HADASSSAH IS HOSTING A BIG STEM CELL RELATED EVENT on Feb. 14, this one of particular interest in advances against Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In case you had not noticed, the event falls on Valentine’s Day and is called “Framing the Future Encore: A Love Story. ” It will feature an inspiring story from a MS patient from Houston and her husband.

Dr. Barbara Green, medical director of the West County Multiple Sclerosis Center, will provide background on MS and Nancy Falchuk, Immediate Past President of Hadassah, will discuss the multitude of advances being pursued at Hadassah Medical Center as well as providing an update on the state-of-the-art Sarah Wetsman Davidson Tower at Hadassah, which will be completed within several months. It is a gift from Hadassah to the city of Jerusalem in honor of Hadassah’s 100th anniversary.

The evening starts at 6:45 p.m. with appetizers and cocktails in the Jewish Community Center’s Arts and Education building followed by the program and dessert.  The cost is $240 per person with all proceeds going to stem cell research at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. Cocktail attire is the suggested dress by co-chairs Carol and Michael Staenberg. For reservations (requested by Jan. 30) call Hadassah at 314-991-0434 or email [email protected].

DICK WEISS AND BEN LIPMAN, both members of the St. Louis Jewish Light board, were recently honored by the Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis with its most prestigious honor, the Catfish Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the Press Club and to the field of communications. Alice S. Handelman received the organization’s President’s Award along with Ellen Soule and Amanda Cook for their great work on “Face the Nation,” a fundraiser for the Press Club.

THE 2012 MS. MISSOURI SENIOR AMERICA PAGEANT to be held in the Florissant Civic Center on Sunday, July 8 is looking for candidates to become contestants this year. Ladies must be at least 60 years old and have a talent-singing, dancing or any kind of talent that can be presented in two and a half minutes on stage. 

There will also be three other areas of competition: a personal interview with judges before the pageant begins, modeling of an evening gown and a 35-second recitation of one’s philosophy of life. (I kid you not.) According to the directors, auditions will be held in late February. 

For more information, call Christine DeHart, Co-State Director, at 636-391-5678.

KIDS AND ADULTS OF ALL AGES will have the opportunity to hear first-hand stories about what it is like to work with animals from Israeli zoologist Avinoam Lourie, former head of the Haifa Zoo and Director of Israel’s Wildlife Conservation Department.  The event will be held at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 in the Living World Theatre at the St. Louis Zoo. The event includes treats for kids such as live zoo animals as greeters and a book signing with Lourie featuring his new book “A Bear In My Bed And A Jackal In My Oven: Adventures Of An Israeli Wildlife Zoologist.” Jointly sponsored by the Jewish Book Festival and the St. Louis Zoo, this promises to be a special event for youngsters.  For reservations at $20 for a family of two kids and parents or at $8 for adults, $6 for kids over 6 and free for youngsters under 5, call 314-442-3299.  The event is chaired by Lori Sheinbein and Karen Smoller.

IT’S TIME AGAIN FOR THE 10th ANNUAL VISIONARY AWARDS.  This is one of Grand Center’s many contributions to the arts and a tribute to some of the women in our community-the artists, advocates, philanthropists and teachers who keep the arts alive and thriving. Grand Center invites nominations in the following categories-Major Contributor to the Arts, Outstanding Art Professional, Successful Working Artist, Outstanding Arts Educator and Emerging Artist.

Time is very short but Grand Center provides a good shortcut. To nominate the woman you think of as visionary, go to www.grandcenter.org for forms and instructions or contact Marcia Quint at 314-289-1583. 

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 27.