Five leaders honored at Jewish Unity Live

Five community leaders will receive an Am Echad Award for Jewish Unity at the premiere of Jewish Unity Live 2005, hosted by the Phoenix Community Kollel, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 1, at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 E. Second St.

Recipients are Ilene Blau, Leo Kelman, Lanny Lahr, Michael Schoor and Jennifer Schwarz. The awardees were chosen for their dedication to Arizona Jewish causes and will be presented with the awards at a VIP reception preceding the program.

Ilene Blau

Ilene Blau, executive director of the East Valley Jewish Community Center (formerly the Tri-City JCC) since 1986, has served the Valley community for the last 29 years.

Blau and her husband Alan have lived in Tempe for 32 years, have three children and are longtime members of Temple Emanuel in Tempe. She is retiring from the East Valley JCC this summer.

Leo Kelman

Leo Kelman's career in community service began in 1947 when, shortly after returning from serving in the Air Force, he began working on a federation campaign in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been a member of B'nai Brith ever since. In Phoenix, he has served on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, the Jewish Community Center, Hillel at ASU advisory board and, currently, the Bureau of Jewish Education and the Jewish National Fund. He is a longtime member of Beth El Congregation.

Lanny Lahr

Lanny Lahr currently serves as the president of the federation, a position he held two years previously. Lahr moved to Phoenix in 1971 from Detroit. He has been an executive board member of Kivel Campus of Care and, from 1985 to 1987, was president of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Phoenix (now the Valley of the Sun JCC). In 1999, he served as a federation vice president and also as chairman for the capital campaign of the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus. Lahr also serves on the board of directors of Hospice of the Valley. Both he and his wife Marlene are also strong supporters of many community organizations and projects.

Michael Schoor

Michael Schoor, who has lived in the Valley since 2000, serves on the boards of JNF, the Phoenix Men's Arts Council and the Scottsdale/Paradise Valley YMCA and serves as the vice president for fund-raising for the Young Leadership Division (YLD) of the federation. He is also a member of the United Jewish Communities National Young Leadership Cabinet and an active partner of the Phoenix Community Kollel and Aish Hatorah Scottsdale.

Jennifer Schwarz

Jennifer Schwarz's work for the federation includes the National Young Leadership Cabinet; and co-vice president of the YLD Campaign. She was the recipient of the Lee Amada Young Leadership Award in 2003.

She has established a unique Torah study group designed for young mothers, co-founded the Jewish Genetic Diseases Project, was a board member for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and has been involved with the VOSJCC preschool and the Jewish Community Foundation.

Her highest priority remains her family - husband Steven, son Max and daughter Kori.

Cost of Jewish Unity Live is $25-$100. Call 602-334-4640.

Home