Honoring Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH: A Legacy of Service

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Join the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center for a special evening celebrating Jewish history, leadership, and community. We will present the 2026 Tzedakah Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Rochelle Walensky and feature her in conversation with Kevin Tabb, MD about her Jewish family history, distinguished medical career, and leadership during the Covid pandemic. 

Dietary laws will be observed. Kosher dinners from Catering by Andrew are available by request.

Cocktail attire. 

For any questions or assistance in registration, please contact Special Events Manager Lauren Vitacco at 617-226-1267 or signatureevents@americanancestors.org. 

2026 Tzedakah Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH

Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, served as the 19th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2021 to 2023. Her distinguished career in public health and infectious diseases includes groundbreaking work in AIDS research, treatment, and policy. She was Chief of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2017 to 2021, and currently serves as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and on the faculty of Harvard Kennedy School. She is a member of the American Academy of Physicians, National Academy of Medicine, and Council on Foreign Relations, and also serves on the Board of Trustees at the Doris Duke Foundation and The Carter Center. She is a founding member and Medical Affairs Adviser the Vaccine Integrity Project, which is dedicated to providing trusted, science-based information for informed vaccine choices.  Dr. Walensky received her BA from Washington University, her MD from Johns Hopkins University, and her MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

In Conversation With 

Kevin Tabb, MD

Dr. Kevin Tabb is President and Chief Executive Officer of Beth Israel Lahey Health and an ex officio member of its Board of Trustees. Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) is an integrated health system that serves 1.7 million patients across Eastern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. Founded in 2019, BILH brings together academic medical centers and teaching hospitals, community and specialty hospitals, primary and specialty care, behavioral health and home care services, and more than 5,900 physicians and 36,000 employees in a shared mission to create healthier communities — one person at a time — through seamless care and ground-breaking science, driven by excellence, innovation and equity.  Dr. Tabb previously served as CEO of the Beth Israel Deaconess system and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and before that held leadership roles at Stanford Hospital & Clinics in California, including as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality and Medical Information Officer.  

Raised in Berkeley, California, Dr. Tabb emigrated to Israel at the age of 18. He received his undergraduate degree from Hebrew University in Jerusalem and his medical degree from the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School. Dr. Tabb completed his residency in internal medicine at Hadassah Hospital.