18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | DM 1
NOVEMBER 16, 2018
2018 Class
cjn.org/differencemakers
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Roe Green
GENERATION AWARD
CIVIC LEADERSHIP AWARD
The Stein Family
Judge Dan Aaron Polster
HONOREES
Devorah Alevsky
Irv Berliner
Stanley Bernath
Dr. Susan Bichsel
Art & David Elk
Michael Horvitz
Adam R. Jacobs
Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein
Mandy Kwait
Rabbi Enid Lader
Fern Ruth Levy
Deborah Picker
Mark J. Sack
Donald S. Scherzer
Lee C. Shapiro
Erica G. Starrfield
Roman Frayman
Deena Nyer Mendlowitz
Photos by Joe Pollack of Pollack Studio. Lee C. Shapiro’s submitted by McKinley Wiley of The Dark Room Company.
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NOVEMBER 16, 2018
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
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18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
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NOVEMBER 16, 2018
LIGHT OVERPOWERS DARKNESS KEVIN S. ADELSTEIN kevin@cjn.org
This is a difficult time for Jews around the world.
you’ll join us in recognizing the 2018 class of CJN’s 18 Difference Makers. Our ceremony on Nov. 18 will acknowledge the unselfish, generous and Acts of hate aimed at our people are on the rise. Some are merely caring acts of leadership taking place here in Northeast Ohio, but it criminal, others are appallingly heinous, but all have severe and longwill also serve as a celebration for all Jews – and non-Jews – working to lasting consequences. They ripple through our communities, creating strengthen and better our community. a sometimes inescapable sense of insecurity. Such is the vile nature of When you read and hear about the 18 Difference Makers’ stories – and anti-Semitism. those of Roe Green, Judge Dan Aaron Polster Recently, our neighbors in Pittsburgh and the Stein family, all recipients of our suffered the worst act of anti-Semitism annual awards – you will undoubtedly be as carried out on American soil. We “DURING TIMES OF SUCH inspired as we were when we selected them continue to grieve for the victims of the to represent all that is good within us. massacre at Tree of Life Congregation, TRAGEDY AND SORROW, IT IS These individuals positively impact our and we continue to keep in our prayers IMPORTANT – AND CAN HELP community – as have those in past classes their families and the Squirrel Hill THE HEALING – TO REMEMBER of 18 Difference Makers. This year, however, community. We will never forget. in the wake of such sadness, it will feel During times of such tragedy and THE GOOD, CELEBRATE THE especially rewarding to celebrate their sorrow, it is important – and can help POSITIVE AND INVITE IN THE accomplishments and be reminded of the the healing – to remember the good, LIGHT TO OVERPOWER THE good and vital work people do to make a celebrate the positive and invite in the difference. I hope you’ll join us. light to overpower the darkness. DARKNESS.” When we introduced the Cleveland Jewish News 18 Difference Makers four years ago, we intended for it to be a way to acknowledge acts of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedakah Kevin S. Adelstein is publisher and CEO of the Cleveland (charity) happening in our community. It’s done just that, and this year, Jewish News and president of the Cleveland Jewish we’re especially grateful we can celebrate those acts of kindness. Publication Company. If you haven’t yet purchased your ticket, it’s not too late. We hope
IT’S UP TO EACH GENERATION…
CJN 18 Difference Makers Class of 2018 Celebration WHAT: CJN’s fourth annual event to recognize those making a difference in Jewish Cleveland WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Nov. 18 WHERE: Landerhaven, 6111 Landerhaven Drive, Mayfield Heights COST: $95 per person and can be purchased at cjn.org/18dm
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NOVEMBER 16, 2018
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
ROE GREEN
From an early age, Roe Green loved the stage, but she was never one for the spotlight. She was more comfortable behind the scenes helping others. Today, she is in the spotlight as she helps others, but it’s more through her philanthropic endeavors. She has left her mark across Northeast Ohio, New York, Florida, Colorado and Canada, where thousands of arts students and aficionados have been the beneficiaries. “My background is really in backstage work and the theater end,” said Green, who is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the arts world. The award is sponsored by ERChealth. The list of organizations she has supported in the last few years appears endless. She gave $6.5 million for the Roe Green Center for the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University in Kent, the largest donation the school’s college of arts has received. She bestowed the school $2.2 million to support the Roe Green Visiting Director Series and a $175,000 outright gift and a $2 million bequest to endow the series in perpetuity. “Roe’s generosity is driven by her sincere passion for students,” KSU President Beverly J. Warren said. “Her support continues to have a profound impact on our students’ lives and futures by creating purposeful opportunities for students to grow their talents under the tutelage of renowned directors. We are all thankful for Roe’s generous and ongoing support to Kent State and our school of theatre and dance.” Green, who is a resident of Jupiter, Fla., and has a residence in Lyndhurst, gave $10 million to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland to support the next phase of renovations at the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Cleveland’s
University Circle neighborhood. The performance space will be named the Roe Green Proscenium Theater. “Roe’s generous commitment will make an enormous difference for our students and faculty in the performing arts and for the people who come to see them,” CWRU President Barbara R. Snyder said. “The state-of-the-art Roe Green Theater will give actors, dancers and other artists a true opportunity to shine and we could not be more grateful to her for this support.” Green established a $10 million endowment to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in support of its Campaign for Jewish Needs and she is the co-chair of the Cleveland Israel Arts Connection. The Roe Green Gallery in the Federation’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Building in Beachwood is named for her. University Hospitals established the Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine in recognition of a $5 million gift. Green was the first person to endow a chair in the arts at the University of Colorado and a visiting artist series. In Florida, she is involved with the Maltz Jupiter Theater in Jupiter, Palm Beach Dramaworks live theater in West Palm Beach and Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno. She’s also involved with Cleveland Play House in Cleveland, Porthouse Theatre in Cuyahoga Falls, Chautauqua Theater Company in New York, Colorado Shakespeare Festival and the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. Perhaps her biggest enjoyment is engaging students. “I try to give them experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise, by having the (visiting) artist or visiting directors series,” Green said. “I do a lot of it for the kids. I always ask after a show, ‘Did you learn something from this?’ And I get things like, ‘It was awesome. It’s life-changing, life-altering.’ My gosh, you’re 18, how life-changing can it be? I do like to check in with the students because I am doing some of this stuff for them.” Green, who turned 70 in October, credits her philanthropic nature to her late parents, U.S. District Judge Ben C. Green and Sylvia E. Green, a registered nurse. They were members of Suburban TempleKol Ami in Beachwood. Her mother was Catholic and her father Jewish. They are considered a founding family of the temple, where she was confirmed. Green worked for a few years behind the scenes for The Singing Angels and the Cleveland Opera. When her father “left a little bit of money” when he died in 1983,
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AGE: 70 RESIDENCE: Jupiter, Fla., and Lyndhurst SYNAGOGUE: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami FAVORITE ATHLETE: Tom Brady MOST GRATIFYING JOB: Stage managing for Cleveland Opera. I got to play in the big leagues. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: Do not be afraid to make mistakes. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: I wanted to own a horse ranch. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I used to play golf with my family.
she stopped working. Green said she always considered herself philanthropic and started to increase her giving after her mother died in 2003, creating the Roe Green Foundation, of which she is CEO. “It seemed like a good thing for me to do,” she said. Her first donations were not in the arts, but to WomenSafe in Chardon for a new shelter. The second was to name the CWRU law library in her father’s memory. He was Western Reserve University School of Law’s first alumnus. Green graduated from Beachwood High School in 1966 and is enshrined on the school’s wall of fame. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in theater from the University of Colorado in Denver in 1970 and earned a master’s degree in theater from Kent State University in 1980. Green found her love for theater when she was in elementary school. “My mother used to tell me when I was in kindergarten I recited (and) memorized ‘The Three Bears,’ and did it for a school program,” she said. “I’ve always had an interest in the arts. In high school, I was more involved in art, painting and sculpture. Then I did some backstage work in high school.”
She also credits Roy Berko, her fifthgrade math teacher who directed school plays, for getting her involved. In college, she took a theater class as an elective and the professor asked if someone would take notes during a rehearsal. “For some crazy reason, I raised my hand,” she recalled. “From then on, I was hooked.” What’s next for Green? “I like to keep my halo shining,” she said. “This is my philosophy of life and I’ve always used it: I have five oranges, I keep one, I save one and I give the other three away. And everything I give away, I get back tenfold.” As sponsor of the Lifetime Achievement Award, ERC president Kelly Keefe said it’s “an honor for us to help recognize and celebrate Roe’s incredible philanthropy. Roe’s generosity is unprecedented – the millions she’s contributed to local arts, education and health care institutions has changed and will continue to change countless lives.” – Bob Jacob
“I LIKE TO KEEP MY HALO SHINING, THIS IS MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE AND I’VE ALWAYS USED IT: I HAVE FIVE ORANGES, I KEEP ONE, I SAVE ONE AND I GIVE THE OTHER THREE AWAY. AND EVERYTHING I GIVE AWAY, I GET BACK TENFOLD.” - Roe Green
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
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Congratulations to all of the Difference Makers. Your contributions to our community are invaluable.
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18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CIVIC LEADERSHIP AWARD
JUDGE DAN AARON POLSTER
Judge Dan Aaron Polster said from an early age that he learned ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they recognize the opportunity and don’t let it pass them by. Polster, a Shaker Heights resident and a member of Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike and Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood, makes time for volunteering in the community, serving on the boards of the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School and the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program at Case Western Reserve University, but he notes that he also has “a pretty important day job” that he balances between volunteering and family commitments. Polster’s “important day job” is being a U.S. Judge for the Northern District of Ohio, a position he has held since 1998. In addition to his busy caseload, Polster is overseeing more than 1,300 federal lawsuits being
brought by communities, including the city of Cleveland, against drug companies and pharmacy chains for their roles in perpetuating the opioid epidemic. “I have an awesome responsibility,” said Polster. “I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. I feel it keenly every day. My goal is when I finally retire from this job – which I hope won’t be for a long, long time – to pass on to my successor a legal system stronger than the one I inherited. If I do that, I think I’ll have done a pretty good job.” He said the consolidated lawsuits are among the most challenging “constellation of cases” he’s had in is 20 years as a judge. “Typically, a lawsuit is about something unpleasant or unfortunate that happened in the past,” he said. “A plaintiff alleging prior wrong doing by the defendant. These cases aren’t so much about the past as the present and the future. I think there are very few people in Ohio that don’t have someone impacted by the opioid crisis. There’s so much addiction, suffering and death. “To me, there’s no way not to have that front and center and to urge people – all the parties, public and private – that at the same time they’re fighting over the lawsuit, to see if they can take some steps to turn the trajectory of addition and death down, rather than it going up, up, up. So, I think I tried to approach these cases through the lens of my Jewish training and upbringing, that one should try to alleviate suffering.” To help maintain the balance between his profession and his work in the community, he takes a big-picture view of everything.
