Melbourne’s B’nai B’rith Menorah Awards 2014
The Annual B’nai B’rith Menorah Awards now in the 37th year, recognise volunteers who work quietly behind the scenes, giving many decades of service to the community.
Menorah Award winners: Judy Feiglin, Michael Oberman, Tanya Warms, Beverley Cohen
The 2014 Awards recognised four for their contribution to our community once again highlighting the invaluable impact, often not recognised, volunteers make to our community. This year’s recipients are:
- Beverley Cohen, for her work for the Jewish Museum, EZRA, 4th St Kilda Guides, establishing the Top Op Shop, Bethlehem Hospital, and many fundraising activities for Jewish and community organisations in the Stonnington municipality.
- Judy Feiglin, who established Mitzvah Day, her major involvement with the development of Kehilat Nitzan, her work at the Emmy Monash Homes, Wesley Mission, and a range of other organisations.
- Michael Oberman, who has been visiting patients at Cabrini Hospital on a regular basis for over 25 years, speaks to patients who are facing or recovering from open heart surgery based on his own experience. He was also a founding member of Moorabbin Hebrew Congregation, and a regular at the St Kilda Hebrew Congregation for decades.
- Tanya Warms, who has instituted and conducted many projects and activities at the Leo Baeck Centre, including chair of the Care Committee. She has been the coordinator of volunteers at the Jewish Museum, a lay reader conducting Erev Shabbat services for the Geelong Jewish Community, a founding member of the Friends of Boroondara Cemetery, working for the Villa Maria Society, and working for a range of other organisations.
Tim Conolan
The 2014 Awardees join some 150 who have been recognised by B’nai B’rith Victoria over nearly four decades for their outstanding contribution to the community.
The important work of volunteers was further underlined by the guest speaker Mr Tim Conolan, founder and CEO of TLC for Kids, an organisation that provides support for sick children, who “fall between the gaps” of services by other organisations.
“Some 80% of children at The Royal Children’s Hospital did not fit the support criteria of service organisations. TLC was set up to fill the gap. It provides simple, effective and fast service. We see ourselves as ‘the Fire Brigade’ children’s support charity”, Conolan said.
Since its establishment in 1998, initially in Victoria, and now nationally, it services some 400 hospitals throughout Australia, has raised four million smiles on the faces of sick children, parents and medical staff, and raised $10.5 million to run its service.
“My message tonight is to make 2014 ‘The Year of Smiles’”, he concluded.
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- Debra Korman introducing Judy Feiglin, one of the four Menorah Award recipients
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- Ritual and Menorah lighting – Helen Fisher, Michael Cohen
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- George Deutsch, Kathy Deutsch, Ros Levy, Tony Levy
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- Ros Levy, Jack Leder, Ailsa
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- Garry Fabian, Freda Kaufman, Peter Schiff
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- Tanya Warms, Anonymouse, Paula Messer
