Metro Briefs August 4

Through the year, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh has invited the community to “Do Good in the ’Burgh and Around the World” by contributing to the Federation’s annual campaign. The Federation now invites the community to its annual meeting, to see the good that has resulted through Federation participation, on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh.

Stephen Halpern and Deborah Winn-Horvitz will be among the community leaders honored at the event. Halpern will receive the Emanuel Spector Memorial Award, and Winn-Horvitz will receive the Doris and Leonard H. Rudolph Jewish Communal Professional Award.

Three executives who are retiring from prominent Jewish agencies after long, constructive service will also be celebrated: Debbie Friedman, executive director of Jewish Residential Services; Rachel Marcus, chief operating officer of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh; and Aryeh Sherman, executive director of Jewish Family & Children’s Service.

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The event will also salute 37 Federation Volunteers of the Year. These individuals, nominated by Jewish agencies, organizations and congregations on the basis of their exemplary volunteer activities, will be recognized as a group.

Each year the Federation presents the Emanuel Spector Memorial Award to someone who has given outstanding service to the community in a single year or over many years. This year’s recipient, Stephen Halpern, has a long history of service in and beyond Pittsburgh’s Jewish community. Halpern, board chair of the Jewish Association on Aging from 2012 to 2015, currently co-chairs JAA’s capital campaign. He served as board chair of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation from 2006 to 2008 and chaired the Federation’s 1993 annual campaign.

Halpern is president of Woodland Management, a privately held business and financial services company. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the Wexner Heritage Program, which offers Jewish learning and leadership development to volunteer leaders in North America.

The Doris and Leonard H. Rudolph Jewish Communal Professional Award acknowledges the exceptional commitment of a Jewish communal professional employed by the Federation or one of its partner agencies. The awardee is selected for his or her contribution to improving the quality of services offered in the community and to the enhancement of Jewish life.

Winn-Horvitz has served Pittsburgh’s elderly as president and CEO of the Jewish Association on Aging since 2011. She serves as a board member of the National Association of Jewish Aging Services, the Faith-Based Network and the Pittsburgh Care Partnership. She is a trustee of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Pittsburgh and serves the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health as a mentor and preceptor.

In 2015, Winn-Horvitz was appointed to Gov. Tom Wolf’s transition team for aging services. The same year, she was a Health Care Heroes finalist for the City of Pittsburgh.

Winn-Horvitz earned a master’s degree in health administration from Sage Graduate Schools, New York State, and completed additional coursework at the John M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

Sign language interpretation of the proceedings and large-print agendas will be available. Other accommodations may be made in advance to include differing abilities. Individuals wishing to discuss needs may email ahertzman@jfedpgh.org or call 412-992-5225.

On-site registration will begin at 6:15 p.m. A dessert reception will follow the meeting. (Dietary laws observed.) There is a $5 charge for those who preregister online at jfedpgh.org/2016AM. The charge by mail or at the door is $7 per person. To preregister by mail, send a check payable to Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh to Federation Annual Meeting, 234 McKee Place, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Visit jfedpgh.org/2016AM or call 412-992-5251 for more information.

With tuition bills coming due soon, the Hebrew Free Loan Association is offering 0 percent interest tuition loans up to $10,000 to residents of Allegheny County. The simple application is online at hflapgh.org. The process is quick and confidential. “For families who can make a moderate loan payment while the student is in school, they can save thousands of dollars in interest over time,” said director of operations Ellen Clancy. Call 412-422-8868 for more information.

New Light Congregation, a Conservative synagogue, will hold an open house on Sunday, Aug. 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 1700 Beechwood Blvd., at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Beechwood Boulevard in Squirrel Hill. Individuals or families looking for a congregation with a variety of spiritual, educational and social programs with affordable membership dues are welcome. New Light offers a wide selection of activities in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

Rabbi Jonathan Perlman, his family, the board and congregation members will be at the open house, and attendees are invited to enjoy appetizers, dessert and musical entertainment while touring the facility. The program committee will be available to answer questions about membership, activities, programs and its calendar of events.

Perlman offers a traditional Hebrew service with English readings, song and Torah insights. New Light is committed to the following six principles: worshipping God in order to inspire spiritual fulfillment for every congregant; preserving Jewish cultural, religious and ethical values; providing adult Jewish education; caring for and responding to the needs of others within the congregation and in the larger community; supporting the State of Israel and the Jewish people everywhere; and pursuing justice in order to promote peace among diverse peoples in this community and the world.

Reservations are not required, but helpful. RSVP to co-president Barbara Caplan at info@newlightcongregation.org.