Celebration
inducts
role models
into Senior
Adult Jewish
Hall Of Fame.

RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER

ore than 375 people attended a
Sunday gala honoring eight Jew-
ish seniors who have dedicated a
lifetime to Jewish and secular
causes.
The ceremony, dubbed "8 Over
80," took place at Prentis Towers
in Oak Park. Sponsored by Jew-
ish Federation Apartments, in co-
operation with The Jewish News
and Morrison Restaurants Inc.,
the event — the first of its kind
— served to induct eight individ-
uals into the new Senior Adult
Jewish Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame will be lo-
cated in one of the Jewish Fed-
eration Apartment buildings on
the Oak Park Jewish Communi-
ty Campus. It will feature a wall
of plaques with names of annual
honorees.
"We want to recognize not just
the past accomplishments of old-
er adults, but also to acknowledge
the contributions they are cur-
rently making," said Alan
Muskovitz, who co-chaired the
event with Rick Rosenhaus.
"These are older people who have
continually given to the commu-
nity and have each made a dif-
ference for all of us with their
efforts."
The eight honorees are more
than 80 years old. Some are over
90. Each has a long history of vol-
unteerism and continues to par-
ticipate in community activities.
Award-winner Clara Collens, not-
ed for her work with new Amer-
icans, said helping immigrants
learn English and acculturate
has played a vital role in her hap-
piness during old age.
"In a period of one's life when
it becomes increasingly more dif-
ficult to care for one's self, I tru-
ly believe that reaching out to
others less fortunate and offering
one's help increases the quality
of one's own life dramatically and
gives one a sense of value and a
reason for being," she said.
A panel of judges chose this
year's inductees from more than
40 nominations. The eight hon-
orees included: Dr. Harry August,
Ms. Collens, Hortense Falk, Rose
L. Greenberg, Neil Kalef, Arthur
Lipsitt, Ruth Redstone and
Dorothy Storchan.
The nomination process, which
began in December, was designed
to pick out individuals who
demonstrate themes of the
Chanukah story: courage, com-
mitment, Jewish identity and
dedication to a cause.

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"Each year well invite the pub-
lic to nominate individuals who
exemplify the triumph and val-
ues Chanukah represents," Mr.
Rosenhaus said.
The awards ceremony followed
a brunch, featuring speeches by
the inductees. Included in the
crowd of friends, co-workers and

Rick Knauer and wife Mary (top) give roses to inductee
Hortense Falk. Dr. Harry August (above) shows his award to
fellow recipient Dorothy Storchan. Mayor of Oak Park Gerald
Naftaly (left) commends community involvement. Arthur
Lipsitt (below) reads his poem, "Am I Really Ninety-Four?"

family members filling the Pren-
tis cafeteria was Tracy Berger, 8.
Tracy came to honor her great-
grandmother, Ms. Collens. "I'm
very proud of her," she said.
Said Mr. Muskovitz: "It's a
great message for young people
to know that people can not only
make a difference in their youth
or early adulthood, but through-
out their whole lives." ❑