Mensch of the Month – Jesse Schein

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee has been privileged to send hundreds of students on travel experiences that take them to Israel. Many of them return with a new profound outlook on their Jewish identity. This is certainly true for our Mensch of the Month, Jesse Schein.

Jesse is an outstanding student with a drive and a passion unlike most people his age. One of Federation’s first interactions with Jesse was when he became a Bob Malkin Young Ambassador in the summer of 2012, which takes high school students to Israel on a 2 week leadership mission. It seemed as if Jesse automatically fell in love with land, people, culture and even more so, his Jewishness. Since that time, Jesse has taken on many roles within our Jewish community, volunteering his time with us and Chabad in Lakewood Ranch. Most recently, Jesse returned from the March of the Living mission which has a heavy focus on Holocaust and genocide awareness. If Jesse’s past experiences didn’t fully impact him, this one surely did. It has been over a month since he returned from this journey and to see how much he has grown personally is incredible. Shabbat has become more important, family has become more important, and overall Jewish pride has become more important to Jesse.

It is because of this passion that Jesse has for his Jewish heritage that we selected him for Mensch of the Month for July. Jesse will be attending Florida Gulf Coast University in the fall and we know that this mensch will continue to be a powerful force in our community.

Mensch of the Month – Maya Danilowitz

Maya Danilowitz is a stellar young adult who has increasingly become involved in the Federation over the past year.  She moved to Sarasota 3 years ago from Richmond, Virginia, where she was working as an athletic trainer for Maccabi USA.  She is a licensed Massage Therapist and highly trained in CPR.

Maya first came to a Federation event when she stopped by the YAD booth at the Israel @ 65 Shuk. From there, the ball started rolling and she has become a member of the Young Adult giving society – The Ezra Society.  Her ties to the Jewish community run deep; as the daughter of an Israeli immigrant, she’s never far from anything that has to do with Jewish community building. Most recently, Maya traveled to New Orleans for the Jewish Federations of North America Young Adult conference called Tribefest. She was so energized by her time there meeting other young Jews and learning about creating an incredible Jewish community that she immediately asked to volunteer as one of our events when she returned.

This event is one reason why Maya is a mensch.  At one of the recent Keyboard Conversations performances, chaos ensued when man fell ill. She was the first to jump up and use her incredible skills to manage the situation and stabilize the man until emergency services arrived. She was calm, collected, and most importantly, a selfless mensch.  We are forever grateful to have this kind of young adult in our community and know that with people like her, our Jewish community will thrive for years to come.

Mensch of the Month – Ros Mazur

While participating in The Jewish Federation of North America’s Campaign Chairs and Directors Mission to Odessa, Ukraine, and Israel during July 2012, Ros Mazur was deeply moved by a visit with an elderly widow and Holocaust survivor who lives alone in Odessa for whom a luxury item is toilet paper. She also met “at-risk children and teens” attending a Jewish camp, discovering for the first time that they are Jewish. “While we can’t help every needy woman and child, we must continue to strive to help as many people as possible,” said Ros after she returned to Sarasota.

She vowed to find a way to make her dollars count to provide support for Jews in need worldwide. With Karen Bernstein, she founded and co-chaired Ma’agal Nashim, the Women’s Giving Circle, which would raise money to help women and children. Members of Ma’agal Nashim choose the beneficiaries of the funds. That dream came to fruition in March when Ma’agal Nashim granted $18,000 to organizations in Israel which will truly feel the impact of those dollars.

Ros is a member of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. She is also the co-chair of Nashim L’Tovah, Federation’s women’s division, and serves on the Overseas Granting Committee. She has co-chaired the Jewish Book Festival and Women’s Passover Celebration, and has volunteered at many Federation events.

For these reasons and many more, we are thrilled to honor Ros as our Mensch of the Month for May.

Mensch of the Month – Terry Blumenstein

Terry Blumenstein is an unassuming but extremely vital member of our Jewish community. From chairing key committees to serving on the Federation’s Board of Directors, Terry has seen almost every side of our Federation. He has graciously served as Communications Chair, Education Scholarship Chair, Overseas Teen Travel Chair, Finance Committee member and more.

Not only has Terry chaired and participated on committees, he has also made significant changes and additions that will continue to shape the future of our Jewish community. One of the most notable things that Terry accomplished was during his time as Communications Chair, when he completely revamped the production of The Jewish News. The changes that he championed increased the quality of the newspaper, while saving our organization significant dollars.

Terry first appeared on our radar screen when he agreed to participate on a mission to Ethiopia and Israel with our Federation. Good friend and past Federation President, Nelle Miller, was on that mission as well. After returning from that powerful mission, Terry was committed to give back to the Federation and to the Jewish community – he certainly has delivered!

Terry has always had a strong connection to his Jewish roots. His father is a Holocaust survivor, and when Terry was young, he thought that “everyone’s dad was a survivor!” A few weeks after the 1967 war, Terry and his family moved to Israel, where they lived for close to one year. This only helped to strengthen his connection to Israel and the Jewish people. Terry and his family then returned to Canada, where he was raised, educated and ultimately met the love of his life, Eileen. They then moved to Sarasota in 1993 with their first son Sam, and in 1997 Ethan was born.