“I look at my professional and community work together, not compartmentalized,” he said. “One of the reasons that I enjoy the community work is because my job as a federal judge is a very lonely job. I enjoy the opportunity to be out in the community working with people. I also think it’s good to see a federal judge is just an ordinary person with an extraordinary job. We’re ordinary men and women, we just have extraordinary jobs and I think it’s good for people to see that. Sometimes I get inspired from my day job and that helps my volunteering and sometimes it’s the other way around.” He said in addition to being inspired by his parents to give back at an early age, he is also inspired by his wife of 42 years, attorney Deborah Coleman. He is also inspired by other residents of Cleveland and the work they do. “Clevelanders are extraordinarily generous with their time and their money,” Polster said. “My family goes back five generations in Cleveland. I inherited this and want to pass it on better than I got it.”
He said the most rewarding aspect of his time giving back to the community are the friendships he’s made with extraordinary men and women he’s worked with. “Plus, the satisfaction of seeing some very worthwhile institutions in our community grow and thrive,” Polster added. He advised young people looking to start giving back to start with something they’re passionate about. “Start with your passion and find an organization in your area that seems to want the kind of help you can give,” he said. “Meet a lot of people, learn what they’re doing, find out about a lot of organizations, learn about something you’re really passionate about. And if you try something that just isn’t a good fit, that’s okay, because then you can try something else.” – Ed Carroll
“I TOOK AN OATH TO DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. I FEEL IT KEENLY EVERY DAY. MY GOAL IS WHEN I FINALLY RETIRE FROM THIS JOB – WHICH I HOPE WON’T BE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME – TO PASS ON TO MY SUCCESSOR A LEGAL SYSTEM STRONGER THAN THE ONE I INHERITED. IF I DO THAT, I THINK I’LL HAVE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB.” - Judge Dan Aaron Polster
A little bit more ... AGE: 66 RESIDENCE: Shaker Heights SPOUSE: Deborah Coleman SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue and Congregation Shaarey Tikvah FAVORITE ATHLETE: Rocky Colavito MOST GRATIFYING JOB: My current position as U.S. District Judge. I am entrusted with upholding the law and the Constitution of the United States; there is no higher responsibility or honor. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: Don’t sweat the buck teeth, extra pounds, or social awkwardness. FAVORITE VACATION: Family trip to Israel to celebrate my becoming a judge. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: Mowing the lawn/yard work; bicycle riding; reading.
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
NOVEMBER 16, 2018
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CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | DM 7
Yasher Koach
•
To Susan Bichsel, Michael Horvitz, Adam Jacobs, Donald Scherzer, Roman Frayman, Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein, Mark Sack, and Erica Starrfield.
•
Mazel Tov
•
To the entire 2018 CJN 18 Difference Makers, Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Roe Green, Civic Leadership Awardee Judge Dan Aaron Polster and the Generation Award Recipients The Stein Family. Sandy Zieve, 2017 CJN 18 Difference Maker
Congratulations to the 18 Difference Makers!
As this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award sponsor, ERChealth is honored to help recognize and celebrate recipient Roe Green’s incredible philanthropy.
www.ERChealth.com | www.yourERC.com
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NOVEMBER 16, 2018
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
GENERATION AWARD
THE STEIN FAMILY CARMIE AND TODD STEIN; THEIR CHILDREN, ABBY DIAMOND, MICHELLE HIRSCH, JODI MERIDIETH AND RACHEL WEINBERG; AND GERALDINE AND THE LATE MORTON STEIN Todd Stein said he thinks the business has allowed the family to learn to care about others and led to making the community stronger. “We genuinely care about others,” Todd Stein said. “Maybe it’s because we’ve all grown up in the insurance and risk management business, but with everything we do, we want to protect and invest in the many organizations that make our community so strong and will be there in times of need.”
For those looking to give more to the community, Carmie Stein said to share why that’s important as it can encourage others to get involved and to make a difference in the community. “Talk about why you give, how to give and why it’s so important to get involved,” she said. “Invite others to join you and see for themselves why it’s so important to make a difference in someone else’s life.” – Alyssa Schmitt
A little bit more ... For as long as Geraldine Stein can remember, her family has been volunteering – it’s just what they do, she said. “Giving back is one of our family values,” she said. “It’s just a part of who we are. Be kind and generous.” Carmie and Todd Stein; their children, Abby Diamond, Michelle Hirsch, Jodi Meridieth and Rachel Weinberg; and Geraldine and the late Morton Stein are this year’s Generation Award honorees. The family stays active in Jewish life by volunteering in different leadership roles with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Jewish Federations of North America, the LeBron James Family Foundation, Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland, Gross Schechter Day School and Montefiore. Todd Stein said he first learned about giving back from his grandfather, Alex Stein, an immigrant from Russia. “When he immigrated from Russia, he opened up a local grocery store,” Todd Stein said. “At the end of the week, he would give away perishable food to families that needed it most. He often let families delay payment on their invoices. He helped so many with the utmost compassion.” Growing up, Hirsch, Diamond, Meridieth and Weinberg remember seeing their parents continuing on that compassion, which has spread through the community through their own involvement and donations. “When we were little girls, our parents used to always tell us when we would fight over toys or clothes, ‘When you share you get more,’” Hirsch said. “They would reward us for being selfless and sharing
with each other. Now as adults, we truly understand why helping others is the best feeling in the world. When we give back to the community, we get so much more in return. The more we give, the more we get.” Weinberg added, “We grew up watching our parents and grandparents chairing events, sitting on boards, always being the ones to help make our community stronger. This was just who they were and as a result who we wanted to grow up and be just like.” The family stays active in the Jewish community in Cleveland and Akron to ensure the experiences they had as children can continue for the next generation. “I’m active in the Jewish community because I want my children to have what we had growing up – a thriving Jewish life and a strong safety net for all,” Diamond said. “As Jews, we are one giant family and we have to take care of each other.” Even after moving away from the area, the youngest generation saw it had an important role in strengthening the community and eventually returned home. “All of us went away to school and then lived in big cities but all of us eventually made our way back to Cleveland,” Meridieth said. “We all came back to raise our Jewish families within five minutes of each other, with our combined eight kids under 6 years old. Family is everything to us. We’re involved because we’re invested in the success of this community.” Morton Stein founded the family’s business, Brunswick Companies, an insurance brokerage and risk management consulting service, in 1972.
GERALDINE STEIN AGE: 81 RESIDENCE: Beachwood SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation MOST GRATIFYING JOB: Preschool teacher at the Akron JCC. Helping the little kids grow to be kind and wonderful little mensches.
RACHEL WEINBERG AGE: 34 RESIDENCE: Orange SPOUSE: Ken CHILDREN: Josh, 3; Ian, 1 SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue MOST GRATIFYING JOB: Being a mom – I love my children and watching them grow daily.
TODD STEIN AGE: 61 RESIDENCE: Moreland Hills SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, Anshe Sfard-Revere Road Synagogue, Temple Israel and Beth El Congregation WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: A wellrespected person.
ABBY DIAMOND AGE: 32 RESIDENCE: Moreland Hills SPOUSE: Adam CHILDREN: Noa, 2; Madeline, 5 months SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I have a master’s in traditional Chinese medicine.
CARMIE STEIN AGE: 61 RESIDENCE: Moreland Hills SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, Anshe Sfard-Revere Road Synagogue, Temple Israel and Beth El Congregation ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: My grandchildren call me “Honey.” MICHELLE HIRSCH AGE: 36 RESIDENCE: Orange SPOUSE: Evan CHILDREN: Matthew, 5; Shaina, 3 SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: All Cleveland Sports – can’t pick just one.
JODI MERIDIETH AGE: 32 RESIDENCE: Moreland Hills SPOUSE: Matt CHILDREN: Bernie, 1; Morris, 1 month SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: I have a newborn. What’s spare time?
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
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NOVEMBER 16, 2018
&
Science Compassion At University Hospitals, science and compassion converge to create new and innovative ways to cure and care. Proud to support the CJN’s Difference Makers event as it honors Roe Green with a lifetime achievement award. We thank you, Roe, for your support of University Hospitals and the UH Roe Green Center for Travel Medicine.
The science of health. The art of compassion.
1-866-UH4-CARE | UHhospitals.org
© 2018 University Hospitals ROE 983041
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18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DEVORAH ALEVSKY Devorah Alevsky’s life’s work has been to help people. The daughter of Rabbi Zalman Kazen and Shula Kazen, Alevsky has taken on one of their projects, the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, and expanded it from delivering 300 bags of food weekly to delivering 4,000 bags monthly. Started by her parents in response to the influx of Russian Jews in the 1970s, today the pantry serves Jews and non-Jews, offering nonperishable goods, dairy, produce and ceremonial foods for Jewish holidays. Alevsky said the Kosher Food Pantry is open for walk-ins and delivers to six locations. In addition, it holds an outdoor “market” at Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood. The Kazens started the pantry out of Congregation Zemach Zedek at 1922 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. Rabbi Zalman Kazen went to bakeries and grocery stores to pick up surplus food on Saturday nights. “I started helping them out,” Alevsky said. “That’s when I learned the ropes and did whatever needed to be done.” Later, she relocated the operation to 2004 S. Green Road in South Euclid. Born in Tashkent, the capital and
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largest city of Uzbekistan, in 1944, Alevsky’’s childhood was spent on the run from both the Communists and the Nazis. “It was pretty complicated and pretty miraculous,” Alevsky said. The family spent five years in a Paris chateau turned refugee center. In 1950, the family of eight immigrated to the United States with the help of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. In New York, they met Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, chief rabbi of the Chabad movement.
Congratulations Roe Green on receiving the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award! We thank you for your support—you deserve this standing ovation! chq.org
Chautauqua, New York
AGE: 74 RESIDENCE: University Heights SPOUSE: Rabbi Leibel Alevsky CHILDREN: Sarah Freedman, Chana Glitzenstein, Kaila Sasonkin, Chayim Alevsky, Miriam Greenberg, Dinie Greenberg, Estie Marozov, Rochie Sudak, Rivky Friedman, Rabbi Mendy SYNAGOGUE: Waxman Chabad Center FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Teaching in Jewish day and religious schools. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: Be strong in your Judaism. Always increase your Torah study because you are the link in a chain that goes back thousands of years. FAVORITE VACATION: Visiting our children and grandchildren who run Chabad Jewish centers in exotic places like China to Krakow, around the world ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I was privileged to have a personal relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, as well as with his mother Rebbetzin Chanah. HAVE YOU EVER HELD PUBLIC OFFICE? President of my high school class.
