NEWSMAKERS

Newsmakers is a compilation of the Jewish community’s newsworthy professional and academic accomplishments. Submit your news to news@stljewishlight.org. Call 314-743-3669 for more information. Newsmakers is compiled by Elise Krug.

Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School honored Sanford “Buddy” Lebman with the Meyer and Marcelle Kranzberg Visionary Award and Rabbi Susan Talve and Rabbi James Stone Goodman with the Community Service award. All were celebrated at the May 7 Greetings from Mirowitz gala at the Ritz Carlton.

Sarah Z. Levinson, who works for Jewish Family Services as the manager of the St. Louis NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community), will be honored at the Joy of Community, the JProStL annual End of Year Event, on Wednesday, May 17 for her two years as president of JProStL. Rabbi Lori Levine, associate rabbi and director of education at Congregation Shaare Emeth, will be installed as the new president. JProStL, an initiative of Jewish Federation of St. Louis, is the association for staff who work throughout the St. Louis Jewish community. It provides staff development, networking and the sharing of resources.

Former St. Louisan Kalix Jacobson was recently ordained a cantor from Hebrew Union College in New York and graduated from Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management with a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management. They will be joining the clergy of Temple Emanuel of South Hills in Pittsburgh, Penn. in July.

Rebecca Barnholtz, University of Maryland, class of 2024, has been selected for membership in the Sigma Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. She was recognized for her service in social and campus activities.

Barnholtz is majoring in public policy and has served as a summer intern at the National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis and currently works for UMD Student Entertainment Events. She is the daughter of Rachel Barnholtz and Lee Barnholtz.

Brought To You This

MONTH BY:

TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: Sarah Z. Levinson, Rabbi Lori Levine and Kalix Jacobson

SECOND ROW: Rebecca Barnholtz, Deb Dubin and Philip W. Taxman

THIRD ROW: Samantha Shanker, Becky Hauser and Marci Mayer Eisen

Deb Dubin will serve on St. Louis Public Radio’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee of their community advisory board. She is the chief philanthropy officer for Moneta Group and attends Central Reform Congregation.

Philip W. Taxman, senior vice president and wealth adviser at Merrill Lynch, has been named a Forbes magazine Best-inState Wealth Advisor for 2023. Taxman is a member of Shaare Emeth.

Former St. Louisan Samantha Shanker joined the writing team as a staff writer of the new Netflix series, “Unstable.” It stars Rob Lowe and his son John Owen Lowe.

Becky Hauser was named one of the inaugural Webster Groves School District Inspires Award recipients, Parent

Volunteer. She was honored at the district’s Recognition Reception on May 9. Hauser attends CRC.

Marci Mayer Eisen, director of Millstone Leadership Initiatives and JProStL at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, is the founder and co-chair of Imun (Hebrew for coaching), a peer-led cohort for ICF (International Coaching Federation) credentialed coaches who work with Jewish organizations in the United States and beyond. Participants learn from one another, promote coaching cultures in Jewish organizations, and refer coaching opportunities. Eisen, a member of CRC, is available for short-term coaching for staff and board leaders affiliated with Jewish organizations in St. Louis, as a service of Jewish Federation.

Continued on opposite page

Brian Liberman has joined Cadence Bank’s St. Louis Commercial Banking team as senior vice president, relationship manager. His new role focuses on delivering comprehensive banking solutions to manufacturing companies, residential home builders and contractors.

Alan Spector and Marty Stein were two of the 14 inducted into the Greater St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame last month. Spector, a member of Congregation Shaare Emeth and the board of the Jewish Light, is a baseball author and former player at the University of Missouri-Rolla. Stein, a 25-year board member and president of the St. Louis Metro Collegiate Baseball League and managing partner at Gaming Recruiters, LLC, attends Congregation Temple Israel.

Kappa Delta president Demi Fine received the David A. Ambler Outstanding Campus Leader Award from the University of Kansas Sorority and Fraternity Life. This award recognizes individuals who display outstanding leadership and service across the KU campus. Demi is the president of KU Challah for Hunger program, a social media intern, an active member of KU’s Hillel and completed over 90 hours of community service this school year. The daughter of Jennifer and Kevin Fine, she is a junior majoring in Unified Studies of General and Special Educaton. Her family attends Congregation B’nai Amoona.

“Nancy and Ken Kranzberg Way” was officially dedicated as the honorary street name for Washington Avenue from North Leonard Avenue to North Teresa Avenue. The honor came in recognition of the impact both have made in preserving St. Louis’ rich cultural heritage on these blocks and throughout the region.