By Sharon Wisch-Ray

This is without a doubt one of the busiest times of year on the local Jewish calendar.
We have the Kosher Chili Cook-off this weekend at Tiferet Israel, which is never to be missed, an opportunity to participate in Super Sunday next weekend and help the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas reach its campaign goals while giving back to the community, and we are beginning our preparations for Pesach. Our local teens involved in BBYO are in the midst of nom period, an exciting time of year for them.
Nom pick-up is over, and local BBYO chapters have elected their noms for this year. What is a nom? These are the guys and girls who want to be beau or sweetheart of a chapter. Each nom will go to all of the chapter’s programming until Walkdown so they get to meet and know people in that chapter.
Chapters can have no more than five noms. Beaus and sweethearts will be announced at Walkdown weekend, March 29 and 30. Walkdown is an event that happens at the end of nom period where the noms find out if they won beau or sweetheart. Every chapter in Dallas Council will be at Walkdown to see which noms are chosen.
Congratulations to the following chapters and their respective noms: Sally Blum BBG: Aaron Tverye, Danny Rozen, Adam Schor, Jake Mailman and Shane Appell; Judy Kravitz BBG: Eric Pansick, Marc Kirsch, Ethan Barath, Cory Zack and Matt Engelson; Fannie Sablosky BBG: Jason Epstein, Gary Levine, Greyson Rubin, Jacob Feist and Oren Yacoel; Alton Silver BBG: Ryan Hance, Brandon Cotter and Ben Roth; Reba Wadel BBG: Nate Beer, Mitchell Bradley, Hayden Simon, Sterling Staffin and Elliot Galanter; Ginny Weinstein BBG: Mitchell Morris, Tyler Halpern, Zach Trotter, Nathan Jajan and Michael Perkins; and Jennie Zesmer BBG: Lee Allen, Jacob Przada, Cameron Smith, Michael Vivier and Ben Weinberg.
Also, David Berger AZA: Elizabeth Kaner, Jeri Rosenbloom and Jordan Intebi; Louis D. Brandeis AZA: Lauren Siegel, Helen Enda, Aliza Jacob and Sofia Joison; Eamonn Lacey AZA: Emily Sunshine, Carly Weiner, Danielle Stoler and Bianca Lax; Morton Lewis AZA: Rachel Poulin, Lindsay Rudoff, Dania Tanur, Allie Schlosser and Paulina Simon; Rubin Kaplan AZA: Haley Ablon, Vicky Blitshtein, Ryan Kboudi, Alex Aronowitz and Carolyn San Soucie; and Henry Monsky AZA: Halle Teiber, Shaina Rabhan, Rosie Zander, Danielle Solman and Bree Goodman.
Good luck, and enjoy nom period.

VITAS Hospice leaders participate in NIJH conference

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care executive vice president and chief medical officer Dr. Barry Kinzbrunner and Dallas Jewish community liaison Elise Power were featured speakers at the 27th annual National Institute for Jewish Hospice Conference late last year in Newark, N.J.

Kinzbrunner, author of “End of Life Care: A Practical Guide,” presented “Jewish Medical Ethics and End-of-Life Care.” Power presented “Chicken Soup for the Jewish Soul: The Jewish Hospice Accreditation Recipe for Success, What Now.”
”Since our beginning in 1978, VITAS has been committed to providing the highest quality care to patients at the end-of-life and their families — care that is both clinically excellent and culturally sensitive,” Kinzbrunner said. “Many of our 51 hospice programs are accredited by the NIJH, meaning that VITAS offers a specialized level of hospice care designed to meet the specific needs of terminally ill Jewish patients and their families.”
NIJH was established in 1985 to help alleviate suffering in serious and terminal illness. NIJH provides hospice training and has accredited and reaccredited 225 Jewish hospice programs in the United States. As a provider of end-of-life care since 1978, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care provides patients and their families with the high-quality, compassionate care, including managing their pain and symptoms and providing emotional and spiritual support.
For information, visit www.VITAS.com or call 866-41-VITAS.

Smart Cookies

Congratulations to Brentfield third graders Jonah Craine and Jimmy Ray who are members of the Imaginators, a Destination Imagination team that came in first place at the Dal-Rich regional competition Feb. 16. The Imaginators also includes Adam Howard, Gracie George, Warren Mullinex, Isobella LaBarge, Sutton Rockman and coaches Anne Howard and Alex Ray. The team will head to Katy next month to compete in Texas’ state competition.

Elovitz joins Cooper

Dr. Reuben Elovitz has joined Cooper Clinic Platinum, the concierge medicine practice at Cooper Clinic. Elovitz will provide Platinum members with around-the clock access to tend to their preventive and primary care needs. Cooper Clinic launched the Platinum practice in 2009, ahead of the growing trend of concierge medicine practices starting as a result of the passage of the Affordable Care Act.