“He welcomed us and he took us in for a private audience,” Alevsky remembered. He encouraged the family to accept a placement in Cleveland. “Wherever you go, you are a lamplighter,” Schneerson told her family, Alevsky said. “Help one another.” Her father was hired as a chazan on High Holy Days and as the rabbi of Zemach Zedek. He also worked as a schocket at Coventry Poultry in Cleveland Heights. Her mother dove into Jewish life, reaching out to countless refugees as they arrived in Cleveland. Alevsky graduated from Yavne High School for Girls, then went to Bais Yaakov Teachers Seminary in New York. “I got married at 18” to Rabbi Leibel Alevsky, she said. They lived in New York for 10 years. Rabbi Alevsky ran the Lubavitch Youth
Organization. The Alevskys spent summers in Cleveland with the Kazens. Rabbi Alevsky led sessions at Case Western Reserve University’s Hillel called “Stump the Rabbi.” The Alevskys moved to Cleveland to set up the city’s first Chabad House. Devorah Alevsky started Chabad House Women in Cleveland elevating Jewish observance and education. Today, the Alevskys have set up 17 Chabad Houses in Cleveland, five staffed by their children, and six by grandchildren. Their other five children run Chabad Houses all over the world. Devorah Alevsky keeps in mind the words of her grandmother. “Trust in Him because the Communists are going to fall before we do,” she said, as well as the words of Schneerson. “Help every Jew as a brother or a sister without conditions.” – Jane Kaufman
Congratulations to Adam Jacobs for being named a 2018 Difference Maker! From your friends at the Cleveland Racquet Club 29825 Chagrin Blvd. Pepper Pike, OH 44124 • 216-831-2155 • clevelandracquet.com
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
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NOVEMBER 16, 2018
We congratulate the Case Western Reserve University alumni and friends of the 2018 class of Cleveland Jewish News Difference Makers.
Roe Green
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Generation Award The Stein Family Difference Maker Recipients
Art Elk David Elk Michael Horvitz
Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein Fern Ruth Levy Donald S. Scherzer
DM 12 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
IRV BERLINER
When Irv Berliner was a child, his parents made a point to help out anyone who needed it. Citing their Holocaust survival, Berliner said his parents were no-holds-barred when it came to assisting those in need – especially Jews. “My parents talked, for many years, that in some ways the years after the Holocaust were the best (years) to be Jews because there were no divisions,” Berliner, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, recalled. “Everyone lived through the same thing in Europe. So, whoever came
to their house, they took care of them. They were the opposite of people who view Judaism through a denominational lens. They had a strong view that you need to help people who need help. It doesn’t matter who those people are.” Berliner noted that thinking was ingrained in him from a young age, inspiring his work at Yeshiva Derech HaTorah, Green Road Synagogue, Jewish Education Center of Cleveland and Montefiore. His past volunteer ventures include time spent on Cleveland Sight Center, Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School, Gross Schechter Day School and YABI boards. “(My parents) were the genesis for me,” he said. “I don’t have my parents’ people skills and I can’t help people in the same way they did. But professionally, I learned a lot about finances, managing money and what you do with all that. That is where I can help so I gravitated to it. I’m sure I had a choice, but it doesn’t feel like there was one. It’s what you’re supposed to do.” Out of all his volunteer endeavors, Berliner’s work at Yeshiva Derech HaTorah is most rewarding. Explaining how the school’s predecessor, Mosdos Ohr HaTorah, had significant problems and Yeshiva Derech HaTorah pulled the
Congratulations to Mark J. Sack and Lee C. Shapiro and to all the 2018 Difference Makers for their genuine and unwavering commitment to making our world a better place.
NOVEMBER 16, 2018 institution out of it, the school is on the path of growing success. “When (Yeshiva Derech HaTorah) was formed, the level of disarray at the school was almost incomprehensible,” he explained. “There were no financial records. There were 500 kids – and now less than three years later, we’re at over 700 students. We’ve also had two successful audits starting from nowhere.” In order for community work to succeed, Berliner said it has to be nondenominational. “The community is denominational but your requirement to help is nondenominational,” he stated. “Being on all the day school boards that I was on, you see a cross-section of the community. It makes me more impassioned to get people from all groups to work together. There are great people in all parts of the community. You’re not going to meet all of them at your synagogue.” But Berliner’s key to community involvement is passion. “You start with the heart,” he said. “If you’re not motivated by what the mission is, it might be successful but it’s not going to be as successful as it can be. There are so many opportunities, especially in the Jewish community, to find something that moves you. If you have the passion for it, it’s going to be a great experience.”
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AGE: 64 RESIDENCE: Beachwood SPOUSE: Lynne CHILDREN: Jonathan, Zachary and Rebecca SYNAGOGUE: Green Road Synagogue FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Sportscenter” FAVORITE MOVIE: “Saving Private Ryan” and “Animal House” WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: Olympic 800 meters gold medalist FAVORITE VACATION: My whole family together in a big house in a fun place. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I’ve seen Bruce Springsteen live at least 23 times and have tickets to see him on Broadway.
– Becky Raspe
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YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A DIFFERENCE MAKER TO US! LOVE, BETH & BRIAN ROBBINS JOSH & EMMA MARCY & BRADLEY ROBBINS EMILY, SAM & ABBY LISA GOLDSTEIN & DAVID STRIPINIS JACOB
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STANLEY BERNATH enlist in the military. It was a way for him to give back to the entity that freed him. After two failed attempts to join at a recruitment center in New York City, he tried again outside of the city and was finally accepted. In the army, he was sent to Germany where he served four years with the intelligence unit. “I owed them,” he said. “I was lucky, it was the luckiest day of my life when I came to this country.”
Stanley Bernath first began speaking about surviving the Holocaust more than 40 years ago when his niece asked him to talk to her high school class. He hadn’t spoken about his experience since World War II ended, but once he started, he hasn’t stopped. Now, Bernath volunteers his time at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, where he speaks about his experience along with other appearances at churches, synagogues and Jewish and non-Jewish organizations. His experiences have been preserved through a partnership with USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony and the museum, which turned Bernath into an interactive visual recording that appears as a hologramlike projection. However, the 92-year-old’s involvement in the community doesn’t stop there. Since retiring, he visits roughly 85 people, some of whom are Holocaust survivors, at Menorah Park in Beachwood daily. He also transports people with Jewish Family Service Association and delivers food with Meals on Wheels. Family is the most important thing to Bernath, but right under them is helping others. “I help other people because we all need help in one way or another,” he said. Bernath doesn’t have plans to stop talking about the Holocaust anytime soon. By speaking about it, he’s able to ensure younger generations can hear directly from a survivor. It’s also an opportunity to teach them three rules he learned through his experience. “No. 1, believe in yourself,” he said. “No. 2, never, ever give up no matter how bad things look. No. 3, nobody is better than I am and I’m not better than anybody else, just different.” During his speaking appearances,
When others go to make a difference in their own community, Bernath said to start by eliminating hate and helping others. “Erase hatred, that’s very important,” he said. “And help others because when we needed help, no one helped us.” – Alyssa Schmitt
A little bit more ... he’s repeatedly asked why he doesn’t have hatred for the Germans. He compares hatred to a “parasite invading someone’s brain.” It does no good to keep it, he said, and instead he just lets hatred roll off his back. “What good does hating do to me? Not everyone is a monster, you can’t generalize all Germans were monsters,” he said. As someone who experienced the Holocaust, he hopes he can pass these lessons onto other’s who only know of the Holocaust through classes. “The kids I talk to learn about the Holocaust in books or magazines, they’ve never met anybody who was actually there,” he said. He recalled a time when he was digging trenches in a concentration camp and a German soldier dropped a small package filled with bread and meat down from the guard tower. “What was more important than the food (was showing) that not everybody was a monster,” he said. Giving back is deeply rooted in Bernath’s personality. When he came to the United States at 19 after being liberated by U.S. soldiers, he didn’t know English but felt a deep desire to
AGE: 92 RESIDENCE: Lyndhurst SPOUSE: Arlene (deceased) SYNAGOGUE: Green Road Synagogue FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Electrician, no college MOST GRATIFYING JOB: Volunteering — helping people, it makes me feel good. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: Be nice to people. Respect people. Believe in yourself. Never give up. Nobody is better than me, I’m no better than anyone else, just different. FAVORITE VACATION: Costa Rica ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: My religious belief.
The Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry Board of Directors Joins the Jewish Community of Northeast Ohio In honoring Devorah Alevsky and the 2018 class of 18 Difference Makers. Mazel Tov on all of your achievements!
NOVEMBER 16, 2018
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SUSAN BICHSEL
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AGE: 52 RESIDENCE: Shaker Heights SPOUSE: Stephen Rusnak CHILDREN: Katherine, 14; Noah, 12 SYNAGOGUE: The Temple-Tifereth Israel WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: Every year will give you a different perspective, even if you don’t think so now. Be kind to others, especially those who may be excluded or forgotten. FAVORITE VACATION: Treasure Cay, Bahamas. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: Read, and watch 12- and 14-year-olds compete in athletic events, sometimes simultaneously. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I was a ballet and tap dancer.
Susan Bichsel said she thinks every person can do something for another by stepping up to the challenge and in the Cleveland Jewish community, it’s never been truer. “Everyone’s willing to roll up their sleeves to help,” she said. Her success at Jewish Family Service Association of Cleveland, where she is president and CEO, is due in part to the backing of the local community, she said. With her leadership and the help of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and its president, Stephen H. Hoffman, along with the Jewish community as a whole, JFSA has achieved many firsts for its clients, such as creating the first congregate living for people with disabilities or mental illness. “What this community has been able to do for the populations that I care about, whether its people with disabilities or mental illness, is hands-down extraordinary,” Bichsel said. “We’ve been out in the forefront. We couldn’t do that without community backing. You have to have an organized community in order to do that.” At JFSA, and throughout her career, she’s been dedicated to helping improve the lives of those living with disabilities or mental illness and their families.
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“You’re doing lifetime planning with them,” she said. “You really see what happens to people over time. You see growth, you see people change and you see good things happen. “The reality is a lot of these kinds of disabilities, or issues of aging, require a lot of intensive intervention and involvement over time, but it also means that you form deep relationships, and you’re with people over a long period of time, which means you get to see people on the other side when they’ve come through something so that can be really gratifying.” Not only does she recognize this
Congratulations ERICA STARRFIELD on your well-deserved recognition as a 2018 Difference Maker. The impact you’ve had in the Cleveland community and beyond makes us proud!
community for her professional life, but it’s played a large role in her personal life as well. She’s been incredibly thankful for the strength of the community and its ability to be home for her family in a world where community can be a second thought. “We talk a lot about how the world has gotten a lot less community oriented, I think, and people are less likely to return home to wherever they grew up,” she said. “My kids know they have a place that is uniquely theirs and their friends in the Jewish community. It’s their home and I’m so grateful for that.” For Bichsel, making a difference doesn’t have to be all about money. While she
knows how much an organization can benefit from a generous donation, it can be just as meaningful to give a call to someone who might be lonely. “It’s about stepping up,” she said. “I really do think that every person can do something for somebody else. You can be helpful to a neighbor, you can be helpful professionally, you can be helpful personally. Everyone can do something no matter how large or small.” – Alyssa Schmitt
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Congratulations Being a force for the common good is part of our mission. We’re proud that so many in our community— students, alumnae, faculty, parents, and friends— take that responsibility to heart.
