18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 33
DECEMBER 10, 2021
2021
Honoring the 2021 Class of 18 Difference Makers LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
GENERATION AWARD THE SALTZMAN FAMILY
ALIKI AND PETER RZEPKA
EDNA TALMOR AKRISH
SAM CHESTNUT
LOREN CHYLLA
BETH NUSBAUM CURTISS
RONALD GROSS
MAYA HOLTZ GROYS
ADAM G. JACOBS, PH.D.
AMY R. KAPLAN
DONALD H. MESSINGER & SALLY MESSINGER
JAMES PASCH
SUSAN RATNER
CARRIE ROSENFELT
MARK STOVSKY, MD MBA
TOM SUDOW
MURIEL WEBER
We Can Help With Your COVID-19 Business Interruption Insurance Claim. No-Fee Assessments. Vetted claims on a no-fee-unless-you-win basis. and potential claim. If your company has a business When pursued, we’ll provide our interruption policy, and has or will incur at least $250,000 in damages services at no cost unless you win. Get started at mccarthylebit.com/ due to the COVID-19, consider the STEPHENLebit. L. JEFFREY D. PATRICIA business-interruption-claims. Or, A. services of McCarthy submit the requested information With decades of experience RUDOLPH SCHWARTZ SHLONSKY assessing insurance coverage issues, directly to Super Lawyer® Ohio Top Supporting Co-presenting our expert attorneys will begin Sponsors: with 10 attorney Christian R. Patno at Sponsors: a no-fee assessment of your policy crp@mccarthylebit.com.
MCCARTHY LEBIT CRYSTAL LIFFMAN McCarthyLebit.com Expect more. Get more.
Generation Award Cocktail Sponsor: Sponsor:
Krause Family Foundation
Lanyard Sponsor:
Video Sponsor:
34 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
Proud to Support The Cleveland Jewish News
Difference Makers Thank You For Your Many Contributions to Our Communities!
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 35
DECEMBER 10, 2021
Join us in celebrating the 18 Difference Makers KEVIN S. ADELSTEIN
G
Kevin@cjn.org
iving back to our community is a long-held value in Northeast Ohio. It’s what drove the Cleveland Jewish News to create the 18 Difference Makers event back in 2015, to celebrate those dedicated to making change in the local Jewish community and beyond.
Six years later, I continue to be moved and in awe by the dedication I see from those who continue to find new ways to step up and offer their time, talent and treasure wherever it is needed most. Whether it involves using their special skills for an underserved need or showing up and learning something new to make an impact, Greater Cleveland is at no loss for those willing to give of themselves to the vast array of causes that desperately need support. And when the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, Clevelanders kept stepping up. As the pandemic continues, and some needs recede and others become greater, how individuals go about their own definitions of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, continues to change too. While some needs are ever-present, like food security, assistance for Holocaust survivors and supporting local Jewish institutions that serve us all, some are new or coming to the forefront. For example, Adam G. Jacobs, who is being honored in this year’s class, noticed that during the pandemic, access to social services wasn’t uniform throughout the community. The president of Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau and Wingspan Care Group told the CJN how he aims to find a multi-generational solution to help those families, and generations to come, who are most adversely affected. And when the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs could no longer conduct it’s in-person programming after the pandemic began, Thomas Sudow, the past president of the group, worked to ensure virtual programming could fill the hole and help stave off loneliness for about 4,000 attendees. In this year’s class, we also recognize Aliki and Peter Rzepka, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Saltzman family, to be presented the Generation Award. The Rzepkas have been among the Jewish community’s biggest supporters for decades. The couple founded the school now known as the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School, are stalwart supporters of the Mandel Jewish Community Center, were some of the earliest backers of the Friendship Circle of Cleveland and have been longtime leaders at Park Synagogue. The Saltzman family – through their family businesses, Dave’s Supermarkets and local Lucky’s Market stores – for generations has served our community by providing groceries in communities that otherwise may have poor access to healthy, affordable food. As during the pandemic, food access became an even more pronounced issue facing many families and particularly, their support of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and others, makes this the perfect time to recognize the Saltzman family. And when you consider the myriad institutions that are served by each of our other Difference Makers we honor this year and how much of those institutional worlds are continuing to be repaired – tikkun olam – it is how Difference Makers are defined. Joining the CJN in honoring these Difference Makers are our equally generous partners of the 2021 CJN 18 Difference Makers: co-presenting sponsors Classic Lexus and McCarthy Lebit Crystal Liffman, LPA; supporting sponsors COIT Cleaning and Restoration Services, and shark&minnow; Generation Award sponsor the Krause Family Foundation; cocktail sponsor Cleveland Jewish Funerals; lanyard sponsor Rent a Daughter Senior Care Services; and video sponsor
the Cuyahoga County Public Library. We appreciate their support, and the support of so many others in and around our city whose messages appear on the pages of our special commemorative section printed here. I’m also thrilled to be able to be together to recognize
these Difference Makers with an in-person event this year, after going virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year, we come together to celebrate these Difference Makers among us, and come together as a community to celebrate the great generosity, diversity and unity within it. These, are the CJN 18 Difference Makers of 2021. Kevin S. Adelstein is Publisher and CEO of the Cleveland Jewish News and President of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company.
Congratulations to our favorite Difference Maker,
Loren Chylla
Your leadership and commitment to helping others has made a tremendous impact throughout the community. We are so excited for your next chapter at Medical Mutual of Ohio. They are lucky to have you! We love you and are so proud of you! Heidi, Zach, and Mallory
36 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
GENERATION AWARD The Saltzman Family
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS Photo / Pollack Studio
Family dynasties are not just tales of English monarchies or feudal Japan. Cleveland also has a family dynasty, now on its fifth generation. A name that many locals recognize as the brains and brawn behind Dave’s Supermarkets, Inc. and local Lucky’s Market stores: the Saltzmans. Currently, the family business includes leadership from patriarch Burt Saltzman, the son of Dave Saltzman, the supermarket business’ namesake; his sons, Steven and Dan Saltzman; and Dan’s sons, David and Aaron Saltzman. While feeding families from 13 Dave’s locations and three locations of Lucky’s Market may seem like a daunting task, the Saltzman family takes it in stride, priding themselves in the service they bring to communities that may otherwise not have access to healthy and affordable groceries. And as a family and company, the Saltzmans also give time to the community, supporting local organizations like the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Bellefaire JCB and Menorah Park. Individually, each family member has their own community endeavors and philanthropic passions. “It was truly humbling to see people
waiting in their cars for hours to get food,” Dan Saltzman said, of a Greater Cleveland Food Bank food drive he volunteered at during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We try to be involved in organizations that touch the people we serve. Our customers were hit hard.” And those customers, and the Greater Cleveland community in which they live, are paramount to the Saltzman family. Cultivating and feeding Cleveland is of utmost importance, Burt Saltzman said. “Wherever we open up a supermarket, I think that is the one thing people look for in any area – a place to eat,” he said. “And we fulfill that need. It’s a good purpose to have, to make sure people are fed and have affordable, yet good, options for food on their tables.” And for Steve Saltzman, being able to do that as a family means the world. “Overall in the industry and across the country, there are not a lot of family-run, independent supermarkets that continue, just due to the nature of the business,” he said.
HOME CARE SERVICES
From Our Heart, To Your Home! ALZHEIMERS’ CARE
READY, SET, GO HOME
Congratulations To All The Honorees! ✆ (216) 633-3604
✉ nadineglatley@gmail.com RentaDaughter.org PERSONAL CARE
24/7 Serving Ohio and Florida
THE SALTZMAN MEN: From left front: David, Burton “Burt”, Aaron, Dan and Steven Saltzman HOMETOWNS: Beachwood (Burt), Pepper Pike (Steven and David), Solon (Dan) and Ohio City (Aaron) SYNAGOGUE: The Temple-Tifereth Israel OCCUPATION: All in ownership and leadership positions at Dave’s Markets, Inc. CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: As a family and company, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Bellefaire JCB and Menorah Park, as well as their own individual activities
Dave’s was established in the late 1920s by Alex Saltzman, the first of the family’s five generations to be a grocer, after operating a horse-drawn produce wagon. It was then passed down to the company’s namesake Dave Saltzman and the rest is history. “As a family, we’ve gone into communities that needed solid supermarket options,” Steve Saltzman continued. “These are areas that were once called food deserts. And you get more satisfaction out of being in those kinds of areas because that is where options matter. Where it is make or break – going hungry or having access to good, healthy food at good prices.” No matter where people move in the city and its neighboring suburbs, Dan Saltzman said the supermarket always keeps a finger on the pulse to ensure everyone has access to a neighborhood supermarket. “When we built our store in MidTown, that was a recommitment to the center of Cleveland, where our company started,” he said of the new flagship store that opened in early 2019. “We took our original store on East 33rd Street and Payne Avenue and moved it to East 61st Street and Chester Avenue in the MidTown neighborhood. That was one of the biggest moves we’ve made as a company. It signified us recommitting ourselves to the people we originally served and, many times, still need us most.” Those needs were even more clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, David Saltzman said. “It refocused us – especially at the beginning when none of us knew what it
all meant,” he said. “We were one of the only public spaces, a grocery store, that was still open. Navigating how to best keep the community and our associates safe, but also bring people food was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in the business. We were up to the challenge.” And during the height of the pandemic, Dan Saltzman said their staff were the real difference makers. “While we were managing the business, it was the frontline workers – the cashiers, the people that were working in the stores during the pandemic,” he said. “They still came to work every day. They’re the ones that deserve a lot of credit. They stepped up since a good, affordable option was something a lot of people needed out of their grocer. They helped us address that need in a way that mattered.” Aaron Saltzman added, “We are incredibly proud of the amazing people who work for our company, many have been in jobs for 20 or 30 years. I cannot emphasize enough how much that means to us. Our team is an extension of our own family. I believe that’s part of what makes Dave’s special.” As for the future of the Saltzman family dynasty, Burt Saltzman simply said he is blessed. With grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and strong wives behind them, it’s that support system that makes the work they do possible. “I feel very fortunate to live to see what I’ve seen,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, the future looks very bright as our family grows. I am so blessed. I’m 84 years old, and I’m looking forward to the future.” – Becky Raspe
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 37
Congratulations to our very own,
Peter & Aliki Rzepka, Cleveland Jewish News 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.
