Reneé Chelm, a local Jewish community leader, was honored at the American Jewish Committee Cleveland in front of 230 guests during its annual Appeal for Human Relations Reception June 28 at the Shoreby Club in Bratenahl.
“I’m often asked why I devote the amount of time that I do,” Chelm said during her speech. “There is nothing that gives me greater satisfaction than the time I spent being involved in the community.”
Chelm has served the Jewish Federation of Cleveland in leadership roles during the past 16 years. Most recently, she was chair of the board of trustees. She was the first woman to serve as chair of the Federation’s annual campaign and she served on the Jewish Federations of North America national board of trustees and the national women’s philanthropy board. She also has served on the boards of the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Mount Sinai Health Care Foundation, the Women’s Council of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the YWCA Greater Cleveland.
“When we first approached Reneé about this honor, she shied away,” said Bart Bookatz, president of Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel in Cleveland Heights, who introduced Chelm. “She does not seek the limelight or want thanks for the work she does in our community. But when accepting she wanted to make sure this reception highlighted the work AJC does.”
Chelm, who converted to Judaism, gave credit to her past for pushing her to help others by volunteering.
“We’re all products from what we have experienced in life thus far,” she said. “Growing up in nearby Burton, my parents did not have the luxury of participating in volunteering. They worked hard but any spare time they had was devoted to supporting our family. One of the ways they were role models was how they took seriously their responsibility to help those less fortunate.”
It was at Chelm’s urging to invite AJC CEO David Harris as the keynote speaker to show the organization’s work to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel, and to advance human rights and democratic values nationally and around the world.
“I don’t get those people who want to build high walls,” Harris said in his address. “When I meet people like Reneé, I realize this extraordinary bundle of energy and passion that benefits us all.”
Harris has led the AJC since 1990 and has been honored 15 times by governments around the world for his international efforts in defense of human rights, advancement of the transatlantic partnership and dedication to the Jewish people.
“I believe that AJC’s role in this America of today and role of today has become even more important,” he said. “We believe in building bonds of mutual respect, mutual understanding and we trust one day to hold friendship with other ethnic and religious communities that make up the tapestry of this or any pluralistic society.”
