Sign In Forgot Password
Home > Engage > Brotherhood

Brotherhood

Man & Youth of the Year: 2020-2022

Maurice Guller (2020 Man of the Year)
Maurice is a graduate of the University of Missouri where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Mu Fratenity. He served 2 years in the United States Army training NATO troops on the maintenance of the internal guidance system for the Nike missile system. He is married to Rachel Schneider Guller. They have three children Margie, Jim and Liz(z*l). They enjoy their eight grandchildren Melissa, Jodie, Emma, Max, Alan, Noah, Koby and Anna. Maurice is the Board Chairman of Warner Communication Corp. He has served as the President of his congregation Shaare Zedek (now Kol Rinah). Maurice has served as the President of the Jewish Day School Solomon Schechter (now Mirowitz). He has served as the President of the Central Agency for Jewish Education. Maurice has also served on the Board of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
Maurice currently serves his congregation Kol Rinah as an Honorary Co-Chair of its Capital Campaign.
Maurice is passionate about Jewish Continuity achieved thru family holiday celebrations, innovative Jewish education, Synagogue involvement and Israel & Jewish camp experiences.
 
Jane Kalina (2020 Youth of the Year)
Jane Kalina has been a lifelong member of Kol Rinah. After her bat mitzvah, she began attending KRSTL USY meetings in 2016. Over the past five years, Jane has transformed from a reluctant 7th grader to Vice President. As Vice President, she has planned a majority of KRSTL’s lounge night programs, assisted in planning other KRSTL events, and perhaps most challengingly conducted the rowdy, but close-knit group that makes up KRSTL USY.
Outside of USY Jane attends Clayton High School where she balances varsity field
hockey and an assortment of rigorous honors courses. When she is not planning for KRSTL or managing schoolwork, Jane spends her free time riding and taking care of the horses at Kennedy Farms Equestrian Center.
She takes great pride in her title of Youth of the Year. She would like to thank all of her religious educators, her leadership advisors, her youth group director, Sara, and her family for teaching her the importance of expressing her Jewish identity. She would also like to thank the Kol Rinah Men’s club for their excellent choice in youths.

 
Alan Schwartz (2021 Man of the Year)
Alan is a lifelong St. Louisan growing up in the suburb of University City, Missouri and is Kol Rinah Brotherhood’s 2021 Man of the Year. Alan has been an active member of Kol Rinah’s Brotherhood for more than 15 years. He has served as their Vice President of Ritual where he organizes their annual Brotherhood Shabbat every year. Starting six months before the Shabbat, Brotherhood members get a call from Alan asking them to read Torah, receive an Aliyah or other honors done in the service. Alan is a regular attendee of FJMC regional conventions and bi-annual international conventions.
Alan joined Shaare Zedek, which later merged with Brith Shalom Knesset Israel to become Kol Rinah, more than 40 years ago when his son Joel started his Jewish Education. You will see him at almost every Shabbat service, except for his annual summer break. He was a floor gabbai for many years. Alan loves learning new things, which is why you would always see him at the Rabbi’s Torah Talk every Shabbat morning or eagerly listening to guest speakers. He is a member of the Kol Rinah ritual committee and you can always find him at Kol Rinah’s monthly board meetings.
As a kid, Alan was a member of Boy Scouts of America where he was part of Troop 11, at that time affiliated with the JCCA, now affiliated with Temple Israel. When his son joined scouting, Alan started volunteering as an adult serving in a variety of capacities, which includes promoting religious award to scouting and as a commissioner (an adult leader for multiple scouting units).
As an adult he earned the Ner Tamid award (Jewish religious award given to adults).
In his professional life, he worked in retail for 40 years then moved into industrial sales for the last 23 years. He is the owner of Arch Industrial Supply. Alan is currently semi-retired and loves to travel. His favorite spot is the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He has visited Israel twice, as well as London. He was married to Sherry Henner Schwartz, z’’l, and has one son, Joel.
 
Max Brown  (2022 Man of the Year)
St. Louis native Max Brown is Kol Rinah Brotherhood’s Man of the Year for 2022. A past president of the Brotherhood, he also serves as a vice president of the Midwest Region FJMC. His dedication to Brotherhood and his historic and ongoing contributions are undoubtedly what led to his selection for this honor.
He served three terms on the Kol Rinah Board of Directors. You can almost always find him early on Shabbat mornings in his favorite seat and attending his regular twice-a-week morning Minyanim. Always finding ways to do more, Max has learned to read Torah, which he has done several times, including at a past Midwest Region FJMC retreat. In addition, he volunteers as a docent at the St. Louis Holocaust Museum.
Now enjoying the relative freedom of retirement, Max has used his considerable talents in diverse ways throughout his life. His first career was with IBM Corp. His second career was as a fund development professional, raising millions for several St. Louis charitable organizations. His third and fi nal career was doing estate planning, estate administration and probate paralegal work. He is married to his lovely wife, Susan, and between them, they have three daughters and eight grandchildren.
 
Karen Huss (2021/2022 Youth of the Year)
Karen Huss is a rising senior at Parkway North High High School. They are a co-President and the Religion/Education Vice President of KRSTL and have been involved with the group since 2017. They are also active in the Student to Student organization and a member of their school's colour guard program. They enjoy studying social sciences and baking. 



Merav Portman (2021/2022 Youth of the Year)
Merav Portman is a rising senior at University City High School. Merav attended preschool and religious school at Kol Rinah and worked as a madricha for the religious school in 2019.  In 6th grade, she joined the KRSTL youth group and I have been Communications Vice President and President. This year she is one of the Co-Presidents. Merav works as a teaching assistant at Central Reform Congregation and is a lifeguard, swim instructor, and camp counselor at the YMCA. Additionally, Merav is involved with with the Student to Student program through the JCRC,  which introduces Judaism to local high school students. 
Fri, April 26 2024 18 Nisan 5784