Stars of David

March 26, 2009 - Michael Elkin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Beryl D. Simonson

Spring is sprung, the grass is wiz; I wonder where the flowers is. Well, "Stars" is out cavorting among the wildflowers popping up between the concrete jungle outside his office. He also sees "Stars" popping up elsewhere as well, like right over there at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy, where Beryl D. Simonson will be saluted for "outstanding contributions to education, Jewish life and the community," when the school presents and hosts its seventh annual tribute event on March 29. Crowning achievement: The Jewish communal giant will be honored with the Keter Chinuch ("Crown of Education") Award.

As "Stars," a true flower child of the '60s, continues to pluck daisies amid the granite, he sets his rosy view of life a mile down the road at at the University of Pennsylvania, where Wharton School faculty member Gerson Dushnitsky, assistant prof of management, has been named recipient of the inaugural Kauffman Junior Faculty Fellowship in Entrepreneurship Research of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It carries with it a $50,000 grant, which goes to Penn in support of Dushnitsky's research. Good thing it doesn't go toward tuition; otherwise, it would be gone the first week.

Fifty thou seems to be a grand number these days, as that's exactly what the Philip and Muriel Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University just received as a proposed three-year grant from the Posen Foundation. Professors Larry Silberstein and Ruth Setton are directing the use of the grant.

Jason Coles, MBA, CFP, has it where it counts, and now the managing director of Abacus Wealth Partners LLC can add another honor to the wealth of accolades he's received; indeed, Coles, whose many communal accomplishments include serving as a senior member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia's Real Estate Group, should be real pleased with this one: He's just been named one of the "40 Under 40" machers and shakers by Philadelphia Business Journal. On top of everything else, he's a good sport: Coles is a member of the NFL Financial Advisors Program. Hey, Jason, couldn't you advise them to come up with another $7 mil to keep Dawkins?

Forty years with no end in sight: Julian Weinstein of Goldsteins' Rosenberg's Raphael-Sacks was just honored by the Jewish Funeral Directors of America at its 80th-anniversary shindig, where he was feted for 40 years of membership in the org.

Citizen Carel! Back to Barrack: David Carel, a senior at the academy, has just been named winner of a 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer Student Citizenship Award. One word for you, David: Rosebud.

Say hello to "Say Goodnight, Gracie," the heartfelt salute to the Burns & Allen love story, with Joel Rooks as late comedian George Burns. Local producer Philip Roger Roy is doing the honors here at Society Hill Playhouse.

A pair of au pair perfectionists: Sharon Buckingham and Jody Brookman, coordinators for the local Cultural Care Au Pair, have been inducted into the org's Golden Heart League, with ceremonies held in Lucerne. What, a party in Switzerland and no chocolates for "Stars"? That is what he calls a Swiss miss.

Heroes come in all shapes and jacket sizes: When Philly's Michael Schmeltzer, managing director/passenger sales for USAir, got the call about that infamous crash in the Hudson, his role as a crisis manager got a fuel boost. On the scene in New York, he lent a helping hand -- and a jacket as well. When a passenger, plucked from the chills of the Hudson, needed clothes to fight off the cold, Schmeltzer gave him his jacket. May be the tag line for a different airline, but the wings of man never looked better than on this guy from Philly.

Contact the writer at: melkin@jewishexponent.com (215-832-0735).