Peter & Aliki have made a lifetime out of helping others in so many ways throughout the Jewish community and the community at large, locally, nationally, and internationally. We would also like to recognize and congratulate this year’s Generation Award winners, The Saltzman Family, as well as the 18 Difference Makers of 2021, who are also “making a difference” in our community. All your contributions and service to the community at large are greatly appreciated. We wish all of you good health, happiness, and continued strength. TransCon Builders, Inc. Fred & Peter Rzepka and The Rzepka families
38 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Aliki and Peter Rzepka
HOMETOWN: Shaker Heights and Boca Raton, Fla.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winners Aliki and Peter Rzepka have made a positive difference in the Cleveland Jewish community for more than 50 years, where they have established, built and led some of the most important organizations in the region and beyond. Peter said that after narrowly escaping the Nazis and traveling across much of Russia, the family wound up in the English section of an Austrian refugee camp after World War II. His father, Nathan, the leader of the Jewish refugees and a Zionist, was sending young Jewish men from the camp to the British Mandate for Palestine to fight the English, who controlled Palestine at the time. When the Rzepkas emigrated to Australia, the Austrialian Consulate called him and said that they knew that his father was sending young men to fight the British in Palestine. They told him that his family would never be allowed to go to a country that was part of the British Commonwealth. So they went to America. When deciding where to go in America, Peter said he decided upon Cleveland because of a song that was popular after the war: “Cleveland: The best location in the nation.” It also didn’t hurt that he had family in Cleveland, as well as Toledo, Detroit, Chicago and California. Upon arriving in Cleveland, the Jewish community welcomed them with open arms, the Rzepkas said. “The Jewish community in Cleveland was wonderful to us,” Aliki said. When they arrived in Cleveland, the Rzepkas began to be involved in the community using the resources they had from the family’s construction business. Peter founded Rzepka Construction in 1956, soon after they arrived in America. He was joined by his brother, Fred Rzepka, who arrived in Cleveland four years later and joined Peter in the company. Later, in 1971, they established TransCon Builders. Peter and Aliki Rzepka co-founded The Agnon School, which started with just
11 students in 1969. Now known as the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School, it has an enrollment of about 350. Peter was one of the early board chairs and is honorary chair for life. They have continuously supported the school in many ways for over 50 years. In 1999, the school held a ”A Tribute to Peter Rzepka.”. The Rzepkas have been members and stalwart supporters of the Jewish Community Center, first in Cleveland Heights, and now the Mandel JCC in Beachwood, since the mid-1950s. Peter has served as board chair and is a life trustee. The JCC aquatics center has been dedicated in their name. Aliki has swum there practically daily for decades. Peter has also served as an officer of the Jewish Community Centers of America. In 2018, the couple were honored by the JCC at the “Play at the J” gala. They also were some of the earliest supporters of the Friendship Circle of Cleveland, where Peter has also served as board chair. The couple have been members at Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike for decades. Peter has served as its president and is a recipient of Park’s Centerite Award, Park’s highest honor. Peter has served for many years on the board of directors and is a trustee for life at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Peter and Aliki have also been long time supporters of Bar Ilan University, the largest university in Israel. Both have received a “doctorate, honoris causa” from Bar Ilan. Their major contribution to Bar Ilan provided funding to create the Peter & Aliki Rzepka Twelve Tribes Plaza at the university, the purpose of which is to provide a place for students to
Congratulations Don & Sally Messinger
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue OCCUPATION: Peter is chairman at TransCon Builders, Inc., Aliki is a homemaker CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School (formerly The Agnon School), Friendship Circle of Cleveland, Mandel Jewish Community Center, Park Synagogue and Bar Ilan University
relax and study. They have also provided scholarships to students at Bar Ilan, many who immigrated to Israel, for many years. Peter is on the global board of Bar Ilan as well as a past president of the US Friends of Bar Ilan. Their service also extends to non-Jewish organizations. Peter is a life director of the National Home Builders Association as well as a past president of the Building Industry Association of Greater Cleveland. He also served as foreman of the Cuyahoga County Grand Jury. According to the Rzepkas, this drive to make a difference, to do acts of mitzvot, is borne of their deep faith, the importance that family and community holds for them and the fundamental belief that it is important to treat others kindly. “The biggest lesson that I learned (as a child) is that a good word is better than a bad word,” Aliki said. “This was my principle. Many times, I was angry but I held myself. I said to (myself) remember, a human being is like a mirror. What you see (in your behavior), they see in you also. ... You have to respect the people around you, if you want them to respect you. What you give is what you get.” Peter added that, from a young age, he understood the importance of Jewish education as a way to not only know God, but to better know himself. He also learned about his place in the world and the importance of supporting the broader Jewish community. During Jewish day school in Ruzhan, his “little shtetl” in Poland, he said he started to learn about Judaism. “It was very important to understand where I belong,” Rzepka said. “Who do I belong to? I don’t belong to myself. I
belong to a people. I belong to God.” Such an understanding of Judaism and the importance of supporting the Jewish community from a young age drove the Rzepkas to give of their time and resources to build and sustain the Jewish community in Cleveland – and well beyond. “It’s within me, within us, that we have to do it,” Peter said. Aliki agreed, “I realized what I had to do and I was insisting” on supporting the Jewish community. Peter said he saw such a sense of community growing up in a village of 2,500 Jews in Poland. “The Jewish people always stuck together,” he said. “They used to make a cholent on Friday and on Saturday go and pick it up from the oven and bring it home.” But such philanthropy, such support, extends beyond just the Jewish community, they both said, and doing good for others can benefit you as well. Aliki said this is a lesson she saw during the Nazi occupation of Greece, where she and her family were during the war. She and her family were in hiding in a small village outside of Athens and while the villagers knew they were there, no one ever told the Nazis. Aliki said this was in part because of the kindness that her family showed the community. No one said anything because “every year we came to Greece and we brought a lot of clothes for everybody,” she said. Peter said this is who the Jewish people are. “Like Jewish people always do,” he said. “They help out other people.” – Stephen Langel
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 39
DECEMBER 10, 2021
Congratulations to our cousin Susie Ratner and to our friends Sam Chestnut Amy Kaplan and all the other honorees. Each one of you makes an outstanding difference in our community.
Congratulations to all the 2021 18 Difference Makers CARPETS • UPHOLSTERY TILE & GROUT • AIR DUCTS DRAPERY & BLINDS • ORIENTAL RUGS
WWW.COIT.COM/CLEVELAND 216-626-0040
Meisel-Tov!
Susi and Peter Meisel
“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” – Margaret Fuller Congratulations to Board of Trustees member
PATRICIA A. SHLONSKY
on being named a 2021 Cleveland Jewish News Difference Maker. Thank you, Patty, for your leadership and passion for public libraries. FROMBRIEFSTOBOOKS.COM
40 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
HOMETOWN: Beachwood and Hollywood Beach, Fla.
Trust us with your pre-planning needs
Jewish Heritage… Jewish Traditions… Jewish-owned and operated
SYNAGOGUES: Temple Israel Ner Tamid of Mayfield Heights and Chabad Ocean Drive of Hollywood, Fla.
• Pre-arrangement is perhaps one of the most meaningful gifts of love you can provide for your family • Ease the burden on your family at an emotional time • Ensure your �inal wishes are followed • Transfer pre-need policies from any funeral home • Learn more about VA bene�its, what the government provides to the Veteran and spouse • Receive a list of the 25 documents you need before you die
OCCUPATION: Education Director of Temple Israel Ner Tamid and President of Sole Business Systems inc. CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Cleveland Israel Arts Connection Advisory Group, Cleveland Jewish FilmFest, Mandel JCC Jewish Book Festival, JEC Education Directors Network, Jewish Federation of Cleveland: Beit Shean-Valley of Springs – Cleveland Partnership (original founding group and subcommittees member), Federation Overseas Connection Committee, FIDF Subcommittee Member, Bridge to the Future, Revising Holocaust teaching materials for teens, Vice Chairman Superior Arts District/ Campus district downtown Cleveland, Register for Success – Founder/Director, Mentor in Jewish Education and Women Owning Businesses Photo / Pollack Studio
Edna Talmor Akrish Edna Talmor Akrish, a champion of Jewish education and learning, describes herself as an unintentional teacher.
) 216-340-1400 - 26801 Miles Road • Cleveland, OH 44128 SCAN ME
Akrish, a native of Haifa, Israel, found her way to Greater Cleveland on her honeymoon to visit relatives of her husband, Yair Akrish, and ended up staying. Shortly after arriving, she was asked to substitute teach in a religious school class described as “full of kids who misbehaved.” She said while it took some time to transform that class, “I realized how much I enjoyed the bond that we created with those students and how we changed the whole approach and the whole atmosphere in the classroom.” She did not expect to find herself “committed and engaged in teaching Jewish values, history, Bible and the love of Israel,” she said. That is, however, what Akrish has been doing for decades. “My motto early on was leading by example,” Akrish said. “So, I took my students to volunteer with me at the various organizations. And I raised my own children to walk the walk, not just talk the talk.” Akrish came to Cleveland just after completing service in the Israel Defense Forces in 1979 where she was a commander in the air force training teens who were at risk to become soldiers. While at the IDF, she earned a diploma in public relations and advertising from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She has a teaching diploma from the
Conveniently located on Miles Road on the border of Orange Village and Solon
: www.ClevelandJewishFunerals.com
Case Western Reserve University commends UMC_4406-01_2021
Susan Ratner (MSASS ‘69) for Making a Great Difference across Our Community
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
former Cleveland College of Jewish Studies, a bachelor’s degree in Judaic studies from the former Siegal College of Jewish Studies, and a real estate sales and appraisal degree from Cuyahoga Community College. She also earned a Master of Science degree in management and Finance from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind. “I never, ever turned away from teaching and mentoring,” she said. In addition to her responsibilities at Cleveland Hebrew Schools for 28 years, where she last worked as superintendent, Akrish was one of the founders of the Cleveland Jewish Film Festival, helped the Jewish Federation of Cleveland establish ties to Beit Shean – Valley of Springs in Israel, and is active in other Jewish and community organizations. She led many delegations to Israel and Europe. Akrish said she is most proud of the opening of the new religious school at Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights, where she is the education director. While she has executed bigger deals in the business world, “none of them for me was as inspiring and full of hope as far as achievement as building this school and program for the children and congregation.” - Jane Kaufman
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 41
Mazel Tov, Sam Chestnut!
