involved in the Buffalo Niagara chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Amherst Chamber of Commerce Toastmasters Club.
Some of Ezra’s most rewarding work in Jewish Buffalo has been on the Federation’s Overseas Allocations Task Force with a focus on the Jewish aid organizations supporting Jews in Israel and across the globe, supporting the Youth Education Committee at Temple Beth Tzedek, and writing community leader profiles for The Jewish Journal. A lover of history and tradition, he is a member of the Jewish Buffalo History Center Work Team and the Federation’s LIFE & LEGACY® committee, working to promote after-lifetime giving to provide perpetual financial stability to Jewish Buffalo’s sacred institutions.
The Rich family lives in Williamsville with their three daughters, Miriam, Sivan, and Naomi. He is excited for the Jewish education and experiences his daughters have with the Community Religious School, TBT’s Binah enrichment programming, PJ Library® literature, and Camp Centerland.
Update on December 8, 2021 – To watch a recording of the full event honoring Ezra, the other award recipients, and the LIFE & LEGACY showcase (also highlighting the Rich family) please visit: https://buffalojewishfederation.org/annual-meeting-2021/
