Eight 80-plus seniors to be honored at annual JAA dinner

Eight active 80-something seniors will be recognized at this years Eight over 80 dinner sponsored by the Jewish Association on Aging, Thursday, June 6.

Each year the JAA honors eight individuals over the age of 80 who have contributed in extraordinary and meaningful ways to the Pittsburgh Community.

This year’s program theme is the “Golden Years of Radio” with music by Douglas Levine and his Swingtime Machine, the JAA Andrews Sisters and Swing Dancing by the Yes You Can Dance! team. Howard Elson and Joyce Levenson are the hosts, and all proceeds will benefit the JAA Benevolent Care Fund.

This year’s honorees are:

Ed Berman: A former “Philanthropist of the Year” as named by the Western Pennsylvania Association of Fund Raising Professionals, a lifelong volunteer and giver. Berman and his wife, Rose, are the benefactors of the Edward and Rose Berman Hillel Jewish University Center, watching their dream of vibrant Jewish life on Pittsburgh’s university campuses come true.

Rose Berman: a lifetime philanthropist to the Jewish community. Berman has been involved in Hadassah, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Forward Shady Housing, and in the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, holding key positions in those organizations. She and husband Ed share a passion for Jewish student life on campus, having endowed the local Edward and Rose Berman Hillel Jewish Center, which bears their name.

Milt Fine: An active real estate, hotels and investment entrepreneur. Fine and his wife, Sheila, oversee The Fine Foundation, which supports the arts, science and medicine and Jewish life, has left an indelible mark on the greater Pittsburgh and Jewish community. They spearhead and support projects that change and enrich the lives of individuals of all ages in Jewish Pittsburgh.

Edith Adler: Over 100 years old, Adler has spent her life in service to others. A resident of Washington County, Adler and her husband, Bert, owned and operated The Adler Company Men’s Clothing Store in Canonsburg. She is the first person to greet new members at Beth Israel Congregation, Washington, Pa., and has served on the boards of the synagogue Sisterhood and Hadassah. She has volunteered her time at the Canonsburg General Hospital once a week for 52 years.

Dini Katz: A lifetime community servant whose areas of participation include Women’s American ORT, where she served as Pittsburgh Region president and as a National Board member. In 2012 she received the American Friends of Hebrew University’s Leaders of Distinction Award. Katz has been active in state and national politics as the state chair of the Governor’s Conference on Library and Information Services and worked with the Protocol Office of the State Department during the 1971 Democratic Convention. In 1977 she received the Pennsylvania Library Association Outstanding Merit Award, and in 1979 became the first chair of the WQED TV auction. After raising her family, Katz attended Chatham College and graduated magna cum laude.

Fritz Ottenheimer: A native of Constance, Germany, Ottenheimer is a Holocaust survivor and is well known in Pittsburgh for his work with the Holocaust Center. He speaks often on the topic and has educated thousands of area school children about his childhood and the life he has led in America. Ottenheimer is an active member and lifetime trustee of Temple Sinai, where he serves on many committees.

Jack Meyers: A Carnegie Tech graduate and Army veteran, Meyers returned to his family business where he remained until retirement. His involvement in the organized Jewish community began as a board member at Hebrew Institute. He joined the boards of Jewish Family & Children’s Service, the School of Advanced Jewish Studies, and became active at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, where he participated in a variety of leadership roles for many years. He became involved in Jewish education locally and internationally. He and his wife, Bernice, have made over 45 trips to Israel. To the Meyers, Israel is not a foreign country.

Dr. Jerry Wolfson: A retired pediatrician, Wolfson, a Brooklyn native, has made Pittsburgh his home and has given of himself to the community. He served on the board of Hill House Children’s School and became very involved in the Pittsburgh Pediatric Society. He was a consultant to Hillel Academy, Beth Shalom and Hebrew Institute Preschools. He worked with Generations Together, uniting senior citizens and college students to learn from one another. He and his wife, Joan, met at a Yiddush folk camp and nurture a lifelong love of Yiddush culture and language. A past board member of the JAA, he and Joan at Weinberg Terrace.

This year’s program begins with The JAA Classic Radio Hour, 6 p.m., at Beth Shalom’s Samuel and Minnie Hyman Ballroom, followed by the dinner and ceremony.

Contact Kathy Fuller, JAA director of marketing, at 412-521-2475 or kfuller@jaapgh.org for more information.