Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?
Rabbi Zippel has done a great deal of work with Chabad Utah, a group you may have overlooked until now!
Benny Zippel
Salt Lake City, Utah
What problem did your nominee identify in the community that needed to be solved? How has your nominee's efforts made a difference for others?
Rabbi Benny Zippel has done work for years with youth dealing with substance abuse and related addiction issues. This arduous work is unique and requires a great amount of diligence and patience. Upon his arrival in Utah in 1992, Rabbi Zippel found out that there are many RTC (Residential Treatment Centers) throughout Utah that cater to teens (ages 12-18) with serious behavioral issues (eating disorders, oppositional defiance disorder, attention deficit disorder, youth crimes, serious substance abuse issues and more) so he got involved with the Jewish population in those centers. That ultimately led to the founding of Project H.E.A.R.T, in which Rabbi Zippel is involved in the lives of hundreds of Jewish teens from all over the world (and their families) by visiting them on a weekly basis and of course in conjunction with Jewish Holidays and special events.
