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Midwest Gala 2026

Keynote Speaker

Loay Alshareef

Loay Alshareef is a world-class speaker and one of the foremost Arab Muslim activists, pro-Jewish and pro-peace with Israel. He is an Arab Muslim peace advocate, historian, and social media influencer whose mission is to bridge divides between Muslims and Jews and to champion peace in the Middle East. Born and raised in Saudi Arabia to a Saudi Egyptian family that once held many radical views, Loay experienced a turning point in 2010 after living with a Jewish family in France. That experience reshaped his worldview and inspired his lifelong commitment to peace. He began his media career in Saudi Arabia, working across fields such as language education, history, and tourism, before dedicating himself fully to peace advocacy and promoting the Abraham Accords. As a leading voice in interfaith dialogue and reconciliation, he has earned international recognition for his pro-Jewish stance, support for Israel’s legitimacy, and commitment to the Abraham Accords. He is currently based in United Arab Emirates. With an academic background that combines software engineering (MA, Penn State) and expertise in ancient languages and scripts, Loay offers a rare perspective that unites technology, history, and cultural understanding. He reads Egyptian hieroglyphs and ancient Arabian scripts, and leverages this deep historical knowledge to foster meaningful narratives of coexistence. Loay’s influence extends to over 800,000 followers across Instagram and X, where his multilingual content reaches a global audience. His ability to communicate complex issues in an accessible way has positioned him as one of the most compelling voices for peacebuilding, cultural diplomacy, and interreligious understanding. He frequently appears in international media, conferences, and universities across the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Above all, Loay Alshareef stands as a pioneering Arab voice of reconciliation—a bridge-builder dedicated to rewriting the story of Muslim-Jewish relations for a more peaceful future.

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Community Honoree

Jon & Miriam Friedman

Jon and Miriam Friedman are Chicago natives through and through, both raised in Skokie and both proud graduates of Ida Crown Jewish Academy. Their roots in our local Jewish community run deep, and that upbringing has shaped a lifelong, shared commitment to Jewish life, Jewish education, and the State of Israel.

Jon currently serves as Chief Design Officer of Microsoft 365, the first person ever to hold that title at the company. Over more than two decades at Microsoft, he has grown from early UI design work into leading design and research for one of the most widely used software platforms in the world, shaping products that hundreds of millions of people rely on every day. Trained as an industrial designer at the Rhode Island School of Design, Jon brings that same thoughtfulness and care home with him, whether he’s coaching his daughter’s basketball team or co-authoring a book with his son.

Miriam has taken that same Skokie upbringing and turned it into a life of Jewish communal leadership. She currently serves on several boards and steering committees including, but not limited to Hillel Torah Day School, Ida Crown Jewish Academy, and Camp Moshava, and is a proud alum of the Wexner Fellowship, one of the most respected leadership programs in Jewish communal life. Her devotion to Jewish education and Jewish continuity runs through everything she does, ensuring the very institutions that shaped her own upbringing continue shaping the next generation.

Together, Jon and Miriam have built a home in Skokie rooted in Jewish learning and a love for Israel, carrying forward the same values that were instilled in them by this community decades ago. Their generosity as philanthropists and their hands-on involvement as volunteers and board members have made them two of the steadiest, most trusted pillars of our local and national Jewish community. And when they’re not busy investing in our community’s future, Jon and Miriam are proud parents to three wonderful children.

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Education Honoree

George Kelley

George Kelley served as the Education Director of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in Indianapolis since 2002.

A lifelong educator and longtime IsraelLINK partner, he has dedicated his career to creating innovative, engaging approaches to Jewish learning that blend educational best practices with meaningful Jewish content.

A longtime IsraelLINK partner, George has been an enthusiastic user of the platform, a regular participant at StandWithUs, and IsraelLINK conferences, and a member of the upcoming Cohort Dalet of the David & Etta Jonas Certificate in Israel Education.

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Student Honoree

Macklin Lapp

Mack is a senior at Indiana University studying Liberal Studies with a focus on social and historical studies. He serves as a Campus Liaison with StandWithUs, continuing his work to support Jewish students, strengthen campus community, and advocate for Israel on campus. He spent three years as a Congressional Representative in IU student government, where he helped pass the IHRA working definition of antisemitism in a challenging campus environment.

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Student Honoree

Gabriela Simons

Gaby is a junior at Lane Tech High School in Chicago. She has worked to deepen her community’s understanding of October 7 and its impact. Through advocacy and education, Gaby has demonstrated a commitment to fostering informed dialogue, empowering her peers, and creating opportunities for meaningful learning that extend far beyond her own school.

Will food be available?

Hors d’oeuvres, Wine, Dinner, and Dessert will be served.  Kosher under the Vaad.

Our Events team –  events@standwithus.com

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ADL, AJMA, Brandeis Center, SWU and CCA, Hadassah, and JFNA Issue Statement on HHS OCR Guidance Addressing Antisemitic Discrimination in Healthcare
Actress Swell Ariel Or takes advocacy for Israeli women further in new film ‘Tankistas’
Eli Sharabi in Brazil with StandWithUs!

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