Sari Zukerman - Medal of Honor Winner

by Florence Friedman and Martha Norget

Sari Zukerman has always worked toward making her society the best that it can be. She believes that "If you're part of a community, you should contribute to it." This philosophy ultimately led to Sari’s being the recipient of the Galaxy Medal of Honor presented at this year’s Appreciation Dinner on February 4.

To see why Sari was chosen, you need only read the inscription on the plaque: "In grateful acknowledgement of devoted, selfless and outstanding services rendered by one over an extended period of time on behalf of one’s fellow residents and the enhancement of the Galaxy Lifestyle."

If her community is defined as the Galaxy Towers, which she loves, Sari was ready to get involved from the beginning. She has lived here since 1981, just about the time the complex went condo. She tried to attend a meeting of the owners’ group but was turned away because she hadn't paid the $5 dues. It was Sonny Glazer who insisted she be allowed to attend and pay her dues later. This was a wise investment for the Galaxy.

It was at that first meeting that Sari met Margie and Joel Price, who invited her to join the Facilities and Safety Committee, one of the only two committees in existence at that time. (The other was the Social Committee.) She did and has been active ever since.

She was a member of the first Ad Hoc Election Committee that seated the very first Galaxy Board and has continued to work with that committee in various capacities. She is still active with the Governmental Affairs Committee, making calls about local elections and often serving as a challenger for a particular candidate in Galaxy elections. You’ll see her in the lobby reminding people of the annual Galaxy blood drive. Sari was on the first Dinner Dance Committee and the first Executive Council and is still a member of those panels. She was the first chair of the Garage Committee and still holds that post. Sari became chair of the Transportation Committee in 1993 when it was combined with the Garage Committee, and still holds that position, too. Another important first that must be acknowledged is that Sari is the first person to command a lounge chair at the pool when the sun is out.

Sari loves the Galaxy lifestyle. Like many other residents, she compares it to living in a hotel. She loves all the amenities: the clubs, the library, the exercise room, the mall, the social events and the pool.

Starting life in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Sari attended P.S. 197 and James Madison High School. She earned her B.A. degree at Cornell University and her M.A. at Brooklyn College. Her postgraduate certification is in School Administration and Supervision. Sticking to family tradition, in her professional life Sari is an educator. Her father, Lou, was the longtime principal of New Utrecht High School. Her mother, Fan, was an assistant principal. Sari taught kindergarten in Brooklyn, elementary school in New Jersey and, in 1970, became the Staten Island Reading Coordinator. Simultaneously, she has been an adjunct professor of elementary education at the College of Staten Island for more than 26 years. Professor Zukerman specializes in Reading Language Arts and also supervises student teachers.

Besides Brooklyn, Sari lived in Matawan, N.J., and on Staten Island before moving to the Galaxy. She has two daughters, Marjorie Niler and Judy Burstein, and two adored granddaughters, Suzanne Rachel Burstein, who is 11, and Michelle Fay Burstein, 9. Along with her son-in-law Jay Niler and her escort, Carl, all were at the Appreciation Dinner to see Sari receive her Medal of Honor. Her grand-dog, Sir Monte de Carlo of Ruff Niler, was not there, however.

In her spare time, Sari is an avid reader and loves doing the New York Magazine crossword puzzle each week. Other interests include "Jeopardy," all animals (particularly dogs), gambling (especially the nickel slots in Vegas), classically styled clothing, her weekly manicures and hair appointments, playing the piano, basking in the sun for hours at the Galaxy pool, eating sunflower seeds, daily four-mile walks on the treadmill while watching the Dow and the Nasdaq on TV, and worldwide travels with Carl. She has been all over the world except for the Far East, a situation that was being altered at presstime as she and Carl visited there in March. Her friends say she is better than any travel agent for information on sites, hotels, cruise ships and restaurants all over the world. When it comes to being a friend, Sari is wonderful and incredibly devoted. One example - she has spent New Year’s Eve with the same group of very dear friends since 1955. They are like her second family.

How did this popular, perky, petite, punctual, professorial perfectionist yet practical blonde feel about receiving the Medal of Honor? "Very proud and honored to be singled out by my peers," she said.

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