LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending RAJE, the Russian American Jewish
Experience, upon the occasion of its Second Annual Banquet on February
9, 2010, and honoring Elan and Inna Katz

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend organizations of high purpose and worthy accomplishment whose
endeavors have a significant impact on the lives of those they serve;
and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
RAJE (Russian American Jewish Experience) of the Russian Division of
Gateways, upon the occasion of its Second Annual Banquet, to be held at
Sotheby's on February 9, 2010, and to honor Elan and Inna Katz; and
WHEREAS, Since 1998, the Gateways Organization has dedicated itself to
education in values and ethical living, and to reconnecting people with
their Jewish heritage; and
WHEREAS, Nearly a million Jews from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) have
made their home in America, including thousands upon thousands in New
York City and New York State, and, given the opportunities of our great
nation, many have flourished; and
WHEREAS, Yet the seeds of spiritual and communal destruction planted
by the Soviet regime helped create a crisis of Jewish and communal iden-
tity which, if left unabated, could jeopardize the survival of this
important Russian American community; and
WHEREAS, To address this monumental challenge, the RAJE Leadership
Fellowship was created to train and inspire a new generation of communi-
ty leaders; and
WHEREAS, Elan and Inna Katz will be honored at the dinner with the
Builders of the Future Award; and
WHEREAS, Elan Katz was born in Nahariya, Israel; his mother, Gita, who
made Alliya to Israel from the Ukraine in 1973, immigrated with him to
the United States in 1984; and
WHEREAS, Elan Katz earned his bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Long
Island University in 1996, and, at the age of 25, opened his first phar-
macy; and
WHEREAS, Since then, he has successfully built and operated a large
network of pharmacies, under the company name, Quick Rx, of which he
serves as the CEO; and
WHEREAS, These full service pharmacies operate in the five boroughs of
New York City and in New Jersey, and are continuing to expand by
specializing in drug dispensing, counseling and support for specific
conditions; and
WHEREAS, Many of the pharmacies are located in underprivileged and
poverty stricken neighborhoods and provide vital services to at-risk
clients overlooked by the medical establishment; Elan Katz has developed
a close relationship with a wide range of clinics, hospitals and
specialty medical centers, and strives to support the community he
serves; and
WHEREAS, Elan Katz is a generous supporter of several non-profit
organizations, and is an active founding board member for RAJE; and
WHEREAS, Inna Katz was born in the Ukraine and immigrated with her
family to the United States at the age of 10; and
WHEREAS, Inna Katz has a bachelor's degree from Baruch College, where
she graduated with honors in Finance; and
WHEREAS, Following an exciting career in investment banking at Black-
Rock and then JP Morgan Chase, Inna Katz moved from working in Foreign
Exchange derivatives and trading to the global syndicate desk, where she

travelled all over the world working alongside CEO's of top financial
firms; and
WHEREAS, In 2004 Inna and Elan were married, and in 2008, Inna left
the finance world to raise their son, Nathan; and
WHEREAS, Inna shares her husband's passion for philanthropy and commu-
nity causes; in addition to acting as a consultant to art galleries that
exhibit Ukrainian art, Inna Katz is a great supporter of numerous chari-
ties that aim to fight poverty and provide resources to the Jewish
community; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend RAJE for its
purposeful endeavors and commitment to the preservation and enhancement
of the rich religious, ethnic, and cultural heritage of the Russian
American Jewish community which has become such a valued and integral
part of the community of the City and State of New York; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend RAJE upon the occasion of its Second Annual Banquet on February
9, 2010, and to honor Elan and Inna Katz, recipients of the Builders of
the Future Award; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to RAJE and to Elan and Inna Katz.