Outstanding Service to the Community of New York

Dr. Sandra Alfonsi

Dr. Sandra Alfonsi of Bayside, New York, is a National Vice-President, Chair of the Hadassah College Jerusalem and Chair of the Hadassah Academic Advisory Board. She is a member of the National Board of Hadassah, the Hadassah Magazine Editorial Advisory Board and is currently a member of the Executive Committee. She previously served as Chair of Curriculum Watch, Membership Liaison to the Brooklyn Region, and Coordinator and Implementation Chair to Metropolitan Hadassah.

Sandra is currently the Leadership, Expansion and Consolidation Chair for Queens Region. She previously served as President of the Queens Region. During her four years as Region President, she was also a member of the National Academic Advisory Board for Curriculum Watch and served as National Co-Chair of the Teachers Corps. She also served on the Hadassah International Task Force and Hadassah International Ad Hoc Committee, and served as Recording Secretary for the National Hadassah Medical Organization (HMO) Committee. Sandra is a Life Member and was President of the Bayside Chapter.

In her community, Sandra served as President of the Queens Jewish Community Council and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council. In addition, Sandra was just elected (June 2003) to the Board of Directors of Queens College Hillel. Just over a year ago, Sandra organized one of the largest and most successful Israel Gifts Fairs for the NEQJCC

Born and educated in Washington, D.C., Sandra received a B.A. and an M.A. in French Language and Literature from George Washington University, and earned her Ph.D. in French Language and Literature from the Catholic University of America. Dr. Alfonsi is a professor of French Language and Literature at St. John’s University in Queens where she also serves as the Faculty advisor to Jewish students.

She is married to Dr. Ferdinando Alfonsi, a Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature and Italian Language at Fordham University, and a Hadassah Associate.