The Southwest Jewish Congress (SWJC) held its Annual Meeting on May 20 at 12 Cuts Brazilian Steakhouse, with approximately 120 people in attendance.

In addition to the annual election of board members and officers, SWJC awarded $2,000 grants to 10 deserving North Texas organizations.

Installed as SWJC officers were President Susie Salfield Avnery; Founding Chair and Treasurer Harry Ploss; Immediate Past Chair Jonathan M. Spigel; Secretary Lynn Towery; Co-Vice Presidents of Community Relations Kevin Bolton and Pearl Garza Fracchia; Vice President of Fundraising Cindy Ray; and Vice President of Programming Nelda Golden. Board members installed were Michael B. Cohen, Linda Garner, Marla Greenberg Janco, Hilary Miller, Monty Moncibais, Helen Kalmans Roth, Rose Marie Stromberg, Anita Weinstein and Jeffrey Weiss.

Grant recipients included Agape Clinic, Dallas Filipino Lions Club, Empowering the Masses, Family Compass, Giving Grace, Miles of Freedom, Prism Movement Theater, Texas Ramp Project, The Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center and Twelfth Step Ministry. A list of the organizations and the services they provide can be found at swjc.org.

Coinciding with Memorial Day, the meeting’s theme honored the service of veterans — “Veterans as Role Models: A Positive Impact on Our World.”

The panel discussion was moderated by Captain Marc Liebman, a Vietnam War rescue helicopter pilot. Panelists included Ruth Schor, who served in the Israel Defense Forces; Carl Wiley, who served most notably in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and Robert Munoz, a Vietnam veteran and one of the few enlisted men to rise to the rank of officer.

During the discussion, panelists shared their best and worst moments in service, and what they learned from those experiences. The stories were deeply personal, offering powerful examples of courage, resilience and leadership.

The Southwest Jewish Congress expressed gratitude to the panelists and to everyone who made the event possible.