Women of the Year Audrey Brooks and Donna Moser and Man of the Year Steve Kippur head the list of 2015 award winners the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona will honor at its annual meeting and awards celebration, which will be held Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Jewish Community Center.
Brooks and Moser, affectionately known as “the sisters,” moved to Tucson from Milwaukee and immediately established themselves as tireless and inspirational leaders. They have served as co-chairs of the Federation Campaign and Women’s Philanthropy efforts for four years running. They have also traveled to Israel and Europe on the Federation’s behalf on several occasions. Kippur is completing his term as board chair of the Tucson Hebrew Academy, which he undertook immediately after serving as board chair of the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation. He, too, has visited Jewish communities around the globe on behalf of the Federation, most recently Morocco and Israel. All three honorees also have served on the Federation board of directors — and all three are compassionate and caring individuals who epitomize the core value of building a community where each of us is responsible for one another, says JFSA President and CEO Stuart Mellan.
Dana Goldstein and Andrew Isaac will receive the Gary I. Sarver Young Woman and Young Man of the Year Awards, which include stipends to be applied toward an Israel mission or attendance at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America.
The winners of the 2015 Meritorious Service awards are Amy Beyer, Ariella Mollen, Rabbi Richard Safran, Jim Wezelman and Jeff Wortzel.
The Ben and Betty Brook Community Professional of the Year is Bryan Davis, director of the Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Council and interim executive director of the Jewish History Museum.
Special Recognition Awards will be given to Barry Friedman, Ray Davies, Rabbi Thomas Louchheim and Beth Alpert Nakhai for their work with the Jewish History Museum and Holocaust education.
The Ben and Sally Smith Memorial College Youth Award, determined by a committee of the University of Arizona Hillel Foundation, will be presented to Jamie Nora Oko and Alyssa Silva. Matthew Landau will receive the Judaic Educator Award.
The Meyer and Libby Marmis Humanitarian Award winner is Literacy Connects.
Federation professionals who are celebrating five-year interval anniversaries also will be recognized at the event.
The May 7 event will also feature the election and installation of the Federation’s 2015-2016 board of directors and recognition of outgoing leaders Kathryn L. Unger, chair of the board; Jane Kivel, Women’s Philanthropy Campaign chair; and Brooks and Moser, Campaign co-chairs.
Refreshments will be served. The cost of the event is $5 per person. The co-chairs of this year’s annual meeting and awards celebration are Melissa Goldfinger and David Plotkin. The awards committee was chaired by Rosie Eilat Kahn.
For information or reservations, call 577-9393 or visit jfsa.org.
