Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on December 6, 2019

BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- The Gathering Place names new CEO: The Gathering Place has announced that Michele Seyranian has been named the organizations new CEO and will start on the job Dec. 16. A TGP release states that Seyranian brings not only strong leadership skills to the position, but also a long-standing connection to The Gathering Place and its work, making her the ideal candidate to continue the mission of providing support services, free of charge, to those in northeast Ohio coping with a cancer diagnosis.

Michele is a proven and dynamic leader whose skills and personal appreciation for the mission of The Gathering Place make her uniquely qualified to be our successor CEO, said The Gathering Place Board Chair David Ostro, in that same release. I have every confidence that her impressive professional background and long-standing connection will allow our organization to flourish, grow and remain fiscally sound in the years ahead.

Michele Seyranian

Seyranians most recent work was as chief marketing and business development officer with Hospice of the Western Reserve. Prior to that, she worked 16 years for Key Corp, holding several executive positions, including executive vice president for strategic planning.

She was first introduced to The Gathering Place in 2000, the year the organization opened to the community. Seyranian reached out for information and support after her then 4-year-old daughters cancer diagnosis. Her connection to the organization continued through the years, helping to develop a support group for parents of children with cancer; serving two terms on the board of directors; and volunteering her strategic planning expertise to facilitate the most current strategic plan, which was developed in 2018.

I am thrilled to be offered the incredible opportunity to be the next leader of The Gathering Place, said Seyranian. Anyone who has walked through its doors understands the critical role it plays in supporting people on their cancer journey, just as it did for my family 19 years ago. Thank you to (TGP founder and retiring CEO) Eileen Saffran for her vision and leadership. I have big shoes to fill but am fortunate to have our compassionate and experienced staff behind me.

All are invited to stop by The Gathering Place to meet Seyranian and learn more about the services it offers. The Gathering Place has a location in Westlake, and at 23300 Commerce Park in Beachwood.

New head of school: We go from a new CEO in Beachwood, to a new head of school in that same city.

The Mandel JDS Board of Directors met on November 18th and unanimously approved the hiring of Jay Leberman as its next head of school, beginning in summer 2020.

Leberman comes to Mandel JDS, 26500 Shaker Blvd., as director of the Kivunim Gap-Year program in Jerusalem, which provides an intensive, experiential international Jewish education to college students. Before going abroad, Leberman was head of school for 16 years at the Perelman Jewish Day School in Philadelphia, where he ran three divisions with more than 500 students.

His accomplishments include the creation of a middle school and making Perelman a more inclusive and financially stable school. Prior to Perelman, Leberman was head of school for 12 years at the Sager Solomon Schechter Day School in Chicago. He received national recognition for establishing programs in both schools that advocate for individual learning and allow children with special needs to receive a Jewish education.

The Mandel JDS Head of School Search Committee was led by parent Louis Chaiten, who said in a release,The search process was long and thorough, and drew upon the time, efforts, and collective wisdom of countless people in the Mandel JDS community. I am tremendously excited that the end result was the hiring of someone of Jays stature and reputation -- an educational leader with an impressive record of success everywhere he has been.

Mandel JDS Board President Eliana LeVine said she is looking forward to leading the schools next chapter with Leberman.

Im thrilled that we have found such a qualified and experienced person as Jay to lead our school into its next chapter," LeVine said. (Head of School) Jerry (Isaak-Shapiro) has done an amazing job at Mandel JDS and we believe that Jay will carry on our tradition of excellence in leadership.

Leberman shared his appreciation upon accepting this new role by stating, Ive been involved in Jewish school education for nearly four decades and you truly have a gem of an institution (at Mandel JDS). The educational program that you have created is exceptional and very impressive. I am thrilled and greatly honored to have earned the confidence of the Mandel community to be offered the Head of School position.

Free admission holidays at the Maltz Museum: The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2929 Richmond Road in Beachwood, is again opening its doors at no cost this winter during special holiday events.

From lighting candles on Chanukah, to making cards on Christmas, to hearing live music on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to meeting the presidents on Presidents Day, there are several upcoming free opportunities for the community to engage with the museum.

Those upcoming free dates include the Chanukah Candle Lighting Celebration, from 1:30-3 p.m. Dec. 22; the Christmas Day Can-Can: Give What You Can, Pay What You Can, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 25; The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 20; and The Friends of the Maltz Museum Present a Presidents Day Celebration, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 17.

