The Jewish National Fund-Wisconsin Region will honor 13 community leaders at its annual dinner on Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Honorees are Gail and Rabbi Steven Adams, Enid Bootzin, Susan and Joel Pittelman, Karen Schapiro and Douglas “Zvi” Frazer, Bea and George Strick, Fela and Anschel Warschau, and Wendy and Marc Yanow.
“The coveted JNF Honoree Award is presented to show JNF’s appreciation to the honorees for their devotion to humanitarian causes, the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” said Ruth Resnick, region co-president.
The dinner will also include special guest speaker Hal Linden, who has been JNF’s national spokesperson since 1997. Linden, a renowned actor, has received countless accolades, including three Emmys and a Tony Award.
Rabbi Steven Adams is the spiritual leader of Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha and the Jewish Enrichment Specialist for the Jewish Home and Care Center. Originally from Chicago, Rabbi Adams has served this community as a rabbi for more than 14 years.
Rabbi Adams is a former president of the Wisconsin Council of Rabbis, has served on the Cabinet of the Interfaith Council of Greater Milwaukee and is currently on the advisory committee for the Interfaith Caregivers Network of Waukesha County.
Gail Adams is a registered nurse who volunteered for the Jewish hospice program in her native Cleveland and has been involved in many Jewish organizations since.
Native Milwaukeean Enid Bootzin, celebrated vocalist and choral conductor and health care administrator is the owner of Creative Dimensions in Care, a home health care agency.
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Bootzin began singing with Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue’s adult choir at age 12 and is now its director. In 1994 she prepared the combined choirs for the Cantors’ Assembly Convention, held in Milwaukee, and went on to found the Jewish Community Chorale, of which she is now director.
She has performed throughout the Jewish community and with the Milwaukee Opera Company, the Skylight Opera Theatre and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
Joel Pittelman, formerly the capitol finance director for the State of Wisconsin and a financial consultant to governments, is a vice president of Springsted Incorporated. He is currently president of the Wisconsin Jewish Conference, vice president and “Emerging Leadership” award winner of the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations, and member of the Endowment Board of Congregation Shalom. He has just completed a term on the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization adult board and has held many other leadership positions within and outside the Jewish community.
Susan Pittelman is currently on the executive committees of Congregation Shalom and the Women’s Division of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. She is the incoming president of the Midwest Federation of Temple Sisterhoods-Women of Reform Judaism District 18, and holds positions in other Jewish organizations.
Professionally, she is the former owner of Printstar Books and is currently a publishing consultant. She was the publisher of the “Jewish Celebrity Cookbook” for the Milwaukee Jewish Day School.
Karen Schapiro returned to her native Milwaukee with husband Douglas “Zvi” Frazer in 1993 after spending close to two decades living in Washington D.C., Phoenix, Chicago and Jerusalem. An environmental lawyer at DeWitt, Ross & Stevens, S.C., Schapiro is devoted to causes related to Judaism, Israel and the environment. She currently serves on the boards of MJF and the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations, and serves as pro bono legal counsel to several environmental organizations.
Frazer is a shareholder and attorney with DeWitt, Ross & Stevens, S.C. He has served in leadership positions in the Jewish Community Foundation, the endowment development program of MJF; the Coalition for Jewish Learning, the MJF’s education program; and Ohr Hatorah Jewish Heritage Center.
Bea Strick is a longtime leader in Hadassah-Milwaukee Chapter, MJF, the Coalition for Jewish Learning, the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations, and Congregation Beth Israel, among others.
George Strick, a retired attorney, is a speaker and teacher of Hebrew and Jewish Studies in the Milwaukee community and at several area synagogues. He was selected as CJL’s Educator of the Year in 2002.
Fela and Anschel Warschau, both Holocaust survivors, came to Sheboygan in 1951 from a displaced persons camp in Germany. For almost 20 years Fela has lectured about her experiences throughout Wisconsin and has received numerous awards. In 1996 she was named Sheboygan Humanitarian of the Year. She is active in many Jewish and civic and arts organizations.
Anschel, the sole survivor in his family after World War II, is a member of Congregation Beth El of Sheboygan and is an avid supporter of Israel and its causes, and of his wife’s commitment to educating people about the Holocaust. In 2001 the Sheboygan Mead Public Library designated a room for Holocaust study named the “Fela and Anschel Warschau Room.”
Milwaukee natives Wendy and Marc Yanow are president and vice president, respectively, of Minuteman Press-Airport. Both are active at Congregation Beth Israel, as well as many other organizations, both Jewish and in the general community. Marc has served on the board of the Southeastern Chamber of Commerce United in Business and is a member of B’nai B’rith Men.
Wendy is a past co-president of CBI’s Sisterhood and past president of the local chapter of B’nai B’rith Women and Keshet of Wisconsin. She also volunteers at the Milwaukee Jewish Day School and is president of The National Association of Women Business Owners-Greater Milwaukee.
The banquet will be held at Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue, 6 p.m. Couvert is $60 per person. For information or reservations, due Aug. 30, call the JNF office 414-963-8733.
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