Jews in the news: Nov. 7, 2012

Barry L. Glantz, president of Glantz & Associates, Architects, was one of six judges nationwide for the annual Best in American Living Awards, the premier national design competition for new housing.  The panel gathered at the National Association of Home Builders headquarters in Washington D.C. to review more than 250 entries from homebuilders throughout the United States and internationally. The current Mayor of Creve Coeur, Glantz serves on the St. Louis County Building Commission and the Board of Building Appeals.

Leslie Wolf, Director of the St. Louis Jewish Parents as Teachers (J-PAT) program and the Deutsch Early Childhood Center at Temple Israel, will be one of the featured presenters at the Parents as Teachers (PAT) Regional Learning Community program at Union Station, Nov. 9.  J-PAT, which launched in September 2011, is the first Parents as Teachers program to be offered in a faith-based setting.  The program serves families of all Jewish backgrounds and is open to the entire St. Louis Jewish community.

Accountant Gary Wilson has been appointed Director of Finance at the Gladys & Henry Crown Center for Senior Living, 8350 Delcrest Drive in University. His responsibilities include financial analysis, budgeting and planning in addition to serving as staff liaison to the Board of Director’s Finance Committee.

Friendship Village, a not-for-profit retirement community in St. Louis, announced the selection of Michael Heselbarth as the new Corporate Operations Director for both the Chesterfield and Sunset Hills communities.  He will serve as Executive Director for Friendship Village Chesterfield with oversight for Friendship Village Sunset Hills. The board calso created a new position to build the Friendship Village brand and integrate marketing efforts by naming Joanna Jones-Raymond as Marketing Director for both communities. 

St. Louis-based travel agent Joe Lang has been recognized as one of the travel industry’s top home-based travel agents based on his car, cruise, and tour sales by premier travel host agency, Nexion, and Travel Leaders. Lang was honored with Nexion’s Circle of Excellence award during the organization’s annual meeting in Dallas last month.

Mother-daughter team, Betty Goran and J.J. Krane, just opened Blown Away Blow Dry Bar, in the Colonial Marketplace, 8815 Ladue Road next to Ladue Crossing.  Blown Away is an affordable ($30, 35 minutes), no-cut, no-color salon; just wash, blow dry and go.  For more information, call 314-932-1116 or visit www.blownawaystl.com.

Former St. Louis resident, Rabbi Lynn Goldstein, became the first female rabbi in the 100-plus year history of Moses Montefiore Temple in Bloomington, Ill.  She began her new position in July 1.

Phyllis Traub and Lenny Frankel were honored with the Bride and Groom of the Torah at Congregation B’nai Amoona on Simchat Torah.  These awards are given to deserving members who exemplify exceptional leadership and volunteerism.

Rachel Kranzberg Miller was named a finalist for the NICHE Award, sponsored by NICHE magazine. The NICHE Awards program is a national award celebrating excellence and innovation in American and Canadian fine craft.  Her passion for jewelry fabrication led her to discover a revolutionary fine silver material called Precious Metal Clay or PMC.  Her work has been published in Metal Clay magazine, and her brownstone Silver Mezuzah is part of the permanent collection at The Mizel Jewish Museum in Denver, Colo.

Heading up the development and clinical efforts of MediBeacon is Richard Dorshow, President and Chief Scientific Officer.  MediBeacon is a new St. Louis-based optical diagnostic company. Dorshow is a research physicist and manager with over 25 years in R&D with a focus on developing innovative, business oriented research programs.

Rabbi Susan Talve, of Central Reform Congregation, received the Faithful of Southern Illinois annual Koch Award.  The award is given yearly to a person exhibiting his or her commitment to openness, justice, equality and inclusiveness. Rabbi Talve was nominated “especially for her courageous hospitality in making the synagogue available for the ordination of two Roman Catholic Women Priests.”