Valley Beth Shalom Annual Gala
Celebrating 75 Years of VBS
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Honoring
Ilene Berman, VBS Past President
In Honor and Loving Memory of
Yossi Dresner z'l, VBS Ritual Director
Presenting the Inaugural Yossi Dresner Ritual Award to
The Sass Family
Steve Hochstadt & Steve Sass
Stacey Sass Cooperman & David Cooperman
Debra & Larry Sass
Honorees
Ilene Berman, Past President
We recognize the outstanding leadership of VBS Past President, Ilene Berman (2022-2024). Ilene’s unwavering dedication to the community spans decades of participation, volunteerism and activism including VBS Day School President, VBSDS Parent Organization President, VBS Sisterhood President, service on the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles Sylvia Weiss Women’s Philanthropy Cabinet, the Jewish National Fund’s Los Angeles Young Families Chair and Community Campaign Chair, Solomon Schechter Day School Board Director, Encino Community Council Educational Representative, Milken Community High School Head of School Advisory Committee Member, member of March of the Living International Advisory Board, and participant in Women’s League for Conservative Judaism Leadership Institute. Ilene is the recipient of the VBSDS Rita Reznikoff Leadership Award and the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance Women’s Leadership Award. Ilene and her husband Dennis are proud parents of Rabbi Loren Berman, Micah and Samantha Ezrilov Berman and loving grandparents to Gemma Bea.
Yossi Dresner z'l, Ritual Director
A legend in the VBS Community, Yossi Dresner’s career at Valley Beth Shalom began in 1971. First hired as a Hebrew School and B’nai Mitzvah teacher, he became the Ritual Director in 1988. Yossi has touched the lives of thousands of students – some spanning over multiple generations! A master teacher, knowledgeable scholar, and accomplished Ba’al Kriya, Yossi’s style was focused and compassionate. His unique charisma instilled a love of Judaism in so many. Yossi’s mission was to carry on the traditions that he was willing to fight for as a young soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces. This derives from what he considered his defining moment in life, when he stood with his family, at the tender age of 9, as Israel was historically called into statehood, vote by vote, at the United Nations. Yossi's family is incredibly important to him. His beloved wife, Dr. Maxine Newman-Dresner z’l, was a cherished partner in his journey. They have one wonderful daughter, Robin, three beautiful grandchildren, Melanie, Joscelyn and Andrew, and three amazing great-grandchildren, Leila, Henry, and Elliott. VBS has been, and will continue to be, blessed by Yossi’s innumerable contributions to our synagogue. May Yossi's memory always be a blessing for us all.
Inaugural Yossi Dresner Ritual Award
Presented to The Sass Family
Steve Hochstadt & Steve Sass
Stacey Sass Cooperman & David Cooperman
Debra & Larry Sass
As one of the first families to meet Yossi Dresner z'l when he came to California from Israel, he quickly became a part of the Sass family. He stayed with them on the holidays so he could walk to synagogue and sat at an honored place at the Sass seders that lasted very late into the night and always concluded with Hatikvah–Yossi standing ramrod straight and proud even after (at least) four cups of wine!
Yossi prepared two Sass generations for their B’nai and B’not Mitzvah and has already been signed up to teach the third. In addition, he regularly “encouraged” everyone in the family — Steve & Steve, Stacey & David, Larry & Debra, Amanda, Jamie, Torie & Max, Maya, Aliza, Jessica and Kiva — to read Torah, Haftorah and participate in services.
Joining VBS was one of the best decisions made by their parents, Max & Pearl, z’l. Active as leaders and sustainers of Jewish life their entire lives (values shared by Debra’s, David’s and Steve’s parents), they inspired the entire family to serve as teachers, camp counselors and USY advisors, on VBS and Day School boards, and as volunteers in the Jewish and wider communities, engaging in Tikkun Olam, building a better world.
Valley Beth Shalom is honored to recognize The Sass Family with our inaugural Yossi Dresner Ritual Award. We continue to miss Yossi greatly, and we will continue to respectfully celebrate his life.
Gala Sponsors
Visionary
Lisa and Victor Kohn
Guardian
Ilene and Dennis Berman
Alyce and Philip de Toledo
Peggy and Edward Robin Family Foundation
Peggy and Edward z'l Robin, Jill and Nat Linhardt
and Nurit and Rich Robin
Builder
Nancy and Scott Beiser
Donna and Ron Bender
Stephen Sass and Steven Hochstadt
Rita Sinder
VBS Counseling Center, Inc.
Laurelle and Barry Wolfe
Sustainer
Dr. Robert Blum
Karen and Jeffrey Goss
Marcie and Scott Howard
Thalia and Eric Kingsley
Barbara Mack and Norman Levine
Rachel and Lee Rosen
Kim and Darryl Schall
Partner
Lynette Brown
Lill and Jess Beim
Aileen and Gil Borok
Emily and Alan Feit
Roslyn and David Grinberg
Ann Lieberman
Claire and Donald Marks
Debra and Moshe Meppen
Pamela and Ronald Reiter
Ellen and Richard Sandler
Nancy and Jay Schulman
The Un-Havurah
Lisa & George, Judy & Alan,
Ellen & Jeff, Alyse, and Lisa & Eric
Friend
Dr. Robert Barnhard
Richard Bender
Diana, Kamran, Jessica and Kambiz Boudai
Allison Diamant
Jerry and Linda Lebovitz
Glennis and Jim Malcolm
Pamela and Gerald Offsay
Annette and Daniel Shapiro
Nancy Sher Cohen
Michelle and David Spiegel
Doron and Laurie Tisser
Supporter
Debi and Moshe Arditi
Katherine Wininger and Prosper Benhaim
Sylvia Bernstein-Tregub
Tzipy and Buzzy Bookman
Ellen and David Braun
Lynn Gordon and Jonathan Braun
Christine Cohn
Noreen Green Drew and S. Ian Drew
Rebekah and Howard Farber
Larry Froch
Susan and Jack Frydrych
Linda and Lawrence Gross
Lisa and George Hess
Sally Weber and Malcolm Katz
Kathryn and Avi Kushlan
Burt Liebross
Caroline Zubaida Meer and Robert Meer
Reesa and Gerald Niznick
Linda and Bart Pachino
Carrie Ungerman and Arthur Pinchev
Lael Rubin
Amy Lorber Shamash and Glen Davis
Hannah and Jeffrey Wachs
Stephanie and Allan Walsh
Amanda and Matt Waterman
Sharon Wiviott
