B’nai B’rith will honor Carol Sherman

Staff report

BOARDMAN

Carol Sherman will be honored by B’nai B’rith as the 2015 “Guardian of the Menorah” during a tribute banquet at 6:30 p.m. June 7 at Holiday Inn Boardman, 7410 South Ave.

The Guardian of the Menorah is presented to outstanding members of the community who have demonstrated, through service and commitment, their devotion to the causes of youth and the Jewish and general community.

Sherman graduated from The Rayen School and earned a bachelor’s in education from Youngstown State University in 1970. She taught at Lincoln Elementary School, taught preschool at the Jewish Community Center and was religious school principal at Congregation Rodef Sholom from 1983-85, all in Youngstown.

She also taught at E.J. Blott in Liberty and was a substitute teacher in Boardman schools for many years.

Sherman worked as a service representative for Discover Card for three years and then as the student-loan officer and branch manager at Metropolitan Savings Bank, now FNB, at the Federal Plaza office. She wrote the bank’s Financial Aid Guide for Students and Parents, which was distributed throughout the area.

In 1996, she joined her husband, Bruce, to found Sherman Creative Promotions, where they have worked together for 19 years providing imprinted promotional products to clients.

Sherman has a long history of service to the community.

She is a life member of the YSU Alumni Society, a member of “Pete’s Pride” and a volunteer with WYSU-FM.

She received the Beeghly College of Education Outstanding Volunteer Service Award in 2007.

She also served on the board of directors of the YWCA as secretary and vice president, chaired the “Young Women With Bright Futures” program for many years and received the 2001 YWCA board member of the year award.

She also was an Athena nominee for the Regional Chamber.

Sherman was involved with the Coalition for Capable and Healthy Youth Steering Committee and was a Junior Achievement classroom volunteer for four years.

She served as the founding mentor for the Young Philanthropist Board of the Mahoning Valley Community Foundation.

She is a 1999 graduate of Leadership Mahoning Valley serving on the Youth Leadership selection committee for eight years.

In 2004, the Shermans received the LMV Outstanding Community Leadership Award.

She also served on the Boardman Zoning Board of Appeals for five years.

Sherman is a member of the Aaron Grossman Lodge of B’nai B’rith, Na’Amat USA and is a past president of the Ohev Tzedek Temple Sisterhood.

She is a member of the Youngstown Chapter of the Zionist Organization of America. She and her husband were honored with ZOA’s 2008 K’far Silver and Justice Louis D. Brandeis Award for their support of Israel and the community.

A member of the Rotary Club of Youngstown since 2001, she has served on the chaplaincy committee for 13 years.

Sherman was co-chairwoman of the Put Kids First Initiative at Harding Elementary School for 11 years, created the Rotary & Me mentoring program and organizing The Rock’n Race fundraiser at Harding benefiting the Joannie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center. She is a recipient of the Paul Harris Award for service to Rotary.

She has served as an advisor to Dodi Li BBG for 10 years and participated in the first National BBYO Advisors’ Mission to Israel.

In 1987, she was awarded the Aaron Grossman Outstanding Volunteer Service Award by the Ohio Northern Region BBYO, and in 1992 was recognized as the Outstanding BBG Alumna.

Sherman is a past chairwoman of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation Women’s Young Leadership program. She was a leader on two federation missions to Israel and a mission to Eastern Europe.

Sherman has been an active member of Rodef Sholom for 45 years, where she helped organize the first Jewish Spiritual Meditation Retreat and led several adult and student Jewish meditation experiences.

She also has served as the temple’s ritual chairwoman for many years and led the initiative to create Rodef Sholom’s High Holiday Creative Service Booklets.

She also is a lay-leader for Sabbath services at Rodef Sholom and Heritage Manor.

The Shermans have two children, Bryna (Greg) Miller and Rachel (Phil Tierney) Sherman, and eight grandchildren.

For information or to make reservations, contact B’nai B’rith at 330-783-1442.