The JCC of Greater Baltimore recently announced its 10th biennial class of inductees into the Baltimore Jewish Hall of Fame, which recognizes the lifetime accomplishments of outstanding Jewish Baltimoreans.
The 2025 class will honor Ralph Brunn, Ralph and Shirley Klein, Marcy K. Kolodny, Janet B. Kurland, Marvin Schapiro and Jane Schapiro, Rochelle “Rikki” Spector, Marc B. Terrill, Leonard “Boogie” Weinglass, Rabbi Joel H. Zaiman and the early female Jewish members of the Maryland Bar from 1920 to 1929.
All the inductees are being recognized for their “significant contributions to the local and global community through their life’s work in fields such as science, education, business, medicine, law, politics, community service, and the arts,” according to a JCC press release.
This year’s event will take place at the Gordon Center for Performing Arts on May 7 with Deborah Weiner, co-anchor of WBAL-TV 11, reprising her role as master of ceremonies.
“This is truly my favorite event. I love learning about so many Jewish individuals who have made a profound impact — not just on Baltimore, but on the broader community and, in some cases, the entire world,” Maury Garten, one of the event co-chairs, said in the release.
Each class is selected over the course of a lengthy process which begins with honorees being nominated by community members before a selection committee meets virtually across several months to discuss the nominees, conduct research and vote in a series of blind ballots.
During the ceremony, the inductees all have professionally produced videos shown to the audience detailing their lives and accomplishments.
The inductees can consist of a pool of Jewish people who live in or have previously lived in the greater Baltimore area, made a difference in the Baltimore community or the world and left a mark in their respective professions. They can be living or deceased.
Only five of the 10 individuals in this year’s class are still living, Ralph Brunn, Marcy Kolodny, Rochelle Spector, Marc Terrill and Leonard Weinglass.
Brunn is nearly 100 years old and gained national media attention in 2022 when he shared his story of surviving Kristallnacht and fleeing Nazi Germany before coming to Baltimore and later helping run the business his father founded, Baltimore Spice Company, the creator of Old Bay seasoning.
Kolodny is the CEO of Dyslexia Tutoring Program, an educational nonprofit that provides free English language arts lessons to children and adults with learning disabilities.
She has guided the work of the program to reach low-income communities when many people would likely be unable to afford these lessons.
Kolodny also has a long history of Jewish involvement, working with Jewish Community Services to implement its Be Well program and as a past president of the JCC of Greater Baltimore.
Rochelle “Rikki” Spector is a retired member of the Baltimore City Council, serving from 1977 to 2016 and as the sole Jewish representative on the council for most of that time.
Spector also captured national attention by becoming the mentor to two Baltimore teens who had assaulted and carjacked her in 2018 at 80 years old, calling upon her Jewish faith to forgive them.
Marc Terrill has over 40 years of professional experience in the Jewish community, with over 20 years of that spent as president of The Associated.
Terrill left the job in 2024 with the arrival of Andrew Cushnir and has remained involved as president emeritus.
Leonard “Boogie” Weinglass grew up in a tough Baltimore neighborhood before founding the chain store Merry-Go-Round and becoming a billionaire.
A character based on him was included in the 1982 film “Diner.” The 2022 book “Boogie: Life on a Merry-Go-Round” attempted to capture the essence of Weinglass’ business acumen and penchant for boxing in his thirties at the Mack Lewis boxing gym in Baltimore.
Weinglass still lives in Baltimore during parts of the year and has deep ties in the community, at one point making an ownership bid for the Baltimore Orioles.
The hall of fame event also helps raise money for the various programs that the JCC offers.
The JCC gives more than $330,000 annually for need-based scholarships.
JCC officials said they expect around 325 top civic and business leaders to attend the event based on turnout from previous years.
“The Hall of Fame is a unique opportunity to educate our community, including the next generation, about these incredible individuals and their lasting legacies,” Katie Applefeld, one of the event co-chairs, said in a press release.
