At 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11 at the Ritz-Carlton, Jewish Federation of St. Louis will honor its three groundbreaking supporting foundations and the families who established them at a gala funadraising dinner: Visionaries 2010.  Collectively, these foundations have given millions of dollars to hundreds of programs and services in both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities in St. Louis and around the world.  

The community is invited to pay tribute to:

• Tom and Karole Green for the Lubin-Green Family Foundation, Jewish Federation’s first supporting foundation, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and has granted more than $4 million to the Jewish community. Some of the principal program areas of support include: Cultural Leadership, ElderLink St. Louis, Interfaith Partnership, Jewish Fund for Human Needs, Jewish Information Service, Jewish Student Union, Next Dor, Nishmah, Partnership 2000 Sister-City Program in Israel, Professional Excellence Project, Shalom Baby, Yom Haatzmaut and Wings.

• Michael and Carol Staenberg for the Staenberg Family Foundation. Founded in 2005, the Foundation has awarded $1 million in grants annually. Some of the agencies/projects currently supported by the Foundation include:  American Technion Society, Anti-Defamation League, Birthright Israel, College Bound, Contemporary Art Museum, Holocaust Museum and Learning Center, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Lift for Life, NCJW Back to School Store, Ready Readers, Regional Business Council, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis Crisis Nursery, St. Louis Art Museum, Sheldon Concert Hall, Siteman Cancer Center, The Wellness Community of St. Louis and United Way of St. Louis.

• Ken and Nancy Kranzberg for the Kranzberg Family Foundation. Each year, the Kranzbergs put in $50,000, which is distributed as grants to organizations that apply. The Foundation has supported NextGen and outreach programming in the Jewish community such as: the B’nai Tzedek program administered through the Central Agency for Jewish Education; the PJ Library program, the Jewish Student Union, Next Dor, Nishmah-Banot Buddies, Lifeline Fund, Holocaust Museum Young Friends Initiative, Jewish Light Teen Page and Workshops, Judaism Alive Initiative – Jewish Rock Radio, jewishsongleader.org and Judaism Alive Media Kits, an ADL anti-Semitism program.

At the event, Michael Feinstein – the multi-platinum selling, five-time Grammy nominated entertainer, dubbed “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook” – will perform. His 150-plus shows a year have included such major concert venues as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace.

Visionary 2010 Event Chairs are Bill & Kim Miller and Lee Wielansky. In addition to honoring the families, Jewish Federation hopes to raise more than $300,000 for its 2010 Annual Jewish Community Campaign. Individual tickets to this event are $250.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Lori Wishne at 442-3830 or [email protected].