Briefs: Transitions at Jewish Home Life; Museum Honors Ackerman
Above: Steve Berman dons a Queen of Hearts costume in honor of Carole Kirschner.
Jewish Home Life Communities marked two major changes in leadership during its 66th annual meeting Sunday afternoon, Oct. 16, at the William Breman Jewish Home:
- Steve Merlin, who served as board chair the past three years, passed the title to a cousin, Deborah Maslia.
- Fred Halperin ended a 25-year run as an elected member of the board of directors but became JHLC’s first board member emeritus. That means, he told the crowd in accepting the honor, that JHLC is stuck with him forever.
Presenting Halperin the special recognition, unanimously approved by the board, was Merlin’s final act as chair. “You’re our goodwill ambassador to the community and our largest fundraiser,” Merlin told Halperin. “You just can’t go now.”
Merlin added: “We never want you to retire from being our No. 1 advocate.”
Two couples received the nonprofit organization’s annual awards:
- Carole (a past president of the Jewish Home Auxiliary and former JHLC board member) and Sid Kirschner (a former JHLC board chair) received the Founders Award, presented by Steve Berman, who wore a reversible costume to make the point that Sid Kirschner is the Jack of All Trades and Carole Kirschner is the Queen of Hearts.
“That was, uh, entertaining,” Sid Kirschner said.
- Sue and Gary Saban received the Chair’s Award from Merlin. Sue Saban has been one of the organization’s most active volunteers since starting in the gift shop 13 years ago and is a past president of the auxiliary and a Weinstein Hospice board member. Gary Saban, who took up glass art after retiring from dentistry, has created pieces for the Breman Jewish Home and Berman Commons and is working on items for the Cohen Home.
“I feel like I’ve taken, not given,” said Gary Saban, who doubted that he deserved the award but agreed that his wife did.
Museum Honors Ackerman
The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University recently honored Charles Ackerman by naming its reception hall the Charles S. Ackerman Hall after the Jewish entrepreneur donated $1 million to the museum’s endowment.
“It is so wonderful to have the Ackerman name in the building and especially above the entrance to the beautiful reception hall,” Museum Director Bonnie Speed said in a statement.
The reception hall is used for lectures, concerts, children’s activities, poetry readings, exhibition openings and other events.
Ackerman has supported the Carlos Museum for more than two decades, including 10 years as co-chair of the advisory board.
He began as board chair in 2003, the year the museum returned Rameses I to Egypt, and he joined the Carlos entourage on the trip to Cairo.
Ackerman has paid for technology initiatives and important acquisitions over the years, the museum said in an announcement.
Police Adjustment
Complete Spine Solutions’ Brookhaven location provided free services to Brookhaven police officers on Police Appreciation Day on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Officers received assessments through digital posture screens and received laser treatments and massages to relieve pain, much of which results from the heavy equipment they wear.
“Our bulletproof vests impact our posture, but are pretty important to wear,” Officer Russell Davis said. “When we can’t even sit or stand up straight, it affects our knees, back, necks and shoulders, and we must push through this constant pain.”
“I feel excited to go to work and take on the day,” Officer Carlos Nino said after his morning treatment at Complete Spine Solutions (www.CompleteSpineSolutions.com).
Scouts Salute Benator
The Atlanta Council of the Boy Scouts recently recognized Josiah Benator as one of 11 winners of this year’s Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award, which recognizes people instrumental in the development of Scouting for disadvantaged youths.
Benator has served as the Scout master for the Boy Scout Troop 73, based at Congregation Or VeShalom, for 68 years.
Benator credited his wife, Birdie, and the importance of the experience to the Scouts in the troop through seven decades.
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