In addition, Terry is very committed to the Blood Bank, where he is a member of the 26 gallon club, as well as Temple Sinai, where he served as a board member and Vice President of Facilities during the transition from old to new building, and has been on a number of committees. Terry also takes pride in being able to “use his hands.” If a sprinkler head breaks or a ceiling fan needs to be installed, friends call Terry, who comes right over with his well-stocked set of tools. His fee? An ice cold beer when the job is completed.

For all these reasons and so many more, Terry Blumenstein is our mensch of the month. Mazel tov, Terry!

Federation’s Mensch of the Month – Pastor Joey Mimbs

Dr. Joey Mimbs serves as the Senior Pastor of Bethel Baptist Church in Bradenton, Florida, where he has ministered since 1999.  Called to the ministry as a child, Joey was ordained as a pastor in 1984 and he completed his Doctorate of Ministries degree in 2005.  Joey serves as the President of the Board of Manatee Religious Services, a ministry that reaches out to those hurting in our community and connects them with local congregations.  He is the past President of the Manatee County Ministerial Association and currently serves as an officer for the organization.  Joey also serves on the Board of Waters Edge of Bradenton Retirement Community and has recently assumed the position of Co-Chair with Rabbi Howard Simon of the Heller Israel Advocacy Initiative as part of The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee. Pastor Joey took his first trip to Israel on The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s second Inter-Faith mission earlier this year (2013).  This trip was a “dream come true” as he has a love and passion for both Israel and the Jewish People. He loves what God loves; and God loves Israel! Pastor Joey has been married to Carol for 29 years; they have three adult children.

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is extremely grateful for Pastor Joey’s outstanding support and passion for the State of Israel and for our community. Through his guidance and leadership, we can progress Israel advocacy and promote tolerance in the Sarasota-Manatee area.

Pastor Joey dedicates his life to helping others and strengthening our community. He is a mensch for Sarasota-Manatee and he is a mensch for Israel. Thank you, Pastor Joey, for all you do!

Federation’s Mensch of the Month – JOE FLOERSHEIMER

The Federation’s “Computer 4 Seniors” class would not be what it is today without the help and dedication of Joe Floersheimer. Joe has been a devoted volunteer teacher providing technology education to seniors in our Sarasota-Manatee community for eleven years. One of his special gifts is being able to convey the intricacies of computers in such a way that makes it simple for everyone to understand.

In addition to his volunteering at Federation, Joe has also been active in helping with Temple Beth Sholom’s “Family Promise” homeless prevention project. He truly has a passion for helping those in need in our community and we are so grateful to have people like Joe involved with our Federation.

Outside of his volunteerism Joe enjoys his time by participating in Ring 81 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the world’s largest organization dedicated to the art of magic. Joe has been a first rate prestidigitator captivating his audiences for more than 16 years.

We are so fortunate to have Joe Floersheimer as part of our Jewish Federation Family; he truly epitomizes the definition of a mensch.

Federation’s Mensch of the Month – ADDIE SILVERMAN

Addie Silverman has been an active volunteer in our Federation and in our Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community for over 30 years. At 93 years old, Addie continues to diligently proofread The Jewish News each month and finds and fixes even the minutest errors. Her attention to detail is extraordinary and her technical skills are more than impressive. Over the years, Temple Beth Sholom, State of Israel Bonds, Hadassah, Technion Institute of Technology and many other organizations have benefited from the leadership, and the kindness, of Addie Silverman.

At The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee we are forever grateful to Addie for her many years of devoted volunteer work. In an attempt to explain Addie’s brilliant contributions to The Jewish News, Editor Ted Epstein wrote, “If this sentence had a double space between words, or had a Yiddish word that was misspelled, or referred to an organization as a person, it would not have made it this far with those errors. Why? Because Addie Silverman is the best proofreader an editor/writer could ever wish for! Yasher Kochech (he even verified the spelling so it wouldn’t have to be corrected), Addie!” – Ted Epstein, Editor, The Jewish News.

Her dedication and commitment to the Jewish people and our community is unparalleled. A big THANK YOU to Addie Silverman for everything she does for Sarasota-Manatee and for Israel…she truly epitomizes a mensch.

Federation’s Mensch of the Month – ANNE STEIN

The Federation is proud to announce a new program, “Mensch of the Month,” designed to honor members of our community who go above and beyond to make a difference. A mensch is described as someone to admire and emulate, a person with integrity and honor.  With that, we are delighted to introduce you to Anne Stein, the first Mensch of the Month…

Anne Stein is a hidden gem in our community. She quietly uplifts our Holocaust survivors, inspires our youth and supports our entire Jewish community. Not only does Anne sponsor individual students during the March of the Living Mission, but she also graciously opens her home to host elegant tea parties, meetings, and dinners for the students and their families before and after the mission. She regularly goes above and beyond for the students and families in our community.

However, Anne doesn’t stop there; she also serves on the Board of Directors of our Federation and is the First Lady of Chabad of Sarasota. She is very passionate about our beloved State of Israel, Holocaust awareness and education, traveling and of course…Hula dancing. Anne has been happily married to Dr. Barry Stein for over 30 years and together, they are the proud parents of Alexander and Samantha Stein.

We are truly fortunate to have Anne Stein as part of our Sarasota-Manatee community and we thank her for being an absolute mensch!