April 25, 2003 – The Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas has chosen Henry "Hank" Feuerzeig as its Person of the Year.
In a ceremony during the April 11 Erev Shabbat service at the St. Thomas Synagogue, Feuerzeig was extolled for his 31 years of active service to the congregation and the community.
He "was totally surprised," according to his wife, Penny. "It was really a wonderful service."
Feuerzeig was recognized especially for his work on the synagogue board, co-chairing two rabbinic searches, heading the annual Friends drive since its inception and serving as the synagogue's unofficial in-house legal counsel.
Marilyn Blackhall, a past recipient of the award, made the presentation, offering a lengthy poem about Feuerzeig's life and contributions.
George H.T. Dudley of the law firm Dudley, Topper and Feuerzeig cited his law partner's contributions as a Territorial Court judge for 10 years, a past president of the V.I. Bar Association, an outstanding attorney in private practice and a generous contributor to the community. He described Feuerzeig as one of his five heroes.
Donald Pomeranz, another previous recipient, read messages of congratulations from the Feuerzeigs' children, Paul and Darcy.
Feuerzeig is the 21st member of the congregation to receive the annual recognition. When the Sisterhood, the synagogue's women's organization, first bestowed the award in 1981, it was for the "Woman of the Year." The designation was changed in 1997 to "Person of the Year."
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