Rabbi Micah Caplan z”l Award honors individuals or couples who have provided extraordinary contributions to Congregation Or Tzion, which can be as a financial supporter, an ambassador or advocate for the congregation in the community, an engaged volunteer or participant in congregational programs and activities, a leader in congregation initiatives or campaigns, or some combination thereof. The award is named after Rabbi Micah Caplan, z”l, who was an exemplary leader, both among our members and in the broader community, and displayed unparalleled commitment and dedication to the congregation. This award honors those who carry forward Rabbi Caplan’s z”l legacy through their outstanding support.
Sherman Minkoff z”l Service Award honors individuals or couples who have gone above and beyond in their volunteerism and service on behalf of the congregation. Congregation Or Tzion looks to all of its members to be active participants in congregational activities, but this award recognizes those who provide extraordinary time and effort. The award is named after Sherman Minkoff z”l, who stepped forward time and again to make sure that important functions of the congregation happened and worked smoothly. The recipient of this award embodies this same quality.
Mitch Ross, MD, a native of New England, moved to Arizona in 2004 after completing his medical training. He joined Arizona Cardiology Group and became the president and managing partner of the practice in 2011. He maintains a busy general and interventional cardiology practice, now as a member of HonorHealth Heart Care throughout Phoenix and the West Valley.
Mitch chaired numerous synagogue committees for over a decade, ultimately serving as President of Congregation Or Tzion from 2018 to 2020. He led the COVID-19 committee and helped guide the congregation through the pandemic from 2020 to 2022.
Mitch has been very engaged in men’s clubs for many years. He was a founding member and president of the Honorable Menschen of Or Chadash in 2013-14 (subsequently renamed Or Tzion Men’s Club). He has served in leadership roles at the regional and international levels within the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs and currently sits on their International Executive Committee. In 2023, he chaired the FJMC Leadership Development Institute, a program designed to train the next generation of Jewish leaders from across North America. He is currently serving as the Programming Chair for the FJMC’s Biennial Convention, being held in Chicago in July 2025, and hopes to see many of you there!
Mitch and his wife of 28 years, Dr. Heather Ross, have been blessed to raise three wonderful children, Alison, Kate, and Shell, who now reside in Washington DC and New Haven, CT.
In 2019, Heather and Mitch were delighted to establish the Ross Leadership Development Fund at Congregation Or Tzion, which provides ongoing financial support for the development of current and future lay leadership.
Alison and Michael Feinberg met while on staff/tzevet during college at Camp Ramah in California. And they’ve been together ever since. Married in 1999, Alison and Michael have three children: Nora, Sadie, and Josh. The family moved to Scottsdale from the San Francisco Bay Area 19 years ago and joined Congregation Or Chadash, where they were so happy to reunite with their camp friend Rabbi Micah Caplan z”l. In 2021, Alison and Michael led the effort with Micah’s family to create the Rabbi Micah Caplan z”l Makom HaMifgash and were honored by Camp Ramah in California with the Young Alumni Award.
Alison is a motivated and dedicated full-time volunteer. As a member of the professional staff of the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation in her 20s, Alison worked in Campaign and Young Leadership. She is a longtime Congregation Or Tzion board member, having served on various committees, including FUNdraising and Membership. On a “term limit break”, Alison served well over a decade on the Board and the Executive Board of Camp Ramah in California. Active in her kids’ public schools, Alison is currently serving as Secretary of Horizon High School PAWS (Booster Club) and has served as President of the Horizon High School Choir ACCENTS Parent Booster Club and PTO President at Sonoran Sky Elementary School. She is a past PTG Chair of Valley of the Sun JCC’s Early Childhood Center and has always been involved with the Center for Jewish Philanthropy: Mega Event and Ben Gurion Society co-chair, and the Camp Scholarship Committee. An alumnus of the Wexner Heritage Program, Alison was the recipient of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix Lee Amada Young Leadership Award, the Women’s Philanthropy Continuing Service Award, and the Paradise Valley Unified School District United Parent Council Geri L Morgan Award. When she isn’t telling all Jewish parents their teens should be in BBYO or asking everyone to purchase Mishloach Manot, Alison loves to read and play mahjong.
Michael is a board-certified orthodontist and partner at Affiliated Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics in Scottsdale, where he has been fixing teeth and making smiles perfect since 2005. Previously, Michael worked at Berkeley Orthodontics in the Bay Area. Active in Congregation Or Tzion’s Men’s Club for many years, Michael led Congregation Or Tzion’s Sukkah Building Brigade. He and Josh are currently the Co-Commissioners of the OTMC Fantasy Football League. He served two separate terms on the Board of Directors of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, where he and Alison currently serve as the parent liaisons for The League. Michael serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontics (PCSO). He is currently Secretary-Treasurer and, in November 2024, will become President-Elect. In 2020, Michael was honored as PCSO’s Rising Star. In addition, Michael served for many years on the National Board of the American Association of Orthodontists Political Action Committee representing the western United States. Michael served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, where he chaired the Israel and Overseas Committee and was awarded the Sy Clark Young Leadership Award. Michael is a proud graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (Go Bears!) and the University of California at San Francisco. In his spare time, Michael enjoys building Legos and napping with their dog, Scooter.