Thank you for all you do for The Lippman School and the Community Congratulations to Aliki and Peter Rzepka, longtime Lippman supporters, on their Lifetime Achievement Award
Best wishes to the entire 2021 Difference Makers Class The Lippman School Board and Staff JCBA and Shaw JCC Boards
42 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Akron SYNAGOGUE: Anshe Sfard Synagogue-Revere Road Synagogue OCCUPATION: Head of School at The Lippman School in Akron CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Founder and President of The Lodge Approach, Education Committee of the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center
Sam Chestnut As head of The Lippman School in Akron, Sam Chestnut has helped grow the institution and shape its direction largely based on his own childhood experiences. Lippman has 105 students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, nearly doubling in size from 64 students since Chestnut took the helm in 2010. A member of Anshe Sfard Synagogue in Bath Township, he has helped develop a program at the school that both embraces Judaism and invites students and perspectives from other cultures. “We’re a very unique Jewish day school in the landscape of day schools around the country,” Chestnut said. “We have embraced (an) intentional multicultural model that teaches Jewish values to all students and offers a language choice in Hebrew or Spanish. We’re forced to articulate who we are, where we come from, what we believe with our friends, some who have similar, or very different family, religious or cultural experiences. And in that model, anyone’s identity and Jewish identity in particular, can be built in different, stronger and more organic ways for kids to have success in the multicultural global world we live in.” While some Jewish day schools enroll non-Jewish students, “they aren’t often teaching about diversity in the ways that we are,” said Chestnut, adding Lippman’s curriculum includes anti-racist education. “Part of the programming we have developed at The Lippman School includes outdoor experiential education in Montana on the Northern Cheyenne reservation and in Yellowstone National Park,” said Chestnut, adding students from the reservation visit The Lippman School each fall to do experiential learning in Akron. He is also founder and president of The Lodge Approach, which offers similar experiences to other schools and adult groups. Born in Seattle, Chestnut grew up attending Ashkenazic Bikur Cholim in Seattle and attended Seattle Hebrew Academy for his elementary grades. He graduated from Bellevue High School.
“We were the family that, when we went to synagogue three times a year, it was the Orthodox synagogue,” said Chestnut, adding that all four of his grandparents were born in shtetls in Europe. When Chestnut was in middle school, he first spent time on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. His late father, Steve, who was a lawyer for the Cheyenne, helped the tribe battle coal and energy interests “that would have ruined the reservation and would have hurt the culture of the people there.” He said that experience “helped me understand the world and in greater complexity than kids are taught in traditional schools.” In high school and college, he coached at the Maccabi Games. Chestnut graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier with a major in history. While there, he attended Hillel and became involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Knox County where he was assigned to work with “kids who were at risk or marginalized,” he said, “which is what led to a career in education.” After college, he began living in Akron and took a job as a field instructor at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, then began teaching at The Lippman School in 1996. While there, he attended the University of Akron earning his master’s degree in educational administration. He then became the education director at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center in Peninsula and then the assistant director and head of school at The Lillian and Betty Ratner Montessori School in Pepper Pike. “I went to a school that was 100% Jewish and I lived in a world that was very diverse,” he said. “For our Jewish kids, school and life feel very similar, but they have a school where they can learn and celebrate with their non-Jewish friends.” – Jane Kaufman
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 43
© 2021 Medical Mutual of Ohio
Medical Mutual congratulates Cleveland Jewish News Difference Maker
Vice President, Marketing Medical Mutual
We applaud his amazing accomplishments and commitment to our community. We are proud to welcome him to the Medical Mutual family.
MedMutual.com
Health | Dental | Vision | Life
44 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Beachwood SYNAGOGUE: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple OCCUPATION: Vice President, Marketing & Advertising at Medical Mutual of Ohio; formerly of Adcom
Adam,
Your thirty plus years of Tikkun Olam and selfless leadership have made the community a greater place and inspired your family and many others to give back. Thanks to you and the 2021 Class of Difference Makers.
Love, Melissa, Sam and Miho, Hannah and Soaman Zachery, Zoey and Adira
The Cleveland Orchestra congratulates 2021 Difference Maker Susan Ratner for her extraordinary community service and commitment to music in our city. We also salute all the 2021 honorees for their dedication to the Northeast Ohio community. Thank you.
CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple; Cleveland Jewish Publication Company; Jewish Federation of Cleveland; Mandel Jewish Community Center; Greater Cleveland Food Bank; and VeloSano Bike to Cure
Loren Chylla For Loren Chylla, a difference maker is someone passionate about their surroundings and the impact they can make on their community. “For me personally, I’m involved in a lot of things – but they are things I care about,” Chylla said. “I think a difference maker wants to create an impact and helps organizations flourish. I also think being involved sets a good example for the next generation – that we have an obligation to give back. Not to let things just happen on their own, especially when it’s things you care about.” And Chylla, who lives in Beachwood, does just that. When he’s not working, he is giving his time to a range of community organizations, including his temple, Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple; the Jewish Federation of Cleveland; the Mandel Jewish Community Center; the Greater Cleveland Food Bank; and VeloSano Bike to Cure. He is also a trustee/vice president on the board of directors of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company, which publishes Cleveland Jewish News. In the past, he was involved with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the Mandel Leadership Excellence Center, the Cleveland Leadership Center, The 250 Club, Bellefaire JCB and the Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. “It’s not just taking a title,” he said. “I literally roll up my sleeves and do what is asked of me. I make sure I show up and am involved.” Being so involved locally stems from his innate love of Cleveland – a city he grew up in and left only to attend college at Ohio University in Athens, Chylla said.
“After that, I couldn’t find a job right away so I moved to Atlanta, but I always knew I would come home,” he said. “I vowed to get involved and make a difference. I came back to give back and be part of it all.” Though Jewish by birth, Chylla said he wasn’t raised very religious and didn’t have a bar mitzvah growing up. But that only motivated him further to get involved in his adult life by giving and learning more, he added. “I think we have a sense of obligation as Jews to give back, whether that means subscribing to the CJN, belonging to the JCC or attending temple,” Chylla said. “As Jews, this is what we do. It is important my children are impacted by what I do. I expect that of them as Jews, and I want them to see that this is what we do as a family.” Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic alongside everyone else, Chylla said the widespread hardship and suffering pushed him to see what he could do to help his community. Looking to the future of Cleveland, he said those needs will always be there. “There is and will always be work to be done,” he said. “I don’t think the pandemic is ever going away in a sense. There will always be problems that people need to pay attention to. I do look forward to being part of the solution.” - Becky Raspe
“It’s not just taking a title. I literally roll up my sleeves and do what is asked of me. I make sure I show up and am involved.” Loren Chylla
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 45
Mazel Tov to our “18 Friends” who have made a huge difference and impact on our entire community. Enid and David Rosenberg
AMY/MOM, YOU BLOW US AWAY EVERY DAY WITH YOUR LOVE OF FAMILY AND DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY. THERE IS NO WORTHIER RECIPIENT OF THIS RECOGNITION. SENDING YOU HYDRANGEAS EVERY DAY. WITH LOVE AND SO MUCH RESPECT,
Ira, Andrew, Angela, Rachel, Dan, Emily, Max, and our various puppies
46 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Mayfield Heights
Muriel,
Mazel Tov for a well-deserved honor.
SYNAGOGUE: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami OCCUPATION: Community Volunteer CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: InMotion Immediate Past President and Board Member, Past President of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Foundation
-Bill Hartstein
Photo / Pollack Studio
Beth Nusbaum Curtiss BDO congratulates the
CJN Difference Makers for their significant contributions to the Northeast Ohio Community. BDO USA, LLP 1300 East Ninth Street, Suite 1301, Cleveland, OH 44114 Accountants and Advisors
www.bdo.com
© 2021 BDO USA, LLP. All rights reserved.
Thank you, Muriel Weber, for your commitment to resilience, remembrance, and Holocaust education. You are truly making a difference in the Survivor community and beyond. Kol Israel Foundation www.kifcle.org
Beth Nusbaum Curtiss views herself as a catalyst of sorts, a connector who helps people find their metier in the volunteer world. “So, one of the things that I love about being involved in the community is being able to find people’s needs and put their skill sets together with people in need because I think that people want to do good in this world,” said Curtiss, adding she enjoys the friendships and the sense of connectedness as well. Professionally, Curtiss was a child life worker at St. Luke’s Hospital and at Mt. Sinai Hospital, both in Cleveland, and later served as director of volunteers at the Jewish Community Center. She spent 15 years as an educational consultant with Discovery Toys. Born in Norfolk, Va., Curtiss, grew up at Ohef Sholom Temple and graduated from Granby High School, both in Norfolk. She attended Goucher College in Baltimore and graduated from Wheelock College in Boston. She met her husband, Cleveland native Rand Curtiss, at a cousin’s wedding. After the two married, they lived in Boston until Rand graduated from Harvard Business School in Cambridge. They then moved to Cleveland, raising their family in Shaker Heights. “I was raised in a family that was always involved in the community – a small Jewish community in Norfolk – a family that you give back to your community,” said Curtiss, whose father and grandfather were both president of her childhood temple. “So, that was part of who I was.” She said she began volunteering shortly after moving to Cleveland “to be involved in the community.” Her first volunteer commitment was to Suburban Temple-Kol Ami in Beachwood, where she later became president, and to the Mt. Sinai Auxiliary, where she took on a leadership role. At the same time, she was involved in her professional organization, then known as the Association for the Care of Children’s Health. “So, my community work has always been with Jewish organizations and with the general community,” Curtiss said. “That was really important to make those connections between different parts of our community
as connectors because we’re all part of the Greater Cleveland community.” When Curtiss was at Goucher, she first engaged with National Council of Jewish Women in Baltimore. “I always knew that it was a place that had good programming with the same ideals that I believed in,” said Curtiss, adding she remained connected with NCJW in Cleveland. “So, most of my community work has been around health, education, empowerment and children.” Curtiss is also one of 30 women who belong to Fun’D First, a giving circle and supporting foundation of the Cleveland Foundation. It chooses areas of interest, brings in speakers and selects organizations to award annual grants. In the last decade, Curtiss has focused her volunteer efforts first on Rainbow Babies and Children’s Foundation, where she is a past president. That role allowed her to listen closely and work collaboratively. Curtiss has had a second area of focus on InMotion, a wellness center for those with Parkinson’s disease, which she helped launch. “The dedication of the people involved in getting it off the ground was only matched or surpassed by the clients and their desire and their persistence to make their lives better.” In launching InMotion, “People came together with a mission,” Curtiss said. “They were philanthropic, sharing of skills, time and treasures. It was a perfect example of how Cleveland develops community.” InMotion occupies its own 20,000-squarefoot building in Beachwood, which opened in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. “As much as I love community service and giving, I think you get back, triple, quadruple, what you give. That’s a big part,” Curtiss said. “And I’m lucky to be in a family that believes that this is important, and it’s an important part of what we’ve tried to pass onto our children. There are ways to give. It doesn’t have to just be monetarily.” – Jane Kaufman
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 47
MAZEL TOV! It is with great pride that we congratulate and celebrate our members being honored as 2021 CJN Difference Makers award recipients. These congregants share The Temple’s values and are making a significant difference in the Northeast Ohio Jewish community and beyond.
