Hello PJTC,
I’ll start and end this month’s Flame article with the big news: The Men’s Club annual Hy Vego Man (Member) Of The Year (MOTY) gala is slated for Sunday evening, April 7, 2024. This year we are also honoring a deserving member of the greater community with the Josh Pais Lifetime Achievement Award (LAA).
A bit of background: the MOTY award, named after Hy Vego (of blessed memory), is an annual award recognizing an active member of the Men’s Club who devotes time and energy to help all of us fulfill our Mission Statement of serving Jewish youth and Jewish youth organizations in our community. Our honoree is currently on our board and has served in various capacities, including secretary, is ever present at our events, a source of wisdom and reason at our Board meetings and who challenges each of us to do better. Our honoree this year is Dr. Steven Roth. Steve, a retired cardiologist, joined PJTC approximately 5 years ago and became active in Men’s Club on our Board about 4 years ago. Before settling in Pasadena Steve was on the Board of his synagogue in Savannah for twelve years and served as its president for two years. He has brought valuable knowledge, insight and much appreciated humor to those of us having the pleasure to work with him. He’s also our March Madness guru, having started our annual event upon his arrival on the Board. You’ll hear more about this incredible gentleman in the coming months.
Every so often we find an individual that is worthy of earning the Lifetime Achievement Award named after our own Josh Pais. The purpose is to recognize someone from the community who undeniably has devoted time, energy and resources to better the lives of members of the greater Jewish Community throughout the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. We do not present this award annually…it’s just too special…in fact there have only been two recipients in the six years since we started it, namely, Josh Pais and Dr. Stu Miller. Our Board felt it was time to present the award provided the nomination committee would make a worthy recommendation…and wow, did they. I’m pleased to announce that the recipient of the Josh Pais Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024 is Debby Singer. While Debby would be a candidate for this award in any given year for her efforts with Friends in Deed, PJ Library, Union Station, countless PJTC and Federation Committees, her selfless dedication to the children of our community in stepping up to become acting director of the LBSRS at a time when our community was reeling from the passing of Rabbi Aimee was remarkable in itself. To accept the position while declining any compensation for the full-time plus responsibilities of acting director only made the decision that much easier.
Future announcements will detail our remarkable honorees accomplishments.
Please save the date of Sunday evening April 7, for an evening of music, dancing, delicious food and drinks and deserving accolades for our two recipients. More information to follow.
Shalom,
Fred Rotenberg, Pres.
PJTC Men’s Club 2023-24