2018
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Difference Makers Another Chance to Make a Difference
Hathaway Brown salutes
MICHAEL HORVI TZ
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ARTHUR & DAVID ELK Not only do brothers Arthur Elk and David Elk do a lot of good inside the courtroom as managing partner and senior partner representing Elk & Elk, but the duo also finds its best to give back to the community outside the courtroom. Working with local organizations, including Milestones Autism Resources, St. Augustine Hunger Center, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio State Highway Patrol, University Hospitals, Cleveland Pops Orchestra, the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland, JDRF and the Cleveland Browns, the pair doesn’t intend to slow down any time soon – all the while passing on their volunteering ideals to their family and employees. “I believe we’re all put on this earth for a reason and that reason is to make the world a better place,” David Elk said. “There are two ways to go through life. You could be a grouch and be negative or you can be positive and help others. We’re here for such a short time.” Art Elk added, “Ohio has always been very good to my family, myself and our law firm. (My brother and I) wanted to give back in a variety of
ways – whether it’s a food drive, walk or other programs. I don’t believe that there is any donation of time, money or services that is too small. You have to give those things to inspire others to give back to our community.” When asked about their favorite part of volunteering, the brothers chose different aspects, but still returned to that sense of family. “It’s seeing the faces on the families that you help, like when our office handed out Christmas presents to
CONGRATULATIONS
SUSIE BICHSEL, PhD ON THIS WELL-DESERVED HONOR!
Your leadership inspires us to help families find solutions to face life’s challenges with confidence.
With Gratitude, The JFSA Board of Directors, Staff, Clients, Volunteers and Families.
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION
of Cleveland
jfsa-cleveland.org
216.292.3999
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DAVID J. ELK AGE: 79 RESIDENCE: Moreland Hills SPOUSE: Marilyn CHILDREN: Jennifer Elk Costa, Mindy Elk Fisher and Stephanie Elk Garfinkel SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF? Listen to your parents because they are always right. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: A professional baseball player. FAVORITE VACATION: Family vacations with my wife, all my children and grandchildren to St. Martin, where we’ve been going for 20 years. FAVORITE HOBBY: Working out and watching old movies from the 40’s and 50’s. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I am a military history buff.
ARTHUR M. ELK AGE: 71 RESIDENCE: Moreland Hills SPOUSE: Jody CHILDREN: Hillary, Ryan, Alexandra and Jason SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Game of Thrones” WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: “Nothing Lasts Forever” by Sidney Sheldon WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF? Stay the course and follow your vision and your dreams. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: Ride my motorcycles and a daily workout regimen which includes one to two hours of aerobics, weight lifting and abdominal crunches. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I met my wife of 35 years in the grand jury room, where she worked as a court reporter, when I was the elected prosecuting attorney of Ashland County. Guess I was indicted for life.
families,” David Elk said. “We did that with a family in East Cleveland when their home was burglarized and all of their Christmas presents were stolen a few years ago. Or the faces of the homeless people who show up for a holiday dinner at St. Augustine. It’s just all very satisfying and it goes a long way to show that helping the community and others counts. It makes life worthwhile.” Art Elk explained community involvement is a great opportunity for him to set an example. “Elk & Elk is a family law firm and we try to instill family values in our lawyers and staff,” he noted. “Being able to inspire all of our team members at Elk & Elk and their families to get involved in our service projects and give back to those in need, that expands our impact. I find that really rewarding.” Community involvement is very close to the brothers’ hearts, as they both credit it to making them better people.
“It kind of rounds you out as an individual when you see first-hand the impact on the lives you touched,” Art Elk said. “I find it very touching that you’re able to interact and be with the people you’re helping. I find it very character shaping for myself and my family.” David Elk added, “I believe it has made me a better person, husband, father and grandpa. It has shown me there is so much more to life than working and raising a family. My wife, children and my grandchildren are my inspiration for what I do and why I do it. My brother and I believe that if you show those around you the importance of caring and helping others, it will get passed down to future generations. What better legacy is there?” – Becky Raspe
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We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference. - Nelson Mandela
Mandy, thank you for making a difference in not just our lives, but in the lives of others. Ronna and Michael DuBro Edith Shear Megan and James Dester
Rayna Karoll Druck and Ariel Druck Caitlin and Ben Ford Stephanie Hyde and Arkady Polinkovsky Kelly and Dennis Keselman Allie Kneitel Matt Kneitel Rachel Kominsky
Jason DuBro Ben Kwait Cindy and Richard Schneider
Josh Kramer Samantha and Peter Kramer Christina and Whit Lowell Noa Margolin and Shaun Russell Hannah and Ari Milgrom Betsy Moss Emily Muskin and Jesse Rathner
Annie Phalen and Rob Appel Becca and Ben Sattin Rachel and Adam Sternfeld Leah and Ben Taylor Adam Yasinow Sasha and Scott Yasinow
Mazel Tov
Roe!
Our heartfelt congratulations to you on your "Lifetime Achievement Award"! So well deserved! Ed & Leah Frankel Tikva Children's Home
8 Henderson Drive • West Caldwell, NJ 07006 917-262-1818 • info@tikvaodessa.org • www.tikvaodessa.org
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18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
ROMAN FRAYMAN
singingangels.org • 216.432.5555 • 3615 Euclid Ave. #4, Cleveland, OH 44115
Yashar Koach to these outstanding Difference Makers who are part of our B'nai Jeshurun Family! We take great pride in you - thank you for all you do!
The Stein Family: Carmie & Todd Stein, Michelle Hirsch and Geraldine Stein Lee C. Shapiro • Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein
Congrats!!
’ 18 IN 18 Thank you for making invaluable contributions to the betterment of our Jewish community.
2018 Class of 18 Difference Makers Devorah Alevsky • Irv Berliner • Stanley Bernath Dr. Susan Bichsel • Art & David Elk • Roman Frayman Michael Horvitz • Adam R. Jacobs Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein • Mandy Kwait Rabbi Enid Lader • Fern Ruth Levy Deena Nyer Mendlowitz • Deborah Picker • Mark J. Sack Donald S. Scherzer • Lee C. Shapiro • Erica G. Starrfield
1.800.ELK.OHIO | elkandelk.com
Roman Frayman speaks with purpose. As a Holocaust survivor, he shares his experience, so others don’t forget. As a Jew, he talks to educate others. “It is about educating people to break the stereotypes,” he said. “Of all the hundreds of children over the 35 years that I’ve taught, at least they will know a survivor.” When he came to the United States at 11 years old, he realized people didn’t talk about the Holocaust, and he wanted to change that. At 80 years old, Frayman has taught about the Holocaust for 35 years and has spoken at churches, synagogues, high schools, colleges and appears regularly at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Frayman said his motivation to continue teaching others, especially younger generations of the Holocaust comes from the anti-Semitism he and his wife experienced. He remembered a time when his wife was teaching her high school class in the 1960’s and mentioned going home to celebrate the Jewish holidays. A student of hers then asked to see her horns and tail. “I think I just have to teach and educate,” he said. “I try to teach them that we don’t have tails, we don’t have horns, we don’t get buried standing up with pennies in our eyes. These are all of the things that created hate.”
Through his speaking engagements, Frayman hopes people realize some of their comments that may not seem anti-Semitic are and can encourage hate. “It’s not only the older people because they are what they are, but to teach young people,” he said. “When I spoke at Gilmour (Academy in Gates Mills), there was one Jewish student in the class and I felt I was educating all of her peers in case there was, and I didn’t sense any anti-Semitism, but just to try to explain that we are just like them.” His education doesn’t stop with the Holocaust. Frayman has tutored at Citizen Academy in Cleveland, a nonprofit, tuitionfree charter school for disadvantaged students. While some time has passed since his volunteering there, he quickly noticed the impact he made there when he was able to pass out dictionaries to the class, which was made possible by the Chagrin Highlands Rotary Club where he also volunteered. “I felt I was helping out in the AfricanAmerican community because the children were wonderful young children who started off behind the 8-ball,” he said. “When we passed out the dictionaries, it was very moving to me when a child in the third grade would get a dictionary – they’re heavy, nice dictionaries – they would hug the dictionaries and say, ‘This is my first book.’” Looking back on his experiences, he encourages others to volunteer in whatever way they can to make a difference through their own community. “Spread yourself,” Frayman said. “There’s more to life than working and sleeping and there’s so many other causes like volunteering at schools, working a soup kitchen. Try to help other people. Money is not everything, do good and help people.” – Alyssa Schmitt
A little bit more ... AGE: 80 RESIDENCE: Beachwood SPOUSE: Elaine Frayman CHILDREN: Laura Wagensberg, Michael Frayman, Julie Frayman SYNAGOGUE: The Temple-Tifereth Israel FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Chicago Med” FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: The Cleveland Indians FAVORITE VACATION: Israel trips – all 14. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: Working in my yard. ONE INTERESTING THING ABOUT HIS NOMINATION: He was nominated for the award by his granddaughters, Hannah and Jamie.
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ROETZ E L SALUTES Donald S. Scherzer
CONGRATULATES We are proud to honor our dear friend and shareholder Donald S. Scherzer and thank him for his contributions to our law firm and to the Greater Cleveland community. Mazel Tov to Don and the rest of this year’s Difference Makers!
Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein On Being Named a
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MICHAEL J. HORVITZ Attorney Michael J. Horvitz said he’s always felt people who have had any success or good fortune have a responsibility to give back to the community, citing the Jewish principle of tikkun olam. “Volunteering has been my way of trying to improve the community,” he said. “I’ve been doing this in one way or another for as far back as I can remember, whether it’s being engaged in some kind of group in school to try to help the community or to be on local boards and getting involved in organizations. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t involved in some of these activities.” Horvitz volunteers as a trustee of The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Clinic and The Frick Collection in New York City. He is a past trustee of Case Western Reserve University, The Cleveland Museum of Art, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the Cleveland Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the Montefiore Home. He also serves on a number of advisory committees, including the audit committee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, investment committees of the David and Inez Myers Foundation and the Cleveland Foundation, and the visiting committee of the Department of Medieval
Art and The Cloisters of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. He said there wasn’t one specific thing he’s done in the community that he was most proud of, but he enjoys helping boards and organizations reach consensus on plans that need to be accomplished. “Overall, the process of trying to figure out the right thing to do and helping to get it done is the most rewarding thing to me,” Horvitz said. For Horvitz, volunteering has made him more sensitive and more understanding of the needs of others.
