Lamplighter Awards honor national leaders, first responders and Jewish community

PUBLISHED: September 24, 2026 | www.baltimoresun.com

At a moment when antisemitism is again rising in the United States and around the world, American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) gathered this week evening to honor national leaders, community builders and the first responders who protect the nation’s capital.

The 2026 Lamplighter Awards, held Wednesday evening at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., brought together government officials, diplomats, business leaders, philanthropists, rabbis and other Jewish community leaders for an evening rooted in remembrance, service and moral responsibility.

This year’s honorees included Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, who received the Leadership Award, and Jeffrey L. Miller, chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, and founder and CEO of Miller Strategies.

The evening also paid special tribute to the men and women serving on the front lines of public safety: law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other first responders. Their recognition was among the evening’s most meaningful moments.

These public servants routinely enter situations from which others are trying to escape. They run toward fires, violent confrontations, medical emergencies and moments of unimaginable danger. Their work is frequently performed without public attention, yet every community depends upon their courage, preparation and willingness to sacrifice.

Metropolitan Police Department Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll and D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John A. Donnelly Sr. were also among those in attendance, representing the thousands of police officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency personnel who serve Washington around the clock.

Their presence reinforced the broader meaning of a lamplighter. First responders bring light into some of the darkest moments people will ever experience. When a family is frightened, injured or confronting sudden tragedy, these are often the first men and women to arrive and the last to leave. Their service crosses every racial, religious, economic and political boundary.

Baltimore and the surrounding region also had a strong presence at the gathering, with rabbis and Jewish leaders traveling to Washington to stand with the broader Jewish community. Among them was Rabbi Yanky Baron of Chabad of Ellicott City, who joined fellow religious and communal leaders in affirming the bonds connecting Jewish communities throughout Maryland and the nation.

Their participation was especially significant. Baltimore is home to one of America’s oldest, most diverse and most deeply rooted Jewish communities. Its rabbis, educators and civic leaders have long played essential roles in preserving Jewish learning, serving families and building bridges across religious and racial divisions.

At a time of increased anxiety among Jewish Americans, the visible presence of Baltimore-area rabbis and community leaders served as a declaration that Jewish communities will neither retreat nor allow fear to weaken their public witness. Faith must remain visible, community must remain strong and antisemitism must be challenged wherever it appears.

The annual awards take their name from a central principle of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement: Every person possesses the ability and responsibility to bring light into the lives of others. A lamplighter does not carry a flame for himself alone. He uses it to illuminate another lamp, which can then spread light still farther.

That message carried particular urgency this year. Jewish Americans have confronted antisemitic rhetoric, threats against synagogues and Jewish institutions, hostility on college campuses and attempts to minimize or distort the Holocaust. The evening was therefore more than a ceremonial celebration. It was a reminder that hatred must be confronted before it becomes normalized.

Cruz has been among the Senate’s most consistent advocates for Israel and a forceful critic of antisemitism. His recognition reflected a public record shaped by the belief that America’s relationship with Israel is not only strategic but grounded in shared democratic values and a common commitment to religious liberty.

Miller’s honor recognized his leadership in preserving Holocaust memory and ensuring that its lessons reach new generations. Appointed chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council in March, Miller leads the governing board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

That responsibility becomes more consequential as the number of living Holocaust survivors declines. Their testimony cannot be allowed to disappear with them. Preserving documents, artifacts and personal histories is essential, but remembrance must also inspire moral courage in the present.

The Lamplighter Awards demonstrated Chabad’s unusual ability to bring people together across political, professional and religious boundaries. American Friends of Lubavitch has become an important presence in Washington through its engagement with government officials, diplomats, students and families, as well as national traditions such as the lighting of the National Menorah.

Among those attending were Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was also present, underscoring the evening’s reach beyond conventional partisan divisions.

Business and philanthropic leaders Elliott and Robin Broidy attended, along with Adean King and peace advocate Barbara Winston.

The evening offered Washington a lesson it too often forgets. Public service is not measured solely by titles, influence or proximity to power. It is measured by whether that influence is used to protect human dignity, preserve truth and strengthen the lives of others.

The Lamplighter Awards celebrated people who understand that leadership is ultimately an act of illumination. That description applies not only to senators, Cabinet officials, rabbis and civic leaders, but also to the police officer answering a dangerous call, the firefighter entering a burning building and the paramedic fighting to save a stranger’s life.

In dark and uncertain times, one flame may appear small. But when it is used to light another, and another after that, darkness begins to retreat.

Armstrong Williams (www.armstrongwilliams.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun.

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