On May 20 the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation held its annual scholarship reception at Temple Shalom. More than $132,000 was awarded this year from 29 scholarship funds to 32 deserving young people. This brings the total amount given to more than $1.7 million in 23 years. Generous and forward thinking donors created these endowed scholarship funds to ensure that future applicants of all faiths would have the means to obtain a higher education.
“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource,” said Rusty Cooper, DJCF vice chair of the board of trustees quoting John F. Kennedy. “Through the vision of our scholarship donors, in educating these young people we are aiding our most precious resource and in doing so advancing our nation.”
An independent scholarship committee selected recipients based on financial need, academic merit, involvement in extracurricular activities and community service. Students of all faiths and backgrounds were encouraged to apply and, while some scholarships are university specific, most allow study at the college or university of the recipient’s choice.
This year the DJCF scholarship committee, co-chaired by Marcy Helfand and Brad Roth, anonymously reviewed a record number of scholarship applications for undergraduate and graduate scholarship awards. The students are diverse; they are medical and law students; they are underclassmen and graduate students; and they will study locally and nationally. As recipients are able to reapply each year, some have received multiple awards. The Dallas Jewish Community Foundation is the largest Jewish provider of college scholarships in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, benefiting more than 400 students since 1991.
Among the funders of the 2014 awards are the Farra Julianne Bloom Memorial Endowment Benefitting Children, Barbara Kay Levy Calick Scholarship, Frank Gilford Scholarship, Joe Goldstein Memorial Scholarship in Fashion and Retailing, Annette Golman Jayson and Frances Goodman Golman Scholarship, Joe H. Golman Leadership and Community Service Scholarship, Donald J. Grossfeld Memorial Scholarship, Bill Jayson Jewish Studies Scholarship, Jonas Family Scholarship, Sam and Anne Kesner Texas A&M Scholarship, Marsha Kivowitz Scholarship, Stacey and Donald Kivowitz Scholarship, Ben and Dorothy Lewis Scholarship, Julie G. Lowenberg Scholarship, Frances Olsan Scholarship, One At A Time Scholarship, Arnold and Ruth W. Pian Scholarship, Hedy and Fred Reisberg Scholarship in Honor of their Children and Grandchildren, Saffran Family Scholarship, Martin Samuelsohn Scholarship, Fannie Schaenen Scholarship, Mickey and Ruth Schimmel Memorial Scholarship, Celia Roosth Schoenbrun Scholarship, Abner and Fortunee Soriano Scholarship, Edith and Herbert Stehberg Scholarship, Dorothy and Lewis Suckle Scholarship, UBS Corporate Endowment Scholarship and Gerardo and Helga Weinstein Scholarship, all funds of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation.
Submitted by Mona Allen on behalf of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation.