2 East Bay residents are honored for their leadership

Siegal has provided service and leadership on the federation's finance committee and on the Jewish Community Foundation's investment monitoring committee. She has been an active member of the planning committee, and recently was appointed to succeed Rob Ruby as chair of that committee for the year beginning July 1, 2001. Siegal also will begin her first term of service on the federation's executive board on that same date.

Siegal spearheaded the formation of the Israel Crisis Fund, which she also chairs. The fund was established to address the social service needs of Israeli Jews whose lives have been disrupted by the current intifada, and to support Jewish-Arab coexistence programs.

As a member of the grants committee, Siegal has helped distribute money from the Jewish Community Foundation's Permanent Community Endowment and the federation's Family of Funds.

The Lesser Award was established in 1967 by an endowment gift from the Lesser family in memory of their parents, and was chaired by Richard Lesser until his death in 1996. To date, it has been bestowed on 56 individuals.