JEA honors the Weiners
Fort Worth’s Jewish Education Agency honored Jerry and Sylvia Weiner for their many years of service to the Jewish community in Fort Worth with the second annual Bubbe and Zayde Dinner. The Shabbat service and dinner, held Jan. 9 at Congregation Ahavath Sholom in Fort Worth, is a “thank you” to all the bubbes and zaydes who have supported the Jewish Education Agency, the Hebrew Day School and the community in general, according to JEA President Hal Ratner.
“Volunteering is sometimes a thankless job,” Ratner said. “The dinner was started last year to honor community volunteers Rose and Al Sankary. This year, the Weiners were selected by the JEA’s Fundraising Committee in recognition of their longstanding commitment to the Hebrew Day School.”
Sylvia Weiner served as volunteer librarian for the Hebrew Day School, amassing and cataloguing a collection of over 4,000 children’s books. Her friend Viqui Litman toasted Sylvia’s “divine spark.”
“Sylvia can bring order out of chaos,” Litman said. She also fondly remembered Sylvia’s “gusto” for fundraising during the community Purim carnival.
“Sylvia would dive into the cotton candy machine,” Litman said. “By the end of the carnival, she’d be covered in pink shmutz from head to toe to raise money for the Hebrew Day School.”
Dr. Al Fagin spoke to honor Jerry, and their longtime friendship, which began when the Fagins were new to Fort Worth. Both couples have children close in age, and the friendship began when Al and daughter Jennifer heard Jerry and Melissa Weiner out in their backyard. Fagin recalled a door-to-door search to find the family with the kid about the same age.
Over a hundred people attended the Bubbe and Zayde Dinner, including daughters Melissa Weiner and Jennifer Rosser, Jennifer’s husband Rob, and children Ethan, Cameron, Benjamin and Alexander.
The Bubbe and Zayde Dinner is a fundraiser for the JEA. Jerry Weiner had generously offered to match all donations to the JEA made in the Weiners’ honor by Friday, Jan. 16. JEA Board Member Dr. Nancy Fagin responded with a call to all those who know the Weiners to take advantage of “Jerry’s matching funds.” For more information or to pledge, call Paddy White at 817-737-9898, or lilgoldmanearlylearningcenter@msn.com.
Prof. Stephen Berk, Kornbleet scholar-in-residence, to speak
A distinguished historian, Stephen M. Berk will be the honored guest at this year’s Larry Kornbleet Memorial Scholar-in-Residence event, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Ahavath Sholom. Professor Berk will speak on “From Persia to Iran, From Cyrus to Ahmadinejad: Iran, the Jews and the World.” A program of the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Stephen Berk’s lecture is free and open to all.
Berk is professor of history at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. He is the former chair of the Department of History, director of the program in Russian and Eastern European studies and faculty advisor to the Jewish Student Organization. He has written “Year of Crisis, Year of Hope: Russian Jewry and Pogroms of 1881–1882” and “Our People Are Your People: American Jewry and the Struggle for Civil Rights 1954–1965.” He has been a consultant to the Wiesenthal Holocaust Center and made a set of six audiotaped lectures on the Holocaust that have been sold across the country. He has lectured throughout the United States and Canada.
Professor Berk is frequently consulted by newspapers and by television and radio stations including the BBC. He holds the Florence B. Sherwood Chair in History and Culture. In 1996, he received the prestigious Holocaust Memorial Award from the Holocaust Survivors and Friends Education Center.
A dessert reception will follow Professor Berk’s lecture.
Baylor All Saints receives major gift in support of Joan Katz Breast Center
Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth announced recently that a local Fort Worth couple, Dick and Mary Lowe, have donated $1 million to the All Saints Health Foundation. The Lowes are prominent Fort Worth philanthropists, and their generous gift was made in honor of Dr. Alan Johns and Dr. Anita Chow in support of the Joan Katz Breast Center.
The Joan Katz Breast Center will be located on the first floor of the new Physician Pavilion on the Baylor All Saints campus and will offer comprehensive breast services on one campus.
“Mary and Dick have chosen to invest in a very significant project. The Joan Katz Breast Center will be a place of hope and healing for breast cancer patients in our community,” said Freddy Jones, president of All Saints Health Foundation. “Our hospital and foundation are extremely appreciative of their commitment and extend our sincere gratitude for such a meaningful gift.”