Mazel Tov TO THE
Heart
OF OUR
Community
“(Volunteering has) helped me to recognize the different perspectives people have as they approach the issues facing institutions,” he said. He said he has no intention of stopping his volunteer activities, as he enjoys it and feels he gets more out of it than the organizations he helps do. “I will continue to do it as long as I’m able to,” he said. “I have this disease where I have a hard time saying ‘no.’ The trick is not to take on too many things, but I end up doing that anyway.” He said his best piece of advice for young people looking to get involved in the community is the long-running Nike slogan: Just do it. “Cleveland happens to be a great community for volunteer and community activity,” he said. “All the local organizations are looking for people who want to be involved; all you have to do is raise your hand. If you’re interested in doing the work and being involved, you can do it.” He suggested young people focus on things that interest them. “That’s the greatness of America,” he said. “Some people like hospitals, some people like educational institutions, some people like social service agencies. There’s
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AGE: 68 RESIDENCE: Shaker Heights SPOUSE: Jane CHILDREN: Katherine and Elizabeth SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue and The Temple-Tifereth Israel FAVORITE ATHLETE: Rocky Colavito WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: Walter Isaacson’s biography of Leonardo da Vinci MOST GRATIFYING JOB: Counselor to families and family businesses. I enjoy helping people deal with and solve serious problems that are of great personal importance to them. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: Newspaperman. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I take tap dancing lessons. no shortage of good causes and things to get involved in. A lot of it is personal decision.” – Ed Carroll
Taking TakingPride. Pride. Taking Pride. Taking TakingParT. ParT. Taking ParT. We’re not all business. We believe it’s important to give back We’re not all business. We believe it’s important to give back to the communities in which we live and work. It’s our way of to the communities in which we live and work. It’s our way of We’re not all business. We our believe it’s important to give back saying thanks and showing support for our fellow citizens. saying thanks and showing our support for our fellow citizens. to the communities in which we live and work. It’s our way of saying thanks and showing our support for our fellow citizens.
Roe Green Congratulations to Our Dear Friends and Difference Makers • Irv Berliner • Noreen Koppleman-Goldstein • Susan Bichsel, PhD • Deena Nyer Mendlowitz • Roman Frayman • Lee C. Shapiro
Mindy Davidson Board Chair
Michael G. Hyman President & CEO
Mandel Jewish Community Center
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Senior Vice Presidents, Investments Senior Vice Presidents, Investments Michael Frayman DavisOH 44122 3201 Enterprise Parkway, Suiteand 240, Grant Beachwood, 3201 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 240, Beachwood, OH 44122 Senior Vice Investments T 216.292.8826 // T Presidents, 866.269.0319 // F 216.292.1871 T 216.292.8826 // T 866.269.0319 // F 216.292.1871 michael.frayman@raymondjames.com // davisfrayman.com 3201 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 240, Beachwood, OH 44122 michael.frayman@raymondjames.com // davisfrayman.com T 216.292.8826 // T 866.269.0319 // F 216.292.1871 The name of organization or event is independent of Raymond James. ©2015 Raymond James & Associates, Inc., The New nameYork of organization or event is independent of Raymond James. ©2015 James & Associates, 8 Raymond member Stock Exchange/SIPC. Raymond James is a registered of Raymond James Financial,Inc., Inc. michael.frayman@raymondjames.com //trademark davisfrayman.com
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ADAM R. JACOBS When Adam Jacobs returned to Cleveland at age 25, he needed to remake his social world. After graduating from Syracuse University, he moved to New York City and co-founded an international financial marketing and communications firm. Having spent summers during college living in New York as well, it had become Adam’s new home. When the stock market crashed in 2008, he looked around and decided Cleveland might have more opportunity for him than New York. “A lot of the fun and the energy was gone,” he said. An unforeseen benefit was the time he was able to spend with his mother, Debby Jacobs, in her final years of life. Jacobs credits his mother with instilling in him the values that he now holds dear in Judaism, particularly his outward focus toward others. “It turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” he said of his decision to return to Cleveland. When he first returned, he was also traveling between Florida and New York. “I was sort of bouncing around a lot,” he said. “It was an adjustment to get used to the slower pace of life.” Even with his deep connections within Cleveland: Park Synagogue preschool, summers at Oakwood Day Camp and attending Beachwood schools -- as one of the many young professionals moving back from larger cities, Jacobs saw the need for opportunities to connect with other Jewish young professionals. Working with Rabbi Rosette Barron Haim at The Temple-Tifereth Israel, he started a group called simply 2139. Its aim was to create a vibrant social environment for young Jewish professionals to make new friends and have fun. Successfully growing this
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A little bit more ... AGE: 34 RESIDENCE: Orange SYNAGOGUE: The Temple-Tifereth Israel FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Game of Thrones” WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF? Buy Apple stock. FAVORITE VACATION: Family trip to visit my dad’s birthplace in Johannesburg and travel around South Africa followed by safari in Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. FAVORITE HOBBY: Travel photography ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I know how to sew (and I’m really good at it).
group, and rolling it into JCLE was the beginning of Jacobs’ community involvement. In addition to his work at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. as a financial adviser, Jacobs serves on several humanitarian boards in Cleveland, both Jewish in focus and nonsectarian. “If we don’t stand up for ourselves, no one will,” he said, referring to his involvement with Jewish causes. “If we don’t have a strong enough community and don’t emphasize the growth of the community and building ourselves up, it will just disappear.” He frequently finds himself hosting fundraising events, which is not a role he would have sought out. “Growing up, I was always more focused on the production,” Jacobs said. “I’m someone who’s more of a producer than actor. I’m not used to being in the spotlight. But throughout my life, I’ve had to go before the crowd. It’s always a little bit uncomfortable, and you go through with it and go on. In order to get the message across, sometimes you have to put yourself out there.” Among his many volunteer roles, he
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is active with the Jewish Federation, both in Cleveland and at the national level, is a founding member of Montefiore’s associate board, has been involved with the Anti-Defamation League and with the Cleveland Hillel Foundation. Jacobs also said he believes it’s important to serve the wider community. “When you look at our neighbors, there are people that don’t have the same opportunities and support that we’re used to,” he said. “And when you look at their situations, it’s hard not to help.”
In addition, he finds time to teach high-performance driver’s education, which is a love he developed even before he could drive. His father, Howard Jacobs, introduced him to the sport when he was a teenager. “I started actually instructing before I was driving,” he said. “It’s just another way of helping people.” – Jane Kaufman
¢ Mazel Tov to Lee C. Shapiro on this well-deserved honor! From your AJC family
¢
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Congratulations to Roe Green and the rest of the 2018 Class of Difference Makers Norma and Albert Geller
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NOREEN KOPPELMAN-GOLDSTEIN When Noreen KoppelmanGoldstein was growing up, she expected to get married and have children. She did not expect to study business, law or to help expand her father’s steel business, Midwest Materials. Born at Mount Sinai Hospital in Cleveland and raised in Shaker Heights, she watched her father, Joseph Koppelman, and uncle, Harry Koppelman, move from one business to another: brewing beer, producing soda pop and finally developing a steel service center. She attended Goucher College in Baltimore, came back to Cleveland to study at Mather College at Western Reserve, now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, taught, got married and left the full-time workforce to raise her children. She also worked part time as an educational writer for the Educational Research Council of America and returned to CWRU to earn her master’s degree as a reading specialist. For a time, when her husband was working on his doctorate degree, Koppelman-Goldstein sold steel for her father from her home on Long Island, N.Y. It was a part of her training that
became invaluable decades later. “You learn a business through sales by meeting your customers’ needs,” she said. “Steel really was a male business,” she said, often feeling that potential customers might not have taken her seriously. There was one advantage to being a woman in sales at that time: “They remember you.” Much later, after the women’s movement took hold, she studied business at Adelphi University. Her first course was at a local library on Long Island. She then completed her
Mazel Tov to Rabbi Enid C. Lader! Our warmest congratulations to you and to the Class of 2018 Difference Makers. You teach us the wisdom and joy in Judaism and to live it through acts of loving kindness. May you continue to grow from strength to strength! The Congregants of Beth Israel – The West Temple
Congratulations Don Scherzer, Irv Berliner, and all of the deserving Difference Makers Debbie and Andrew Hoffmann
master’s in business administration at Adelphi’s college campus. Next stop was law school at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., where she graduated with a juris doctor in 1989. Just about the time KoppelmanGoldstein entered law school, her parents went to a seminar about business succession. Only then did it cross her father’s mind to enlist her as a potential successor. “My dad was anxious for me to come back and be part of the family business,” Koppelman-Goldstein said. She moved to Cleveland to become vice president and general counsel of Midwest Materials, and then became president five years later. She, in turn, has enlisted her son, Brian Robbins, to work with her as and CEO of the company, now located in Perry. He is the third generation in the business. Koppelman-Goldstein said the company has 60 employees and a 200,000-square-foot warehouse with levelers, slitters and shearing equipment Since returning to Cleveland, Koppelman-Goldstein has enjoyed diving into volunteering her time and donating to causes that give meaning to her life. She has enjoyed being back in Cleveland so she can be involved with her children and grandchildren. Her family has, for example, donated a fire truck to the Jewish National Fund and an ambulance to Magen David Adom. She has served two years as president at the Northeast Ohio chapter of the Jewish National Fund and previously was named a woman of valor. She also participates in the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s endowment committee and Silver Circle. Koppelman-Goldstein attended Temple Emanu El, now in Orange, as a child and was confirmed at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights. In honor of her family, she supports B’nai Jeshurun Congregation’s programs, including the Holocaust Torah Program. She sponsors many programs at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, including the Memory Project and Israel Then and Now.
A little bit more ...
AGE: 77 RESIDENCE: Beachwood SPOUSE: Barry Goloboff CHILDREN: Lisa Goldstein, Brian Robbins and Bradley Robbins FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Fifth-grade teacher at Rowland Elementary School in South Euclid WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: “Kitchen Confidential” by Anthony Bourdain FAVORITE HOBBY: Taking a course to learn about something new WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I enjoy picking up my 6-year-old grandson from day care and playing with him and hearing what he is thinking about ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: When I was 7 years old, I was a donkey on a T.V. show — a fable from Aesop was told and then we acted it out.
