Stonnington Citizens of the year Eva de Jong-Duldig (left) and David Southwick (right) pictured with Mayor of Stonnington, Councillor Claude Ullin.

DALIA SABLE

TWO members the Jewish community were recognised in the 2009 City of Stonnington Citizen of the Year Awards.

Presented at Malvern Town Hall recently, Eva de Jong-Duldig received an award for outstanding service to the community in the area of arts and culture and David Southwick for outstanding service to the community in the area of youth.

Director of public museum and art gallery the Duldig Studio, de Jong-Duldig works to promote art and culture in the local community, as well as to regional, national and international audiences.

“I am thrilled and proud,” de Jong-Duldig told The AJN. “It was very unexpected because I didn’t even know I had been nominated. I received a call from the mayor congratulating me on my nominations and then informing me that I had won.” Read the full story

Dalia Sable

GLEN Eira City Council has awarded Access Inc. vice-president Lenny Gross Citizen of the Year for his efforts to integrate young Jews with special needs into the community. Access was also announced as a finalist in the award for Community Group of the Year.

“It compliments all the good work we have done and most importantly, it shows we are on the right track. It’s more of a reward for Access than me personally,” Gross told The AJN. “It vindicates that we have good support from and a good relationship with the council in Caulfield.”

The awards come weeks before Access is set to open its first retail shop in Caulfield North, manufacturing and selling confectionary, Shabbat plates, cards and ultimately kosher biscuits. “The catchcry of the awards was community inclusion and that’s exactly what these kids want,” Gross said. “They are regular people and they want to be included, but they haven’t had very many opportunities. Now they are starting to get these opportunities.” Gross, the proprietor of Lenny’s in Caulfield North, joined Access five years ago at the behest of his wife.

Photo: Councillor Helen Whiteside, mayor of the City of Glen Eira, with Lenny Gross, the Glen Eira 2009 Citizen of the Year.