[Archived from March 20, 2009]
[by Shiela Steinman Wallace]
On Sunday, March 7, Temple Shalom honored Andrea Koven as WOTS (Women of Temple Shalom) Woman of the Year, Matt Doctrow as Men’s Club Man of the Year, Deena Schwartz at SHORTY (Temple Shalom’s Youth Group) Youth of the Year, and Elaine and Norman Cummings and Fred Whittaker as winners of the congregation’s Tikkun Olam Award.
Following the congregation’s annual Awards Dinner, the Java Jews, an energetic and talented group from Des Moines, IA, performed a rocking concert that had many people up and dancing. They even invited a number of local musicians to join the fun and perform with them.
This touring group includes Kurt Bowermaster, Mark Finkelstein, John Manning, Dr. Bob Marion, Daniel Menzel and band organizer Abe Goldstien on a range of instruments including clarinet, mandolin, accordion, drums, tuba and bass.
Menzel, the youngest of the group, dazzled the audience with his prowess on the clarinet. Indeed the instrument seemed to be an extension of his body.
Kathy Karr, immediate past president of Temple Shalom and chair of the Jewish Community Federation’s Partnership with Israel Committee, first learned about the Java Jews when she was in Israel’s Western Galilee, Louisville’s Partnership region, for the Partnership’s 10th anniversary celebrations.
In Israel, she met Mark Finkelstein, the CRC Director of Des Moines, IA, Jewish Federation. Des Moines and Louisville part of the Central Area Consortium of Partnership communities paired with the Western Galilee.
Their friendship blossomed, and resulted in the invitation for the Java Jews to perform at Temple Shalom this year.