She is a past president of the Lake County Bar Association, is on the board of Menorah Park in Beachwood and supports its Ai-Chi water exercise program. She also is on the Lakeland Community College Foundation board participating in its investment committee and sponsoring students to attend exhibits at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. In terms of culture, she is active with Playhouse Square, supporting Joe Garry’s Broadway Buzz presentations. “When I support an organization, I like to be involved in a project,” she said. Koppelman-Goldstein said she keeps in mind this quotation from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Jane Kaufman
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L’dor Vador Proud to support and honor
Adam R. Jacobs for being one of the 2018 Class of Difference Makers
Adam R. Jacobs Financial Advisor
Pam and Joe Kanfer congratulate
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
25550 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 310 Beachwood, OH 44122 Phone: (216) 765-5915 www.HartzmarkGroup.com
The Stein Family
Making a Difference for Generations
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Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Transacts Business on All Principal Exchanges and Member SIPC 2283630.1
Congratulations to our Temple members and
DEENA
GREEN NYER MENDLOWITZ
and to all the honorees who are this year’s
18 difference makers!
en e r G e o R e
etim 2O18 Lvifement Achie ard Aw
Deena Ny er Mendlo witz 2O18 Diffe ren ce Maker
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MANDY KWAIT Before Mandy Kwait was director of care coordination at Bellefaire JCB or spending her time with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s YLD board, CJN Tomorrow and HFLA of Northeast Ohio, she was just another young professional arriving to Cleveland. But, giving back to a community, even one she wasn’t familiar with, was important to Kwait from the get-go. “I’ve always been drawn to helping people,” she said. “I always knew that I wanted to do something related to the social sciences, psychology and social work from a young age. Part of that is driven by my Jewish background. I loved when I learned about tikkun olam (in school) and I really gravitated towards that.” Always working with people in some capacity ever since elementary school, Kwait felt it was important to continue her service in Cleveland. After moving to Cleveland in 2010 to pursue her master’s degree in social science administration at Case Western Reserve University, Kwait didn’t know many people and wanted to find her place in the community. But, her search ended when she co-founded Cleveland Moishe House, due to the acceptance of the Jewish young professional community in Cleveland. Moishe House is a home featuring area residents who team up to create a thriving and exciting community for Jewish young professionals. Cleveland’s Moishe House is one of more than 100 homes worldwide. Moving into the house in 2013, she lived there until 2015, with roommates and co-founders Joshua Kramer and Benjamin Sattin. She left after becoming engaged. “I moved to Cleveland only knowing two people and it was really difficult,” she explained. “It was a big change for me because during my undergraduate studies, I knew everyone and was super involved. So, coming here to Cleveland and not knowing anyone – I wasn’t sure if I would find my place.” Kwait said her time at Moishe House was one of the most rewarding parts in her volunteer career. “I loved it, and it was an amazing
A little bit more ... AGE: 30 RESIDENCE: Lyndhurst SPOUSE: Ben FAVORITE ATHLETE: Any athlete that makes my husband happy. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane” WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: An interior designer or an actress. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: I love trying new ethnic foods. My idea of a great night out is going to a restaurant I’ve never tried before and splitting dishes with friends. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I count the quality of my life by the relationships that I have with others, but many of my close friend groups have little in common with one another. way to be involved with the community and helping others find a place,” she explained. “What I found was that the Cleveland Jewish community was so welcoming to me. After living here for a couple of years, I was feeling like I could do a lot more and give back to the community that treated me so well.” Volunteering and civic involvement are Kwait’s driving force. “People have hobbies, like playing basketball or watching sports, but this is my hobby and also my profession,” she noted. “I’m really lucky to be able to really immerse myself in community involvement and engagement and be able to do that for other people.” If one would like to be involved in the community, Kwait suggested reaching out to community organizations. “For me, I feel like almost everything I do has some tie back to the Federation,” she said. “So, connecting with people involved there has been a good opportunity for me to find my place in the community. I think they have a really great pulse on the community and the opportunities available.” As for the future, Kwait’s options are open. “I used to be the director of Jewish Big Brother Big Sisters and that took a lot of my time,” she explained. “As I move into my current position, I look forward to my focus and opportunities for involvement with the community to continue to evolve.”
Congratulations to the 2018 class of 18 Difference Makers Coit Cleaning and Restoration WWW.COIT.COM/CLEVELAND
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Congratulations to all the
2018 Difference Makers
Special Mazels to Roe Green
2018 Lifetime Achievement Award
Judge Dan Polster Civic Leadership Award
The Stein Family Generation Award
Thank you for showing us all the meaning of the
Impact of Together
May You Go From Strength to Strength
a program of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland 2019
C A M PA I G N
FOR
JEWISH
NEEDS
Gary L. Gross, Board Chair Stephen H. Hoffman, President
www.jewishcleveland.org
The CPH team congratulates Roe Green on a lifetime of contributions to Northeast Ohio and the arts. THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
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Congratulations to the Menorah Park 2018 CJN Difference Makers
NOVEMBER 16, 2018
RABBI ENID C. LADER
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Stanley Bernath noreen Koppelman-GoldStein and to all the Honorees
Rabbi Enid C. Lader of Beth Israel-The West Temple in Cleveland said volunteering and giving back to the community are very important to her.
™ Menorah Park • 27100 Cedar Rd. • Beachwood, OH 44122
216-831-6500 • MenorahPark.org
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“I think what informs (my desire to give back) is the famous teaching of Hillel: ‘If I am only for myself, what am I?’” Lader said. “The idea of, it’s not just my needs that are important, it’s the needs of people around me. If I can help in any way, I want to make myself available to do that.” Part of what Lader does to help give back to the community is to share a Jewish perspective and teach in a variety of community venues. The West Temple is on the West Side of Cleveland and the Jewish population there doesn’t have the same density as on the East Side and in some of the suburbs. This also leaves her as a rabbi to much of the Cleveland area’s West Side Jewish community. “Certainly for me, what’s been important is to help share a Jewish perspective with people who are nonJews,” she said. “I’ve been asked to speak to students in public and parochial schools, and have worked with a variety of churches and interfaith programs to let people know about Judaism. That’s what makes my work as a rabbi so important. Because I’m ‘the West Side rabbi,’ I also get calls to speak at community events, and to help families who have challenges with school calendars or anti-Semitic bullying. It’s a wide variety of activities.” Lader is also actively engaged with the non-Jewish clergy councils of Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood and Lakewood. Lader said the most rewarding part of her experiences in giving back to the community often involves simple gestures. “I think for me, what’s rewarding is when people respond with a ‘thank you,’” Lader said. “When people’s world view has been expanded or when a hospital visit has been appreciated, it might not even be with verbal recognition but you can tell when one’s presence has been helpful.”
AGE: 66 RESIDENCE: Lakewood SPOUSE: Harry CHILDREN: Leah and Abby SYNAGOGUE: Beth Israel-The West Temple FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Music therapist and educator FAVORITE ATHLETE: Babe Didrickson MOST GRATIFYING JOB: As a congregational rabbi, I am blessed to be with people in the best and in the most difficult times of their lives. I get to accompany people during the joys and oy’s of life, I get to share the wonder and satisfaction of Torah and lifelong learning, and I get to bring the joy of Judaism to Jews and nonJews in the larger community. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: Spare time? When the weather is nice, I enjoy riding my bicycle around Lakewood and beyond with Harry. We also enjoy our trips to California to visit our daughter, Leah, and her family... And make regular trips to the East Side to visit our daughter, Abby, and her family. I love to visit with friends and family. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: My background is in music therapy and music education and my major instrument was the viola. I got to play for Bob Hope, and it was quite a thrill to play “Thanks for the Memories” as he came on stage to a cheering audience. Lader wants to continue to do work in the community, particularly in the area of social justice, where part of her work has been with RAC Ohio, a coalition of Reform clergy across the state that works towards creating a more just and compassionate Ohio, work Lader has found to be rewarding. She said the work she has already done with RAC Ohio and with the Greater Cleveland Congregations has helped shape her. “It has helped me see the larger picture, within my own community and beyond,” she said. “It helps inform my work as a congregational rabbi with my own congregation and congregants, and in the process, we are all able to reach out beyond the congregational community to help make a difference in Cleveland and beyond.” – Ed Carroll
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50 CHILDREN
THE STORY OF MR. AND MRS. KRAUS DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER STEVEN PRESSMAN WILL JOIN US FOR A
screening and discussion of his film 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus. Produced in association with the Museum, the HBO documentary chronicles the efforts of Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus to rescue 50 Jewish children from Vienna in the late spring of 1939.
SPEAKERS STEVEN PRESSMAN, Filmmaker of 50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus
LESLIE SWIFT, Chief, Film, Oral History, and Recorded Sound, National Institute for Holocaust Documentation, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum EVENT CHAIRS MICHAEL AND JULIE FRAYMAN
Thursday, November 29 7 p.m.
CO-PRESENTED WITH
Temple Tifereth-Israel 26000 Shaker Boulevard Beachwood, Ohio
This program is free and open to the public, but reservations are required at ushmm.org/events/50children-beachwood. For more information, please call 847.433.8099. #AskWhy #USHMM PHOTO: Gilbert and Eleanor Kraus with the rescued children on the SS President Harding, 1939. Courtesy of PerlePress Productions
Help us keep Holocaust memory alive for a changing world. Learn more at ushmm.org/campaign.
Mazel tov to Taft Partner Irv Berliner for being named a 2018 Cleveland Jewish News Difference Maker. We are proud to celebrate you on the occasion of this well-deserved honor. You truly embody tikkun olam.
P.O. Box 1852, Highland Park, IL 60035
www.taftlaw.com
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FERN RUTH LEVY
Fern Ruth Levy learned to go out and volunteer from watching her mother. It’s what she was expected to do, she said. “What do we live for if not to make life easier for each other?” she said. “We’re here to help each other.” She’s been active in the Jewish community by volunteering for the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland as a hospital chaplain and Jewish Family Services Association of Cleveland. She also visits homebound Holocaust survivors weekly. Her main dedication has been educating others about the Holocaust and sharing
Anne Frank’s story. She has interviewed people who knew Frank and her family, and Rabbis Harold Kushner and Adin Steinsaltz. She also volunteered for the USC Shoah Foundation started by director Steven Spielberg where she recorded the testimonies of 15 area survivors. “I’m passionate about everything I’ve done,” she said. “We live once and we get to bring our passions and what we really believe in – our core values – to other people. That’s what we need to be doing. We are trying to create a more beautiful world because the world is upside down. Anything we can do to right that, as little as it is, we need to do it anyways.” Her most memorable time volunteering was when she interviewed people like National Public Radio’s Terry Gross and Albert Ratner, co-chairman emeritus of Forest City Enterprises, for the “Jewish Scene” radio program on WCLV. “People loved the show, a lot of Jewish people but also non-Jewish people,” she said. “I worked very hard on my own to find people to interview that the producers might not have known about who were in Cleveland to enrich the show.” Levy has always been passionate about Jewish life. Even as a child, she wanted to be a rabbi but she was told she could only marry one. Even so, her passion for
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AGE: 70 RESIDENCE: Cleveland Heights SYNAGOGUE: Beth El-The Heights Synagogue FAVORITE MOVIE: “Charade” FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Cleveland Indians WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” and “The Pity of It All: A Portrait of Jews in Germany” WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: I wanted to be a rabbi, but got told that I can only marry one. FAVORITE VACATION: My trip to Israel, it’s transformation, it’s life changing. Judaism followed her throughout her life and she taught 10 years in B’nai Jeshurun’s Sunday school. “I grew up loving Hebrew school and Sunday school and loving being Jewish,” she said. “Teaching is tikkun olam. It doesn’t always seem important. You’re not sure if you’re making a difference. I didn’t know what impact I had. I bumped into my students when they’ve been grown up and they seem to be so happy to see me. So it makes one think that maybe I made a difference, but you’re never sure.” As for more work she’d like to do in the community, she hopes she can put more of the Rev. Martin Luther King’s work with Frank. She founded the Anne Frank Moral Courage Project 10 years ago and is determined to offer more programs that teach about King and Frank, particularly during 2019 when they both would have
turned 90. “Their work fights both anti-Semitism and racism,” she said. “When you can talk about Dr. King and Anne Frank together you get a completely different perspective on hate.” For other’s looking to make a difference, her recommendation is to just go out and be active in the community. “It’s very easy to make an impact,” she said. “Volunteering is easy, sending get well cards are easy. Making a difference is not a difficult thing to do.” She quoted Frank and said, “Isn’t it wonderful that we do not need to wait a moment before starting to change the world?” – Alyssa Schmitt
We are so proud of our friends being honored as 18 Difference Makers. Dan Polster ◆ Roe Green ◆ The Stein Family ◆ Devorah Alevsky Stan Bernath ◆ Adam Jacobs ◆ Fern Levy Mark Sack ◆ Don Scherzer ◆ Lee C. Shapiro
Congratulations to all of the 2018 Recipients
The Feldman-Wehn Family Barry Feldman. Inductee of 2015
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DEENA NYER MENDLOWITZ
For Deena Nyer Mendlowitz, content and social media specialist at Orange Onions, volunteering allows her to feel connected to her community and to Judaism. Whether it’s lending her professional skills or building upon her personal experiences, volunteering is a way for her to give back in the ways she has already received from her community. “We all have a responsibility to play
an active role in our community – to find a place where you have a privilege and using that as a way to change things in the world,” she said. “When you’re struggling in any way, one of the easiest things that will help you is helping someone else. Being part of a community matters. So, growing up, that was something always instilled in me.” Mendlowitz’s community involvement involves her own personal mental health journey and how that connects her to others. “It was the stuff from my own personal journey, wanting a way to help other people for them to feel less alone and for me to feel less alone,” she explained. Creating a monthly live comedy talk show called, “Mental Illness and Friends,” Mendlowitz goes to a venue and talks about her experiences with mental health. She also invites comedians, songwriters and artists to “share something about their creativity and also the impact mental illness has had on their own life.”
