B'Nai Amoona Congregation Cemetery

Louis announced the recipients of the Fred A. Goldstein Award for Professional Leadership and David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Awards. Both awards will be presented at Federation’s 2017 Annual Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7 at The Magic House. Lynn Wittels, President and Chief Executive Officer at the Jewish Community Center, will receive the Fred A. Goldstein Award for Professional Leadership, which recognizes an outstanding professional working in a St. Louis Jewish organization. The award honors individuals who excel in their field, have a significant track record over time, have introduced important innovations, and are perceived as role models by other professionals and volunteers.Wittels just celebrated her 10th anniversary in this role and is the first woman to hold this position in the agency’s 130+ year history. Under her leadership, the J has more than doubled its annual budget, transitioned to a healthy financial model and is considered one of the most successful Jewish Community Centers in the country. Wittels has been involved in the community for many years in a variety of capacities. As a volunteer she served on boards of the Federation, the  J and Congregation B’nai Amoona and was President of the Business & Professional Women’s Division of the Federation. She also served on the Ladue School District Budget Task Force and on the Planning Committee for the Ladue School District’s Education Foundation. A native of Cincinnati, Wittels was named one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s “Most Influential Business Women” in 2010 and received a “40 Under 40.” She is also a 2010 recipient of a “What’s Right with the Region” Award in recognition of her work in promoting stronger communities.  Emily Stein MacDonald and Ben Cherry will be presented with the David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Award, which recognizes young adult volunteer leaders who demonstrate active leadership in the Jewish community. Stein MacDonald is a native St. Louisan and fifth generation funeral director. She joined her father – Richard... (St. Louis Jewish Light)

March 19. The meeting is inspired, in part, by B’nai Amoona’s former cantor, Leon Lissek, who left the synagogue in 1998 and is now on a kidney transplant list.“This is purely an informational meeting — no one is getting swabbed or being asked to sign on the dotted line,” said Michael Samis, executive director of B’nai Amoona. “It’s a program, too, to introduce more people to Renewal, and also to get the whole idea of transplants, in this case kidney transplants, before more members of the community.”Renewal is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based nonprofit that facilitates treatment of people with kidney diseases, including kidney donations. Founded in 2006, it has its roots in the ultra-Orthodox community of Borough Park in Brooklyn, but has since expanded to other streams of Judaism across North America.Rabbi Joshua Sturn, director of community outreach at Renewal, will explain about the program at the temple meeting, which also will be attended by Lissek’s wife and son. Lissek and his family live on the East Coast, said Samis.RSVPs are requested to Amy Maupin at amy@bnaiamoona.com or 314-576-9990 ext. 131. The event is free and open to the entire community. B’nai Amoona is located at 324 S. Mason Road. The ball’s in your courtLooking to invest in a little different March Madness, as in the kind that doesn’t have anything to do with basketball? Then consider donating to one of several dozen St. Louis charities, including the National Council of Jewish Women, as part of Brackets for Good St. Louis.The brackets — structured like the men’s college March Madness basketball tournament — pits 64 local nonprofits against one another. Participating organizations rally donors to out-fundraise opponents in order to advance to the next round. Dollars from online donations translate to points, giving participants the opportunity to advance in each bracket round. Competing nonprofits get to keep all donations received during tournament play, no matter how many rounds they advance. The winner gets an additional $10,000 championship grant.The first round is over but t... (St. Louis Jewish Light)