Join Temple Beth-El Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

While Temple Beth-El serves as the heart of San Antonio’s Reform Judaism, we are more than just a synagogue. We are a committed partner to make our community stronger. Among others, we support institutions like the San Antonio Food Bank and Meals on Wheels with donations and volunteer hours. We engage with communities like Antioch Baptist Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal, and the Muslim Turkish American Raindrop Foundation to strengthen the bonds of interfaith friendship. We are the home of Great Hearts Monte Vista K-5 and their 461 students.

We are stewards of a fund that helps organizations like Planned Parenthood, Family Violence Prevention Services, Jewish Family Services, and Youth Orchestra San Antonio. We host our own CreativKids SA Summer Camp that provides neighborhood families a safe, fun place to be during the day and two healthy meals when school is not in session. Temple Beth-El is more than just a synagogue. We do good for San Antonio.

With great pleasure, we announce that we will honor medical leaders and Temple members Dr. Ruth Berggren and Dr. Charles Lerner at our luncheon benefit at the San Antonio Food Bank. Their courageous and tireless leadership to Temple Beth-El and our community through the COVID pandemic is unparalleled. They do exceptionally good work for San Antonio.

Honoree
Dr. Ruth Berggren

Ruth Berggren, M.D., MACP, directs the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics at UT Health San Antonio. In this role, she teaches ethics and professionalism while nurturing empathy and humanitarian values. The Center focuses on four areas: ethics and professionalism; global health; community service learning; and the medical humanities (literature, music and art).

Dr. Berggren arrived at UT Health San Antonio in fall 2006 after an eventful stint at New Orleans’ Charity Hospital, where she stood by her mostly uninsured patients in the HIV ward during Hurricane Katrina until all were safely evacuated six days later. She reflected on the experience in articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine and a commencement address to the Health Science Center School of Medicine. Her determination to inspire humanism in medicine and effect change through her own experiences led to her being named director of the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics in October 2007.

The daughter of public health physicians, Dr. Berggren spent her childhood at Haiti’s Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, named for the Nobel Prize-winning physician and humanitarian known for his philosophy of reverence for life. During medical school, she was named an Albert Schweitzer Fellow and traveled to the West African nation of Gabon to work at the hospital established by Dr. Schweitzer. Her involvement in global health and ties to Haiti continue today. Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Dr. Berggren was active in relief efforts along the Haitian-Dominican border. She lectured widely on these experiences and on disaster preparedness for the American College of Physicians, Centers for Disease Control, American Medical Association, Pan American Health Organization and medical schools nationwide.

Honoree
Dr. Charles Lerner

Dr .Charles Lerner is a retired infectious disease physician. He started his career as a military physician serving as the Chief of Medicine at Randolph Air Force Base and at the 432nd Hospital in Thailand.

After fulfilling his military commitment Dr Lerner became a practicing infectious disease specialist in San Antonio for 48 years. 

The last few years of his career were spent as a hospital epidemiologist for multiple hospital systems. 

He has served on the Board of Directors for BioBridge Global, the parent organization of the Blood and Tissue Center.

Dr. Lerner currently serves as an advisor for the Texas Medical Association Committee on infections diseases and is a member of their COVID-19 task force.

Dr. Lerner is married to Shirley, his wife of 61 years. They have two children and two grandchildren. One of whom is following her grandfather into the field of medicine.

Featured Performance
The Foreign Arm

From dive bars and festivals, to City Halls, digital libraries and temples, The Foreign Arm, led by the duo of singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Nick Blevins and decorated emcee/vocalist Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson (San Antonio’s Poet Laureate), have performed at a staggering range of venues. They’ve played at San Antonio’s prestigious Tobin Center, the historic Majestic and Aztec theaters, and for the mayor of the nation’s 7th largest city multiple times. 

Sponsored By

Newman-Logo-200x106
PorterLoring

Underwritten By

Sponsorship Opportunities and Tickets

Visionary Sponsor $25,000

Premier seating—two reserved tables for eight

VIP parking spots—four

Premier recognition during the event as Visionary Sponsor—including verbal, signage, and
presentation

Premier recognition in all marketing materials—emails, social media, and website

Ongoing premier recognition in Temple publications—bi-monthly bulletin and the annual Gratitude Report

Partner level $10,000

Premier seating—one
reserved table for eight

VIP parking spots—two

Recognition during the event—including verbal, signage, and
presentation

Recognition in all marketing materials— emails, social media, and website

Ongoing recognition in Temple publications— bi-monthly bulletin and the annual Gratitude Report

Friend level $5,000

Preferred seating—one
reserved table for eight

VIP parking spot

Recognition during the event—including verbal, signage, and
presentation

Recognition in all marketing materials—emails, social media, and website

Ongoing recognition in Temple publications—bi-monthly bulletin and the annual Gratitude Report

Reserved table $1,600

Assigned table of 8 for you and your guests

Individual Ticket $100

If you wish to attend the event but do not wish to sponsor or reserve a table, you may purchase a individual ticket.

We look forward to seeing you on March 2. If you have any questions, please contact Mina López at 210-219-4320, or moc.oohay@1111zepol_m. Doing Good for SA: A Benefit for Temple Beth-El will be an afternoon of celebration, community building, and fun!