An Evening of Impact 2025
NOW ON APRIL 2
Join the Federation for an Evening of Impact as we share with you the impact your generosity has had on our community in St. Louis, in Israel and around the world.
We will recognize the winners of the David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Award, the Fred A. Goldstein Award for Professional Leadership and the RubinBrown Corporate Leadership Award. Additionally, you will hear from Federation’s new board chair Todd Siwak on our strategic plan and from Danny Cohn, Federation’s new President & CEO.
New Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025
St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum
Doors Open at 5:30 pm
Program Begins at 6:30 pm
Reception Before & After Program
Registration Required By March 30
Appetizers and drinks. Kosher dietary laws observed. No cost to attend. Registration is required by March 30. We encourage everyone to register individually. This is not a household registration.
Join us for this night to celebrate 2024 and forge a path forward Together As ONE in 2025!
2025 Award Recipients
David N. and Roselin Grosberg Young Leadership Award: Caroline Goldenberg & Joel Gotkin
Recognizes volunteer leaders in the Jewish community who are 45 years and younger. Recipients demonstrate commitment to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis’s mission through volunteer leadership and participation in the Annual Campaign.
Caroline Goldenberg is a St. Louis native and has five children together with her Israeli-American husband, Etai. Passionate about Jewish education, she has served on the board of the Jewish Light as the advisor for the Teen Page for the past 10 years and spent two years on the board of Epstein Hebrew Academy, before taking on a professional role in development at the school. In 2023, she had the honor of co-chairing the Women’s Philanthropy L’Chaim event and is currently on the Women’s Philanthropy board. She is an alumna of the ADL Glass Leadership Institute (2017), Millstone Fellows class of 2017-2018, the Legacy Heritage OnBoard cohort in 2019, and Courageous Communities in 2022. Caroline has loved being the “American Mom” to three Shinshinim who have lived with the Goldenbergs. In her free time, Caroline studies Hebrew, does calligraphy for special events, bakes with her kids and sings karaoke with her friends.
Joel Gotkin has been active in the Federation since his arrival in Saint Louis in 2011. Most recently, he and his wife co-chaired the Ben Gurion Society of young adult donors, bringing consistent programming to the group and fostering relationships between many members. Joel also is active in the Professional Society and sits as an at-large member of the Leadership Advisory Council.
Joel is a partner at the Oliff PLC law firm, where he has practiced since 2011. He is also an adjunct professor at the law schools of both Washington University and Saint Louis University. Joel and his wife, Laura, have a one-year-old son, Noah, and a goldendoodle, Pierson. When not working, teaching, volunteering or doting on his son(s) and wife, Joel loves traveling with his family.
Fred A. Goldstein Professional Excellence Award: Rabbi Brad Horwitz
Recognizes outstanding professional leadership in a St. Louis Jewish organization. Recipients excel in their field, have introduced important innovations, and are perceived as role models by other professionals and volunteers.
Rabbi Brad Horwitz is the Chief Jewish Engagement Officer at the St. Louis Jewish Community Center, where he has served in an executive leadership role for over nineteen years. During this time, he has brought his passion for fostering meaningful connections and enriching Jewish life to the forefront of the organization and the entire community. Known for his approachable and warm demeanor, Rabbi Horwitz is committed to the Jewish value of kehillah (community) and strives to make Jewish life accessible and meaningful for all.
In his role at the J, Rabbi Horwitz oversees a broad portfolio of Jewish cultural, educational, and spiritual programming at the JCC, ensuring it remains a hub for vibrant Jewish life in St. Louis. His leadership extends to signature J cultural arts programs, including the New Jewish Theatre, St. Louis Jewish Film Festival, St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, and Youth Theatre. He also supervises Jewish Life programs including Nishmah: The St. Louis Jewish Women’s Project, the J’s Family Center, the Hamsa Wellness Community, JCC Maccabi Games STL delegation, and JNext program for recent empty nesters. Additionally, he oversees the Adult Day at the J and Life Enrichment programs, which serve older adults and individuals with disabilities and their families.
Rabbi Horwitz is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he earned his rabbinic ordination and a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education. He is the author of With All Your Heart: A Weekday Siddur (prayer book) that is currently in use in over fifty Jewish schools across the US and Canada. Rabbi Horwitz is the proud husband of Mindy and father of their three children, Josh, Ari and Ben.
RubinBrown Corporate Leadership Award
Recognizes a St. Louis company with a deep commitment to philanthropy and the Jewish community.
This year the 2025 RubinBrown Corporate Leadership Award will be presented to CBD Kratom. CBD Kratom is owned by Dafna Revah and David Palatnik and is the largest privately owned cannabis and kratom retailer in the United States.
Council of Life
Honors individuals in recognition of ongoing generosity and dedication to the Jewish Community and the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Rather than being awarded every year, this honor is given when someone’s commitment to Federation has gone above and beyond.
Jewish Federation of St. Louis is honored to welcome Michael Staenberg as the newest member of the Council of Life.
Michael Staenberg, founder and president of The Staenberg Group is a leader, visionary, and philanthropist. For nearly 40 years, Michael has developed over 200 shopping centers comprising more than 35 million square feet of quality retail space. In 2012, he founded The Staenberg Group, a privately held company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that is dedicated to building premier properties to best serve the community. Previously, Michael was president and co-founder of THF Realty, which was established in 1991 and grew to become the third-largest commercial real estate firm in the United States.
In 2005, The Staenberg Family Foundation was established, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. Their mission is to ensure that the Jewish community, as well as the greater St. Louis region, thrives and flourishes. Funding supports programs relating to arts & culture, children, education, and medical services. For more than a decade, Michael and the Staenberg Family Foundation has given almost $200 million in financial support to organizations in St. Louis, Denver, and Israel, as well as raising/and in-kind services valued at over $200 million.