Dr Uma Mysorekar gets Interfaith Center of New York’s 2023 award

Mysorekar has devised projects to address psychological and emotional concerns of Indian youth growing up under dual cultures

Dr Uma V. Mysorekar, an Indian American gynecologist and oncologist hailing from Bengaluru, Karnataka has received the Interfaith Center of New York’s 2023 James Parks Morton Interfaith Award.

Named in tribute of The Interfaith Center of New York’s founder the award recognizes individuals or organizations that exemplify an outstanding commitment to promoting human development and peace.

Other recipients of the award are Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum and Joshua Seftel and the creative team behind the documentary short film Stranger at the Gate.

Mysorekar, a medical graduate from Bombay University, migrated to the USA and has been a successful gynecologist and oncologist since 1970, according to a press release.

Mysorekar has, in addition to her medical profession, been associated with several social and cultural organizations – As a Committee Member, Vice President and President of Heart & Head of the Handicapped (HHH) she was responsible for organizing events and fund raising efforts for the handicapped children in New York and in India.

Mysorekar was invited by both former President Bill Clinton and former President George Bush to represent Hinduism at Interfaith Conference sponsored by the White House.

READ: Indian American philanthropist Frank Islam receives interfaith award (November 21, 2016)

She has been a leading fundraiser and donor for care of impoverished women and for the disabled and orphaned in India, having pioneered the fundraising for “Aid to Disabled, Orphaned and Poor” (ADOP) and contributed substantially towards the construction of a hostel for poor working women in Bengaluru in India.

In the US, under the auspices of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, she devised various projects to address the psychological and emotional concerns of Indian youth, growing up under the influence of dual cultures.

Mysorekar was one of the few high profile Asians chosen as the representative of 1.8 million Hindus of the continent at a special interreligious gathering to meet Pope Benedict XVI on April 17, 2008.

She had an audience with Pope Benedict during this visit. Later that year, she was one of the six representatives of various faiths chosen to participate in the National Prayer Service in Washington following the inauguration of President Barrack Obama.

As the first person chosen to represent the Hindu religion for the National Prayer Service, Mysorekar was also invited to have an audience with the new President. Mysorekar later participated in Interreligious meeting with Pope Francis and offered Hindu prayer in New York on Sep 25, 2015.

Mysorekar has been the recipient of the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor for 2009 and was featured in the prestigious publication “The Women who made New York” authored by New York Times columnist Julie Scelfo, who recognized Mysorekar’s service to the community, her role in organizing interfaith dialogues reaching out to leaders of other faiths, and her fundraising capability for common causes and elder care.