The Weitzman’s Annual Gala Takes Place on June 6 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown and Features a Performance by Regina Spektor and Remarks by Rep. Ritchie Torres

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (June 5, 2023) – On June 6, Philadelphia’s Steve Cozen will receive the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History’s inaugural Only in America® Humanitarian Award.

Cozen will receive this new award for his leadership and invaluable counsel in transforming the Museum and Jewish American community through his professional and philanthropic pursuits, and his passion for countering antisemitism through education — The Weitzman’s raison d’etre. Just as the Only in America® Gallery at The Weitzman honors Jewish Americans who transformed our world, this Humanitarian Award celebrates someone who has made an indelible mark on the Jewish American community and the United States as a whole.

Cozen serves on numerous philanthropic boards, including The Weitzman, where he is first vice-chair, the President’s Leadership Council for the Kimmel Center, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School Board of Advisors Emeritus. He is chairman emeritus of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute Board of Councilors. Steve and his wife, Sandy, have endowed fellowships and scholarship programs at USC Shoah Foundation, Penn Carey Law, and Perelman Jewish Day School.

An accomplished litigator and counselor, Cozen is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Association of Trial Lawyers, which recognizes the most respected and experienced courtroom Practitioners.

Considered among the country’s top business leaders and attorneys, he is founder and chairman of Cozen O’Connor, a top 100, Philadelphia-based law firm with more than 850+ attorneys in 31 cities across two continents. The firm has grown from just four attorneys in 1970 to the highly regarded full-service law firm it is today. 

Among numerous awards and honors, Cozen was given the Anti-Defamation League’s highest honor – the Americanism Award, as well as awards from Drexel and Temple Universities. He played a major role in the creation of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and has contributed to the innovative programs at Project H.O.M.E. He also spearheaded the development of the Samuel D. Cozen PAL (Police Athletic League) Center and is actively involved with the organization.

“Steve has been a true champion for The Weitzman during his time on our board. His passion for fighting antisemitism has been a through-line throughout his career and is especially evident in his support of our work to teach the positive and true stories of Jewish American life to counter hate,” said Weitzman President & CEO, Dr. Misha Galperin. “He has been a critical part of the Museum’s story, and I’m so appreciative for his support on behalf of the Museum, and personally. He is a mensch—a good human; no one deserves the Humanitarian Award more.​”

The award will be presented during the Weitzman’s annual Only in America® Gala at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. As the country’s only museum dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience from the dawn of our nation to the present day, the Weitzman’s annual event recognizes the achievements and contributions of American Jews who have significantly impacted American society and culture, often despite facing antisemitism and prejudice.

Event Highlights

• Headlining musical performance by singer songwriter and pianist Regina Spektor
• Keynote remarks by U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres

Only in America® The event takes its name from the Only in America® Gallery/Hall of Fame in the Museum, which celebrates stories that represent the pinnacle of American freedom. It features iconic Jewish Americans, including Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Louis Brandeis, Albert Einstein, Sandy Koufax, Estée Lauder, Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jonas Salk, and Harry Houdini, among others. Only in America® brings the stories of hard work and aspiration, courage and imagination, leadership and service to life through a combination of original artifacts, original films, and multimedia elements.

Gala Chairs: David J. Adelman, John A. Fry, Michael J. Heller

This event is made possible thanks to Presenting Host sponsors Cozen O’Connor, Samuel D. Cozen Memorial Fund, Sandra & Steve Cozen, and Lauren & Michael J. Heller. With additional support from Visionary Sponsors Chubb; Betsy and Phil Darivoff; Steve, Laurie, and Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch.

Learn more.

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The Weitzman and OIA images
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ABOUT THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY

Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. It proudly stewards one of the largest collections of Jewish Americana in the nation. Standing as a joyful bulwark against antisemitism, bigotry, and hate, The Weitzman serves to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. www.theweitzman.org

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