Brazilian sounds will turn the Ballroom of the Ritz Carlton into “Samba! Samba!” a festive celebration of the Saul Mirowitz Day School-Reform Jewish Academy. In addition energetic performers and the live music of Samba Bam, the celebration will honor Marty Oberman, recipient of The Melvin Dubinsky Visionary Award, and Susan Bosse, recipient of the I.E. Millstone Community Service Award. The gala will take place at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, April 3.

Bosse began her philanthropic career at age 5 when she was photographed in the Jewish Light dumping the contents of her piggy bank into the hands of a Jewish Federation campaigner. She never shed the moral imperative to help others. In fact, she devoted her career to helping others, working as the director of volunteers at Jewish Hospital, and then as a program director for both the JCC and Hadassah. As a volunteer, she has assumed leadership roles at many organizations, but at the top of her list is the school that is educating the children who will one day join her at boardroom tables. Bosse serves on the school’s board of directors, and has worked on various committees. She chaired last year’s gala, which raised a record $140,000 for the school.

Oberman’s passion for strengthening our community has guided him as a volunteer leader at the Jewish Community Center, United Hebrew and countless other organizations, and especially as president of the Rabbi Samuel Thurman Education Foundation when that board voted to roll its $180,000 corpus into an endowment for scholarship at SMDS-RJA. It was as a steward of Thurman Foundation dollars that Oberman, now a board member of the school, walked through the doors of RJA for the first time.

Second grade teacher Andrea Newstead and Sue Matlof, the school’s bookkeeper, will be recognized for five years of teaching excellence.

The celebration is being underwritten with support from sponsors including Barbara Moriwitz; The Cherrick, Karsh and Rosenthal Families; Gladys K Crown Foundation; Nancy and Randy Green; Adrienne Momi; Pam and Ron Rubin; Ellen and Jack Deutsch; Sue Fischlowitz and David Roberts; Marilyn and Marty Levison; Merle and Marty Oberman; and Shana and Gary Singer.

Tickets for “Samba! Samba!” are $150 and include cocktails, Brazilian entertainment, a live auction and dinner. Tickets also are included in sponsorship packages beginning $1,000. Co-chairs are Marilyn Levison and Michelle Rubin. For more information or to RSVP, call 314-569-2692 or visit www.smds-rja.org.