Newsmakers: December 2020

Marvin W. Berkowitz of UMSL presented Epstein Hebrew Academy Academic Principal Itta Boyko and Judaic studies curriculum coordinator Shiffy Landa certificates marking the completion of the first year of the Character Education for Emerging Leaders program.

Compiled by Jewish Light staff

Epstein Hebrew Academy Academic Principal Itta Boyko and Judaic studies curriculum coordinator Shiffy Landa completed year one of the Character Education for Emerging Leaders program.  Marvin W. Berkowitz (inaugural Sanford N. McDonnell Endowed Professor of Character Education and Co-Director of the Center for Character and Citizenship at the UMSL) presented them with their awards and shared anecdotes about their experience with students. Landa, along with her husband, Rabbi Yosef Landa, run Chabad of Greater St. Louis.   


Susan K. Feigenbaum, Curators’ Professor Emeritus and Founders’ Professor in Economics at UMSL, and Dr. Jay S. Pepose, owner and medical director of Pepose Vision Institute, have been elected Fellows of Brandeis University in recognition of their professional and financial support over the past four decades. 


Dana Koren moved to St. Louis from Kfar Ruppin, a kibbutz in northern Israel, to serve as the new shinshinit, Israeli teen emissary, with Tzofim, the local Israeli scouts program; United Hebrew Congregation; and Temple Emanuel. Koren, who arrived in late October and will stay for one year, works in youth group, religious school and adult education programs. 


Saul Mirowitz Community Jewish School has announced several new appointments, including Marianne Chervitz as development director; Rabbi Tracy Nathan as a Judaic studies teacher; Beca Dennis as school nurse and Michelle Bennett as a permanent substitute teacher. Chervitz and Bennett attend Shaare Emeth, Nathan attends Kol Rinah and Bais Abraham Congregation and Dennis is a member of Congregation B’nai Amoona. Both Dennis and Bennett are alums of the school.


Drew Selman, along with Drs. Daniel and Julie Ring, have opened Daylight Donuts at 155 Hilltown Village Center in Chesterfield. In addition to traditional doughnuts, the shop will be offering boozy donuts, boozy dipping sauces for mini doughnuts, boozy milkshakes, ice cream doughnut sandwiches, liquor shots paired with teas and coffees, frozen coffees and more. Daylight Donuts is currently open for drive-through and online orders. 

When COVID restrictions are lifted, the shop will seat 25 inside and 45 outside. Selman belong to Congregation B’nai Amoona, while the Rings belong to United Hebrew Congregation. To order online and for more information go to daylightdonuts-stl.com.


Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose of B’nai Amoona has been chosen for Glean’s “START” Fellowship Program. The program, Glean Network’s MBA-level entrepreneurship fellowship developed in partnership with Columbia Business School, prepares faith leaders to launch new ventures designed to serve their constituents in light of the shifting American religious landscape. “START” is an initiative that prepares faith leaders as spiritual entrepreneurs in the changing religious landscape of America.  


Zakai Rose, son of Rabbi Carnie and Paulie Rose, was selected as a fellow in the Nachshon Project Undergraduate Fellowship Cohort Seven, which offers a tuition-free semester abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Throughout the program, fellows explore Israeli society and politics, engage with Jewish ideas about leadership, and learn about career opportunities. Due to the pandemic, the fellowship with take place virtually, though fellows will travel to Israel for a week, all expenses paid, sometime in 2021 or 2022.


SmartHouse Heating and Cooling, which is owned by Marc Bluestone, has won a 2020 Torch Award from the Better Business Bureau. 


Paige Krug has started her own education company, Turn the Paige, Education for All (online at paigekrug.com), which offers in-home and virtual learning services for students of all needs; ages 3 to 21. She is dual-licensed in general and special-education and strives to provide her students with the best and most current practices to ignite the spark in learning and attain their personal success. Although Krug resides in Chicago, she is open to working with students across the country. She is the daughter of Elise and Mark Krug. The family belongs to B’nai Amoona. 


Jackson Burkett is the producer for insidestl.com’s “The Morning After” sports talk and entertainment radio show on 590 AM The Fan with Tim McKernan and Doug Vaughn. A recent Mizzou graduate, Burkett belongs to Central Reform Congregation.


Ken Kleban and Bert Schweizer recently formed Private Fiduciary Solutions LLC, which serves as the trustee or co-trustee for trusts of high net-worth families.  Kleban, an attorney, was a partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP until he retired from the firm in 2019.  Schweizer, a CPA/PFS, was a co-founder, chairman and CEO of Buckingham Strategic Wealth until he retired from the firm in 2015.  They are both members of Shaare Emeth. 


Adam Schwadron was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives – District 106 in St. Charles. Schwadron is married to Elizabeth and has two daughters, Emma and Ella. He is the son of Gloria Davis Schwadron and Richard Schwadron of blessed memory. 


Norty Cohen, the founder and CEO of the Moosylvania advertising agency in Maplewood, has started a new charitable effort, Just Furr Fun, in which he commissioned 17 Nashville musicians to write and record original songs about man’s — or woman’s — best friends, dogs. Supporters can download the album at Justfurrfun.com and are asked to make a donation through the site to their local animal shelter.