BEACHWOOD, Ohio — It’s that time of year again for the Cleveland Jewish News to honor its 2021 Class of Difference Makers. A dinner and program will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the newly renovated Landerhaven event center, 6111 Landerhaven Drive in Mayfield Heights.
The CJN has sent us over a list of this year’s 18 honorees. They are: Edna Talmor Akrish, education director at Temple Israel Ner Tamid and president of Sole Business Systems Inc.; Sam Chestnut, head of school at The Lippman School; Loren Chylla, senior executive vice president of ADCOM; community volunteer Beth Nusbaum Curtiss; Ronald Gross, CEO and president of MGO and CEO of One Seven; Maya Holtz Groys, development director for Milestones Autism Resources; Adam G. Jacobs, Ph.D., president of Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau’s Wingspan Care Group; Amy R. Kaplan, vice president of external affairs and director of government relations for the Jewish Federation of Cleveland; Donald H. Messinger, partner at Thompson Hine;, and Sally Messinger, Realtor, Howard Hanna.
Also, James Pasch, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League; community volunteer Susan Ratner; Carrie Rosenfelt, director of community lending, business banking, for Huntington Bank; Stephen L. Rudolph, senior wealth adviser and team leader managing director of MAI Capital Management LLC; Jeffrey D. Schwartz, co-founder of Jeffrey D. Schwartz and the NaTang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Exchange; Patricia A. Shlonsky, partner at Ulmer & Berne LLP; Dr. Mark Stovsky, MD, MBA, chief medical officer for Cleveland Diagnostics Inc.; Tom Sudow, director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship at Ashland University; and community volunteer Muriel Weber.
In addition, Aliki and Peter Rzepka will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Saltzman family will be presented the Generation Award at this, the seventh annual awards celebration.
Those chosen as Difference Makers must be at least 18 years old by July 31, 2021, and have ties to Northeast Ohio. They should be making a difference in Northeast Ohio’s Jewish community by being active through a nonprofit organization, volunteer group or professional endeavor, and they must demonstrate the “mensch-like” characteristics of honor and integrity.
Difference Makers do not have to be Jewish, but their efforts must help better the Northeast Ohio Jewish community.
Individual tickets for the event cost $108, while tables are going for $1,300.
For more information, including how to order a kosher meal, attending the event via livestream, buying tickets and purchasing congratulatory ads, contact Gina Lloyd at glloyd@cjn.org or call 216-342-5196.
Beachwood Delivers goes to the White House: The City of Beachwood’s Beachwood Delivers program received plenty of press when it came to be late last year, including from me.
It also received national attention when it was featured on NBC’s “Today” and “NPR’s Morning Edition.”
Now, Beachwood Delivers is getting attention from the White House.
Beachwood Delivers was a fee-free service started to help local eateries and residents during the pandemic by having city-contracted drivers deliver Beachwood restaurant orders to Beachwood addresses. The effort saved restaurants and customers more than $60,000.
Beachwood Delivers has been recognized as one of nine success stories highlighted in the Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force: Final Report and Recommendations. The report was commissioned by President Joe Biden to research methods and practices to advance health equity in the United States.
The COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force was established on Jan. 21, 2021, by Executive Order 13995, an order Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery.
Funded by the City of Beachwood and its economic development sector, Beachwood Delivers was the first municipal/restaurant delivery partnership in the United States.
The program delivered $75,861 in orders between Dec. 21 and March 31, and, by popular demand, was extended twice. It served 10 Beachwood restaurants and delivered only to Beachwood addresses, including businesses and hotels.
Participating restaurants saved more than $22,000 by using the fee-free service instead of third-party delivery apps.
Beachwood Delivers is featured on page 18 of the report, which can be read at minorityhealth.hhs.gov/HETFReport.
Jewish Humor Around the World: What makes many Jews so funny? And how did “The People of the Book” turn out to be superstar writers, producers and comedians?
If you’ve ever thought about these questions — or even if you haven’t, but like a hearty laugh — join Park Synagogue for a virtual tour of “Let There Be Laughter: Jewish Humor Around the World,” direct from ANU — Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv.
The Zoom program will take place at 1 p.m. Dec. 5. The exhibit takes a lighthearted look at the origins of Jewish humor and the major contributions of Jews to the rise of a global industry. The exhibit celebrates the diversity and vitality of Jewish humor and explores how elements of Jewish joking have remained constant regardless of time, place and language.
You’re sure to have fun. To make it even more fun, the program is free. It’s also open to the whole community.
Pre-registration is required by Dec. 3 to receive the Zoom link. Register at parksynagogue.org, or by contacting Ellen Petler at epetler@parksyn.org or at 216-371-2244, extension 122.
Searching for a new executive director: Todd Silverman, president of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, has announced in a e-letter to the congregation that a search committee has been formed to find the temple’s next executive director.
The man who currently holds that position, Steve Borstein, will be stepping down in a few months.