Rita and Steve Schlosser met at Congregation Beth David in Saratoga, California, in 1985 when they both served on various congregational committees and became family friends. They married each other in 1999, and both served on the synagogue board, although Steve served much longer in board roles as VP of Admin, Finance VP, etc. Rita was very active in Beth David’s Sisterhood and other volunteer opportunities, including B’kur Cholim, kitchen kashruth, Social Action projects, and planning and executing a number of congregational celebrations. Steve took the lead on High Holiday Ushering for many, many years as well as managing the flow of Services on Shabbat as well as leading the team that set up our big sukkah that held 200+ diners. Steve worked as a volunteer creating Friday night services at local nursing homes and frequently leading Minyan at schul. Rita was honored as “A Woman of Valor” at the Jewish Women’s Philanthropy Division of the JCC’s fundraising luncheon in 2006. She was one of the founders of “Threads of Tradition/Sew What?” a group of volunteers at Congregation Beth David who created kosher burial garments for members of the congregation. They joined Or Chadash when they retired from Silicon Valley and moved to Scottsdale in December 2013 to be near family and new grandchildren. Steve was instrumental in donating funds to move from the Bahia sanctuary rental and secure our current permanent Or Tzion home on 90th Street. They both enjoy celebrating Shabbat at home every Friday, frequently with dinner guests and often family, as well as attending services on Saturday morning. Steve volunteers as a Greeter on Saturday mornings, frequently reads Torah at services, as well as assisting with the flow of the service. Steve has volunteered with Or Tzion’s High Holiday Committee, Ritual Committee, and Finance Committee. Rita joined the Social Action committee and was appointed Social Action Director for Or Tzion from 2019-2023 and served a bit longer. WLCOT honored Rita as “Woman of the Year” in October 2023.
Brooklyn-born Steve’s career grew from work as a metallurgist in NJ after graduating with a master’s degree from the Polytechnical Institute of Brooklyn, moved to San Jose, CA with his wife Nina in 1973, earned an MBA with Honors from Santa Clara University, had a long career at Hewlett Packard, and finally served as the Microwave Division VP at Avnet in San Jose, CA before retiring in 2006. He was a fundraising leader for the local MS Society in Santa Clara County. Besides volunteering at Congregation Beth David, Steve became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) to the Foster Care system in California and volunteered at MentorNet, connecting women in STEM careers with mentors. Steve continues to serve as a CASA in Arizona. He is also an Ombudsman for the Area Council on Aging, visiting nursing homes in the area to ensure residents receive proper care. Steve served on the City of Scottsdale’s Environmental Advisory Board from (2016-2022). After serving in that position for the last ten years, he recently stepped down as the HOA Treasurer. Steve has two adult sons (Jeff and Jeremy) by his late wife, Nina, and is a great dad to Sylvia Smith, Rita’s daughter. He’s also the proud grandpa of Brady and Darby Schlosser and Clare and Max Schlosser.
Rita is a Northern California native whose parents were employed in aerospace and has lived in NM, Texas, NJ, and back to CA, settling to work in the San Jose area in 1968. She was the first female computer operator at Control Data Corp, switched to graphics and technical illustration and worked as a graphic artist, managed a graphics department for a time, and worked as a contract employee until the PC ended that occupation in 1993. She also designed soft toys and sculptures and created prototypes for Atari. She has extensive construction experience doing large DIY projects on homes she owns. To support her daughter and herself, she transitioned to becoming an Administrative Assistant to the Treasurer at Sun Microsystems. “I can’t spell Secretary, but now I am one” in 1994. She worked as an executive admin at Sun for many years prior to its purchase by Oracle and then went to work as an admin at Applied Materials until retirement. After retirement, Rita volunteered with Or Chadash’s Beyteynu committee, which raised funds to purchase our wonderful synagogue. She was asked to create a Reader’s stand and cover for HH services when we had them at the JCC. She created two covers for that Reader’s stand (now located in the Bet Midrash) and made our current Torah covers and other items in the Sanctuary. AZ Ballet asked her to help in their costume shop to help make the costumes for their new ballet, “Juan Gabriel.” Rita can usually be found at Saturday services wearing a hat she created. She’s proud to be Sylvia Smith’s mom and grandma to Brady, Darby, Clare, and Max and loves Aly and Amanda, Steve’s boys’ wonderful wives.
Please reach out to your contacts and friends who have businesses! The committee is also looking for our members to create and auction off special EXPERIENCES (Shabbat Dinner, Whiskey Tasting, Knife Skills, Tea Party, etc.). Email fundraising@otaz.org for more information or to arrange to contribute to the Auction.
Click below for the Auction Letter & Donation Form.
Marcia & Matt Benjamin, Rachel & Jay Feitlinger, and Stacie & Aaron Wittenberg are the event co-chairs.
We welcome anyone interested to join the planning committee. Please contact at martininight@otaz.org.