The Wright-Patterson Special Observance Committee hosted its Holocaust Days of Remembrance Event at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, May 2. Participants heard from local survivors Ira Segalewitz and Renate Frydman. The program also included a tour of Prejudice and Memory, the Holocaust exhibit on permanent display at the museum, which was curated by Renate. Rabbi Ari Ballaban of Temple Beth Or gave the benediction for the event. At the Greater Dayton Yom Hashoah Observance, held April 28 at Beth Abraham Synagogue, Renate presented certificates to the winners of the Max and Lydia May Memorial Holocaust Art and Writing Contests. The winners are listed here:

Max May Memorial Holocaust Art Contest

Division I, Art
First Place: Sophia Perevozchikov, The Miami Valley School
Second Place: Eden Lubow, Hillel Academy
Third Place: Chaya Simon, Hillel Academy
Hon. Men.: Alia Donofrio, Tatum McIntire, Maddy Ferrell, Hiba Louhsa, Kinsey Fry, and Alyssa Dunson, Warner Middle School
Hon. Men.: Lulu Zhang, Oakwood Junior High School

Division II, Art
First Place: Courtney Ayers, Andrew Simones, Cayley King, Ian Harson, Brooklyn Cox, and Casey Phipps-Ranney, Chaminade Julienne High School
Second Place: Callie Berry, Miami Valley Career Technology Center
Third Place: Rebecca Blumer, Oakwood High School

Lydia May Memorial Holocaust Poetry and Prose Contest

Division I Poetry
First Place: Charlotte Ward, The Miami Valley School
Second Place: Chaya Simon, Hillel Academy
Third Place: Yiyi Li Kudera, Hillel Academy
Hon. Men.: Avi Gilbert, Hillel Academy

Division II Poetry
First Place: Charlie Blumer, Oakwood High School
Second Place: Cameron Gamble, Miami Valley Career Technology Center
Third Place: Sylvia Vanderburgh, Oakwood High School
Hon. Men.: Kyera Dancy, Chaminade Julienne High School

Division I Prose, Group A
First Place: Libbi Mergler, Northmont Middle School
Second Place: Gracie Landes, Northmont Middle School
Third Place: Colin Pham, Warner Middle School
Hon. Men.: Zach Saxton, Northmont Middle School

Division I Prose, Group B
First Place: Caleb Bannister, Northmont Middle School
Second Place: Mia Doron, Hastings Middle School
Third Place: Kaley Underwood, Northmont Middle School
Hon. Men.: Grace Brown, Northmont Middle School

Division II Prose
First Place: Lauren Kilgore, Miami Valley Career Technology Center
Second Place: Avery Bocock, Miami Valley Career Technology Center
Third Place: Keara Knepsheild, Miami Valley Career Technology Center
Hon. Men.: D’Asia Jones, Miami Valley Career Technology Center

Peter Titlebaum, a professor of sport management at UD, heads to Alabama by way of bicycle from Cincinnati for a fundraising tour, June 1 to 7. The 60-year old departs from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati and will arrive at the Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery, Ala. along with retired UD technology staffer Dwight Matlock and Moshe Bar-gil, a native of Israel and VP of Frutarom USA, a food industry company. The trip, the Ride 4 Freedom Legacy Tour, is an interfaith, intercultural effort to highlight African American and Jewish collaboration during the civil rights movement. Moshe is also Jewish and Dwight is African American. Money donated for the ride will benefit both museums and help create a scholarship at UD’s Institute of Applied Creativity and Transformation for a rising senior who develops a community-building project designed to have a longterm legacy on its recipients. The three will also speak with students and community groups about the importance of African American history and the civil rights movement at various stops along the route.

Hoop, there it is! Speaking of UD, Darren Hertz has been promoted to assistant coach with the UD men’s basketball team. Previously a special assistant to Head Coach Anthony Grant, Darren assumes active recruiting and on-floor coaching responsibilities. The assistant coaching spot opened when Donnie Jones became the head coach at Stetson. Anthony and Darren were previously assistants at the University of Florida. Darren spent 19 years with the Gators before a two-year stint as an assistant at University of Illinois.

The Columbus Dispatch’s Bill Rabinowitz was named best sports writer at the Associated Press Media Editors Awards Banquet held in Columbus recently. Bill is the son of Bernie and the late Carole Rabinowitz.

Now to toot my own horn, I was humbled and honored to receive three awards from the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Association. I tied for first for best column and had another column finish third. I also had a news story tie for third. All three were entered in Division III, which had the most newspapers and entrants. That’s with my career gig, staff writer for the Xenia Daily Gazette, Fairborn Daily Herald, Beavercreek News-Current, and Greene County News.

Avi Gilbert, oldest son of Rachel and Dr. Heath Gilbert, plays the role of Mitchell in the The Loman Family Picnic at Middletown Lyric Theatre. The play is about a Jewish family in 1960s New York; it runs June 7 to 15.

Jason Guadalupe is graduating from Swarthmore College with a degree in linguistics and minors in biology and psychology. While at Swarthmore, Jason volunteered at area hospitals, learned American Sign Language, and directed the college’s psychology animal behavior lab. He’ll work in the medical field while he prepares to apply to medical school. Jason is the son of Melissa and Harold Guadalupe.

Pamela Segalewitz graduated from UD with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice and sociology and minors in family development and social work. Pamela is a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and served as vice president of community service. She was also an active member of the Alpha Kappa Delta Fraternity, the national sociology honors society. She participated in UD’s Statehouse Scholars program, working in the Ohio Supreme Court. She is currently pursuing a career in the criminal justice field. Pamela is the daughter of Caryl and Scott Segalewitz, granddaughter of Ira and the late Zelda Segalewitz, and the late Phyllis and Samuel Stein.

Brandon and Alexis Wagenfeld, grandchildren of Lawrence and Sheila Wagenfeld, Walter and Bonnie Rice, and Sarann Rice, graduate June 4 from Blaine High School in Blaine, Minn. Both earned National Merit Scholarships and will attend the University of Minnesota.

Send your announcements, including grad school graduations, to scotthalasz1@gmail.com.

To read the complete June 2019 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.