Federation fetes leaders at annual meeting
By Paul Haist
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Jeff Nudelman choked up when he told those attending the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland 87th annual meeting June 11 about what it has been like to work alongside Sharon Weil for the past 12 months.
In the last year, Nudelman and Weil co-chaired the JFGP Annual Campaign. Weil was hospitalized after a being attacked by a hammer-wielding man last month in a local supermarket.
"Sharon was always this ray of sunshine. She was the light of this campaign," said Nudelman.
Nudelman reported that the 2007-08 Annual Campaign raised $4,243,583, up 6 percent from the 2006-07 campaign.
When gifts to the additional Israel Emergency Campaign to address needs arising from last summer's conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon are added to the Annual Campaign total, the federation raised $4,900,613 in the fiscal year, which ends June 30, according to Nudelman.
JFGP President Bob Philip pointed to the nearly $5 million total and said, "We know this community has tremendous potential."
That potential, he added, had not gone unnoticed.
"We have been selected by the United Jewish Communities as a pilot city for a new paradigm in philanthropy."
The JFGP's participation in the UJC's Financial Resource Development program to create new fund-raising strategies was announced last year.
JFGP Executive Vice President Charles R. Schiffman presented special awards to two young Jewish leaders.
The Jack W. Olds Young Leadership Award went to Josh Blank and Barbara Cohen.
The late Jack W. Olds was a longtime leader of Portland's Jewish community who Schiffman called "a role model for leadership that many of us have emulated."
The award given in Olds' name is not presented every year, but only as candidates emerge.
Schiffman summarized each award winner's contributions.
"Barbara Cohen is chair of our new Women's Philanthropy Committee, and in the past has served on the Young Women's Board. She has also chaired Super Sunday as well as the 2005 Gala."
He noted also that she serves on the board of Cedar Sinai Park, is an active volunteer at Congregation Beth Israel and heads the Parent Teacher Club at Riverdale Elementary School.
"Josh Blank represents the third generation of his family's leadership in Portland," said Schiffman. "He is a member of the (federation) Governing Board, chairman of our Young Leadership Division and chair of the committee that is examining the feasibility of a community population study."
Schiffman noted also that Blank put in many hours helping to upgrade the federation's security system, while also leading an active business and volunteer life in the secular community.
Both Blank and Cohen received a $1,000 grant to attend a national conference or overseas mission of their choice.
The federation used its annual meeting also to honor board member Henry Blauer for his decades-long commitment to Portland's Jewish community.
Blauer was named the first-ever life board member of the federation.
Longtime Jewish leader Jim Meyer explained why Blauer was singled out for the honor.
"The work of a successful board depends on the involvement of all," said Meyer. "But when Henry is on the board, everything works better."
Meyer credited Blauer for "a great sense of the history of all the components of our community."
"He is one of the few people our community agencies always trust," said Meyer. "He has a passion for doing things right and doing the right thing."
Look across Blauer's half-century of communal leadership, Meyer said, "For the last 50 years, everything bears Henry's imprint."
The annual meeting was also the occasion for the election of members of the federation's Governing Committee and its Leadership Council.
Roy Lambert, Lydia Lipman and Rob Shlachter were elected to new three-year terms. N. Dickson Davis and Gersham Goldstein were re-elected to three-year terms.
Twelve persons were elected or re-elected to the Leadership Council. They are Owen Blank, Renee Holzman, Priscilla Kostiner, Jim Meyer, Miles Newmark, Nancy Oseran, Gayle Romain, Eric Rosenfeld, Robert Sacks, Jordan Schnitzer, Jerome Stern and Merritt Yoelin.