Nine staff members from throughout the St. Louis Jewish community will be honored at Jewish Federation’s Annual JProStl Recognition Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 at the Jewish Community Center Staenberg Family Complex.  

Andrew Goldfeder, Museum Coordinator for the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center, will receive the Emerging Leader Award.  Goldfeder coordinates Museum tours and speaking engagements and promotes programs.  He is an active community volunteer with BBYO and NORC.  

Rabbi Yaakov Gertzulin, Director of Religious Affairs at the Cedars at the JCA, will receive the Chesed/Kindness award. He previously worked as Rebbe and Coordinator of Student Activities at the H.F. Epstein Hebrew Academy and assistant Rabbi and Chazzan at Nusach Hari B’nai Zion congregation.  

The Dedication Award goes to Lisa Jordan at Jewish Family & Children’s Services and Denise Walsh of St. Louis Hillel.  Jordan greets clients, schedules appointments and answers calls. She provides support to management, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and support staff.

Walsh, Hillel Office Manager, is responsible for Hillel operations including accounting, budgeting, building management and human resources.  She recently coordinated the closing and transition of the Hillel building.

Marcia Evers Levy, Director of the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, is the recipient of the Pillar Award.  Under her leadership the Jewish Book Festival is recognized as the most successful festival of its kind in the country. She regularly serves as a consultant for festivals, fairs, organizations and venues across the country.

Carol Rubin, who is receiving the Educator Award, has been involved in Jewish education her entire professional life.  She currently is the Director of Jewish Life for the Saul Mirowitz Day School Reform Jewish Academy, having been on staff there since 1999. Rubin was previously Director of Education at Temple Israel and has staff and faculty at Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI).  

Peter Walker will receive the Career Achievement Award. His work in the Jewish community spans over 30 years at JF&CS.  He started his career counseling children and their families and is presently Clinical Services Supervisor. Walker has worked closely with Jewish agencies and schools and also with adoption programming, specialized training for traumatized children and adults and treatment for adults with chronic and severe personality disorders.  

Nancy Weigley, who is the Program Director of NCJW-St. Louis Section, will receive the Mentor award.  Weigley oversees membership, community service and advocacy programming, including the annual Back-To-School Store. She previously worked at the JCC as Director of the St. Louis Senior Olympics and J Associates.  

Donna Zeffren will receive the Visionary Award for her work as Director of Chinuch.org, Torah Umersorah’s web based resource library for Judaic Studies teachers, which she established in 2011. Chinuch.org reaches 45,000 registered members in 70 different countries. Zeffren also supervises the Torah Umesorah St. Louis Teachers Center and previously taught at Torah Prep and Esther Miller Bais Yaakov.

Online registration is available at www.jewishinstlouis.org/jpro. The luncheon is free of charge for staff who works at Jewish organizations and $25 per person for guests.  

JProStl supports staff at 60 Jewish organizations. Programs are made possible by the Lubin-Green Foundation, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.  JProStl is affiliated with the Millstone Institute for Jewish Leadership. For information, contact Marci Mayer Eisen at 314-442-3810.