The Executive Director Search Committee will be led by temple board Vice President Shelley Milin Marcus, and includes Barry Kallmeyer, Jordan Katz, board First Vice President Michele Krantz, Esther Potash and Cynthia Tancer. The team is also working with Silverman and Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk.
“You should have a high level of confidence, as I do, that this team will be successful at finding a new executive director to help lead us into the future,” Silverman stated in the release.
“We hold gratitude for current Executive Director Steve Borstein and the work he has done at Fairmount Temple since he joined the staff 12 years ago. Steve can look back on his achievements at Fairmount Temple with pride, and when he concludes his service later this spring, we’ll share our appreciation and our wishes for Steve and (wife) Donna’s great success, health, joy and happiness in the years ahead.”
Eating out for Thanksgiving: Two weeks ago, Press Run gave you a list of eateries where you could eat on Thanksgiving or pre-order for the big day, during which we stuff turkeys and ourselves.
Here is one more late addition to that list — Betts, located in Cleveland’s Kimpton Schofield Hotel, 2000 E. 9th St. If you go to Betts, you’re going to be eating early, as it is open from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25.
On the menu is an Autumn Breakfast Bowl for $15, consisting of brown sugar sage stuffing, roasted spaghetti squash, smoked bacon, over-easy eggs and pumpkin crème fraiche. Also, there is Cleveland Hot Browns, at $17, which is toasted sourdough, roasted turkey, Canadian bacon, grilled tomato and Amish cheddar mornay; and Smoking Duck, for $15. With this, you’ll get duck confit, brown sugar sage stuffing, scrambled eggs, gastrique, pumpkin crème fraiche and whole wheat tortilla.
It’s got me hungry, and I have no idea what crème fraiche or gastrique are. Reservations are recommended. Call 216-357-2680.
Thanksgiving eating: I know I just wrote above about fine dining on Thanksgiving, but there’s always a killjoy among us.
This week, the YMCA sent along to me — at least I don’t think it was meant specifically for me, or else I’ve gained quite a reputation for pounding down the chow — a list of Thanksgiving eating tips to benefit our health.
YMCA of Greater Cleveland Director of Health and Wellness Linda McVey posted these tips for us all to follow.
1. Don’t starve yourself until the feast. Before setting out for a party or family gathering, eat something so you don’t arrive famished. Simple snacks or appetizers like apple slices and peanut butter, hummus with pretzels or a small sandwich with protein and cheese are excellent choices.
2. Scope out all the food options before adding anything to your plate. By seeing what all the options are beforehand, you will be able to find your favorites and add adequate amounts of each without piling too much food onto your plate.
3. Make room for fruits and veggies. When you make your dinner or even appetizer plate, don’t ignore fruits and vegetables. Try to include all the major food groups in each serving.
4. Take 20 before taking seconds. It takes a few minutes for your stomach’s “I’m getting full” signal to get to your brain. After finishing your first helping, take a 20-minute break.
5. Distance yourself from the food table. This makes it harder to mindlessly reach for food as you talk with family and friends.
6. Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach. Alcohol increases your appetite and diminishes your ability to control what you eat.
I like to eat, so I have to say I probably won’t be following many of these tips, but here they are as a public service to you, just because I care about my readers. Now, pass the crème fraiche and gastrique.
Temporary library closing: If you’re planning to head to the Shaker Heights Main Library anytime from now to Nov. 30 — don’t.
We have been given word that Shaker Heights Public Library’s Main Library building, 16500 Van Aken Blvd., will be closed through Nov. 30 so that the final stages of its renovation can be completed.
The Bertram Woods branch, 20600 Fayette Road, will be open for the community’s library needs. Book drops will be available for returns at each location. Available holds from the Main Library were transferred Nov. 17 to Bertram Woods. Any remaining holds as of Nov. 30 will return to the Main Library and expire one week after the library reopens at 9 a.m. Dec. 1.
Caps for Kids: The Shaker Library is again holding its Caps for Kids project. For the past 16 years, Shaker Library’s Caps for Kids project has invited community members to knit or crochet caps for children for Project Act, which benefits homeless children in the Cleveland Municipal School District.
Through the years, the response has been so great, we are told, that the library expanded donations to other organizations that serve those in need. Library staff and members of the Knit Night group invite the community to participate and bring their creative donations to either library branch by Dec. 8.
The library has many books on knitting and crocheting, so you can borrow a book, choose a pattern and get to work.
Heights Libraries happening: They weren’t in last week’s column because the Heights Libraries didn’t send them my way, but we have one this week. Here’s an event for adults happening online.
From 2 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 2, you will have the opportunity to take part in the program “Tech Talk: How to Spot Fake News.”
I don’t know why I even put this event in, because we all know you never spot fake news in Press Run. If you promise not to look at Press Run for fake news while engaging in this program, I guess you can register for it here.
If you would like to see your item appear in Press Run, send me an email, at least 14 days prior to an event, at jeff.piorkowski@att.net.
Read more in the Sun Press.