Tribute Journal 2016/5776
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S FOR I ER SR LT A E E L H S L O O S C S A I N C G N E A LE R S • SAN F 68th Anniversary Luncheon Tribute Journal 2016/5776 Ayalim Sderot Shabbat Dinner 2016 Israel In Loving Memory of Karl Reisman Simon and Rachel Gabbay Who instilled their love of Israel and of Shelters for Israel in their children and grandchildren In our Hearts Forever Myra and Alain Gabbay Peter, Cece and Tim, Ben and Ethan S FOR I ER SR LT A E E L H S L O O S C S A I N C G N E A LE R S • SAN F 68th Anniversary Annual Luncheon Honoring Katalin Weinberger Sunday, September 18, 2016 Proceeds to benefit the Desert Shanti Village for At-Risk Youth Education Center Luncheon Committee: Mathis Abrams, Cece Gabbay Bateman, Debbie David, Karen David, Mark David, Debbie Ellerin, Klara Firestone, Myra Gabbay, David Jackson, Miriam Lax, Marie Mazzone, Edith Reichman, Anne Reisman, Madeleine Rosenberg, Robert Rosenberg, Agi Schwartz, Rosie Silverstein, Handa Stark. Officers President: Myra Gabbay Treasurer: Karen David Secretary: Madeleine Rosenberg Board of Directors: Debbie David, Klaire Firestone, David Jackson, Anne Reisman, Robert Rosenberg, Agi Schwartz, Rosie Silverstein, Handa Stark Corresponding Secretary: Handa Stark Membership: Katalin Weinberger, Marta Bohorodzaner Programming: Yael Swerdlow Events: Debbie David, Karen David, Klaire Firestone, Marie Mazzone, Edith Reichman, Anne Reisman, Madeleine Rosenberg Officers Emeritus: Barbara Berman, Serena Bohorodzaner, Renee Firestone, Magda Goldblatt, Hedy Reisman, Martha Weibel-Katz Past Presidents Irene Halmos Fanny Naxon Rosella Kanarik Stella Kraut Lilly Gould Ethel Markovitz Gisela Dubbs Helen Farkas Aranka Spencer Helen Smook Magda Goldblatt Piri Young Helen Wolf Ruth Rogier Rosalie Weiss Magda Klein Gabriel Steiner Blanka Danos Handa Stark Louis Kestenbaum David Danos Renée Firestone Henry Last Andrew Stark Eva Schwartz Andrew Gardner Greti Herman Anna Deutsch Schwartz Irene Markley Rosie Silverstein Agi Schwartz Honoree Katalin Weinberger Kati Weinberger, nee Jakubovics, was born in Munkacs to Holocaust survivors in 1947. Her brother, of Budapest Klezmer Band fame, born just one year earlier, had the distinction of being the first Jewish child born in Munkacs after the Holocaust. Kati studied music in Ungvar and shortly after moved to Budapest where she worked for a large import-export company as an event coordinator and Russian/Hungarian interpreter at many far-flung international conferences. Kati got married in 1966 and had two sons. In 1987 Kati moved to Santa Monica where she married her current husband, Tibor. Together they raised five children and currently enjoy their eight grandchildren aged 13 to 2 years old. Kati remains very close to her family living in New York, Miami, Budapest and Israel. They are frequent welcome guests at her home and Kati and Tibor make frequent trips to see them in return, using any excuse, birthdays, weddings, or no excuse at all. Kati worked at department stores for several years, but has always done volunteer work she enjoys for the Cancer Society and for Shelters for Israel. Because of her passion for helping people, much of her time has been spent helping elderly people she befriended locally who needed a helping hand or emotional support. She has been the Membership Chair for many years and is still as devoted to ‘Shelters’ as ever. Kati was introduced to Shelters many years ago by her best friend, now sorely missed, Irene Markley. Projects Established by Shelters For Israel 1950, Lod | Social Hall and Synagogue | Shelters For Israel 1952, Kiryat Ono | Housing Project | Shelters For Israel 1955, Kiryat Ono | Playground | Shelters For Israel 1956-1961, Holon | Housing | Shelters For Israel 1956-1961, Holon | Playground | Shelters For Israel 1970, Jerusalem | Mt. Scopus Dormitory | Shelters For Israel 1974, Rehovot | Day Care Center for Children | In memory of Eliezer Shavit 1975, Beer-Sheva | Retarded Children’s Center | Bennet Mermel Building 1976, Kiryat Shemona | Youth Center | Lillian Jacobs Building 1977, Shlomi | Day Care Center for Children | Goldstein Building 1978, Kiryat Bialik | Nursery for Children | Gardner-Kahan Building 1978, Kiryat Malachi | Library Wing | Dr. Olga Berend Wing 1978, Kiryat Malachi | Library | Shelters For Israel 1978, Kiryat Yam | Day Care Center for Children | Markley Family Building 1981, Afula | Nursery for Children | Schoenfeld-Markley Building 1981, Kiryat Ata | Nursery for Children | Cecilia and Joseph Halmos Building 1981, Petah Tikva | Nursery School for Children | Gardner and Kahan Building 1982, Kibbutz Sassa | Anne Frank Dormitory | Andrew Javor Building 1982, Maalot | Day Care Center for Children | Freisinger Building 1984, Tel Aviv/Ramat Gan | Nursery School for Children | Kestenbaum Family Building 1985, Ramat Gan | Day Care Center for Children | Bennet Mermel Building 1986, Nazeret Illit | Senior Citizens Center | Kestenbaum Family Building 1986, Tel Aviv | Day Care Center for Children | Vari Building 1988, Acco | Nursery for Children | Havassy Building 1989, Beer Sheva | Senior Citizens Center | Gardner-Kahan Building 1989, Pardessia | Day Care Center for Children | Reisman-David Building 1992, Nazeret Illit | Day Care Center for Children | Slatinsky Family Building 1993, Beth Shean Valley | Senior Medical Center | Dr. Sigmond Family Building 1994, Alon Hagalil | Day Care Center for Children | Shirley and Morris Lerner Building 1994, Beth Shean Valley | Autistic Children’s Center | Dr. & Mrs. Mose Firestone Building 1994, Nazeret Illit | Playground and 100 Home Sites | Magda and Zoltan Klein Park 1995, Tal El | Mizgav Regi Nursery School for Children | Halmos Building 1996, Nazeret Illit | Senior Citizens Center | Markley Family Building 2000, Beit Shean Valley | Daycare Center for Autistic Children | Berman Building 2000, Beit Shean Valley | Handicapped Children’s Library | Leon Farahnik Family Library 2002, Jordan Valley | Water Reservoir | Fred Moss Reservoir 2002, Jordan Valley | Senior Citizens Center | Kestenbaum Family Building 2002, Jordan Valley | Armored Van Shelters 2003, Haifa | Day Care for Handicapped Elderly | Nathan Lustman Building 2003, Kfar Sapir | Entertainment Center | Bennet Mermel Building 2003, Kiryat Malachi | Playground | Kestenbaum Family Playground 2005, Kfar Sapir-Negev | Auditorium | Bennet Mermel 2005, Kiryat Ekron | Cultural Center | Debbie and Leon Farahnik 2005, Jerusalem | Shaarei Zedek (Waiting Room) | Anna Deutsch & Mike Schwartz 2006, Kyriat Gat | After School Project for children | Shelters For Israel 2008, Sefad | Co-Ed High School | Eva and Frank Keleman 2008, Ben Yakir | Youth Village Playground | Robert & Madeleine Rosenberg in memory of Agnes Vasl 2009/2010, Kibbutz Ravid | Dormitories on Educational Campus Kibbutz Ravid Shelters for Israel 2009/2010, Nitzana | Water Reclamation Project | Shelters For Israel 2010/2011, Bat Yam | Social Club for Seniors Myra and Alain Gabbay Family and Reisman Family 2012, Ofakim | Student Housing for Ayalim | Shelters For Israel 2012 | MDA Cardiac ICU Ambulance | Shelters For Israel in memory of Eva Schwartz 2012, Arad | Young Adult/Entrepreneurship Center | In memory of Clara Kennedy 2013, Lod | Student Housing for Ayalim | The Stark Family in memory of Andrew Stark 2013, Ramat Gan | Larger than Life Kindergarten Auditorium In memory of Rose and Charles Jackson by Karen and David Jackson 2013, Ramat Gan | Larger than Life Kindergarten Classroom In honor of Shari and Fred Farkas by Auerbach/Farkash 2014, Ra’anana | Absorption Center Multi-Purpose Sports Field In memory of Irene and Leslie Markley 2014, Kiryat Gat | Bomb Shelter Renovation | Shelters for Israel 2015, Sderot | Ayalim Assocation Student Housing Block | Shelters for Israel 2015-2017, Ramat HaNegev | Desert Shanti VIllage for At-Risk Youth Education Center Shelters for Israel: Year in Review Dear Shelters Family, Thank you again for your unwavering, and enthusiastic support for Shelters for Israel. This past year began with our luncheon on August 23, 2015, honoring Agi Schwartz and Dave Jackson. The several hundred in attendance were filled with enthusiasm and everyone was delighted to support the ongoing Ayalim Student Housing Block project in Sderot and our new project, the Desert Shanti Youth Village for At-Risk Youth Education Center in Ramat HaNegev. Our members’ support for these projects is a testament both to the importance of Israel to our membership and to their generosity. I am writing this from a hotel at the edge of the Mitzpe Ramon “crater” in the Negev, having just visited the location of the Education Center at the Desert Shanti Village that we are fundraising for. I was fortunate to have my husband, our four children and our son-in-law with us as we toured the Village with its founder, Mariuma Ben Yosef. You may remember that she spoke at last year’s luncheon and told us her incredible story of childhood abuse and how she found her way off the streets. Thirty-two years later, she has helped over thirty thousand young people, ages 14-21 to “choose life” and to prepare to join the IDF as normal, functioning participants in Israeli society. The Desert Shanti Village is expansive, lovely and welcoming; a real oasis in the desert. Its neighbor is Sde Boker, the former home and now resting place of Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. The land upon which this incredible village sits, was provided to them by the Israeli government as part of an effort to help populate the Negev while supporting worthwhile organizations such as Desert Shanti. Words cannot