18 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

D

r. Conrad “Connie” Giles of 
Detroit will be the Guest of 
Honor at ORT America’s 100th 
Anniversary Gala dinner Nov. 20 at the 
Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York 
City.
Giles has demonstrated his commitment 
and dedication to strengthening Jewish 
life locally, nationally and internationally. 
Since 2016, he has served as president 
of World ORT, which transforms lives 
through training and education. 
As an ORT leader for 50 years, Giles has 
shown by example what it means to be 
a Jewish communal leader. “Connie has 
led the way for so many of us on what it 
means to be a leader,” said ORT America 
Chairman of the Board Howard Lanznar. 
Giles’ involvement with ORT started 
in Detroit when he joined the Men’s 
ORT Chapter and eventually served as 
its president from 1978 to 1980. For the 
next 13 years, he took on the national 
role of vice president of the American 
ORT Federation. In early 2000, he acted 
as a consultant between World ORT and 
the American Jewish Federation system 
and was a member of the newly merged 
executive committee of ORT America. 
World ORT Director General and CEO 
Dan Green said, “Having known and 
worked alongside Connie for many years, 
I believe there is no parallel to his ability 
to share the ORT story and inspire others 
to learn more about our work.” 
Doreen Hermelin, a member of ORT 
America’s Honorary Board of Directors, 
said, “
As president of World ORT and in 
his many leadership roles, Connie’s made 
an impact on the entire world.” 

Hermelin is serving as a gala chair, 
along with Gail and Howard Lanznar 
and fellow Detroit leaders Nancy and Jim 
Grosfeld, Jane and Larry Sherman, Shelley 
and Joel Tauber, Malke and Gary Torgow, 
and Andi and Larry Wolfe. Honorary 
Dinner Chair is Dr. Lynda Giles, wife of 
the honoree.

A LONGTIME LEADER
Giles also served as president of the 
Council of Jewish Federations (CJF) 
from 1996 to 1999. During his tenure, 
he helped facilitate the merger between 
the United Jewish Appeal, where he 
had served as a national vice chair, and 
the CJF in 2000, resulting in the United 
Jewish Communities (UJC), where he 
then served as a vice chair. In 2009, UJC 

became the Jewish Federations of North 
America (JFNA). 
In 2006, Giles’ leadership continued 
when he became vice chair and later 
chair of the Jewish Council of Public 
Affairs, a national hub of the community 
relations network representing 125 local 
community relations councils and 16 
national Jewish agencies in the U.S. 
On the international scene, Giles was a 
member of the board of governors of the 
Jewish Agency for Israel, 1990-2000, and 
the Joint Distribution Committee, 1990-
1993 and 1996-1999. He served on the 
executive committee of both organizations 
from 1996-1999. 
Professionally, he has practiced 
pediatric ophthalmology in Metropolitan 
Detroit since 1963. In addition, he is the 
clinical professional and chief emeritus 
of pediatric ophthalmology at Children’s 
Hospital of Michigan and continues his 
academic career at the Kresge Eye Institute 
of Wayne State University Medical School. 
Connie and Lynda have six incredible 
children who have enriched their lives, 
along with their wonderful spouses, 15 
grandchildren and one great-grandchild. 
“I am humbled to be chosen to be 
honored in our 100th year. It has been 
my personal mission to continue the 
work of my predecessors and help our 
beneficiaries around the world receive life-
changing education leading to meaningful 
and self-sufficient lives,” Giles said.
Funds raised from the gala will propel 
ORT into the next 100 years by supporting 
innovative educational programs that 
enable people to lead successful lives and 
investing in global Jewish communities so 
that they can thrive. 
The ORT network reaches more 
than 200,000 people a year in schools, 
universities and vocational training 
programs in more than 30 countries. 

Submitted by ORT America.

He’s the honoree at ORT America’s 100th Anniversary Gala.
ORT Honors Dr. Conrad Giles

Dr. Conrad 
Giles

