A bit of history

Thank you for the terrific coverage of the successful HBHA Dinner Celebration honoring Joyce and Stan Zeldin, Miriam Kaseff and Rabbi Morris B. Margolies, of blessed memory. We were thrilled we raised financial aid money for the students!

There was an important fact left out of the story printed in the April 18 article “Celebrating 40 years.” Although we mimicked our dinner after a successful fundraiser held by a day school in New Jersey, it was really at the request of two board members that our very first dinner was born. For three years, Aleck Bratt and Sam Epstein, both of blessed memory, encouraged me to hold a dinner on HBHA’s behalf. Then the three of us went with my Uncle Hyman Brand, of blessed memory, to ask then Mayor Pro-Tem Dick Berkley to accept the very first Civic Service Award.

Without Aleck and Sam’s energy and loyal support, the dinner may never have gotten off the ground. Now 47 years later, we truly can appreciate and be grateful for the genius of their idea.

Carl Puritz

Westwood Hills, Kan.