By COLlive staff
Mica Soffer, a partner and the publisher of the Jewish news website COLlive.com, won the Journalism Award from the Jewish community of Crown Heights, on Sunday.
Soffer, a lifelong resident of the Brooklyn neighborhood, was cited for her outstanding service and dedication in connecting and assisting the Chabad community locally and globally.
The 2017 award was presented to her on behalf of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) and the Jewish Children’s Museum (JCM) during their annual Joint Legislative Breakfast on May 21.
COLlive.com “is a website that folks like me look at to find out what’s going on on the other side of my neighborhood,” commented Errol Louis, host of the nightly television program Inside City Hall on NY1, who served as the emcee of the event.
To the applause of elected officials and community activists, Louis invited Devorah Halberstam, Director of Foundations and Government Services at the Jewish Children’s Museum, to present the award to Mrs. Soffer.
“We are in a room where most of the people are men,” Halberstam said, describing Mica Soffer as a trailblazer among Orthodox Jewish women in leading a successful business enterprise.
“Mica Soffer is a lifelong Crown Heights member, she’s a mother of 5, and in 2009, she founded COLlive.com, a website providing news of the Orthodox Jewish and Chabad community to people across the globe.
“In just a few years, COLlive.com has grown into one of the largest Orthodox Jewish news websites in the world, with millions of visitors each year from nearly every single country in the world,” Halberstam said.
Halberstam said that “for the Crown Heights community especially, COLlive.com serves as an online community, keeping locals updated on the news while bringing people together.”
In explaining the award, Halberstam said Soffer is “a woman who loves this community, who cares about what goes on here, day in, day out… from the Sanitation Department to the Police Department who looks out for us, day in and day out, from every community center, to the Crown Heights Jewish community… to make sure we are all out there, doing our jobs.”
“She’s one powerful woman and she gets the news,” Halberstam said. “From Mumbai, India, to Australia, she gets the words across literally around the world within seconds, before even the New York Times gets it in the newspaper. ”
U.S. Congress member Yvette D. Clarke and New York City Council member Laurie Cumbo joined the community council’s Chanina Sperlin in presenting the award.
CONGRATS!!!
You guys are awesome, so happy that a well deserved recognition was acknowledged. B’H. may you be blessed with Success in all your endeavors.
congratulations mica
dont let the power get to you
always focus on the truth
dont screen comments
Exactly!!
What a powerful and influential shlichus, may you always make the Rebbe proud
And may you merit to publish the greatest news of all- the coming of Moshiach, now!
Incredible how you have set up a site that BH reports so much GOOD NEWS!
Mica, we are so proud of you! With your courage and hard work and your family’s support you bring people together in a way that just a few years ago would not have been possible. Your words inspire and connect! May you go from strength to strength and be the first to broadcast the coming of Moshiach.
Esther & family
On behalf of all your Aussie friends , thx for keeping us connected and in the loop,
Shternie &Shimi
Well deserved honor to the founder of one of the greatest Kiddush Lubavitch/Rebbe web sites!
Hatzlocho Rabbah till Moshiach now.
Mina & Family!
Very well said.
It’s a huge responsibility to make sure everything posted is appropriate for our communtiy to see and read
Mica, together with your wonderful husband Yossi, you guys help so many in need, including the millions of Dollars you have helped raise for so many important causes.
Yaarich Yomim Al Melachto.
Mazel tov for the honor, and up coming simcha.
On behalf of all us grateful shluchim and Anash
Thank You.
Thank you all, Devorie, Mica and the leaders of the Crown Heights JCC for putting this event together. May you continue in fostering these important community relations and building our community with the available resources
Great job Mica!!!!
Very well said.
It’s a huge responsibility to make sure everything posted is appropriate for our communtiy to see and read
Maybe she should publish more comments and stop screening so many
wow
Congratulations!! Keep up the great work!!
Love you and so proud of you! You’re a star.
Your biggest fan!
and thank you so much for bringing us collive
What a great privilege you have, Mica, but also a tremendous responsibility. I hope you see this as your sacred shlichus, and make your decisions accordingly, with the help of wise mentors, and that your site remains one that you will be proud for the Rebbe to read.
BS”D a well deserved award. If she could only make the NY times disappear