By Sharon Wisch-Ray

Federation annual meeting

Plans are underway for the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County Annual Meeting at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 12 at Ahavath Sholom, 4050 S. Hulen St., Fort Worth.
The new Federation board of directors and officers will be elected and installed. They include Jeff Hochster (president), Lon Werner (vice president for allocations & campaign), Karen Kaplan (vice president for administration), Robert Simon (vice president for community relations), Sheldon Levy (treasurer), Larry Brunell (endowment chair), Alex Nason (Jewish Family Services chair) and Todd Blumenfeld (secretary).
The new Jewish Family Services committee will be elected and installed as well.
The meeting will feature a “State of the Federation” address from President Jeff Hochster as well as presentations to outgoing board members and this year’s Wolens Award honoree.
Finally, Alex and Sophia Nason will share their personal journey from leaving the former Soviet Union to making a life in Fort Worth — their struggles and how they overcame them. It is a powerful story that all generations need to hear.
The community is invited to attend and support the incoming and outgoing volunteer leaders and hear about several important initiatives that will help to shape the future of the Tarrant County Jewish community.

Daytimers share Louise Lamensdorf’s life as a chef

Louise Lamensdorf kept her Daytimers audience fascinated as she explored her experiences that began when she was a young woman who became entranced with cooking as she was growing up in New Orleans.
She explained the road she traveled through many parts of the world as she absorbed and practiced the techniques and skills that enabled her to become a noted restaurateur operating her own successful Bistro Louise, right here in Fort Worth.
Following her restaurant success, Louise has gone on to build a successful catering business that she continues to operate.
For the occasion, Louise prepared more than 50 quiche and salad lunches for the attendees.
Throughout the luncheon and her presentation, a slide show illustrating her unique abilities and successes was projected on a screen behind her.
After the presentation there were only empty dishes and a few crumbs to clean up — mute testimony to her expert culinary skills.
The next date Daytimers will meet June 11 to hear author Nick Kotz relate the story of his grandfather’s dream — the story of Nathan Kallison who escaped the Cossacks in Russia.
Kallison knew no English and had very few contacts, yet he made his way across the United States to Chicago where he became a harness maker.
Eventually he landed in Texas where he and his family made a huge difference in the rise of South Texas. As stated by Nick Kotz in his book “The Harness Maker’s Dream.” As the automobile was starting to roll on the streets of Chicago, Kotz’s grandfather knew that if harnesses and saddles were still going to used he would have to move Texas was the place to go.