Kinneret Apartments

Kinneret Council on Aging Announces their 2012 8 over 80 Honorees

November 22, 2011

The Kinneret Council on Aging has announced the honorees for their inaugural 2012 8 over 80 event on Sunday, February 26th, 2012. “We were thrilled with the support we have had from the community and were truly inspired by the number of outstanding individuals over the age of 80, who continue to contribute to our community,” said Carol Feuerman, 8 over 80 Chairperson.

The honorees for the 2012 event are:

• Harvey Arnowitz
• Al Gross
• Dr. Norman Wall
• Lester Mandall
• Tess Wise
• Elaine Lustig
• Helen Greenspun
• Bea Kellogg

The 8 over 80 honorary dinner will be held in the Delaney Dining Room at Kinneret Apartments and will benefit the Kinneret Council on Aging (KCOA).

For ticket and sponsorship information, contact Leslie Collin at 407-425-4537. The Kinneret Apartments are the Jewish community’s twin residence towers for low income senior citizens located in downtown Orlando.

Harvey Arnowitz: Harvey was 89 in September. Harvey is a World War II veteran. He was personal US Army photographer to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. In addition to photographing the general and his staff, he photographed many of the Nazis who stood trial in Nuremburg. Harvey has been active in Temple Israel for over 22 years. His name is synonymous with Buildings and Grounds. Harvey is known for his faithfulness to his wife Bea, who began experiencing the onset of multiple sclerosis soon after the birth of their first child in 1954. They are known for their strength and commitment to their community and each other.

Dr. Norman Wall: Norman will turn 98 in February of 2012. He was raised in Pennsylvania as one of nine children of Russian immigrants. He practiced for over 50 years at Good Samaritan Catholic Hospital in Pennsylvania as chief of staff, chief of medicine and cardiology and director of Medical education. Everyone who meets him today is not only impressed with his active lifestyle but also his constant quest for learning. He continues to drive and exercise daily and has written several books, including Living Longer, Living Stronger. In December of 2010 he was recognized at a luncheon at Florida Hospital for his work at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer in Israel during the 1940’s. He lives in Heathrow with his wife Faye.

Al Gross: Al, 82 has been a Union International Representative for over 40 years working for three AFL-CIO Unions. He has worked in the Deep South organizing low paid workers. He worked directly with both Reverend Vivian and Martin Luther King. In Atlanta, Al was responsible for raising the wages in from 50 cents to $1.25 an hour at both Grady Hospital and The Board of Education.

Al organized blue collar workers in the City of Orlando, Orange County and the Greater Orlando International Airport. With the help of Mayor Langford, one special accomplishment was promoting Black workers to supervisory positions. In recognition of his contributions to the community, Mayor Glenda Hood declared February 19, 1999 Albert I. Gross Day for the City of Orlando.

Al is a member of Congregation of Reform Judaism, is on the Board of the Jewish Federation Community Relations Committee, and The Apopka Family Learning Center, formerly the Justice and Peace Office. Al and his wife Linda live in Longwood and have two children and four grandchildren.

Helen Greenspun. Helen, 85 is a Holocaust survivor who devotes much of her time to speak to groups of students, teachers and community organizations about her experiences during the Holocaust. She is a tireless volunteer at the Holocaust Resource and Education Center in Maitland and feels it is her obligation to continue to speak for those who have no voice.

Lester Mandell: Lester, 91, moved to Orlando in 1958 from Miami and started Greater Construction with two other partners. Greater Construction became one of the most productive home builders in the Central Florida area and was the first builder in the Wekiva community. He and his wife Sunny raised four children, Alison, Bobby, Rick and Aimee. Bobby was most recently named Ambassador to Luxemburg. He and his wife Sunny believe in community service and have spent many years involved in almost every Jewish organization in the greater Orlando area.

Tess Wise. Tess, 86, is a Holocaust survivor. She founded the first Holocaust Museum in the southeast and is a founding member of Jewish Family Services, The Jewish Academy (formally HDS), the Jewish Community Center and TOP Jewish Foundation. She and her husband have created an Endowment of Professorship in Judaic Studies at UCF. She is a founding member of Temple Israel and lives with her husband Abe in College Park.

Elaine Lustig, Elaine, 84 is a long-time Orlando resident. She co-founded Women Playing for Time (technology, immediate diagnosis, mammography and education. TIME is an all women’s group that raises funds for breast cancer programs at MD Anderson Cancer center in Orlando. She was honored as a Yoplait Champion for these efforts. She still remains active with the Orlando Regional Healthcare Foundation Board and has also served on the board of the Jewish Community Center and is a founding member of Temple Israel.

Bea Kellogg: 89. Bea is Kinneret residents and is well loved by all. Bea is the Manager of the Kinneret Tenant Association (KTA) Boutique, a gently used clothing and accessories store located in Kinneret that raised over $1000 last year for KTA resident activities. Bea also works weekly in the KTA Co-Op grocery; volunteers every Monday at ORMC admission and knits hats for the neo-natal unit at Arnold Palmer Hospital. Her volunteering is a full time commitment.

Entry Filed under: 8 Over 80,News. Posted in  8 Over 80 ,News .