Aharon and Rachel Dahan were pillars of the Baltimore Jewish community and beyond. And their impact still resonates today – both in Baltimore and in Israel.
JT reporter Sydney Kligman reports on the $45 million endowment that Aharon Dahan gave to the medical school at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel before he passed away in 2013. Recently, the university officially dedicated the Dahan Family campus in a special ceremony as a tribute to the benefactors. The Dahan family from Baltimore, France, and Israel were all present at the event, including 11 grandchildren, as well as representatives of the Dahan Foundation.
“He created the endowment to help start the medical school and help endow it for scholarships and research,” said son Nissim (Nick) Dahan. Aharon was also a founder and past president of Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School in Pikesville.
Over at the Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM), JT freelance reporter Shani Golostov tells how JMM is hosting “Stories of Survival” on June 30. It is a reception marking the 25th anniversary of the iconic Holocaust film “Schindler’s List,” as part of the “Recovery and Renewal” series, held in partnership with Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (BHC). “Stories of Survival” will feature Baltimorean Lola Hahn, who discovered her family’s connection to Oskar Schindler and the Holocaust when she saw her aunt and mother’s name in the book of “Schindler’s List.”
“We felt that Lola’s is a fascinating story: a second generation Schindler survivor who didn’t know the whole story until the book was released,” said Tracie Guy-Decker, JMM deputy director. “Additionally, since Lola is an active member of the Baltimore and the JMM community, her story is an important reminder that survivors and their descendants are not distant. They are our friends, colleagues, neighbors, and loved ones.”
In other local news, JT’s Connor Graham reports that after celebrating their one-year anniversary as a congregation, Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebel will install Rabbi Ariana Katz on June 28 and 29. At the close of Shabbat, a post-installation Oneg and Havdalah will be held at the Peabody Heights Brewery in Charles Village.
This week’s cover story is Part 2 of the second annual Best of Jewish Baltimore awards, and we highlight the winners, as chosen by you, the readers! This week we focus on the winners in the categories of: kosher food; camps; education; community/recreation; home services; and retail. Mazal Tov to all the winners!
Finally, I’m pleased to introduce the newest member of the JT staff: Sydney Kligman. Sydney is a Pikesville native and a recent graduate of the University of Tampa with a degree in communications. Sydney is proficient in social media and eager to use her skills to help the JT continue to grow and evolve in the digital age. So if you see Sydney around town, be sure and say hello.
Shabbat Shalom.
