2022 Pinch Hitter Program
In the spirit of the season, B’nai B’rith members and the Jewish community at large replace Christian workers in hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes.
To Christians, Christmas is one of their most sacred holidays. It is a day of worship, goodwill, and celebration. Businesses close for the day and employees spend the holiday with their loved ones. In hospitals, nursing homes, police stations, and fire stations throughout the country, however, employees must report to work.
The business of caring for the sick and injured and responding to victims of unfortunate situations is a daily task, with no regard for a holiday schedule.
While the Jewish community does not celebrate Christmas, many Jews have this holiday off from work. Since 1980, the Pinch Hitter Program has been a wonderful opportunity for Jewish Atlanta to give back to the larger community. The Pinch Hitter Program is an annual community service project where volunteers from the Atlanta Jewish community “go to bat” for non-medical healthcare workers on Christmas Day.
In the spirit of the season, B’nai B’rith members and the Jewish community at large replace Christian workers in hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes, allowing them to spend the day with their families. Employees from these facilities benefit from this gesture of goodwill. The program is organized by Achim/Gate City Lodge and the B’nai B’rith Center for Community Action.
On Sunday, Christmas Day, 2022, the program served eight hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes: Berman Commons, Dunwoody Place, Historic Roswell Place, Solana of East Cobb, William Breman Jewish Home, The Cohen Home, Somerby of Sandy Springs, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center. More than 150 volunteers served those eight locations.
Program organizers are grateful for the support of the continuing sponsors: Publix Super Markets Charities; Capital Investment Advisors; Siegel Insurance and Auto-Owners Insurance; Carr, Riggs and Ingram LLP; Kessler and Solomiany LLC; Coldwell Banker-Debbie Sonenshine; Loventhal Insurance Group; Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care; Toco Instant Printing; and Co-Create a Website.
While the program has gained some local publicity from local newspapers and television stations, the program has also gained some national attention. The Pinch Hitter Program was awarded the 335th Presidential Point of Light Service Award by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. Additionally, the program was featured in a December 1998 issue of Family Circle magazine.
For additional information, please contact Harry Lutz by phone at (678) 485-8179 or by email at hslutz_fsa@yahoo.com.
We Would Like to Thank the Volunteers
Andrew Adler
John Astarita
Joshua Astarita
Lisa Astarita
Kayla Atkins
Gail Barr-Bashman
Elyse Darlis
Lauren Becker
Brooker Benator
Jodi Benator
Larry Benator
Ellen Berman
David Bohm
Mal Brooks
Nikki Canter
Mike Century
Terri Coffsky
Milton Crane
Randy Crohn
Benjamin Deitchman
Liza Dolensky
Rodney Eberhardt
Arona Elk
Eden England
Lance England
Talia England
Tamar England
Jay Epstein
Sharon Flicker
Alla Galanter
Gregory Galanter
Roy Goldenberg
Jake Goodelman
Michele Goodelman
Sara Goodelman
Vince Greco
Lara Gutierrez
Bruce Harris
Mindy Harris
Carrie Hausman
Kim Hoetling
Simon Huebner
Amy Hurewitz
Ian Hurewitz
Juli Itzkovitz
Mark Itzkovitz
Gary Jackson
Addy Jaramillo
Camina Jaramillo
Zeb Jaramillo
Simon Jayaram
Rachel Jenks
Nancy Kaiser
Matthew Kaler
Gary Kaplan
Lia Kaplan
Steve Kaufman
Dan Knapp
Devi Knapp
Kayla Kornfeld
Melissa Kornfeld
Andrew Kronitz
Eva Krugman
Robert Krugman
Arlene Langer
Rich Lapin
Myrtle Lewin
Henry Lewis
Beth Liess
Katia Lord
Nancy Love
Becky Lutz
Jeanne Martinez
Klara Menaker
Alex Merriam
Alex Michaels
Janet Miller
Barry Minkoff
Lauren Moret
Bonnie Moscovitch
Tony Nicholls
Brooke Pardue
Yao Peng
Terri Pesso
Faye Pous
Nancy Prager
Gabriel Rainisch
Kristin Rainisch
Levi Rainisch
Zachary Rainisch
Shoshi Reingold
Katerina Richardson
Aidan Rosen
Spencer Rosen
Jerry Rosenberg
Rina Rosenberg
Andrea Rosenthal
David Rosenthal
Milt Rosenthal
Devorah Rosner
Alex Schulman
Jenna Schulman
Marcia Schulman
Rhona Schweber
Celeste Sear
Barry Seidel
Rona Seidel
Marvin Shams
Gwenn Silverman
Stan Silverman
Will Simmons
Stan Sloan
Max Smith
Kenny Sonenshine
Sharon Sonenshine
Jeffrey Tatro
Julie Warsett
Scott Whitely
Bill Witherspoon
Lane Wolbe
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