For more information about all of these events and more, call 216-593-0575, or visit maltzmuseum.org.

Food for those in need: There will be a free fresh produce pickup from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 23 at the Lee Road Library branch, 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. Those who pick up food must be at least 18 years of age, show photo ID and bring their own bags. Food is given on a first-come, first-served basis, and the giveaway will take place rain or shine. Those with questions can call library Special Projects Manager Maggie Kinney at 216-932-3600, ext. 1290.

Also, you are invited to come knit with the Noble Needles Knitting Circle on the third Thursday of each month. The next gathering will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Noble Neighborhood Library branch, 2800 Noble Road in Cleveland Heights. Bring a current project upon which to work, or bring a ball of worsted weight yarn and size 8 or 9 needles to learn. Call 216-291-5665.

Twas the Night Before Christmas: University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan will again, for the second consecutive year, read Clement Moores 1823 poem Twas the Night Before Christmas to the citys interns. Video of the reading will be shown on the citys You Tube and Facebook pages beginning at noon on Christmas Eve.

Also from University Heights, the city is selling its new, handsome scarf, which shows the citys logo and colors. A limited supply of the scarves is available exclusively at University Heights City Hall, 2300 Warrensville Center Road.

Sock it to me: Socks may be something many of us take for granted, but they are among the most requested items at homeless shelters.

The city of University Heights is helping those who need socks by conducting a sock drive. The citys sock drive will run through Dec. 20. Donors are asked to bring a new pair of socks to University Heights City Hall during regular business hours. After hours, socks can be left with the citys police or fire departments.

Also, you can donate socks at the University Heights Library, 13866 Cedar Road, during its regular hours.

Customer appreciation party: Juma, 20100 Chagrin Blvd. in Shaker Heights, will hold a customer appreciation party on Dec. 14. All are invited to stop in and enjoy a refreshment and, if you make a purchase, youll get 10 percent off. The discount excludes sale items, art or prior purchases. Youll also receive a free gift.

If you have questions, call 216-295-1717.

St. Lucia Day celebration: Dec. 13 is Swedish St. Lucia Day and, to celebrate, the Swedish community will present a Lucia program at 4 p.m. Dec. 14 at Peace Lutheran Church, 3740 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights.

The program is free and open to the community. For more information, contact Marty Bergman at Marty.bergman@sbcglobal.net, or call 216-371-5141.

Upcoming at the Beachwood Library: Vaping has been in the news a lot lately. From 7-8 p.m. Dec. 17, the Beachwood Library, 25501 Shaker Blvd., will host Vaping, Juuling, and Other Inhalable Items. In this presentation, Dr. Ellen Rome from the Cleveland Clinic will tell you what you need to know about popular inhalable items. For more on this event, visit here.

And, if you enjoy great art, stop in at the library from 10-11 a.m. Dec. 20 for Through the Eyes of the Artist: Michelangelo. Art historian Felicia Zavarella Stadelman presents her series on the lives and works of beloved artists.

The most exalted artist on history once said, Carving is easy, you just go down to the skin and stop. In an age of great artists, Michelangelo was perhaps the greatest, creating immortal works in all three of the major arts -- sculpture, painting, and architecture. Registration is preferred, so visit here.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Beachwood Library.

Coffee from The Gathering Place: The Gathering Place is selling commemorative coffee as part of its 20th anniversary celebration with proceeds from the 20th Anniversary Coffee Roast benefiting the free programs and services it provides to individuals and families coping with cancer in Northeast Ohio.

The beans are locally roasted in Cleveland by small batch roaster Solstice Roasters and grown and harvested by female-owned farming co-ops through the Caf Femenino coffee program. The one-of-a-kind program uses an ethical sourcing model committed to end poverty among women coffee farmers across the world.

Additional details on the coffee and how to purchase can be found here.

If you have an item you would like to see appear in Press Run, send me an email, at least 12 days prior to an event, at jeff.piorkowski@att.net.

See more Sun Press news here.

Continue reading here:

The Gathering Place names new CEO; free admission at Maltz Museum on winter holidays; more: Press Run - cleveland.com

Category: Jewish Heritage Month
Tags: