Making their Mark on the World

Ten Jewish Baltimoreans to be Honored at 2019 Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame

While many of us aspire to change the world and do so in many ways, there are those who go above and beyond to make a lasting impact on the lives of others.

Every other year, the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame (HOF) honors up to 10 exceptional Jewish Baltimoreans who have made significant contributions to the local and global community through their life’s work in fields such as science, education, business, medicine, law, politics, community service, sports and the arts.

The advent of the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame dates to 2008.  According to JCC Chief Executive Officer Barak Hermann, “We wanted to create an event that celebrates the lives of individuals whose accomplishments reflected the universal Jewish value of Tikkun olam — making the world a better place.”

This year’s Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame reception is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 7:00pm, at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts.

This year’s honorees – the JCC’s 7th set of biennial inductions – are:

Dr. Henry Brem
Mark Greenberg
Dr. Barbara R. Heller
David & Barbara B. Hirschhorn*
Rebecca A. Hoffberger
Mark K. Joseph
Fabian H. Kolker*
Paul Miller
Rabbi Samuel Rosenblatt*

*Deceased (for bios of all honorees, please see below)

Beyond celebrating HOF honorees lives and building a stronger sense of Jewish pride and community, HOF raises money for financial assistance for children, teens, and families to participate in JCC programs including Early Childhood Education, abilities & inclusion programming, J Camps, JCC Maccabi, and Membership.  The JCC provides more than $575,000 annually for scholarships, and its goal is to never turn away anyone because of a family’s financial constraints.

Linda A. Hurwitz, Immediate Past Chair of the Board for The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and Chair of its Philanthropic Planning and Services committee, is one of the co-chairs of the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame.

“This event is so important as a fundraiser because the JCC never wants to turn away any child,” says Linda.  “The Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame helps the JCC raise money for financial assistance for programs that so many kids, teens, and families otherwise could not participate in – it is a total win-win across the board, and everyone feels good about recognizing our honorees.”

Fellow HOF co-chair Laura Rubenstein is proud of the selection of nominees to this year’s Hall of Fame.  “The nominees were all outstanding,” she says.  “Each nominee impacted others’ lives and left a mark in their own way, either through their contribution or their profession.”

Laura, a partner at the law firm Wright, Constable & Skeen, explains the nomination process: “Every other year, the committee receives a list of deserving nominees.  The committee looks for nominees with a significant connection to Baltimore, who have demonstrated character and strong Jewish values in their work and/or volunteer activities.  These are folks who have had a significant impact on the Baltimore Jewish community.” The Selection Committee then meets for several months to discuss the nominations and votes in a series of blind ballots. 

Deborah Weiner, co-anchor of WBAL-TV- 11 will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event and introduce powerful video footage documenting the lives of each honoree using the “Kennedy Center Honors” approach. The JCC is anticipating over 400 top business and civic leaders in the Baltimore community to be in attendance!

According to Linda, “This is really a ‘feel good’ event, filled with so much warmth towards the Baltimore community and the work of the JCC.”

“There won’t be a dry eye in the Gordon Center,” says Laura.

For more information, to purchase tickets, and to view bios of our honorees, visit www.jcc.org/halloffame