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S TO ROE GREEN ON RECEIVING THE LIFETIME A C H I E V E M E N T AWA R D FOR HER SELFLESS D E D I C AT I O N TO THE ARTS. F RO M YO U R F R I E N D S AT T H E
JACEK Photo
palmbeachculture.com
Congratulations, Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein! Thank you for making a difference in the lives of Lakeland Community College students. www.lakelandcc.edu/foundation 440-525-7094
Besides the comedy show, Mendlowitz also travels to speak about her experiences. She added, “I’m trying to destigmatize and take away the discrimination people have towards mental illness.” Mendlowitz said the human connections she’s made with others is the most rewarding part of her civic involvement. “For me, it’s anytime someone either tells me that something I’ve written or said has helped make them feel less alone, has helped their family understand what they are going through or helped them seek treatment and removed some of the shame they felt,” she explained. For Mendlowitz, community involvement has shaped her into a better individual. “Any time you’re able to create your own community and help each other, you feel better,” she noted. “(Volunteering) is not going to take away my illness, but it’s also never going to make it worse. So, when you have an
activity that will not make things worse and almost always make it better, that matters. When I was really struggling a lot, Susan Messing, an improviser and mensch in Chicago, would always tell me ‘If nothing is working, go out and help somebody else.’ That’s why we’re given voices. Not everyone can speak up, but that’s something I can do. The fact I can do it through comedy and joy is an amazing feeling.” As for the future, Mendlowitz would like to connect with younger generations about their mental health. “My whole thing is to make it OK at every age to talk about mental health and even stuff like suicidal thoughts and those complicated feelings,” she said. “How do we supply young kids with the skills that took me years in therapy and going through so much struggle (to learn) so that they have it before it’s too late? So, that’s what I’d like to focus my time on, how we make this accessible for all ages.” – Becky Raspe
A little bit more ... AGE: 41 RESIDENCE: Mayfield Village CHILDREN: Rafi SYNAGOGUE: Suburban Temple Kol-Ami FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Boone County Council on Aging in Columbia, Mo. FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Golden Girls” WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: Find community. Create community. Create in general. Don’t wait for permission to create. Speak about your pain and struggles. Speak about what you love and what brings you joy. Things become less scary and more manageable when you talk about them, both for yourself and others who hear your words. Every voice matters, including yours. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: A comedian, an architect and a mom. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: I perform comedy and speak out about mental health, often at the same time. I am passionate about improv and group comedy, an art form when done right, is people saying they care about each other and then having the most fun ever. I live with constant suicidal ideation and talking about it makes myself and others feel less alone. Stigma is a killer.
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DEBBIE PICKER When Debbie Picker was in elementary school, she knew she wanted to be a teacher. At Mayfield High School, on the track for college, she found herself quite bored. “I had a really gifted guidance counselor,” said Picker, who suggested she work as an aide for students in the special education room. The job was generally slotted for students on the vocational path. “He started me there, even though I was college track.” Something clicked for her in that setting. “That was my decision,” she said. “Once I was in that classroom and knew that’s what I wanted to do, there was no looking back.” When she graduated from high school, there were only two universities in Ohio that offered the major she wanted: Bowling Green State University and Kent State University. Picker chose Bowling Green. The year was 1975, and Congress had just passed Public Act PL94-142, which required public schools to educate those with moderate to severe disabilities. “It was an emerging area in 1975,” she said. Still, Bowling Green’s program for teachers was well established, Picker remembered. Picker taught for 35 years in Mentor, Cleveland Heights and Mayfield public schools. In addition, she worked as an inclusion facilitator, ensuring that students with disabilities were included in regular classrooms. Picker’s choice of profession turned out to be helpful in her family life. Her second child was born with Down syndrome. “It just was preparation for real life,” she said of her chosen career path. Shortly after her third child was born, she learned of a child born with Down syndrome in Israel who had been abandoned in the hospital. Picker adopted that child as well. “My life was already changed,” she said. In 2017, two years after retiring from teaching, Picker founded Fare-Cle, a nonprofit charitable transportation company for people age 14 and older with disabilities or early-stage dementia. The
company has a dozen drivers who work weekdays and weekends providing safe, reliable transportation to people who may not be able to navigate through the system to make a call to an online ride service such as Uber or Lyft. The transportation company responds to the needs of the population Picker has served by filling an unmet need. Today, in addition to running FareCLE, Picker volunteers with Jewish Family Service Association’s YouthAbility program, which prepares young adults with disabilities to work through volunteer opportunities. She also volunteers with Jewish Family Service Association’s Alyson’s Place Medical Clinic. She also works as the medical outreach coordinator for Up Side of Downs of Northeast Ohio in Independence. “I get so much from all of that,” she said. “I feel like I get more than I give. I love the population I work with.” Picker’s childhood synagogue was Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood. She now belongs to Kol HaLev, Cleveland’s Reconstructionist Community, in Pepepr Pike, which meets at the Ratner Day School and she is an associate member of Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood. Because she enjoys Torah study, she also frequently attends “Toast and Torah Talks” at Corky & Lenny’s in Woodmere. “The people are what’s really the best part of the whole thing.”
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– Jane Kaufman
AGE: 61 RESIDENCE: Solon SPOUSE: Scott CHILDREN: Stephanie, Jeremy, Joshua, Erin, Kia and Koby SYNAGOGUE: Kol HaLev, Congregation Shaarey Tikvah FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Intervention specialist FAVORITE MOVIE: “Rainman” FAVORITE ATHLETE: I admire LBJ (LeBron James) for his philanthropy and integrity. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? I wanted to be a teacher since I was 5. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I am not a huge fan of pizza.
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consistent with that messaging! If one of your values is repairing the world, then you must truly walk the walk so others see how important repairing the world is.” In fact, Sack said that due to his career as a classroom teacher, particularly in a diverse community such as Cleveland Heights, he felt he is uniquely positioned to give back to a number of different communities. “As a teacher in Cleveland Heights, I’m in the classroom every day with a diverse population, exposing my students to good values, like speaking up against injustice,” Sack said. “I also have credibility in other worlds within our broader community and feel very fortunate to be in the position to use the respect that I’ve earned in other areas to promote the values of tikkun olam.” He recalled a meaningful volunteering memory he had from June 2017, volunteering for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces when the Ohio chapter brought in the three paratroopers from David Rubinger’s iconic Six-Day War photograph to visit Cleveland. Sack and his
late wife, Aviv, were asked to be the personal hosts for the paratroopers and their wives during their four day stay in Cleveland. Sack and his wife became very close with their special guests and helped create outside the itinerary opportunities for the paratroopers to meet young people and tell them about their experiences. For Sack this was particularly meaningful, as it was one of the last significant things he and his wife were able to do together for the community before Aviv passed away. “The paratroopers and their wives felt the love and support the Cleveland Jewish community has for Israel,” Sack said. “We were their first stop in the States. They didn’t know what to expect, and they felt tremendous love and support here.” Sack took a step back from volunteering the past year or so to care for Aviv, but is now starting to get back to where he was in giving back to the community. “I look forward to getting full steam back into my meaningful volunteer work,” he said.
MARK SACK
Mark Sack, a social studies teacher at Cleveland Heights High School, first learned about the value of giving back from his parents, the late Francis and Sam Sack. For the Sack family, the expression “tikkun olam” and the idea that everyone is responsible for each other weren’t ideals discussed over coffee, they were calls to action. “It was even more than that,” Sack said.
“Tikkun olam is a way of life. My parents raised four children. One is a psychiatrist, another a social worker, one is a nurse, and I’m a teacher and an attorney; all helping professions. Giving back to others, these were the values we were raised with and are the values Aviv, of blessed memory and I have tried to pass on to our children.” Sack volunteers with the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, American Friends of Magen David Adom, Israel Bonds, Meals on Wheels and the JCC Maccabi youth sports committee. He said it’s easy hard to transition from his job teaching to his volunteer work. “I talk regularly to my students about this,” he said. “I try to model behavior that I value, and giving back to the community and to others is a behavior I value. So, it’s not hard to transition to leave my job at school and ‘walk the walk’. It’s not about talking about doing good, it’s about actually engaging in the doing of it. I teach my classes about ‘observational learning’; some people put out there: ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ But I believe you must be clear with the messaging and with action that is
– Ed Carroll
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Congratulations to
Dan Polster
as well as all the other recipients of the18 Difference Makers 2018. Clifford and Linda Wolf
AGE: 60 RESIDENCE: Orange SPOUSE: Aviv (of blessed memory) CHILDREN: Sagi Shilo, Tal Rothstein and Ben Sack SYNAGOGUE: Solon Chabad FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Professional basketball player in Israel WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: “Option B” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant MOST GRATIFYING JOB: Teaching high school students because it contains daily opportunities to nurture the critical thinking skills and to encourage pro-social behavior among members of the next generation and to help teens empower themselves and want to develop their potential as students and as positive human beings. Some have described this as “touching the future.” FAVORITE VACATION: Family cruises because while every one always had age-appropriate activities for themselves (our three children are each 10 years apart), we were always able to find numerous things to do as a family. Also, without the distractions of work and devices, we had plenty of quality time together on the ships and during the land excursions. HAVE YOU EVER HELD PUBLIC OFFICE? Does student council president at Taylor Elementary School count?