The Joan Katz Breast Center will serve the community and surrounding areas by providing help to men and women diagnosed with breast cancer. Services will be available for every aspect of treatment from screenings to patient and family support groups. Named in honor of breast cancer survivor Joan Katz, the Center will serve patients and their families by facilitating coordination between multiple specialists and services. Patients of the Center will be guided by a nurse navigator who will assist them from initial diagnosis through final treatment and follow-up.
“It gives Mary and me great pleasure to honor Alan and Dr. Chow with a gift to the Breast Center. Alan’s care, compassion and commitment have earned him respect from his peers, nurses and hospital staff,” Dick Lowe said. “Dr. Chow’s dedication toward treating breast cancer is unsurpassed in our community. Having a physician who is so knowledgeable gives us a great sense of security.”
The not-for-profit Baylor All Saints Medical Centers serve more than 100,000 people annually through two hospitals, numerous primary care physician centers and practices, a rehabilitation and fitness center and a variety of medical specialties. Programs of excellence in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology and women’s services form the heart of the hospitals’ services. All Saints joined Baylor Health Care System in January 2002. All Saints Health Foundation, a separately incorporated not-for-profit organization, raises and manages charitable funds to support Baylor All Saints Medical Centers. For fiscal year 2008, Baylor Health Care System reported an estimated $429.5 million in community benefit, which includes providing care for charity patients and patients enrolled in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the unreimbursed costs of medical education, research and community programs. For a physician referral, call toll free 1-800-4BAYLOR(422-9567) or log onto www.baylorhealth.com.
Community ‘JCC Without Walls’ week, Jan. 25–31
The Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County will present “JCC Without Walls,” a week of varied events and speakers, from Jan. 25 through 31. The schedule is as follows: On Sunday, Jan. 25, at 9:30 a.m.: Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, will speak on “Raising Your Child to Be a Mensch,” at Beth-El Congregation
The remainder of the schedule follows:
9:45 a.m.: Melton classes, at Ahavath Sholom
2 p.m.: “B’nai B’rith Health Insurance for Seniors,” at Ahavath Sholom
4:30–6:30 p.m.: Pool open at Benbrook YMCA
4:30–8:30 p.m.: Gym open at Benbrook YMCA
Monday, Jan. 26:
7:30 p.m.: David Saul, “Was Jesus a Rabbi?” at Beth-El Congregation
Tuesday, Jan. 27:
7 p.m.: Mandy Dossey, archivist for Dallas Jewish Historical Society, “Jewish Genealogy,” at Beth-El
Wednesday, Jan. 28:
6:30 p.m.: “Long-Term Care” panel, at Beth-El
8 p.m.: “Caring for Parents with Chronic Illness,” at Beth-El
The above two presentations feature Kathy Dorsey, long-term care specialist; Danielle Kunkle, Medicare supplement specialist; Kim Olmedo, geriatric care manager; and Steve Katten, attorney
Thursday, Jan. 29:
7 p.m.: Rabbi Sidney Zimelman, “Maimonides: Insight into Genius,” at Ahavath Sholom
Saturday, Jan. 31:
4:30–6:30 p.m.: Pool open at Benbrook YMCA
All events are free and open to the public. Please RSVP to the Federation office at 817-569-0892 for the pool and basketball tournament. YMCA rules: First 50 reservations for the pool will be honored. If you are interested in entering a team in the basketball tournament, make your reservation ASAP.
“JCC Without Walls” is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County with financial support from the Dan Danciger/Fort Worth Hebrew Day School.
Press notes
Speedy recovery wishes to Corrine Jacobson, recuperating from recent knee replacement surgery.
Happy birthday greetings to Greta Beckerman celebrating a special birthday occasion.
Barbara Weinberg has the chore of once again ordering the new mah jongg cards for our local “mavens.” Since the deadline is getting close, we suggest you send your checks, made out to Barbara Weinberg, 4600 Westlake, Fort Worth 76132, as soon as possible. The standard card is $8 and the larger card is $9. I always order a few extras to have on hand, As you know, Fort Worth Hadassah benefits from our local order to Barbara.