“Thriving. Together” was introduced as the new “tagline” of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis at its 110th Annual Meeting, which was attended by 250 people last Wednesday in the Arts & Education Building of the Jewish Community Center.

Highlights of the meeting included the installation of Robert Millstone as the Chair of the Federation, the new title for the lay head of the organization under a major re-structuring that is unfolding; remarks by outgoing JFed President Sanford Neuman, award presentations and challenges that lie ahead.

In his opening remarks, Jewish Federation President and CEO Barry Rosenberg said that “Thriving. Together” represents a significant change in how Federation understands its mission and its vision. “The Federation’s role has evolved to encapsulate much more than just fundraising,” said Rosenberg. “Although still a central part of the Federation . . . it is not our mission. It is just a means to an end. And that end is a thriving Jewish community.”

New board chairman installed

Robert (Bob) Millstone said he was “humbled” by his new responsibilities as Chair of the Jewish Federation Board of Directors. Millstone expressed gratitude to his predecessor, Sanford Neuman, who completed his two-year term as JFed President.

“During (Neuman’s) tenure, we have adopted a new strategic plan, begun a search for a new executive, and provided significant help to our day schools,” referring to a proposed merger of Saul Mirowitz Day School/Reform Jewish Academy (RJA) and Solomon Schechter Day School (SSDS) as reported in the Jewish Light. Millstone also paid tribute to Rosenberg, with whom he has worked for the past eight years.

“As we move forward, we need to respond to dynamic changes in the demography, sociology and the culture of our community,” said Millstone. “We will do so on a solid 110-year history of achievement and the wisdom, knowledge and support of a great many people.”

Pointing to a copy of the Federation’s Strategic Plan, Millstone said, “Federation is in a period of renewal-assessing our performance, designing changes and taking corrective action. We will be adapting to new needs and wishes of supporters, creating new measurements to better assess our performance and establishing the foundation for a new way of doing business.”

Millstone is President and founder of The Millstone Company. His grandfather, the late Isadore E. Millstone, was one of the foremost leaders in the history of the Jewish community of St. Louis, as well as the general community, and was the only Honorary President in the 110-year history of the Federation.

Neuman, a founding partner and chair of the law firm of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C., completed his two-year term as the 38th President of the Federation, and the last to hold that title as lay head of the organization. Under a restructuring, that title has been changed to Chair, of which Bob Millstone is the first in that position.

In his remarks, Neuman thanked the lay and professional leaders of the Federation for their support, and took special note of the role of the Federation in supporting what he hopes will be a successful effort to merge the RJA with the SSDS to form a “new community day school.” He indicated that the very notion of community support for Jewish day schools was strongly opposed by some key leaders in decades past, “but we have come a long way” in supporting Jewish education on a community-wide basis.

Sheila Greenbaum, chair of the Federation Nominating Committee and Immediate Past President, presented the slate of officers and board members who were all elected or re-elected under the Federation’s three-tiered structure of governance.

Education, young leader

honorees

Community volunteers Julie Stern and David Kaslow were presented with the David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Awards. In addition, the 2011 winners of the Fred A. Goldstein Memorial Service Award were announced. Lori Wishne, JFed’s assistant director of development, a 22-year member of the staff, and Sonia Dobinsky, director of the Central Agency for Jewish Education, where she has been employed since 1998, will receive the award at an upcoming meeting of the Federation board.

“The (Goldstein Awards) Committee observed that Lori and Sonia represent two inter-dependent sides of a Thriving Community-building the Jewish future through education and financing it. Each relies on the other, and together Sonia and Lori make a fabulous pair of awardees,” said Rosenberg.

The Grosberg Award was established in 1961 by the family of Peggy Ross to honor “trailblazers under 40 who are active in Jewish Federation, its campaign or agencies and in the community at large.”

Stern, a university supervisor for Teacher Training & Evaluation at Webster University, has been involved in several key leadership roles within the Federation, including having led its Women’s Council for Education, and serving on the National Young Leadership Cabinet.

Kaslow, Director of Investments for Oppenheimer & Co., began his connection to Federation with the National Young Leadership Cabinet, and among many other activities, has served on its Planning & Allocations Committee, and is currently chair of its Investment Committee.

Both awardees spoke of the importance of their National Young Leadership Cabinet involvement with introducing them to the importance of a federated approach to Jewish community support. Stern spoke of how moved she was when she and a group of 32 other Jews helped send nine Bosnian Jewish children to a summer camp for two weeks, and how her involvement has informed her about the needs and challenges of Jews all over the world.

Kaslow recalled how moved he was to learn of Operation Solomon, a 1991 undercover rescue operation which rescued thousands of Ethiopian Jews from their desperate situation in a refugee camp in Africa.