During Hebrew Association of the Deaf’s 105th Anniversary Banquet at the Buck Hotel in Festerville, PA, on October 20, 2012, nine surprise HAD Award presentations were made:
Anita Rice received from HAD Treasurer Richard Balsam a gavel in honor of her husband, Richard W. Rice, HAD President 1993-1996.
Anita Rice and her twin son Robert Rice presented the Richard W. Rice Scroll of Honor plaque to Rabbi David Maharam with appreciation for his exceptional service to HAD.
Richard Balsam presented the Rose Olanoff Memorial Award to Rabbi David Maharam for his outstanding humanitarian service for many years to HAD and to JoAnn and Richard Simon and their son Robert Simon for their outstanding support to HAD.
Robert Simon received a HAD plaque for his achievement in the study of Judaism.
Adele Wiggins, HAD official interpreter, received from Lewis Merkin the first Frieda G. and Gerald S. Merkin Interpreting Award for her professional work for many years for HAD.
For the third and last Beatrice and Jacob Gershman Performing Arts awards, HAD President Jean Gershman had the 2007 recepents the stage: her aunt, Marilyn Basch, and Dorothy and Stephen Brenner. Marilyn Basch had the award for Lawrence Goldstein for his professional deaf community services for his family funeral business at the Goldsteins’ Rosenberg’s Raphael-Sacks. The Brenner couple handed the posthumous award to Adele Wiggins for his parents, Harriet and Julius Wiggins, for their professional work in the newspaper, “The Silent News”.
With her husband. Jules Kass on the stage, Barbara Kass, Chairperson of the Hall of Fame induction, presented the prestigious HAD Hall of Fame award to Gay and Richard Balsam.
Sam Hawk was guest speaker. Dr. Karen Alkoby, president and Vicki Lowen, board member at-large represented Jewish Deaf Congress.
Source: Hebrew Association of the Deaf
