Heshy and Basya Rubashkin of Postville received the Colel Chabad Founders Award at a dinner in New York City on Thursday. The group recognized the Rubashkins for carrying on their parents' commitment to Colel Chabad, the oldest Jewish charitable organization in Israel.
Heshy Rubashkin is vice president and head of sales and human relations for Agriprocessors, a glatt kosher meatpacking company.
Postville couple honored by international organization
POSTVILLE, IA – A prominent businessman in Northeast Iowa and his wife were honored recently by a charitable organization with global reach.
Heshy and Basya Rubashkin of Postville received the Colel Chabad Founders Award at a dinner in New York City on Thursday. The group recognized the Rubashkins for carrying on their parents’ commitment to Colel Chabad, the oldest Jewish charitable organization in Israel.
Heshy Rubashkin is vice president and head of sales and human relations for Agriprocessors, a glatt kosher meatpacking company.
An event program stated the Rubashkin family “have transformed rural America — Postville, Iowa, where their plant is headquartered — into a vibrant Jewish community.”
The program also noted Basya Rubashkin’s work creating Jewish schools, kindergartens and day camps in Postville.
Several city officials were guests at the ceremony, including Postville Mayor John Hyman, who gave the Prayer for the Welfare of the Nation to more than 1,500 philanthropists from around the world.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was also in the crowd, though he left early to attend to the looming transit strike.
Hyman and Bloomberg talked for a few minutes about their respective positions.
“It was an honor to meet Mayor Bloomberg and to talk with him about our special community of Postville,” Hyman said. “I told him we have over 30 different nationalities and are like a mini New York.”
IN 2004, Colel Chabad honored Heshy Rubashkin’s brother, Sholom, and his wife, Leah, who also live in Postville.