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Tifereth Israel in Beachwood, where he recently completed a three-year term as president. He currently serves as a trustee of the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and as a life director of both Montefiore and the TempleTifereth Israel. Previously, he served also as chair of Montefiore, a trustee of AJC Cleveland, Bellefaire JCB, Mt. Sinai Hospital and Laurelwood Hospital. His volunteer work also includes the greater Cleveland community through outreach programs at his synagogue, past work as president of the Shaker Heights Youth Center and president of the Federal Bar Association. “Jews have always reached out to provide support to the general community,” he said. “Many people need our help and fortunately we’re in a position to provide that help. We have a responsibility to help others both in the Jewish and general communities.” As one who has volunteered actively for decades, he wishes there was a way to provide a better life to everyone who needs one.
“Each person deserves a decent quality life whatever her or his religion or background might be,” he said. For other’s looking to make an impact, he encourages them to join an organization and to be active. While it’s always important to provide financial support to community institutions, he is convinced that there are other ways to support worthwhile causes, including devoting one’s time and energy to them. “Joining an organization is very important, but each of us should consider putting some amount of time and energy into,” he said. Giving of oneself is incredibly rewarding and he said he firmly believes that by doing so one receives great personal satisfaction. His view of volunteering is that one can “get far more from the experience than you give.” “Knowing that I have participated in improving the lives of other people, is a great reward,” he said.
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DONALD S. SCHERZER
Serving the Jewish community is ingrained in Donald S. Scherzer. Growing up, his family emphasized the importance of participating in the community and helping others. He continues to live by these values today. As a child, Scherzer personally experienced how impactful help from others can have on a person. He
received help from a variety of people who affected his life in many ways. “As a 7-year-old boy, I lost my dad and I still remember the many people who made a difference in my life. As an adult, I have always wanted to help others because I was fortunate to have had the help of so many,” said Scherzer, a partner at Roetzel & Andress. His volunteering started in high school on Long Island more than 50 years ago. To this day, he strives to ensure that people have access to the same type of help that he had. “I’ve tried to work with community organizations in an effort to make them stronger so people can benefit from them,” he said. “Every religion and culture, including those associated with Judaism, should sponsor strong community institutions to sustain and continue their values and beliefs and to help those who need assistance. The Jewish religion is very important to me and the institutions that support Jewish life are equally important.” For the past 28 years, he has been a committed member of The Temple-
Congratulations to our very own
DEENA
for a well-deserved honor.
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– Alyssa Schmitt
AGE: 69 RESIDENCE: Shaker Heights SPOUSE: Toni CHILDREN: Gabrielle Starr SYNAGOGUE: The Temple-Tifereth Israel FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Attorney at U.S. Department of Justice FAVORITE ATHLETE: Sandy Koufax MOST GRATIFYING JOB: Serving as a trial attorney with the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice prosecuting corporations and individuals who violated the law. Among the businesses I prosecuted, were supermarkets and dairies whose price fixing activities affected the daily lives of all citizens by illegally raising the prices of food staples. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: Love your family, marry an incredible and loving spouse, raise wonderful children by teaching them good values, work hard but enjoy yourself, be kind, live life by adhering to the Golden Rule, help to improve the lives of others, all while taking time to enjoy life. ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I drove a taxicab in New York City.
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Be a part of our upcoming special sections Nov 23: Gift Giving • Legal Affairs Nov 30: Chanukah • Travel Dec 7: Daycare & Preschool Guide • Nosh Dec 14: Health Dec 21: Life Care Planning Dec 28: Travel
Email adsales@cjn.org or contact Adam Mandell at amandell@cjn.org Or call 216-342-5191 for more information
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LEE C. SHAPIRO Lee C. Shapiro, regional director of AJC Cleveland, notes that while most of the time, she’s working in the community in a professional capacity, she has volunteered her whole life. “I have deeply held Jewish values that lie within,” she said, citing values such as tikkun olum. “I grew up with that and in an environment that encouraged me to give back, get along with others and make this world better than we found it.” Shapiro spent most of her professional career in network news. The effects of Sept. 11, 2001, changed her. At the time, Shapiro was living in New York City and had recently vacated an office in the World Trade Center. “I realized I wanted something more in my life and to give back in a different way,” she said. She helped with the aftermath of 9/11, volunteering in rescue and recovery. In 2006, through a turn of events, she found herself at AJC Cleveland, which she said “speaks to the brain and the heart.” “It allows me to apply intellect and heart to all the work we do,” she said. Her position at AJC Cleveland allows
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her to work with others in both the Jewish and general community to advance AJC’s priority issues, thinking globally but acting locally. In New York, she volunteered with the Starlight Children’s Foundation to grant wishes for critically and chronically ill children. At AJC Cleveland, Shapiro works with others to use their voices to create change. “I think the reward for me comes from watching my leadership here be able to truly impact and make a
It is with great pride we say MAZEL TOV, Stanley Bernath! You make this world a better place! Holocaust Survivor and Educator Menorah Park Volunteer Jewish Family Service Volunteer Meals on Wheels Volunteer Holocaust Hologram Love, Ed, Vera, Lisa, Shawn, Leah, Adam
AGE: 60 RESIDENCE: Beachwood SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: Data coordinator, CBS news election and survey unit WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW: “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor” and “The Soul of America” WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR 14-YEAR-OLD SELF: I look back at that insecure teenager, a little frightened wanting to both fit-in and change the world. I would tell her to believe in herself, trust her instincts, reach for the stars and enjoy the journey. Be true to yourself, be open to different people and ideas, be kind to others, listen more, and take your family and friends on the ride. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP: Olympic figure skater, teacher and U.S. senator ONE INTERESTING THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME: I spent many election nights in offices high atop the World Trade Center. We gave up those offices in early September 2001. After the attacks of 9/11, I spent months doing rescue and recovery alongside other volunteers, first-responders, FDNY and NYPD. That experience changed my life. After an almost 25-year career in covering elections full time, I still work with CNN as a member of its election night decision team.
difference in our community around the world,” Shapiro said. “When I was volunteering with Starlight, the children gave me more than I gave them. When I did rescue and recovery after the events of 9/11, the first-responders gave me more than my time gave to them. All of that was rewarding. It was rewarding to know we made a difference in their lives. It has been a great journey; my career path was not a straight line” AJC Cleveland wasn’t Shapiro’s first stop when she got to Ohio; she was working for Adelphia Communications Corp. and was laid off. Shortly after, she received a call from a woman at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland whom she had never met. The woman told Shapiro she understood she had been
laid off and asked how the Federation could help to keep her in Cleveland. “It was at that moment I knew I found home and found community,” Shapiro said. “This Cleveland community is like no other. It is supportive, it is embracing, warm and welcoming.” She encourages younger people who want to be involved in the community to just go out and get involved. “Follow your heart and passion by doing what is right and what your inner self leads you to and be open to new experiences, new people,” she said. “Look to the people who you admire and see what they’re doing. And find yourself a really good mentor.” – Ed Carroll
COMING SOON! Look for “Shani in the City” a new feature only in the CJN
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the l au n c h h o u s e
B
tstrap Bash
Get the early bird discount
Join us for a strolling dinner by Spice Catering Co. and dancing in celebration of entrepreneurship. The evening will honor Visionary Entrepreneur Award Honoree Joe Kanfer, Chairman and Venturer, GOJO Industries and the first BBB Spark Award and showcase our region’s promising startups. Proceeds from the Bootstrap Bash will assist LaunchHouse in continuing to provide much of its educational programs and services to the entrepreneurial community for free.
Purchase tickets at www.launchhouse.com/bootstrapbash When
Ticket Prices
Saturday, January 19, 2019 7:30 pm
$110 before 12/15/18 $125 after 12/15/18
Where
Co-Chairs
Red Space 2400 Superior Avenue Cleveland, OH 44114
Jill & Brad Helfman Connie & Neil Waxman
Visionary Entrepreneur Award Honoree Joe Kanfer Chairman and Venturer GOJO Industries
Presenters:
Accelerators:
Sustainer:
Incubators:
For sponsorship opportunities contact Gina Lloyd at 216-342-5196 or gina@launchhouse.com.
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ERICA G. STARRFIELD
Community involvement has always been important to Erica G. Starrfield, marketing manager at Nestle. Starting her journey as a teenager in BBYO, Starrfield felt a connection to the greater Jewish community and knew she had to be involved in it. “It gave me so much,” she said. “It shaped my sense of self. I learned how to public speak and to have confidence in myself as a leader. I built lifelong friendships.” Those lessons inspired Starrfield to continue her community involvement into her adult life, namely at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. At the Federation, she is a member of the board of directors and is the immediate past chair of the marketing and communications committee. She now serves as the engagement and outreach chair for women’s philanthropy, as a coaching circle mentor, and as a member of the human resources development and nominating committees. But it didn’t immediately start there. “When I went to college and was a young professional, I didn’t do as much but I got pretty involved about seven or eight years ago,” she noted. “Why I got involved and what I’m involved in today has to do with finding ways to participate that build on my skill set as a brand marketer. There was a need for what I do professionally so I jumped back in to community involvement, and was quickly reminded how much I love it.” The opportunity to use those skills within community involvement pushed Starrfield professionally and personally. “No matter how much I give, it gives me so much more,” she added. “In much of the same ways it did when I was younger, it’s helped me build community and deep relationships, to continue to learn, grow and step outside of my comfort zones.” Starrfield noted community
involvement has changed her for the better. “It has given me opportunities to try new things,” she said. “I’ve found the nonprofit environment to be open to different ideas, to be a little bit bold and willing to take risks. So, I get to practice being a little braver and putting forward new ideas.” Starrfield wants to see the Jewish community continue to thrive. “Seeing the Jewish community of Cleveland thrive is something for which I have tremendous passion,” she noted. “It is the community that welcomed my grandparents and great-grandparents during World War II, the community which nurtured me into a confident young adult, and the community in which I am proud to raise my children. I want to see the Jewish community of Cleveland continue to prosper so that it can remain the place that brings the support and enjoyment we have come to know it for.” For her, volunteerism and community involvement is a lifelong commitment. “I don’t ever see a day where I don’t have this in my life,” she stated. “It’s a core part of life as I think about the pieces of my life. Being involved in the community is something I will always do, but the way I contribute will likely evolve over time.” – Becky Raspe
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AGE: 41 RESIDENCE: Orange CHILDREN: Sophie, 11; Asher, 8 SYNAGOGUE: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple FIRST JOB AFTER COLLEGE: National nonprofit work in Washington, D.C. FAVORITE TV SHOW: “Modern Family” FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Michigan Wolverines or any team my son is playing on. FAVORITE VACATION: Being off the grid with family, camping in the woods or relaxing by the ocean. WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME: Play sports with my son, laugh and craft with my daughter, explore Cleveland, travel and take in all the love of my dog.
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presents
thank you to our sponsors Co-presenting sponsors
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsor
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Cocktail sponsor
Generation Award sponsor
Gift Bag sponsor
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All of us at Classic Lexus celebrate and recognize each and every Difference Maker. We are proud to be the co-presenting sponsor of this event for the fourth consecutive year.
Your deeds mean the
W
R LD
to us!
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