Compiled by Sharon Wisch-Ray
sharon@tjpnews.com
Jeff Hochster named B’nai Brith Isadore Garsek Lodge Person of the Year
Fort Worth’s best kept secret is out of the box as Jeff Hochster was lauded as the B’nai B’rith Person of the Year at Beth-El Congregation Sunday, Oct. 22.
Hochster is well-known for his philanthropic and volunteer efforts. In 1982 he received the Federation’s Young Leadership Award, headed the Federation’s annual campaign and served as Federation president. He has served on the board of Ahavath Sholom as well as being its vice president. Jeff Kaitcer, master of ceremonies for the evening, introduced Hochster as this year’s winner calling him, “a mensch, a man with an unwavering and uncompromising Jewish heart. those two attributes and qualities are the foundation of his Jewish involvement.”
Hochster is the CEO of Panhandle Slim and often donates new merchandise to charitable endeavors. He is married to Linda and has two children, Jamison and Audrey, and two stepchildren, Brent Jones and Jenny Goldman; and he is grandfather of eight.
Hochster joined an esteemed group of beloved community leaders and past recipients, including: 1951 David Greines, 1952 I.E. Horwitz, 1953 Sol Brachman1, 1954 Ella Brachman, 1955 Maurice Rabinowitz, 1956 Sophia Miller, 1957 Leon Brachman, 1958 Rabbi Isadore Garsek, 1959 Jerome Wolens, 1960 Louis Barnett, 1961 Dr. Frank Cohen, 1962 Rabbi Robert J. Schur, 1963 Dr. Abe Greines, 1964 I.E. Horwitz, 1965 Dr. Harold Freed, 1966 M.M. Goldman, 1967 Sidney Raimey, 1968 Ben Coplin, 1969 Leon Gachman, 1970 Sheldon Labovitz, 1971 Madilyn Barnett, 1972 Walter Nass, 1973 Herbert Berkowitz, 1974 Manny Rosenthal, 1975 Sam Weisblatt, 1976 Cecile & David Echt, 1977 Marcia Kornbleet Kurtz, 1978 Allen Wexler, 1979 Faye Berkowitz, 1980 Charles Levinson, 1981 Burnis Cohen, 1982 Sandra Freed, 1983 Sherwin Rubin, 1984 Bernard S. Appel, 1985 Leroy Solomon, 1986 I.L. (Buddy) Freed, 1987 Larry Kornbleet, 1988 Karen Brachman, 1989 Hortense Deifik, 1990 Ruby Kantor, 1991 Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, 1992 Beverly Moses, 1993 Ron Stocker, 1994 Rowena Kimmell, 1995 Stuart & Rebecca Isgur, 1996 Miriam Labovitz, 1997 Harry Kahn, 1998 Leslie Kaitcer & Jeff Kaitcer, 1999 Dr. Michael Ross, 2000 Dr. Al Faigin, 2001 Lon Werner, 2002 Seymour Kanoff, 2003 Leon Brachman, 2004 Earl Givant, 2005 Al Sankary, 2006 David Beckerman, 2007 Hollace Weiner, 2008 Laurie Werner, 2009 Alfred “Shuggie” Cohen, 2010 Barry Schneider, 2011 Alex Nason, 2012 Dr. Carole Rogers, 2013 Marvin Beleck, 2014 Rich Hollander and 2015 Harry Kahn.
