Hillel Academy of Broome County announced the 2020 honorees for its 57th Annual Journal. Rabbi Moshe Shmaryahu, director of Judaic studies at Hillel, will receive the A.M. Pierson Award. The N. Theodore Sommer Community Service Award will be presented to Kathy Connerton, president and CEO of Ascension Lourdes Hospital, and John M. Carrigg, president and CEO of United Health Service. A virtual Journal fund-raiser will take place on Sunday, November 15. Details of the fund-raiser have not yet been announced. For more information about the journal, call 304-4544 or e-mail hillel@stny.rr.com.

Started in 1971, the A.M. Pierson Award is given to a person(s) or organization “whose tireless work and dedication enriches the lives of Hillel Academy children.” Shmaryahu, this year’s recipient, holds a B.A. in local geographic economics and Palestine studies from Bar-Ilan University and an M.A. in economics and business administration from the University of Derby from England. He studied at Kollel Or Tak and cantorship at the cantorship school with Dr. Mordechai Sobol. Shmaryahu first taught at Hillel Academy in 1991. He came to Binghamton with his wife, Janet, who was finishing her doctoral work at Cornell University. Three of their children – Aaron, Moriah and Noa – are graduates of Hillel Academy; a fourth, Yona, was born in Binghamton. From 1991-2016, he was the cantor at Beth David Synagogue during the High Holidays. In 2016, he was approached by Hillel Academy to head Judaic studies.

“Even after his family returned to Israel, Rabbi Shmaryahu maintained a meaningful connection with our community, returning to lead services as chazzan at Beth David Synagogue,” organizers said. “As director of Judaic studies and as a teacher, Rabbi Shmaryahu has created a warm, loving and productive learning environment for the children at Hillel Academy and many across our community. He has led our students to find their voices in song and prayer, designed an innovative curriculum to help them learn about our heritage, and developed creative and innovative holiday programs to bring to life our customs and ritual practices. His students adore him, and our families appreciate and enjoy the inspiration and learning he provides our community.”

This year’s N. Theodore Sommer Community Service Award recognizes the work of two local leading health care executives. “Both Ms. Connerton and Mr. Carrigg have deep roots in Binghamton, and have dedicated their professional careers to expanding and improving health care,” organizers said. “In addition to being two of the region’s largest employers and health care providers, UHS and Ascension Lourdes are the front line in the fight against COVID-19 in the Southern Tier. Ms. Connerton and Mr. Carrigg have steered their organizations through this extremely difficult year, and worked tirelessly to help protect our community’s well-being, by securing multiple testing platforms and developing critical procedures to ensure that all who need it receive the best possible healthcare and treatment.”

Carrigg graduated from St. Andrew’s College in North Carolina, and earned a master of business administration degree from Binghamton University. He has served in a number of executive positions at UHS, including vice president for operations and director of UHS Binghamton General Hospital, senior vice president and COO of UHS Hospitals, and executive vice president and COO of the UHS System. The UHS System is composed of UHS Hospitals (UHS Wilson Medical Center and UHS Binghamton General Hospital), UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, UHS Delaware Valley Hospital, UHS Senior Living at Ideal, UHS Home Care, the UHS Medical Group and the UHS Foundation.

Connerton worked as general counsel for Lourdes in the 1990s, and returned to Binghamton in 2014 after spending 20 years in senior leadership positions with Bons Secours Health Care System. She earned her B.A., M.B.A. and M.P.A. from Binghamton University, and her J.D. from the New England School of Law. She was the 2018-19 chairwoman of Southern Tier Heart Walk on its 30th anniversary.