American Jewish World Service to Celebrate '25 Years of Pursuing Global Justice' October 28 at Jazz at Lincoln Center

Event also pays tribute to AJWS President Ruth Messinger on her 70th birthday; premieres video by Judd Apatow starring Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sarah Silverman, Steve Carell, Mike Meyers, Susan Sarandon, John Mayer and others

Christiane Amanpour to emcee; speakers include Campbell Brown; Cast-members of FELA! and the African Children's Choir to perform

NEW YORK, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Jewish World Service (AJWS), an international development and human rights organization, will celebrate 25 years of empowering marginalized communities throughout the developing world at a benefit on Thursday, October 28, at 6 p.m., Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St.

The event, "Celebrating 25 Years of Pursuing Global Justice", will be emceed by Christiane Amanpour, anchor of ABC News' "This Week" and will pay tribute to AJWS President Ruth W. Messinger on the occasion of her 70th birthday. Messinger is the trailblazing former New York City elected official who served as Manhattan Borough President and a New York City Councilwoman. She secured the Democratic Party's nomination for mayor in 1997, the first woman to do so. She has been AJWS's president since 1998, during which time the organization has more than quadrupled in size.

A video by uber-producer/director/writer Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up," "Funny People," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," among other phenomenal hits) and starring Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Carell, Mike Meyers, John Mayer, Sarah Silverman, Susan Sarandon, Denis Leary, Andy Samberg, Ben Jong, Ed Helms, Helen Hunt, Aziz Ansari, Gilbert Gottfried, Brian Williams and Triumph the Insult Comedy Dog, will also premiere.

Journalist Campbell Brown will deliver remarks and the cast of the Broadway hit FELA! will perform—as will the African Children's Choir—during the program, which will also highlight the work of AJWS's grassroots partners from across the globe.

"Twenty-five years ago, a group of extraordinary individuals decided that it was time for the Jewish community to engage as a positive force in fighting global poverty, hunger and disease," said Gigi Pritzker Pucker, one of the event chairs. "What has happened since is nothing short of astonishing. AJWS now supports more than 458 grassroots organizations that are transforming marginalized communities in 34 countries, it is sending more than 500 Jewish volunteers to the developing world each year, and its influence is shaping Jewish identity in communities across America and policy on Capitol Hill."

Tickets are $1,000 and may be purchased www.ajws.org/25nyc. For more information, call 212-792-2900.

About AJWS

American Jewish World Service is an international development organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion, or nationality.  Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community. (www.ajws.org).

SOURCE American Jewish World Service