To celebrate Rabbi Samuel Fox’s 100th birthday, he and his wife of 72 years, Miriam, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog May 20 at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem. Rabbi Samuel Fox served as Beth Jacob Congregation’s rabbi from 1955 until his retirement in 1995. Born in Lokatch, Poland, May 28, 1924, Rabbi Fox’s family immigrated to Milwaukee in 1929. The Fox family celebrated their patriarch’s special birthday over Shabbat in Efrat. Rabbi Fox chanted the Haftarah and hosted a kiddush lunch with the same menu served at his bar mitzvah 87 years ago. The celebration continued in Jerusalem, May 31 at the home of Bracha and Yitzhak Zuriel when the rabbi and rebbetzin joined a reunion of 40 former Daytonians who now live in Israel.

Jane Fischer, who arrived in Springfield three years ago to serve as development director of the Clark County Historical Society, has been promoted to the position of executive director. A native of Philadelphia, Jane is a member of Springfield Rotary and the Greater Springfield Association of Fundraising Professionals.

The Charles F. Kettering Foundation has appointed The Collaboratory founder Peter Benkendorf to its first cohort of Kettering Foundation Dayton Democracy Fellows. The fellowship is designed to support “innovative leaders, changemakers and dreamers who are building movements for inclusive democracy in their communities and in our wider world.”

This year’s Dayton Business Journal 40 Under 40 honorees include Jessica Blimbaum, Goodwill Easterseals Miami Valley director of data strategy; Martin Foster, Economy Linen & Towel Service vice president; and Dan Sweeny, Dayton Children’s Hospital’s population health director.

Mark Gruenberg was elected Temple Beth Or’s new president at its June 17 board meeting.

Hannah Dritz, daughter of Dr. Michele and Dr. Jay Dritz, was confirmed at Temple Israel on June 11.

Judah Schwartz, son of Pam and Andy Schwartz and grandson of Lois Spetter and Syd Gross, Allan Spetter and Claudia Birch, graduated from Oakwood High School Magna Cum Laude with an honors diploma. Judah earned his Eagle Scout rank with Boy Scout Troop 320. He was also on Oakwood High School’s Quiz Bowl Team, a member of the National Honor Society, and Spanish Honors Society. He’ll attend Dickinson College.

Andrea Liberman received her MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. She majored in marketing and operations and was a nonprofit board fellow for BalletX, president of the Wharton Dance Studio, and a member of the Jewish Association of MBAs. She was sponsored by Bain Consulting and will move to its Los Angeles office after previously working in Dallas. She is a 2015 Centerville High School graduate. Her undergraduate degree is from Vanderbilt University. Her proud family includes parents Scott and Ann Liberman of Centerville, sister Deborah Liberman of Plainfield, Ind., and grandparents Marilyn and Harvey Liberman of Knoxville, Tenn., and Conrad Rennemann Jr. of Centerville.

Sarah Blum Routman, daughter of Connie and Stanley Blum, has been named program director of Rimon: the Minneapolis Jewish Arts Council, an initiative of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. Sarah, a published poet, photographer, author, and painter, served as executive regional director of BBYO for Minnesota and the Dakotas, Hillel director and leadership instructor at the University of Minnesota, and taught high school English and drama in Florida and Georgia before launching her own business as a speaker, consultant, and coach. She is a certified Laughter Ambassador and Laughter Yoga instructor. Her paintings and photography are part of a triple artist showcase at the Tychman Shapiro Gallery at the Sabes JCC in Minneapolis through July. Her book, Discover the Power of Laughter, coauthored with her twin sister, Rachael, comes out this summer.

Ben Lambert of Lansing, Mich., carries forward the mission of his late grandfather-in-law, Holocaust survivor Robert Kahn. Ben, who is married to Aliza Weiss, will run in the New York City Marathon Nov. 3 as a member of Team Blue Card, which raises funds and awareness for Holocaust survivors living at or below the poverty level in the United States. Ben will run the marathon in memory of Bob, who died at age 100 in April. “He believed we all had a part to play to help make the world a better place,” Ben noted. “There are over 200,000 Holocaust survivors alive today worldwide and over 81% of them are in need of either ongoing or additional financial assistance to afford basic needs, such as adequate food and healthcare.”

Send your Mazel Tov announcements to mweiss@jfgd.net.

To read the complete July 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.