Beth Abraham Sisterhood has announced its 2014 Women of Valor honorees: Melinda Doner, Helene Gordon, Susie Katz, Harriet Klass, Ellen Leffak, Gayle Moscowitz, and Patti Schear. The awards luncheon, to be held May 7, will also posthumously honor Carol Pavlofsky. Event chairs are Elaine Bettman and Randi Fuchsman.

Cantor Jerome B. Kopmar, cantor emeritus of Beth Abraham Synagogue, will present a vocal recital on Sunday, March, 2, at Stivers School for the Arts, accompanied by pianist Bernadette O’Connor. Two of his students, Julie Davis and Brigid McCabe, will also perform. They’ll present works by Beethoven, Handel, Franck, Schubert, Verdi, and selections in Yiddish and Hebrew. A prolific composer of Jewish liturgical settings, Kopmar served as Beth Abraham’s cantor from 1969 to 1996, was an adjunct professor of voice at Sinclair Community College for fifteen years and now maintains a private voice studio.

Hospice of Dayton has joined 60 hospices nationwide in becoming accredited with the National Institute for Jewish Hospice. The accreditation links Hospice of Dayton with NIJH, which provides staff training and insights on treating Jewish patients who are terminally ill, and access to resources and education about Jewish customs and practices that may arise while caring for a hospice patient who is Jewish. Hospice received the accreditation after team leader for chaplain services, Gayle Simmons, attended NIJH’s 28th Accreditation Conference in New Jersey. Hospice of Dayton’s senior medical director is Dr. Jules Sherman.

Gary Zaremba of New York has purchased The Livery building in the Oregon District. Gary’s real estate business, PepZee Realty, owns and manages nearly 300 housing units in the Montgomery County area; Gary and PepZee have renovated 65 buildings in the Dayton area since he entered the local market in 2008. He’s now exploring uses for The Livery.

Evan Sherbet, son of Dr. Ann and Steve Sherbet, recently became an Eagle Scout with Troop 316 in Centerville. For his Eagle Scout project, he constructed a garden area and picnic table for the volunteers at the Good Neighbor House in Dayton. The Good Neighbor House is a non-profit medical, dental, eye clinic, and food pantry for those without health insurance. Participants in Evan’s Eagle Scout ceremony included Steve Markman, representing the Jewish War Veterans, and Scott Segalewitz, representing the Dayton Jewish Committee on Scouting. Evan is a senior at Centerville High School and plans to major in computer science.

Oakwood High School senior Addison Caruso, who was selected to attend the American Legion 2013 Buckeye Boys State program, was nominated and selected as first alternate for the William Randolph Hearst United States Youth Senate Program 2014. Two delegates are selected from each of the 50 states to take part in senatorial sessions with their respective state senators. Delegates are selected based on nominations from Buckeye Boys State, scores on an extensive civics exam, academic standing, recommendations, and leadership. Addison is the son of Patty and Mike Caruso.

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To read the complete February 2014 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.