GENERATIONAL AWARD: THE SALTZMAN FAMILY AMY KAPLAN SUSAN RATNER PATRICIA SHLONSKY "May you go from strength to strength."
Jack and Lilyan Mandel Building • 26000 Shaker Boulevard, Beachwood, Ohio 216.831.3233 • www.ttti.org
We salute Mt. Sinai immediate past Board Chair Susan Ratner and all of the 2021 Difference Makers’ contributions to Cleveland’s outstanding Jewish community.
Judge Dan A. Polster
Chair, Board of Directors
Mitchell Balk President
Congratulations to the Saltzman Family on their prestigious recognition and profound impact on the Jewish Community of Northeast Ohio Your Friends at Giant Eagle and American Seaway Foods
48 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Beachwood SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue
HOMETOWN: Moreland Hills
OCCUPATION: CEO and president of MGO and CEO of OneSeven
SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue
CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: North Coast Community Homes, Beat the Streets Cleveland, Hillel at Kent State, Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries
OCCUPATION: Development director, Milestones Autism Resources CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Fostering Hope, Association for Fundraising Professionals, Akiva Advisory board member
Photo / Pollack Studio
Ronald Gross
Maya Holtz Groys
For Ronald Gross, the responsibility of a difference maker is simple – a willingness to help impact another’s life.
Maya Holtz Groys always knew she wanted to make an impact on people’s lives. She has been the development director of Milestones Autism Resources in Warrensville Heights for eight years, serving from 2011 to 2015 and again since 2019.
“It’s about making a difference in someone else’s life,” said Gross, CEO and president of MGO and CEO of OneSeven, both in Beachwood. “Building MGO and OneSeven doesn’t make me a difference maker, but the organizations I am involved in outside of work make a difference in people’s lives and ultimately impact them.” Growing up in Northeast Ohio, Gross said a large part of his family still lives in the Cleveland area. He lives in Beachwood and attends Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike. All of that adds up to his passion for giving back locally, he said. “It’s kind of hard to quantify, but I was born and raised here,” Gross said. “I’ve never lived anywhere else. I am just a big fan of the city. People always ask ‘Cleveland?’ But, then they visit and they’re shocked by how amazing it is. I want people to understand that.” The two organizations Gross said he is most passionate about are North Coast Community Homes, which develops and maintains safe, comfortable and affordable community housing for individuals with developmental disabilities, and Beat the Streets Cleveland, a not-forprofit organization that cultivates youth development in underserved communities in Cleveland through wrestling. He is also involved with Hillel at Kent State and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Gross said he first got involved with North Coast Community Homes because his brother lives in one of its group homes. “There, we make a huge difference in people’s lives that may otherwise not
be able to afford help,” he said. “In my personal story, if my mother were to pass, I wouldn’t be able to take care of my brother. She’s 84 years old. With North Coast, I started because of my brother. But, it is the board that motivates me. They’re so passionate – everyone is there because we care about who we are helping.” With Beat the Streets Cleveland, Gross said the children serviced tend to come from broken homes and “effectively have no chance without (the program).” Part of the national Beat the Streets organization, the Cleveland chapter was founded two years ago. This past summer, the chapter provided programming for 800 kids in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. “We’re giving them hope – a chance to be successful and rise above their circumstances,” he said. “I went to a couple of the practices and these kids are immediately impacted. I might be partial because I love wrestling. It adds value and teaches a lot of lessons. The board there is full of a bunch of crazy wrestling fanatics that care about the sport and the kids. I get motivated by that alone.” Doing a lot of self-reflection as he gets older, Gross said he thinks about what he can do after he’s no longer working. “With these two organizations, I’m passionate about them,” he said. “I can’t think about what is going to be next. But, that’s kind of the beauty about it. I will still be involved in the things that matter to me, I just don’t know how. Who knows where life can take me?” – Becky Raspe
“Building MGO and OneSeven doesn’t make me a difference maker, but the organizations I am involved in outside of work make a difference in people’s lives and ultimately impact them.” Ronald Gross
“I was really lucky to find that working in nonprofits and for organizations where I truly believe in the mission enabled me to help others and make a difference,” Groys said. As development director, Groys manages all of the fundraising activities, including special events, annual fund campaigns, grants management, donor relations and board engagement. She said what she is most proud of is the work that Milestones does for the community as a resource for families, autistic individuals and for their caregivers. “I’m so proud every time I get to talk to a donor about the amazing work that Milestones does every day,” Groys said. Right before Milestones, Groys worked at the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland in Cleveland Heights, managing the One Happy Camper program and other grants administrative duties. There, she helped families navigate the financial aid and scholarship process for Jewish overnight camps and Israel programs, such as summer and college programs. Groys is also a volunteer with Fostering Hope, where she also previously served as the first board president. There, she has helped with fundraising efforts, budget management, strategic planning and overall organizational efficiencies. Groys said this organization is the brainchild of a close friend, Nicole Shefrin. “I will never forget the moment she passionately told me about her amazing vision,” Groys said. “I was so excited to help in any way and began by assisting with grant writing.” Groys said not only does she love sharing her knowledge and expertise with other non-profit organizations but she feels that it is her responsibility to give back in any way she can. “Volunteering your time and expertise is just as valuable and important as donating funds,” Groys said. “I feel honored to be able to share my insight
to help make a difference in other organizations.” Groys is the granddaughter of four deceased Holocaust survivors: Henry and Marion Miller, and Mayer and Miriam Holtz. Groys said they inspire her every day of her life. She said she thinks about them and what they went through, and how they created “beautiful families and lives in America and in Israel.” She said for her, it is her responsibility, duty and honor to give back to her community. She also said her three children inspire her “every day to make the world a better place.” Judaism has always been a big part of her life, culturally, nationally and traditionally, she said. “I’ve grown up with the values of tikkun olam, giving back to the community, giving back to society,” Groys said. “Something about Judaism that I love is that we have respect and kindness for everyone. And so that has always lived inside of me and is how I try to live my own life, and what I want to instill in my children.” Groys said the COVID-19 pandemic taught professionals such as herself about connection – both with the people you serve, and also the people who support your organization. She said they all found a way to connect with each other without being in person, whether it was picking up the phone, having a Zoom video chat, or sending a quick email to check in with one another. “It was really important to make sure people were healthy, safe, and felt secure,” said Groys, who also cited Milestones Executive Director Ilana Hoffer Skoff and Milestones operations director Mia Buchwald Gelles as inspirations for her. “And keeping that connection was really what got us all through. Both professionally with the staff that I work with, and also with my family.” – Alex Krutchik
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
Congratulations to the
2021 Class of 18 Difference Makers
SeniorSolutions Jamie Berns 216-925-3042
Congratulations Ron Gross CEO and President, MGO NCCH Board Member
2021 Class of CJN 18 Difference Makers Making a difference in the lives of North Coast Community Homes residents. Thank you for your efforts supporting the NCCH mission to build Independence, Opportunity & Community, opening doors to a stable, safe and supportive environment where our residents can thrive.
Visit NCCH.ORG
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 49
50 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Chagrin Falls SYNAGOGUE: The Shul OCCUPATION: President of Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau and Wingspan Care Group CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine to the State Board of Psychology, as well as a number of boards through Wingspan Care Group
Congratulations to all the honorees. Thank you for making a difference in our community.
-Lee Weingart
Don and Sally
Messinger
Thank you for your continued support of the Cleveland Zoological Society.
You make the Zoo a better place!
Adam G. Jacobs, Ph.D. Ensuring every child has an equal opportunity in life is paramount for Adam G. Jacobs. The Chagrin Falls resident is the president of Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau and Wingspan Care Group. He is also the founder of Bluestone Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Hospital; founder and chair of Lifeworks, a residential and supported employment company for adults with autism; co-founder of the Monarch Center for Autism; and founder of Kids Connection, a political education and advocacy entity. He previously served as a councilman in Chagrin Falls and also co-founded the recently sold Monarch Teaching Technologies, a cloud-based assisted educational technology for children with autism, among other professional endeavors. “I’m sort of like everyone else,” said Jacobs, who attends The Shul in Pepper Pike. “I come to work and do my best to do my job well. Because of the work I do, that makes a difference in the lives of children pretty directly. My work is for children who have drawn the short straw in life. I try to make a difference in their lives so that way when they’re older, they can be capable of doing great things.” Whether it’s at the State Board of Psychology working to push the legislature to make services available to everyone, or managing a community sports team, Jacobs said being involved in bettering other people’s lives has been a focus since high school. Knowing that children and families in Cleveland are especially vulnerable to risk factors like low birth weight, infant mortality, high dropout rates, poverty, housing insecurity and homelessness is
another push to better the community for everyone, Jacobs said. “For someone in my profession, it’s a challenge – a welcome challenge and a needed effort,” Jacobs said. “We see kids at Bellefaire JCB that have never been to a dentist, gynecologist or an internist. Some have been sexually or physically abused, others have autism. And being able to turn their lives around and giving them a chance of success in life is everything.” As he looks to his future, Jacobs has no intentions of slowing down his fight for equal access. During the pandemic, he said it became clear that access to care and social services wasn’t uniform throughout the community. After seeing those unprecedented struggles, Jacobs said he hopes to develop a holistic multigenerational solution to not only help one or a few children succeed, but to find a solution that “heals them, their family and generations to come.” “When children who have been physically and sexually abused finish treatment at 17 or 18 years old, there isn’t a home for them to go to,” he said, explaining his programming has a dormitory where survivors learn independent living skills. “We stay with them until they finish college or have a job. Many of these kids end up being the first in their families to hold a job. At that moment, we’ve created a multi-generational trajectory for that child and their future family. It’s not just healing a singular child. It’s healing an entire community of children through the generations.” – Becky Raspe
Whether it’s at the State Board of Psychology working to push the legislature to make services available to everyone, or managing a community sports team, Jacobs said being involved in bettering other people’s lives has been a focus since high school. Congrats Messinger zebra.indd 1
10/26/2021 1:08:14 PM
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 51
Congratulations! 2021 Class of Difference Makers From our class to yours, thank you for making invaluable contributions to the betterment of our Jewish community. David & Arthur Elk Difference Makers Class of 2018
1.800.ELK.OHIO | elkandelk.com
Congratulations to The Saltzman Family, Peter and Aliki Rzepka and all of the 18 Difference Makers. You have made a lasting contribution to our community. 3333 Richmond Road, Suite 370 Beachwood, Ohio 44122 (216) 292-5807 www.smdklaw.com
We salute Howard Hanna’s
Sally Messinger. Thank you for your many contributions to our community.
