Jack Kupferman
Jack Kupferman is President of Gray Panthers NYC, an organization with a storied history of fighting for the rights of all those who are aging. Jack, himself, has long been a champion for older people—locally, nationally and worldwide. Recently retired as an attorney in New York City’s Department of Aging, Jack has been leader in numerous high-profile initiatives and programs. For many years he served as senior attorney and administrative judge for the City of New York’s rental assistance program for seniors. He led the Gray and Green Coalition, a partnership of city organizations serving older people created to examine the link between environmental concerns and aging. He also worked with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau in the New York Region to address the huge problem of caregiving and older women in the workplace. In addition, he helped create a summer internship program for college students to learn about today’s largely unrecognized “ism”—ageism. While overseeing the daily operations of the Gray Panthers NYC, Jack is currently at the center of the organization’s advocacy focused on the conditions in nursing homes, highlighted by the enormous number of resident deaths due to COVID-19. And his many activities span the world, including his efforts to ensure that the needs of older persons are included in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—addressing concerns such as poverty, illiteracy, health care and lifelong learning.
