General 2021 Winners: Leaders of Tomorrow for Young Women
Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), recently announced the 2021 winners of their Leaders of Tomorrow Award for Young Women – Liberty Lebos of Savannah, Ga. and Sabrina Skolnick of Atlanta, Ga.! Each will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel to participate in Young Judaea’s summer Israel program Gesher!
The Leaders of Tomorrow scholarships are awarded following a merit-based competition. They are given to young women who, because of the leadership roles they have taken on as students, have demonstrated their potential to assume even greater leadership roles as adults.
Get to know the 2021 winners:
Liberty Lebos, 17, is finishing her junior year at Savannah Arts Academy in Georgia. She attended Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, N.C., for seven years. An experience as a navigation leader in an Outward Bound program at camp gave Liberty her first true test as a leader as she safely led her group down the mountain to safety after an incident on the trail. Liberty is the Fundraiser Ambassador for the Rape Crisis Center in Savannah and has volunteered with the local special-needs organization “UTime.” In her free time, she locates clothing at thrift stores to combine with her grandmother’s hand-me-downs to create new designs.
“I am so honored to receive the Leaders of Tomorrow award, and that I am able to share my Jewish experience with my peers and other women my age. Especially during such hostile times, I am proud to represent my identity to people who may not know while educating myself on this incredibly complex conflict.” -Liberty Lebos
Sabrina Skolnick, 16, is completing her junior year at Midtown International School in Atlanta and, like Liberty, attended Camp Judaea. Sabrina’s grandparents are Holocaust survivors, and she grew up knowing that her life and the life of her family are miracles. Sabrina competed in the National History Day (NHD) international competition for three years and volunteered with the “Friendship Circle,” an Atlanta organization providing Jewish programming for children with special needs, and the Atlanta chapter of “Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution,” a national outreach program with a mission to end human trafficking. She plans to major in Biomedical Engineering.
“I humbly thank Hadassah for this heartfelt honor. With this incredible experience and with all that I have written, I so look forward to making the most out of my Gesher experience and continuing to be actively involved in Young Judea. I want to be an exemplary model of a young adult woman and continue to feel proud of as a young jewess, to carry the torch “midor l’dor,” and make my parents and the jewish identify proud.” – Sabrina Skolnick
Gesher is an exciting, three and a half week summer Israel trip for rising 11th and 12th graders. The winners will learn about the rich culture and history of Israel, have the opportunity to hone their leadership skills, and give back to local communities.
“We look forward to seeing Liberty Lebos and Sabrina Skolnick continue to grow as young leaders and ultimately become leaders of the next generation of Hadassah members.” – Lynn Davidson, Hadassah National Chair, Young Judaea
Mazel Tov Liberty and Sabrina!