52 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Lyndhurst SYNAGOGUE: The Temple-Tifereth Israel
Congratulations Don & Sally Messinger on your well-deserved recognition. Both the SCR Board and the seniors of our Old Brooklyn neighborhood are proud of your contribution to the community!
Our warmest Congratulations to Aliki and Peter Rzepka, Amy Kaplan, Beth Curtiss, Ronald Gross, Mark Stovsky and the class of 2021 Difference Makers! We celebrate all the endless hours you have spent helping our community. Joyce & Eric Wald
ISRAEL BONDS CONGRATULATES
ALIKI AND PETER RZEPKA
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
THE SALTZMAN FAMILY Dave’s and Lucky’s Market GENERATION AWARD
Cleveland Jewish News
The 2021 18 Difference Makers Award Recipients
Development Corporation for Israel Commerce Park Building Four 23240 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 810 Beachwood, OH 44122 cleveland@israelbonds.com • 216.454.0180
BOND WITH A NATION OF LIMITLESS POTENTIAL
israelbonds.com
This is not an offering, which can be made only by prospectus. Read the prospectus carefully before investing to fully evaluate the risks associated with investing in Israel bonds. Issues subject to availability. Member FINRA.
OCCUPATION: Vice President of External Affairs and Director of Government Relations at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Past President of TTTI and just finished a nine-year term on the board of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank
Amy R. Kaplan Amy Kaplan’s work as vice president of external affairs and director of government relations at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland is central to her community involvement. “My work at the Federation involves advocating for government funding for our nursing homes, for tax policies that help Federation and other nonprofits raise charitable dollars that go back into the community, for strong U.S.-Israel relationships, and federal and state funding for security enhancements for the Federation and agencies and synagogues – which sadly has become a very important priority over the last couple years,” she said. And every time she helps an elected official in local, state and national legislative bodies understand the needs of the Jewish community, Kaplan said she feels like she is making a difference. “The money doesn’t always follow right away, but over the years, my work here in partnership with our lay leaders has helped bring in millions of dollars into our community that is very much needed,” she said. “... It is a really important part of keeping our community strong.” Kaplan’s definition of being a difference maker is doing whatever you can for your community, whenever you can. “I’ve always been inspired by a phrase from Rabbi Tarfon in ‘Pirkei Avot’ – you’re not required to finish the job, but you’re not allowed to desist from trying,” Kaplan said. “To me, that is what a difference maker is. Not all of the things I do make a big difference every day, but some of them do. Working at the Federation and advocating for government support for the needs of our community makes me
feel like when I go home from work every day that I’ve helped to make the Jewish and general Cleveland community better.” And her Jewish identity is a big part of that personal mission to make her hometown a better place, Kaplan said. Growing up, her mother was also a Federation staff member for 20 years. Her father, she said, had many Federation community roles as well. “Judaism and my identity as a Jewish woman sit at the very core of who I am,” she said. “I can’t separate it from any part of my life. The values of tikkun olam and the responsibility for caring for one another, the notion that all Jews are responsible for each other, have been something ingrained in me from my earliest memories. When I came to work at the Federation in 2006, I finally felt I had merged my long-time personal desire to give back to the community and make it better, with a job that paid me to do that. It is such a dream. Most people don’t get to the point where they say they miss their job while on vacation. I do.” At this point in her career, Kaplan said she could begin to consider life after work, but she isn’t ready to retire yet. “Whether it is in my role at the Federation or volunteer activities I may take on after I do retire, strengthening this community will always be one of my top priorities,” she said. – Becky Raspe
“The values of tikkun olam and the responsibility for caring for one another, the notion that all Jews are responsible for each other, have been something ingrained in me from my earliest memories.” Amy Kaplan
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 53
DECEMBER 10, 2021
Mazel Tov Aliki and Peter Rzepka, The Saltzman Family and the 2021 class of 18 Difference Makers! -David and Dvora Millstone
Mazel Tov, Beth Curtiss! We love you... and we appreciate all you do that benefits so many! The Blumenthal, Lazarus, Grossman and Bryant families
Mazel Tov Tom
ON BEiNG RECOGNiZED AS A DiFFERENCE MAKER iN SO MANY WAYS! YOU’VE ALWAYS MADE A DiFFERENCE TO US! Freimuth Family Cantor Sarah J. Sager Family Sheryl and Judd Sager Family Richard Sager
Papa Mazal Tov (Tom Sudow)
From your pals
54 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Shaker Heights
RI &OHYHODQG
OCCUPATIONS: Sally – Realtor and Broker, Howard Hanna; Don – Partner, Thompson Hine LLP CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Sally – Board member for the Cleveland Zoological Society, active member of Playhouse Square’s Leading Ladies Don – Immediate Past Chair of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Board Member of the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, Board Member of Senior Citizens Resources and Class President of Leadership Cleveland Photo / Pollack Studio
Sally and Donald H. Messinger Sally and Don Messinger give back as a way to honor and enrich their adopted home of Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio area.
Congratulations to all of the 18 Difference Makers 2021! We take particular pride in congratulating our friend and colleague, Amy Kaplan, who embodies the spirit of tikkun olam.
www.beneschlaw.com
Don, who is originally from the Finger Lakes area of New York, was offered a job at Thompson Hine LLP’s Cleveland office upon graduating from Duke University School of Law. Other than when he interviewed for the job, neither he nor Sally, who hailed from Miami, had seen Cleveland. Some of their friends offered condolences when the young couple said where they were moving to put down roots, but both fell in love with Northeast Ohio and committed themselves to giving back as much as they could. “We’re so lucky to land here, that anything we can do, in any way, that will help the community and the people is a blessing for us,” Sally said. “I wasn’t very impressed when we arrived in Cleveland, but it didn’t take me very long to see what made it so special is the people. It’s just an amazing city. … We donate, we go to events, we support causes because we love Cleveland.” Sally said she often meets people who are moving to Cleveland for a job. They often dread the move, but when it was time for them to leave, they’d tell Sally Cleveland was the best place they ever lived. Don said they were fortunate to have the opportunity to move to Cleveland. “It’s been wonderful for us,” he said. “It’s a wonderful community, a strong Jewish community, which was something we were looking for, and a welcoming community.” One area they were involved in giving back to was the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland, now known as
Circle Health Services. Don said they were determined to help there due to its strong Jewish leadership and the commitment the clinic had to helping the less fortunate. Don served on its board of directors for more than 40 years, once serving as board president. Both Don and Sally also helped the Free Clinic celebrate its 40th anniversary as co-chairs of the celebration event held at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They said they were fortunate in that they’ve always been tight-knit as a couple, which makes things simple when it comes to causes they’re interested in supporting. Their children nicknamed them “The Parental Unit” due to their reliable solidarity in supporting each other and their decisions. Don and Sally have three grown, married sons and seven grandchildren. “We’re fortunate we found each other,” Don said. “Sally and I have a great relationship. We love one another, we respect one another, we support one another. I could not be a successful lawyer or a successful member of the community without Sally’s support.” Sally said, “I couldn’t live without him. We support whatever we’re passionate about, and it supports you. So whatever Don’s involved in, I’m involved in. Whatever I’m involved in, Don’s involved in. Whatever we do, we do it together. We have gotten more from the Cleveland community than we could ever give back.” – Ed Carroll
“I wasn’t very impressed when we arrived in Cleveland, but it didn’t take me very long to see what made it so special is the people. ... We have gotten more from the Cleveland community than we could ever give back.” Sally Messinger
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 55
DECEMBER 10, 2021
“It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” Pirke Avot 2:21
LOREN CHYLLA Mazal Tov, Sam! We are so proud of you! Thank you for all you do to make our world a better place. With love, your family
They say it’s not about winning, but about how you compete, and your generous spirit and total commitment are a testament to that ideal.
Mazel tov from your friends at ESPN Cleveland!
Congratulations Jeffrey. Your entire family in the U.S. is extremely proud of all you do in Asia, Cleveland and the diaspora. Special thanks to NaTang for encouraging you to follow your passion to create a Taiwan Jewish Cultural Center as a living testimonial for all to enjoy.
u
Your Loving Mom And The Schwartz and Greenberger Families
56 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
The Menorah Park Foundation congratulates Generation Award Recipients The Saltzman Family and Difference Maker Amy Kaplan Cherished members of our family and community
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Beachwood SYNAGOGUE: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple OCCUPATION: Regional Director, AntiDefamation League of Cleveland covering Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and Western Pennsylvania CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: President of Beachwood City Council; Board Member of Case Western Reserve University’s Law School Alumni Board Photo / Pollack Studio
James Pasch James Pasch has been the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League since 2019. But it was Pasch’s time as a volunteer board leader that he said had the greatest impact on the trajectory of his career.
®
Menorah Park • 27100 Cedar Rd. • Beachwood, OH 44122
216-831-6500 • MenorahPark.org
Mazel Tov
TO THIS YEAR’S 18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS May you go from strength to strength!
It was during that time that a shooting occurred in 2018 at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, killing 11. Pasch, who lives in Beachwood, got a telephone call from former ADL Director Anita Gray and the former ADL board chair David Malik. Pasch drove to Pittsburgh to attend some of the funerals with fellow board members and to be there to support the greater Pittsburgh community in the aftermath. Pasch said, although we read frequently about incidents of mass violence in the United States, he had never seen up-close the aftermath of “such horrific violence as he did after the shooting at Tree of Life. People lost their lives because of who they were – because they were Jews.” Listening to family members and friends speak about their loved ones that they lost so suddenly, had a profound impact on Pasch. “The amount of pain associated with what occurred that morning is indescribable …” he said. “But, what I got to see on the ground was also the outpouring of love, support and strength in the face of that horrific event.” Seeing that, Pasch said, led him to recalculate what else he could do in his life to make an impact when it comes to fighting back against antisemitism and hate. During Pasch’s time at the ADL, the organization has run No Place for Hate programs, which seeks to engage students and staff in dialogue and active learning on the topics of bias, bullying, inclusion and allyship. Pasch has a fundamental belief that the best way to stop the spread of hate is to counter it with education. When he started as regional director in 2019, they only reached about a half dozen Pittsburgh-area schools. This past year, Pasch said they were in over 35 schools in Greater Pittsburgh.
