Celebrate Hillel 2022

Thank you for making Celebrate Hillel
an enormous success!

On April 6th, 2022, we shared a joyful evening honoring Elaine I. Grobman and recognizing young alumni exemplar Tara Cherwony ’18 and student exemplar Madelyn Simon ’22. Thank you to all the students, Drexel Hillel board members, attendees, donors, and Grobman family members who helped make the evening a success. With your help, we raised over $150,000 to support Jewish life on campus.

About Our Honorees

Elaine I. Grobman

Drexel Hillel Leadership Award Honoree
Passionate Philanthropist. Pioneering Leader. Changer of Communities.

In 1985, Elaine helped a friend organize the first substantial AIDS fundraiser in Philadelphia. That undertaking launched a philanthropic career defined by trailblazing visions supported by a tenacity, extraordinary work ethic, strategic mind and selfless heart that drove achievement after achievement for numerous nonprofit missions throughout the Delaware Valley and well beyond. Elaine’s philosophy for giving back started when she volunteered with World ORT to build schools in Israel. This experience of removing boundaries and harmonizing cultures to advance the greater good became the hallmark of Elaine’s future philanthropic endeavors.

In 1990 she started the Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen,® which she ran as chief executive officer for all 30 years of its operation, growing it from a handful of supporters serving a few low-income populations into a mission embracing millions of people in 15 countries. At a time when breast cancer was ignored and misunderstood, Elaine launched a movement based in education, compassion and putting essential resources into the hands of those most in need. Through Elaine’s leadership and devotion, that movement forever changed the face of breast cancer awareness and advocacy and raised more than $100 million for research and caring for women, men and families in the local community.

Throughout her Komen Philadelphia career, Elaine pioneered programs—like The Drexel Hillel Young Women’s Breast Health Program that was quickly replicated for dozens of colleges in the region—that became the “gold standard” for affiliates nationwide, and that took her to impoverished nations of Europe to bring hope and healing.

In 2021, Elaine started a new path as Senior Philanthropic Advisor to Drexel University and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children—pursuing a personal promise to empower children and families with her decades of professional experience and her unparalleled brand of passion, determination and love for her community.

Elaine’s impact can be felt everywhere from the Torah donated by her family to grace Drexel University’s Perelman Center for Jewish Life to pink lights of vigilance illuminating buildings in foreign lands to the labs of game-changing researchers and thousands of families able to thrive because their mothers and grandmothers survived breast cancer. Her imprint can be found on millions of hearts—lovingly established there by her ability to both dream and inspire dreams, her belief in the power of humanity and her devotion to creating a world that embraces diversity to create opportunity and equality.

Student and Alumni Honorees

Tara Chewony ’18, Alumni Exemplar of Excellence

Madelyn Simon ’22, Student Exemplar of Excellence

A Song for Elaine Grobman

Presented to Elaine at Celebrate Hillel as she received the Drexel Hillel Leadership Award.