With Rachel Haug Gilbert, The Dayton Jewish Observer

Hillel Academy will honor Sandy Sloane Brenner for her 43 years of teaching at the Jewish day school with a brunch on May 31 at Beth Abraham Synagogue. Proceeds will benefit Hillel Academy.

Ann Berger is coordinating chefs for the Fifth Annual Doors of Compassion fund-raiser on April 18 to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Doors of Compassion begins with dinners prepared by chefs and served in private residences across the area. Following dinner, participants come together for an after party with live music, a silent auction, and desserts, at a location kept secret until that evening’s dinner. Chef Adam Baumgarten of Bernstein’s Fine Catering marks his fourth year volunteering for the event. Bonnie Beaman Rice and Lauren Baumgarten serve on the planning committee, and Andi Rabiner and Katie and Russ Gottesman are among the dinner hosts. Erv Pavlofsky of ProduceOne provides greens for the event and opens his warehouse for event planners to organize and distribute food to chefs. This year marks the 35th anniversary for Dayton’s Ronald McDonald House.

David Katz, son of Linda and Allan Katz, has been named executive director of Hillel 818, which serves students at California State University Northridge, Pierce College, and Los Angeles Valley College. David moves to California from Pittsburgh, where he served as assistant director of the Hillel Jewish University Center.

The Dayton Jewish Committee on Scouting held its annual Scout Shabbat on March 7, at Beth Abraham Synagogue. Cub Scout Ethan Zied, of Pack 34 in Springboro, was awarded an Aleph Emblem. To earn the Aleph Emblem, Ethan studied aspects of Jewish life and history. Ethan is the son of Eric Zied and Dr. Dena Mason-Zied. And Jereme Kuperman, cubmaster of Pack 28 in Kettering, received the Shofar Award for his outstanding service in the promotion of Scouting among Jewish youths.

Ari Vandersluis serves on the BuckeyeThon Committee at The Ohio State University, which raises funds for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. More than 4,000 students came together for BuckeyeThon’s dance marathon Feb. 6-7, raising $1.2 million. Ari is the son of Marci and Dr. Joel Vandersluis.

Jessica Cohen, daughter of Lori Appel-Cohen, is one of 73 teens from across North America on the National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) High School in Israel program from January through May. The program is based at Kibbutz Tzuba in the Judean Hills 15 minutes outside of Jerusalem. Students take an advanced Jewish history class and Hebrew Ulpan, general studies courses, and spend three days each week on field trips.

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To read the complete April 2015 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.