Across the region, Pasch said over 50 schools completed the No Place for Hate program, the most schools the ADL has ever worked with, region-wide, in its history. Pasch and the ADL have also presented Holocaust education and law enforcement trainings. He said he is proud of the work ADL does with law enforcement and the Jewish federations, ensuring that they are always responding to incidents of antisemitism and hate. Pasch said, “nothing is more important than responding to and working with victims of antisemitism and hate and letting them know that we are here to help.” Pasch said he has presided over a time period where this kind of work has never been more important. This past year, he said the Jewish community saw both the highest amount of antisemitic incidents in the region’s history since they began tracking them in the 1970s, as well as the largest percent increase of incidents they’ve ever seen. “For me, it’s about the work I can accomplish in conjunction with our dedicated staff, our dedicated board and surrounding community,” Pasch said. “These are global issues that will require a whole of community response, and I am so grateful to be surrounded by a great team of people and community leaders from all walks of life, that are joining us in our fight against hate. At the end of the day, we will win the fight against hate, and we will do it together.” Pasch spent eight years on Beachwood City Council, including serving as vice president and currently as president. He announced May 17 that he will not seek reelection and will serve out the remainder of his term which expires Dec. 31. – Alex Krutchik
During Pasch’s time at the ADL, the organization has run No Place for Hate programs, which seeks to engage students and staff in dialogue and active learning on the topics of bias, bullying, inclusion and allyship.
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 57
DECEMBER 10, 2021
Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau congratulates
Adam G. Jacobs, Ph.D. on being named a
2021 Difference Maker! On behalf of more than 40,000 children each year, we thank Adam for his vision, passion and commitment to ensuring they and their families receive the critical mental health and educational services they need.
Bellefaire JCB One Pollock Circle | 22001 Fairmount Blvd. | Shaker Heights, Ohio 44118 | 216.932.2800
BellefaireJCB.org
When you spend your days making a difference, people notice. Huntington congratulates all honorees, including Carrie Rosenfelt, for being named Cleveland Jewish News' Difference Makers of 2021. Thank you for inspiring us to look out for each other, our customers, and our communities, every day.
Member FDIC. ®, Huntington® and Huntington. Welcome.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2021 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.
58 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Shaker Heights SYNAGOGUE: Jewish Family Experience HOMETOWN: Shaker Heights
OCCUPATION: Director of Community Lending and Business Banking at Huntington Bank
SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue OCCUPATION: Retired CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: President of Park Synagogue; Executive Committee Member at Mt. Sinai Health Foundation
CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Jewish Federation of Cleveland Community Relations Committee Member, Advisory Committee for Milestones Autism Resources, Board Member of Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio, Inc. and Towards Employment Photo / Pollack Studio
Susan Ratner
Carrie Rosenfelt
Susan Ratner could not imagine a life not centered around philanthropy. Ratner, who is an executive committee member at the Mount Sinai Health Foundation in Cleveland, said she has worked for Jewish agencies her entire career, including 30 years at Bellefaire JCB in University Heights and 20 years at the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood.
Carrie Rosenfelt said she has always felt an internal drive to give back to the community.
While at the Mandel JCC, Ratner was the head of the family and children’s department, where she supervised the preschool and ran groups for mothers. During her time at Bellefaire, she ran the Jewish day nursery, and started Monarch Center for Autism. Ratner said one of her signature volunteer experiences is her current role as president of Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike. She said she feels privileged to be in a position, professionally and personally, to help make a difference to other people in a way that helps them live better lives. “And I felt that in my job, I felt that at Sinai and I feel that at Park Synagogue,” Ratner said. “And not everybody gets that chance. Everybody does the best they can, but I’m in a unique position at various times where I’ve been asked to spearhead and make a difference. I’ve had the chance to participate in that, and that’s what I’m most proud of.” Ratner said her parents, Eleanor and Austin Weisberger, were instrumental in raising her to be a charitable person. Her mother was a social worker also, and had a “tremendous belief” in that you could always help things work out. Her father was chair of the department of medicine at University Hospitals. He was the hematologist, and had done research and care for many different types of cancers. Ratner said he was calm,
compassionate, kind and supportive. “I grew up in a household where the phone calls to my dad were always about sad things,” Ratner said. “And he had this incredible ability to give people hope and confidence that, no matter what was happening to you, you could make it better.” Ratner married Jimmy Ratner, whose family is “a model of philanthropy and giving back,” she said. “It’s a nice, comfortable resting place for me,” Ratner said. “I can’t imagine being any different. I think the biggest thing for me is that, if I see a place where a difference can be made and I can help make that difference, I want to do that.” Being a part of these two families, Ratner said, is what makes her who she is. When she looks at her work at Park Synagogue and other work in the community, she is trying to think of how she can give back. “Isn’t it just part of being a good person?” Ratner asked. “I mean, if you’re lucky enough to get, don’t you want to give? If you’ve suffered – which I’ve had some tragedy in my life – you really understand what it’s like for people to struggle. And if you have the opportunity to help other people. … I can’t imagine doing it any other way.” – Alex Krutchik
“I think the biggest thing for me is that, if I see a place where a difference can be made and I can help make that difference, I want to do that.” Susan Ratner
She originally expected to end up in politics, describing herself as “young and idealistic,” and believing she could make the world a better place in that way. While she did work in Washington D.C. in politics for a while, she pivoted and entered the nonprofit arena for several years before eventually segueing into a role in the private sector that frequently works in conjunction with nonprofits. She described herself as a “behind the scenes person” who sought to empower others. “I enjoy empowering other people,” Rosenfelt said. “I think seeing people succeed and live their purpose is really fulfilling. I like seeing us make progress as a community. I’ve been (back) in Cleveland for about 18 years and just seeing how our city has evolved has been really rewarding.” She said she was finally able to identify the internal drive for her desire to give back when she learned about the concept of tikkun olam, or repairing the world. “Once I learned about tikkun olam, that is probably my strongest point of connection to Judaism,” she said of how her faith has impacted her mission of giving back. “To know that it has a name, and it has tradition, that my ancestors have all been committed to this same principle is pretty amazing.” Rosenfelt was this year’s co-chair of the 74th Annual Meeting of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s Community Relations Committee & Sidney Z. Vincent Memorial Lecture. She was instrumental in bringing together a panel of community leaders from the Black, Latinx and Jewish communities to discuss “Overcoming Challenges Together.” She is also involved in Women IN Philanthropy’s Professional Women’s Group. She advised younger people who were
just starting their careers and looking to get involved to first figure out where their passions lie. “Listen and ask questions of what other people are doing, and then figure out where you’re passionate and how you plug in – how you can use your strengths and interests to contribute,” she said. “Don’t do stuff just because it gets your name on a board list or committee list or it’s something you think will look good on your resume. You got to do things that really resonate with you and be authentic.” Her other piece of advice for younger people was something she admitted people don’t always do well at any age – collaborate. “Be part of the team, no matter what it is you want to get involved in,“ Rosenfelt said. “Find other people that are interested (in a similar goal) and do it together.” She said she is continuing to work on improving herself, particularly by taking her own advice, listening to what others have to say and collaborating.“I have a lot of ideas and I tend to be very type A and charge ahead,” she said. “But I’m really trying to slow down and listen more and take on things that really resonate with me and and have some momentum.” She also said her main driver is helping others who may not have the same advantages succeed in their lives. “The majority of my career, for at least the last 15 years, has been (focused) around empowering minorities and women,” she said. “That’s really what I’m most committed to, making sure there’s equity, the concept of economic justice.” – Ed Carroll
“Once I learned about tikkun olam, that is probably my strongest point of connection to Judaism. To know that it has a name, and it has tradition, that my ancestors have all been committed to this same principle is pretty amazing.” Carrie Rosenfelt
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
•
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 59
Kol Hakavod
•
To Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients Aliki and Peter Rzepka, to the Generation Award Honorees The Saltzman Family and to the 2021 CJN 18 Difference Makers.
The Feldman, Wehn, Zieve Family
Mazel Tov Mark Stovsky and Tom Sudow
as being recognized as one of the 2021 Difference Makers
From your B'nai Jeshurun family
60 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Solon SYNAGOGUE: Park Synagogue OCCUPATION: Senior Wealth Advisor, Team Leader and Managing Director, MAI Capital Management, LLC
CONGRATULATIONS, NANA BETH!
BS"D
MURIEL WEBER Community Volunteer Extraordinaire and Kosher Food Pantry Board Co-Chair on being selected as one of this year's 18 Difference Makers We're so proud of you and appreciate all you do! KFP Staff and Volunteers
Stephen L. Rudolph When Steve Rudolph was looking for ways to give back to his community, he knew he wasn’t simply trying to add another line to his resume. He wanted to find somewhere he could remain active in making a difference.
Rand, Laura, Dan, Cathy, Ben, Jonathan, Lilah, Zach and Knox.
