HARTFORD – The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) will honor the Pava family at the organization’s 2012 Greater Hartford Torch of Liberty Award Reception on Wednesday, October 3, 5:30 p.m. in West Hartford. The Torch of Liberty Award celebrates families who carry on a tradition of community service.
Among the Pava family’s many endeavors, Ann and Jeremy Pava were two of the founders of Hebrew High School of New England in West Hartford, the region’s first co-educational Jewish day school to serve students in grades 9-12, and are still heavily involved with the school. Beverly and Sam Pava are very active at Congregation B’nai Torah (formerly Kodimoh Synagogue) in Springfield, Mass. Sam has served as a gabbai (volunteer who assists with Torah readings) for more than 50 years and Beverly taught Sunday school there for 25 years. Moses Pava, dean of the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University, has authored or edited 16 books, including “Jewish Ethics in a Post-Madoff World” and “Jewish Ethics as Dialogue.” His wife, Vivian Newman, works as an educational consultant for the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s PJ Library, which every month distributes more than 100,000 Jewish children’s books to families across North America. Daniel Pava is an international lawyer who maintains a private law practice in Springfield, Mass., and Israel. He and his wife, Bat Sheva, have been active in the building of Beit Knesset Ramat Modiin, the Beit Shulamit Mikva and the Bnei Akiva Yeshiva, Ner Tamid, all of which are located in Israel.
In addition to the Pavas, Curtis and Sheila Robinson will also be honored at the ADL reception.  The Robinsons are founders of the Curtis D. Robinson Men’s Health Institute at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. Curtis, who owns C&R Development Company, a large construction company based in East Granby, is a board member of Saint Francis Hospital; a member of the University of Hartford board of regents; a board member of Carson Scholars Fund, an education nonprofit for grade-school students; and an overseer at Hartford’s Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Sheila is the 2011-12 Honorary Campaign Chair for the United Way of Southington.