Outstanding volunteers were recognized at the annual meeting of the National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis Section, held in May. They are: Congregation Shaare Emeth member Gail Eisenkramer – Leadership;Shaare Emeth member Lisa Gubernik – Emerging Leader; United Hebrew Congregation member Judy Grosz – Volunteer Service; Eleanor Rosenbaum – Community Service; and Congregation B’nai Amoona member Melissa Alper – Fritzi Lainoff Advocacy Award. Also at the event, NCJW-St. Louis installed its 2016-2018 Executive Team and Board. Shaare Emeth congregant, Susan Witte, is the organization’s new president.

Paul Kravitz, a retired executive and active volunteer in the Jewish community, was honored by Maryville University as its Volunteer of the Year. Recognizing Maryville’s efforts to become more engaged within the Jewish community, he facilitated a partnership between Maryville and the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library, was instrumental in creating an on-campus Hillel, and the collaboration with the Jewish Community Center to become a host site for the upcoming JCC Maccabi Games. Most recently he initiated a new summer internship program at Energizer for Maryville students in the Simon School of Business, for which he will serve as the faculty lead.

Samantha Laiderman has joined Paradowski Creative as a project coordinator. 

Alan Scher Zagier is taking a leave of absence from the Associated Press in St. Louis to join Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, where he’ll work as a senior strategic communications consultant while pursuing an MBA.

Marilyn Lipman received the Lift for Life Academy’s John Mann Presidential Award at its annual fashion show. At 77 years old, Lipman wanted to enhance her mathematic skills. To do so, she has observed the pre-algebra, algebra 2, geometry, and discrete math (statistical analysis and calculus operations) classes. She then tutors the students about what she has learned and the students, in turn, teach her to make sure they understand the concepts. Lipman, a member of United Hebrew, has volunteered at the academy twice a week for the past seven years.

Robert D. Litz was named President of United States Arbitration & Mediation (USA&M) and serves on the Mediator and Senior Arbitrator panels. In his new role, Litz will lead the national and international arbitration and mediation services of USA&M from its St. Louis headquarters. USA&M, founded in 1985, is the largest provider of mediation and arbitration services in the Midwest. A member of Temple Israel, Litz also serves as an adjunct Professor of Law at Washington University.

At 93 years old, Judge Arthur Litz received the Presidents Award from the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis in honor of his service for writing the book reviews for the St. Louis Bar Journal for more than 50 years. Litz attends Temple Israel. 

Richard P. Sher, received the Richard S. Arnold Award for Distinguished Service at the recent Eighth Circuit Judicial Conference. The award recipients are chosen by the district judges in each of the districts in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, based on criteria for which Judge Arnold was known. Sher, who has served as a mediator in more than 2,200 cases, was recognized for his contribution to the study and acceptance of alternative dispute resolution in civil litigation. Sher is a founding member of law firm Sher Corwin Winters LLC.

Former St. Louisan Justin Tesser has been promoted to Dean of Achievement First Endeavor Elementary School in Brooklyn, N.Y. His responsibilities include 4^th-grade curriculum. Achievement First is a non-profit, high performing, college-preparatory, kindergarten to 12^th-grade public charter school.   

David Smoller is the new owner of Big Bend Auto Center located at 1710 S. Big Bend Blvd. in Richmond Heights. The center works on all types of domestic and foreign cars. Smoller, a member of Temple Israel, continues to mentor several biotech startups in the community. Smoller works with the local incubator accelerator program, Biogenerator, to help create and guide early stage biotech companies.  

Scape American Bistro’s new executive chef is Shimon Diamond, formerly the chef de cuisine at Cielo Restaurant & Bar. His new menu showcases what he calls a Midwest American bistro approach. 

Delmar Garden’s Chesterfield Villas Retirement and Assisted Living community, a member of the Missouri Assisted Living Association (MALA), was recently presented with the MALA Excellence Award. The award was given to recognize Chesterfield Villas as a “deficiency-free” community for 2015 in accordance to the Department of Health and Senior Services regulations and the State Fire Marshall’s office. President and CEO Gabe Grossberg is a member of Tpheris Israel Chevra Kadisha.

Rachel Krug and Jeffrey Eidelman each received the B’nai Amoona Men’s Club Medallion Award. The award recognizes outstanding youth in the congregation. Daughter of Elise and Mark Krug, Rachel graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in May and will be attending the University of Minnesota in the fall. Jeffrey, son of Debbie and Zamir Eidelman, graduated from Parkway Central High School and will be attending Miami University in Ohio.

The USY (United Synagogue Youth) EMTZA region recently elected their new officers. Jessie Goldberg, daughter of Pam and Kenny Goldberg, became president and Zakai Rose, son of Paulie and Rabbi Carnie Rose, was elected religious vice president. Jessie will be a senior at Parkway Central High School in the fall and Zakai, who attends Whitfield School, will be a junior. They are both members of B’nai Amoona.  

The following teens have been elected president of their respective Jewish youth groups. 

Harry Rubin, Kol Rinah’s USY, KRYSTL, son of Beth and Donn Rubin, Clayton High School. 

Caleb Pultman, B’nai Amoona USY (BAUSY), son of Mimi and Andy Pultman, MICDS

Jake Flom, Congregation United Hebrew’s NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth), UHTYG, son of Julie and Ted Flom,  MICDS

Aerin Leigh Lammers, Shaare Emeth’s NFTY group, SETYG, daughter of Vicki Platke and Jim Lammers, Parkway North High School. 

Emma Barnes is BBYO (B’nai Brith Youth Organization) Council N’siah and Brandon Bleyer is Council Gadol. Emma, daughter of Lisa Graivier Barnes and Carl Barnes, is a student at Clayton High School and attends Central Reform Congregation. Brandon is the son of Diane and Craig Bleyer and attends Marquette High School and United Hebrew.