Mazel Tov to
CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Board Member, Chair of the annual fund and planned giving of Milestones Autism Resources; Member and Past Chair of the Retirement Committee and the Defined Benefit Committee at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland; Member of the Advisory Committee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland
When he was introduced to the work of Milestones Autism Resources, Rudolph knew he had found a place – and a cause – to focus his efforts to give back. “For me, I wasn’t going to pick something that wasn’t an active board just to get my name there,” Rudolph said. “Milestones … is a really great board. Every single person on there is just a wonderful person, with great leadership, they all want to do something and it touches my heart.” Though Rudolph’s own child is not on the spectrum (he has a daughter who was Bat Mitzvah in Nov.), members of his extended family are and he understands how difficult it can be at times. “Seeing the struggle is just heartbreaking,” he said. “Knowing that they make a difference, knowing that I can make a difference, that whatever my skills are, like fundraising, can make a difference.” Though he often lends his fundraising talents to the causes he serves, he admits he doesn’t necessarily love fundraising. But he said he’s good at it and wants to use those skills to help, as he has with both Milestones and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Rudolph started his career – and giving back – in Chicago, before relocating to Cleveland and getting involved in the Federation. “It’s making sure that I’m here for the community and the Federation, to me, is a great way of doing that because it
oversees so many different entities,” he said. “Personally, the contributions I’ve made from our family and through work … and giving back where I can with my skills on the finance side of things is important to me.” Though he volunteers his time in a variety of ways for the Federation, he said he’s never consciously made a complete connection to his Jewish faith in guiding how he serves the community. “I have felt my whole life, I’ve been sensitive to people struggling in some way, whether it’s financially, emotionally, whatever,” he said, adding that he was the kind of kid who would feel bad for someone being bullied instead of joining in with the group. “In terms of wanting to help people, I’m very fortunate … I’m not going to take all that, dive into (collecting) possessions and go off on some island, forget about everything and just enjoy my life. It’s more about this connection to wanting to make a difference, wanting to help people whose lives are tougher than mine or have different struggles, and feel good about that. I definitely learned growing up from my parents that being Jewish, giving back was a big part of Judaism as a whole, but to Jewish Cleveland more specifically, that we were a very generous community. … I’m connected in terms of my actions. … Everything is still tied to my Jewish faith, my belief in Judaism.” – Ed Carroll
“It’s more about this connection to wanting to make a difference, wanting to help people whose lives are tougher than mine or have different struggles, and feel good about that.” Steve Rudolph
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 61
DECEMBER 10, 2021
HOMETOWN: Taipei, Taiwan; grew up in Beachwood and University Heights before moving from the United States in the 1970s SYNAGOGUE: Schwartz Synagogue/Chabad Taipei OCCUPATION: Chairman and CEO of the Four Star Group; and Founder and Benefactor of the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center in Taipei through his nonprofit, the Jeffrey D. Schwartz & Na Tang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association that he established with his wife, Na Tang, a Taiwanese actress, musician and author CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Creating the first JCC in Taiwan; Breakthrough Schools; Keren Hayesod-United Israel Alliance; The World Jewish Alliance; and helped build the first mikvah in Korea in 2019
Jeffrey D. Schwartz Making a difference in the Jewish community is a personal mission Jeffrey D. Schwartz discovered in his more recent years. After moving to Taipei, Taiwan in the 1970s from his native Northeast Ohio, Schwartz found himself considering what legacy he might leave behind at the end of his story. Growing up in Beachwood and University Heights, Schwartz said he wasn’t very involved in the Jewish community while living locally as there are so many other people ready to jump to help out before they’re even asked. “Before I was able to raise my hand, people were already volunteering to do things,” he said of his local Jewish community. “This passion didn’t come until late in life where I realized how important (giving back) is in one’s life. It came to a point where it was no longer about doing things just for myself and my family, but for the greater good of the people.” While living overseas, Schwartz has supported organizations like Breakthrough Schools in Cleveland, Keren HayesodUnited Israel Alliance and the World Jewish Alliance. In 2019, he was involved in building the first mikvah in Korea. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also donated 100,000 surgical masks to Israel in spring 2020. He works as chairman and CEO of the Four Star Group in addition to his volunteer roles. But his major project, the Jeffrey D. Schwartz Jewish Community Center in Taipei, is where he’s been focusing a lot of his resources since 2018, he explained. The over $16 million project will open Dec. 29 as the first JCC in Taiwan. It will feature 22,500 square feet dedicated
to Taiwan’s first synagogue, a kosher restaurant, a mikvah, a 300-person ballroom, classrooms, and a museum of Judaica and Jewish art from Schwartz’s collection. “In a small community like Taipei, it’s pretty easy to be a difference maker as a big fish in a small pond,” said Schwartz, laughing. The Taipei Jewish community has about 800 to 1,000 members. “My wife, Na Tang, tells me it is God’s way of pointing me in the right direction. I do the things I do because I can. It’s my responsibility since I am the one here. It is the same drive that drives Clevelanders to do all of their good work. When I came to Taiwan, I decided I didn’t just want to be a visitor, I wanted to be part of it all. I just want this to be a vibrant community.” And to the people still in Cleveland – including his mother Eleanor Schwartz of Moreland Hills, brother Mark Schwartz and sister Penny Greenberger – Schwartz gave thanks for their influence on him, even if they never knew it. His father, Harry Schwartz, passed in 2006. “Cleveland has been a big support for me, living away from home for such a long period,” he said. “I am the type of person that needs something in my back pocket to get me through life, and Cleveland has been that for me. It is a safety net, knowing Cleveland is always there. I learned a long time ago that once you’re part of the Jewish community in Cleveland, you always will be.” – Becky Raspe
“When I came to Taiwan, I decided I didn’t just want to be a visitor. I wanted to be part of it all. I just want this to be a vibrant community.” Jeffrey D. Schwartz
Muriel, Mazel Tov on this well deserved honor! Thank you for your dedicated service to our shul and to the community at-large. With all our best wishes, Rabbi Noah Leavitt Frank Rosenberg, President And all your friends at Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai
Mazal Tov Jeffrey on this well-deserved honor! With G-d’s help, you have ignited the Jewish flame in Taiwan and made sure it will never be put out. Wishing you and yours many more years of health, happiness and success. On behalf of all Jews in Taiwan,
Rabbi Shlomi & Racheli Tabib
62 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Shaker Heights SYNAGOGUE: The Temple Tifereth Israel
extends heartfelt thanks to
Adam G. Jacobs, Ph.D. for his leadership and commitment to vulnerable children and families, which has made a lasting impact on our Jewish community.
Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau
repairing the
Congratulations on being named a
2021 Difference Maker!
Bellefaire JCB One Pollock Circle | 22001 Fairmount Blvd. | Shaker Heights, Ohio 44118 | 216.932.2800
BellefaireJCB.org
IF YOUR
ACTIONS
INSPIRE OTHERS TO DREAM MORE,
LEARN MORE,
DO MORE, YOU ARE A LEADER
-john quincy adams
to our friend, colleague and board member
carrie rosenfelt our heartfelt congratulations on being named 2021 cleveland jewish news difference maker
OCCUPATION: Attorney, Cleveland Partnerin-Charge, Group Leader of the Employee Benefits and Tax Practice Groups at Ulmer & Berne LLP CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Cuyahoga County Public Library, Board of Trustees; The City Club of Cleveland, Vice President of the Board of Directors and CoChair of the Program Committee; Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, Board of Directors; The Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Retirement Fund Committee Member
Patricia A. Shlonsky
www.BellefaireJCB.com
The Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau Board of Directors
Patricia A. Shlonsky has shattered the glass ceiling at her law firm, although she doesn’t often think about it in those terms. An employee benefits lawyer and the partner-in-charge of Ulmer & Berne LLP’s Cleveland office, she is the first woman to hold that position in the firm’s history. In addition, Shlonsky, 62, was the first woman to serve on the firm’s management committee and is the longest tenured female partner at the firm. She said she doesn’t give her own gender a lot of thought, but she does address gender issues when they arise at the firm. “I don’t make decisions in a vacuum,” Shlonsky said. “I care what other people have to say but ultimately decisions I make – I make based on what I think is right.” A member of The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood, Shlonsky lives in Shaker Heights. Born in Columbus, she was raised at Congregation Agudas Achim in Bexley and then Temple Israel in Columbus. “So, we went from an Orthodox synagogue to Reformed synagogue,” said Shlonsky, who graduated from Bexley High School. She then graduated from Miami University in Oxford and from Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University in Columbus, where she met her husband, Steve Hinkle. When she first came to Cleveland, she worked at Price Waterhouse for a year. A couple of years later, she became a member of the board for Dress for Success Cleveland, where she served as board chair. “I had seen a segment on Dress for Success on ‘60 Minutes’ focused on the New York branch,” Shlonsky recalled. “And I just couldn’t get over how the organization empowers women who need just a little boost of confidence and helps them take control of their lives. And I remember watching that segment, and specifically looking into Dress for Success.” Most recently, Shlonsky is now in her second term on the board of the Cuyahoga County Public Library where
she previously served as board president. Shlonsky said she is committed to serving on that board because of the work the library does in attacking problems at their root. “It’s an organization that broadly improves people’s lives,” she said. “They have education programs. They have programs for kids. They have programs for seniors. They do tutoring. They help people with job searches. They’re there for everybody at every stage of life, offering all kinds of services that nobody else offers.” Shlonsky also serves on the board of The City Club of Cleveland. She was first attracted to it because “I was moved by their programming, the sustainability of free speech, support of democracy, all while trying to avoid getting too political. “But as our past four or five years have shown, I don’t think it could be much more important to show different perspectives and engage people in open discussion,” she said. Shlonsky serves on the board of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio for its support of reproductive rights. “This is the least I can do to try to make a difference in that area,” she said. Shlonsky serves on the retirement fund committee at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, which she called “a natural fit” based on her legal expertise. When Shlonsky was a young woman, Judge Janet Burnside, who had an office in the same building as Ulmer & Berne, asked Shlonsky to be treasurer of her campaign. Shlonsky said that experience allowed her to see a woman who “had a lot of grace, a lot of calm and a lot of patience about her, but also strength.” It also allowed Shlonsky to meet people in Cleveland and helped her build confidence. “At this point,” Shlonsky said, “I’m pretty comfortable being me.” – Jane Kaufman
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
DECEMBER 10, 2021
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 63
Mazel tov to our member
Congratulations to ALL the Difference Makers and to these seven who call Park Synagogue “home!” Ronald Gross • Maya Holtz Groys Susan Ratner • Stephen L. Rudolph Tom Sudow Kol Hakavod to Aliki and Peter Rzepka for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award
Beth Curtiss ...and to the entire 2021 Class of
CJN 18 Difference Makers!
27500 Shaker Boulevard | 216-371-2244 | parksynagogue.org
Congratulations to MAI Capital’s Stephen Rudolph and the 2021 Difference Makers Honorees.
Focused on Solutions. Focused on You. 216.920.4800 www.mai.capital
64 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Beachwood SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation
RI &OHYHODQG
OCCUPATION: Chief Medical Officer, Cleveland Diagnostics, Inc. CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: American Friends of Magen David Adom, Advisory Board - Cleveland Chapter; Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, Biomedical Innovation Advisory Board; Leadership Cleveland, Class of 2022; Northwestern University, Director – Alumni Admissions Council for Northeast Ohio
Mark Stovsky, MD MBA Stovsky is a doctor and a surgeon, specializing in urology. As a urologist, he spent his career primarily at University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic.
Congratulations
Susan Ratner on being named a 2021 Difference Maker!
www.TheRatnerSchool.org
M
MAZEL TOV
Aliki and Peter Rzepka Loren Chylla Edna Talmor Akrish Susan Ratner Beth Nusbaum Curtiss
We applaud these and all of our volunteers and Difference Makers on their commitment to making meaningful impacts in our community and at the Mandel JCC.
