Faye Bienstock knew from an early age that she wanted to work in health care, and physical therapy appealed to her right away. "Physical therapy is global," says Bienstock, 35. "It involves the whole patient, from head to toe. Plus, you not only work...

A student at Whitfield School, Alyson Neiner is the daughter of Leesa and Doug Neiner of Chesterfield. She has been involved with a very special book club for over three years. This book club is through the St. Louis Arc, a United Way agency that provides...

Matthew Gibbs' mitzvah project became more personal after his much-loved basketball coach, Mark Morley, passed away.  Son of Julie and Ron Gibbs of Chesterfield, Matthew organized a basketball tournament that raised money for a fund that had been started...

Elisheva Kent loves to swim and she was elated when she realized that she could connect it to her bat mitzvah project. Daughter of Meir and Zipora Kent of University City, Elisheva participated in the annual Camp Derech Eretz swim-a-thon.A program through...

Dr. James R. Scharff, a native St. Louisan, hails from a long line of insurance salesmen, but when it came time to choose a profession, Scharff opted to become a heart surgeon. "The profession and I chose each other," says Scharff, 36. "My entire life,...

Bella Adler, daughter of Aviva Raskas Adler and Moshe Adler of University City, is very "crafty" and loves doing art projects with family and friends. So, it made perfect sense to incorporate her mitzvah project into her bat mitzvah celebration. Guests...

Evan Sundermeyer, United Hebrew Congregation In the process of deciding what to do for his mitzvah project, Evan Sundermeyer of Chesterfield decided to organize a fundraising walk to benefit two charities close to his heart. Holding a walk seemed like...

Amanda Lopatin, Congregation B'nai Amoona Amanda Lopatin used her passion for bike riding to raise money for a cause near and dear to her family's heart: the Huntington's Disease Society of America. In 2005 Amanda's grandmother died from this devastating...

Aliyah Becker, United Hebrew Congregation Aliyah Becker, daughter of Cindy and Ed Becker of Chesterfield, decided that since members of her family had been affected by cancer, she would dedicate her bat mitzvah project to help those affected by the disease...

Mazel Tov to Abraham and Frances Gersten celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary on October 20, 2010.The Gerstens are the proud parents of four wonderful children: Sarah Gersten Holtzman (Jim) of San Diego, Calif., Sam Gersten (Karen) of Chicago,...

Ruth Litman-Block has survived breast cancer twice. She has diabetes and she recently healed from two broken legs. She has taken all that in stride  - and lost 32 pounds as well. "Attitude is very important," says Litman-Black, 67. "I keep my focus on...

Siegfried and Carol (Ellman) Adler will celebrate their fiftieth anniversary on October 9. They are planning to celebrate with a trip to Disney World with their children and grandchildren during Hanukkah. They are the proud parents of the late Sheldon...