The Daniel Thursz Distinguished Jewish Communal Service Award
This award was created in 2000 to honor and recognize Dr. Daniel Thursz for his achievements as former Dean of the University of Maryland School of Social Work and co-founder of the Darrell D. Friedman Institute for Professional Development (formerly BIJCS). He also had served as former Executive Vice President of B’nai B’rith International.
This award pays tribute to the invaluable contributions individual who has worked in the field of Jewish communal service for at least 20 years and is currently serving the greater Baltimore community. The individual has demonstrated leadership, exemplary professional skills, and a lifelong commitment to the field.
Nominations are now being accepted for the annual Daniel Thursz Distinguished Jewish Communal Service Award
Nomination FormsPast Award Winners
Janet Kurland
Jewish Family Services, 2001
Rena Rotenberg
Macks Center for Jewish Education, 2002
Lou Jacobs
Jewish Big Brother Big Sister League, 2003
Steve Solomon
Jewish Family Services, 2004
Carol Pristoop
Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center, 2005
Ken Gelula
CHAI: Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc., 2006
Nancy Kutler
THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, 2007
Louis “Buddy” Sapolsky
Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, 2008
Joan Grayson Cohen
Jewish Community Services, 2009
Dale Busch
Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, 2010
Leora Pushett
Macks Center for Jewish Education, 2011
Dr. Paul Schneider
Krieger Schechter Day School, 2012
Karen Nettler
Jewish Community Services, 2013
Michael Friedman
THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, 2014
Debra S. Weinberg
ACHARAI The Shoshana S. Cardin Leadership Development Institute, 2015
Cindy Goldstein
The Darrell D. Friedman Institute for Professional Development at the Weinberg Center, 2016
Larry Ziffer
Macks Center for Jewish Education, 2017
Leslie Pomerantz
THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, 2018
Sharon Seigel
JCC of Greater Baltimore, 2019
