Tampa, Fla. – Hillel Academy of Tampa will honor Susan Forman at its 45th Annual Gift of Gold Gala on March 3rd at 7:30 p.m. at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC, 522 N. Howard Ave. The Gift of Gold Gala is Hillel Academy’s largest annual fundraiser.
“We are excited to honor Susan Forman for her amazing involvement and support of Hillel Academy over the years and for her work in the greater Jewish Tampa Bay community,” said Carolyn Fink, Co-chair of Gift of Gold.
From the moment Susan Forman began as a Hillel School parent, she has been an enthusiastic supporter and volunteer. In 1978, when the first of her three sons were enrolled in Hillel, she quickly and whole-heartedly became part of the parent volunteer network and she initiated a Rosh Chodesh lunch program. She led other parent volunteers to provide all the students with a home-cooked lunch once a month. Forman cooked so much, and so well, that the first oven purchased by the Parents’ Association was dedicated as the Susan Forman Stove!
Forman not only served as president of the Parents’ Association, she was also active in many events and on a wide variety of committees. She chaired many of the school’s model seders, which a team of Hillel moms catered themselves, as well as chaired the Gift of Gold Gala for many years.
Beyond her support and service to Hillel Academy, Forman continues to be active in the greater Tampa Bay Jewish community. She has been a co-president of Hadassah and of Rodeph Sholom Sisterhood. She has chaired the Torah Fund campaign to benefit the Jewish Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. She has held several leadership positions in the Women’s Division of the Tampa Jewish Federation, working in the areas of education and the annual campaign and was an outstanding volunteer for the JCC’s Senior Network for many years.
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When Forman and her husband, Arthur, both native New Yorkers, were deciding where to settle to raise their young family, they agreed to only consider a community with a Jewish day school.
“A Jewish community is not a true community without a Jewish day school,” Forman has often said. The Formans sought a school which would be a partner in teaching Torah values, along with strong secular academics.
Forman believes that a child can learn at any school, but that only Hillel Academy provides a warm environment that encourages a love of being Jewish, along with academic achievement. As a result of the Formans’ commitment, their sons Dr. Seth, Dr. Jonathan, and Dr. Howard Forman all are Hillel Academy graduates. Forman is also very proud that all six of her school-aged Tampa grandchildren are currently enrolled in or have attended the Hillel Academy.
The Gift of Gold Gala fundraising event will begin with a special and memorable Havdalah experience, and will include an elegant and scrumptious dinner, large silent auction with mobile bidding, and music/dancing by DJ Staar Entertainment.
Cocktail attire and Kosher dietary laws will be observed.
Tickets are $75 in advance per person, or $85 per person the week of the event. Tickets, sponsorships and program ads are available for purchsae at https://hillelacademytampa.ejoinme.org/. More information is available by calling 813.963.2242.
Hillel Academy, Tampa’s only accredited Jewish day school, provides excellence in academics, technology and Jewish life. Financial aid and transportation options are available. At Hillel Academy, students receive a superior education enhanced by the opportunity to learn about their place in the community. Hillel Academy is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Florida Kindergarten Council, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools.
More information about Hillel Academy’s offerings, financial aid and tour scheduling are available by calling 813.963.2242 or emailing admissions@hillelacademytampa.com.