At Cleveland Clinic, in addition to his urology practice, he served as senior director at Cleveland Clinic Ventures where, in 2013, he was instrumental in founding Cleveland Diagnostics, Inc. This venture-backed company focuses on the development of novel tests for cancer and other major medical conditions based on its proprietary Solvent Interaction Analysis technology platform. The company’s first commercial test is IsoPSA for prostate cancer early detection. In the middle of medical school at Northwestern University in Chicago, Stovsky took time off to pick up an MBA. Since that time, he has juggled two side-by-side careers: one as a practicing surgeon and the other in the business of medicine and biomedical innovation. When he was at University Hospitals, one of his main research interests was cancer biomarkers and developing tests that could more accurately detect cancer. After almost eight years combining active medical practice with the role of chief medical officer of Cleveland Diagnostics, having accomplished everything he had ever set out to do in academic medicine, Stovsky felt it was a good time for him to think about hanging up his surgeon’s shoes and putting his full effort into helping to lead the company. In 2020, he stepped away from practicing medicine at Cleveland Clinic and stepped into the C-suite full time as chief medical officer of Cleveland Diagnostics. Stovsky cited the Talmudic saying, “To save a life is to save the world,” as he said it really applies to the world of cancer care and doctors that treat cancer patients. He said he enjoyed academic medicine, training and teaching resident physicians and medical students, and doing research. He also said he was “really happy that the research that
I was interested in led to the creation of this high-performing company that God-willing is going to help patients around the world. As a doctor, you help patients one at a time, in the biomedical business you have the ability to help exponentially more patients”. “The idea that this cool scientific idea turned into a company that could make a lasting impact on the early detection of cancer and other major medical conditions is really a satisfying thing to have done with your career,” Stovsky said. Stovsky has participated in many service organizations. But the ones he is most satisfied with and most active with now are the American Friends of Magen David Adom – which is essentially the Israeli Red Cross – and Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. Stovsky participates on the Cleveland Chapter Advisory Board of AFMDA and the Biomedical Innovation Advisory Board for Shaare Zedek Medical Center. “It has really been a highlight of my life to be able to incorporate my love of Israel and my commitment to Judaism with my professional life and my business life,” Stovsky said. But his most important life accomplishment, Stovsky said, is his family – his wife, Shannon, and his children, Adam, Jennifer and Jacob. “I’m really nothing without them,” Stovsky said. “They’ve made everything in my career possible. The life of a surgeon is a very, very difficult life. A lot of tests of your character and a lot of getting pulled away from family things. So really, nothing I’ve done professionally or in business would have any meaning without them.” - Alex Krutchik
“It has really been a highlight of my life to be able to incorporate my love of Israel and my commitment to Judaism with my professional life and my business life.” mandeljcc.org • 216 - 831-0700
Mark Stovsky
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 65
DECEMBER 10, 2021
In tribute to
Burt & Judy Saltzman
Upon receiving the prestigious CJN Generation Award. Your commitment to Jewish continuity, Jewish values and to Cleveland’s community at large, is truly is an inspiration. You bring glory to your parents, David & Mildred Saltzman, ob”m and set an example for the next generation. and in honor of
Peter and Aliki Rzepka
Ambassadors of Jewish continuity Upon receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award
Rabbi Simcha Dessler Educational Director
Rabbi Eli Dessler Financial Director
Dr. Louis Malcmacher President
66 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
Congratulations Patty Shlonsky
and the 2021 Difference Makers. We are grateful for your service on our Board of Directors and your commitment to the Greater Cleveland community. – Your friends at The City Club of Cleveland
DECEMBER 10, 2021
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
HOMETOWN: Shaker Heights SYNAGOGUE: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation and Park Synagogue OCCUPATION: Director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Ashland University CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Past President and Chairman of the Board of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and Board Mercaz U.S.A. Photo / Pollack Studio
Thomas Sudow
The Saltzman Family Congratulations on your well-deserved honor!
Mazel tov to ADL Regional Director
James Pasch!
May you go from strength to strength.
Thomas Sudow, past president of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship at Ashland University, knows adapting is crucial. As FJMC president from 2019 to 2021, Sudow oversaw the organization during one of the most challenging times in history. After the country shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13, 2020, Sudow said the FJMC had virtual programs up and running by March 17. As the president of an organization that depends upon people meeting in person, Sudow said he knew it had to be agile to continue to touch people’s lives during a time of loneliness. He said “an unbelievable team of people came together” to run over 300 programs for 4,000 people. The FJMC also made sure the group called every one of their member clubs and made sure that they and their members were doing OK during the pandemic. “You can’t wait for the world to come to you,” he said. “You have to understand the problem, and then go find solutions for it. I think we also learned the value of people coming together and how we had to adapt in a lot of different ways as a community.” Sudow has served with the FJMC for over 20 years in different capacities and created different programs. He said a major accomplishment in his volunteer life was working with Earl Lefkowitz to run Jewish community baseball outings, which brought almost 2,000 Jewish people to Cleveland Indians games in the 1990s. That led to being able to work with the Indians to create kosher concession stands – only the second in Major League Baseball – and the stand continued for over 20 years. In the early part of his professional life, Sudow served as a professional in Jewish organizations. He said he raised close to half-a-billion dollars to support Jewish causes.
During the last more than 20 years, he has worked with a number of Israeli businesses creating new technologies and helped bring those technologies to market. He was part of the team that created the Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, which was funded by a $60 million grant from the state of Ohio. They were able to grow that $60 million into over $1.9 billion in add-on investments and merger and acquisitions. They created over 1,200 jobs, brought over 30 companies to Ohio in the cardiovascular space, and funded over 56 different companies, of which 40 made it to market. Sudow grew up in Stevens Point, Wis. But when his parents, Gertrude and Noah Sudow, died while he was young, he moved to Chicago and lived with his cousin and her family. He was raised by Joy and Richard Sager, who were heavily involved in the community, as were his natural parents. From being involved in synagogue life to Hadassah, to creating one of the leading Jewish day schools, Sudow said he had great role models for Jewish community involvement. “It is not a coincidence that my sister, Cantor Laureate Sarah Sager, and brotherin-law, Marc Freimuth, have also been recognized with this (CJN 18 Difference Makers) award,” Sudow said. “I think it’s an ethic that we’ve grown up with and transmitted to our children,” he said. “I watch my children who are active in the Jewish community where they live. And my grandchild starting to get involved in the community. So, it’s just something that’s ingrained. It’s part of the DNA of our family.” – Alex Krutchik
“You can’t wait for the world to come to you. ... You have to understand the problem, and then go find solutions for it. I think we also learned the value of people coming together and how we had to adapt in a lot of different ways as a community.” Thomas Sudow
18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 67
DECEMBER 10, 2021
HOMETOWN: Shaker Heights SYNAGOGUE: Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue OCCUPATION: Community Volunteer CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry, Christians United for Israel, Kol Israel Foundation, Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue and Israel Bonds
Photo / Pollack Studio
Mazel Tov to Aliki and Peter Rzepka On this well-deserved honor. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do. You are an inspiration to all of us.
P
Alex and Irene Tatarchuk
Muriel Weber A member of Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue in Lyndhurst, Muriel Weber was the first female president of an Orthodox congregation in Cleveland. Having frequently been the only woman in the room throughout her career, Weber said she does not focus or dwell on that. Weber came to Oheb Zedek as a former member of Taylor Road Synagogue in Cleveland Heights. “Three synagogues merged,” Weber said. “I was invited on the board and the rest is history.” Because of her financial and organizational background, the rabbi and president approached her in 2012 about becoming president. She is also a past president of Kol Israel Foundation and has most recently become involved co-chairing the advisory board of the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry in South Euclid. “My three part-time jobs, I call it,” Weber said. “You get involved. You make some friends. You want to be where your friends are.” The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Weber was born in Parkersburg, W.Va., and moved to Cleveland Heights with her family when she was 2. Her family later moved to Shaker Heights to the house where she now lives. She went to Shaker Lee Synagogue, then Taylor Road Synagogue as a child, graduating from Shaker Heights High School and Cleveland State University, where she majored in economics and earned her Master of Business Administration. She began her career in banking at Ameritrust and then served as Vice President and Executive Vice President of American National Bank from 1988 to 2005. Her father, Izak Weber, was born in Skole, Galicia, and her mother, Marthe Landes, in Castres, France. The two met in Paris in 1938 after her father went to the Sorbonne to attend medical school in 1933. After her father’s arrest Dec. 3, 1942, and internment at Drancy outside of Paris, Weber’s mother helped him to hide, following his escape. The family came to the United States in 1954 with Weber’s brother, Lionel. They were sponsored by friends from
Skole and first lived in New York City. They later moved to southern Ohio. Weber has donated some of her parents’ original papers to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. “My parents were not organization people, community people,” Weber said. “That really wasn’t my background.” She found her way to the survivor community through her involvement at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, by way of invitation from Daniel Blain, who in 2009 asked her to join the committee planning the community’s Yom Hashoah program. This led to her involvement in Kol Israel Foundation, an organization of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, their families, and supporters. Weber’s first community involvement was through a Hadassah group for young career women that she found in an article in the Cleveland Jewish News, she said. “That was really my entrée into any sort of community life,” she said, adding “one thing leads to another.” Presiding over the Kol Israel Foundation fall memorial stands out for Weber. While her parents weren’t involved in Kol Israel Foundation, they did attend its annual fall memorial that takes place between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Weber remembers occasionally attending with them. “Being on the podium was very meaningful those times that I had the opportunity to do that,” she said. While she is also involved with Israel Bonds and Christians United for Israel, her work at the Cleveland Kosher Food Pantry is now taking up the bulk of her time, Weber said. “That’s a little bit of a different thing in terms of providing direct social service to people who really need help,” adding that she is enjoying her exposure to the Chabad community. “It’s not about me,” Weber said of volunteer service and leadership. “It’s doing the work at hand.” – Jane Kaufman
MAZEL TOV STEVE We are proud of all that you do! Love, Mom and Dad
Leading the Way. Ulmer congratulates our Cleveland Partner-in-Charge, Patty Shlonsky, and all of the honorees on this year’s Cleveland Jewish News List of 18 Difference Makers. Patty, you truly exemplify the concept of tikkun olam through your tireless commitment to the community. You inspire us every day with your tremendous dedication and service. Thank you for all you do!
®
Our business begins with you.
®
CLEVELAND
CINCINNATI
CHICAGO
COLUMBUS
NEW YORK
WASHINGTON DC
BOCA RATON
ULMER.COM
68 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
T i kk un O • m la a 18 DIFFERENCE MAKERS l
O
m
un
Ti
k ku
n O l am •
Ti k k
Generation Award The Saltzman Family
Edna Talmor Akrish • Sam Chestnut • Loren Chylla • Beth Nusbaum Curtiss • Ronald Gross • Maya Holtz Groys Adam G. Jacobs, Ph.D. • Amy R. Kaplan • Donald H. & Sally Messinger • James Pasch • Susan Ratner • Carrie Rosenfelt Stephen L. Rudolph • Jeffrey D. Schwartz • Patricia A. Shlonsky • Mark Stovsky, MD MBA • Tom Sudow • Muriel Weber
Each year we look forward to celebrating Difference Makers of our community. Classic Lexus is a proud co-presenting sponsor of The Difference Makers for the seventh consecutive year.
CLASSIC 2551 SOM CENTER RD. IN WILLOUGHBY HILLS | 440.975.1222 | CLASSICLEXUS.COM
•
Lifetime Achievement Award Aliki and Peter Rzepka
m
m • Ti kk a l u O
•T
Your deeds mean the world to us!
n
DECEMBER 10, 2021