Beit Ruth 2026 Gala Surpasses Goal for Girls at Risk, Celebrates Leaders and Impact Amid Increasing Need
Beit Ruth for Young Women & Girls at Risk brought together its vibrant community of champions, partners, and friends for a powerful and highly successful Gala, raising essential funds to expand its life-changing work, urgently and increasingly needed by Israel’s girls and young women at risk.
The evening honored leaders, Anya Gross and Stephanie Wilf Kahn, for their deep commitment to advancing Beit Ruth’s mission to provide safety, healing, education, and long-term support to girls who have experienced severe abuse and neglect — empowering them to build lives of independence and possibility.
Proceeds from the gala will directly support critical care and programs, including enhanced STEM education, a growing alumnae network that serves more than 400 young women, and Beit Ruth’s Center of Knowledge advocacy and training, which extends Beit Ruth’s recognized model of care to girls and young women at risk throughout Israel and beyond.
“Beit Ruth is a beacon of hope — where hope isn’t just a word, it’s work we commit to every day,” said Danielle Burenstein, Beit Ruth Executive Director, in opening remarks. “Our girls become part of the strength and fabric of society. They show us what’s possible when a young person is simply given a chance.”
Throughout the evening, speakers underscored the growth in needs and impact. Board Co-Chair, Wendy Silverstein, thanked the Beit Ruth Village leaders and staff for extraordinary commitment to the girls and young women in their care, even when Israel was shut down due to the war. “Our staff show up with courage and devotion every single day to ensure our girls are safe, supported, and never alone.” Silverstein recognized generous donors in announcing Beit Ruth’s next phase of capital expansion to meet increasing demand. “Because of this community, we are building two new Residential Homes and a Student Union.”
Board Co-Chair, Samuel M. Ashner, reflected on the enduring legacy of Beit Ruth’s founder, his mother, Susan Ashner, sharing her words: ‘Until the day that no girl in Israel lives on the streets, abused and exploited, Beit Ruth will be here for them.’ “That was a promise,” he said, thanking supporters for carrying forward Susan’s vision, “for breaking cycles of abuse, unlocking our young women’s power to shape their own lives and others’, and ensuring Beit Ruth will always be there for those who need it most.”
“Beit Ruth is a lifelong family,” said honoree and Beit Ruth Board Member, Anya Gross, in accepting the Leadership in Action Award. “We provide a home filled with safety, education, and love. And we need each other. Beit Ruth’s girls are Israel’s future.”
Honoree and Young Leadership Council Executive Committee Member, Stephanie Wilf Kahn, accepted the Spirit of Beit Ruth Award, following a meaningful introduction by her mother, Audrey Wilf, and spoke to the generational responsibility behind the work. “Beit Ruth becomes the first place where someone looks at these girls and sees not their past, but their potential. It doesn’t just support them — it raises them, guiding them toward lives of dignity and purpose.”
One of the most moving moments of the evening came from Joy, a Beit Ruth alumna, who shared her personal journey. “Beit Ruth showed me what it means to be a family,” she said. “Today, I know I make a difference in the world. Thank you for believing in girls that not everyone believes in.”
With special thanks to additional Board Members all in attendance: Founder, Michael Ashner; The Honorable Amy N. Dean; Susan Noddle; Nina M. Roket; and Lisa Silverstein, the evening concluded with one message resonating clearly: the success of the Gala is not just measured in funds raised, but in futures changed.
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