Annual Benefit

The Amos and Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School is excited to announce long-time community leaders and Heilicher alumni parents Jerel and Judy Shapiro as Heilicher Annual Benefit honorees. The Benefit will be held on Sunday, November 19, 2023.

Jerel and Judy are beloved members of the Heilicher and broader Jewish communities, having held volunteer roles at many local Jewish organizations. Jerel has served on the boards of Heilicher and of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation (where he served at various points as secretary, treasurer, and chair of the Jewish Community Building Corporation). He is a past-president of the Sabes Jewish Community Center, a former board member of Minnesota Hillel, and a founding member of Darchei Noam Congregation. 

For seven years, Judy has been a valued Heilicher volunteer, and she is often the first face that parents, grandparents, and community members see upon entering the school building. She has also made her mark in many other community organizations, including Sholom Community Alliance (where she is a long-time hospice volunteer), Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis, and Darchei Noam Congregation. Judy also served in various capacities with the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, including as a founding member of the Partnership2Gether Steering Committee. 

Jerel and Judy are proud parents and grandparents of four adult children — Dena, Max, Rachel, and Oren (who attended Heilicher for middle school) — and seven grandchildren (four in Baltimore and three in Israel).

In 2015, Jerel and Judy Shapiro created Heilicher’s Deera and Al Tychman (z”l) Judaic Learning and T’filah Center in memory of Judy’s late parents. Pillars of the Minneapolis Jewish community, Deera and Al Tychman were active in many local organizations including the Federation, Beth El Synagogue, the Jewish Community Center, and Hadassah. The Tychman Center, located on Heilicher’s second floor, is a fulcrum of Jewish study for students in grades 5-8. 

Jerel and Judy are humbled to serve as this year’s Heilicher Annual Benefit honorees. In their words, “We simply believe that a strong Jewish education is the underpinning to a more meaningful Jewish life and ultimately to a more caring and philanthropic Jewish community. Involvement is the only way to improve what we have inherited.”

There are many opportunities to sponsor the gala in honor of Jerel and Judy and all they have done for Heilicher. Select a sponsorship level.
 
Please join us on November 19 to celebrate Heilicher, honor the generosity of the Shapiro family, and help support future generations of Jewish learners. Invitations will be mailed in September 2023.