IGNITE!

A Celebration of Community

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING IGNITE!

Sunday, April 7, 2024 

Event Details

Ignite 2020 band crowd
Date | Time | Location

Sunday, April 7, 2024 

5:00 p.m. – Cocktails & Nosh 

6:15 p.m. – Program & Entertainment

Dell JCC | 7300 Hart Ln, Austin, TX 78731 

Event purpose

Celebrate as a community on one special evening to connect, share our impact, and spark the light of giving and getting involved. 

Event Format

IGNITE! will highlight Shalom Austin’s impact in the community and around the world with plenty of time for schmoozing before and after the program. 

IGNITE! is a theatre-style seated event. 

Food

Food and drinks will be provided by local vendors

Attire

Austin Chic (anything goes!) 

Tickets

$50 Early Bird Rate // $75 General Admission 

Ticket price is per person.  

Honorees

Sandy Dochen
Sandy Dochen Bio
Sandy Dochen, an Austin native, has dedicated his career and volunteer time to community service and leadership development with a passion for Tikkun Olam. His career focused on corporate social responsibility and community/government relations leadership at IBM, the Austin Chamber of Commerce and two other technology companies.  He has served on boards as diverse as the Austin Area Research Organization, Amplify Credit Union, Workforce Solutions Capital Area, Leadership Austin, Early Matters Greater Austin, KUT Radio, Texas Association of Business and the Texas Business & Education Coalition. 
Sandy has spent equal passion around the Austin Jewish Community by serving as Shalom Austin board chair and chairing and volunteering in decades’ worth of annual campaigns.  He currently is helping to develop Shalom Austin’s community relations council, serves on the Shalom Austin Foundation Committee, the local ADL Board and has been involved with the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.  Sandy was a vice president at Congregation Beth Israel and Temple Beth Shalom.
Sandy received his Bachelor of Journalism degree from UT-Austin, was news director of KLBJ Radio and worked in the Washington, DC and Austin offices of former U.S. Rep. Jake Pickle, a major influence.  Sandy‘s parents were role models, having both been active in the Jewish Community, and his paternal grandfather was a charter member of Congregation Agudas Achim.
Sandy and his wife, Carol, are proud parents of Andrew and Katie and became exuberant first time grandparents last November with the birth of Beatrice Maeve Dochen, She is the fourth generation of Dochens who are living or have lived in Austin.

 

Previous Joseph Krassner Campaign Leadership Award Recipients

2022 Dan Kraus

2020 Keith Zimmerman 

2019 Ian Spechler 

2017 Adam Loewy 

2015 David Goldstein

2014 Jason O’Krent

2013 Arthur Smith & Stuart Wallock 

2012 Billy Osherow 

2011 Michael Chase

2010 Margo Smith

2009 David Brenner

2008 Michael Voticky 

Make a Tribute Gift

Make a tribute gift in honor of our 2024 Joseph Krassner Campaign Leadership Award Recipient, Sandy Dochen.

Click here to make a gift now.

Frances Meltzer
Frances Meltzer Bio

Frances Meltzer was born and raised in the east Texas town of Palestine. She graduated from the University of Texas in 2006 and moved back to Dallas. While there, a camp friend introduced her to Adam the rest, as they say, is history. Frances and Adam moved back to Austin. While working toward her MEd from Texas State, Frances worked at the ECP Village. Upon completion of her degree, Frances taught 1st grade.   

After starting a family, Frances was looking for more ways to be involved in the Jewish community. In 2018, after attending IGNITE, she joined the Pomegranate Society. Frances was a Pomegranate steward and a Lion steward on the Women’s Philanthropy committee. Currently, Frances is the Women’s Philanthropy Co-Chair. Being a part of the Women’s Philanthropy committee has given Frances the framework and ability to grow her leadership skills, while making a difference in the community. 

Frances was a part of the reinvigorated J-Lead class in 2020. This connection led Frances to join one of her passion commitments, the Jewish Family Service Committee. Frances truly believes in their mission and ability to have a positive impact on so many facets of the community. 

In 2023, Frances attended the PJ Library conference in Massachusetts and was profoundly inspired. The realization that every child, every person begins their Jewish journey at some point and the importance to creating a common language, common bond. She was asked to join the Shalom Families Committee and loves the new, fresh ideas that are being utilized to engage the youngest members of the community. Every Jewish journey begins, continues somewhere. Why not here on this beautiful campus with Shalom Austin? Frances is also a member of the newly formed Philanthropy Committee at Shalom Austin. 

Though not raised Jewish, Frances has chosen to live a Jewish life and fully immersed herself in the community. Frances has been a member of Congregation Agudas Achim since 2013, but has considered it her spiritual home for even longer.  She previously served as a member of the Young Families Committee. Currently, Frances is on the CAA board as VP of Fundraising. 

Frances and Adam are the proud parents of three children: Evelyn, Charlie, and Teddy.  She has always been an active parent and room parent at their various schools.  

Previous Hymie & Louise Samuelson Leadership Award Recipients

2022 Phil Loewy

2020 Kim Schocket

2019 Julie Franklin

2017 Julie Waltzer

2016 Brian Deitch

2015 Abby Rapoport

2014 Lauren Halpern

2013 Caryn Abraham

2012 Ian Spechler

2011 Helen Gilbert

2010 Joe Felner

2009 Seth Halpern

2008 Diana Ginor

2007 Lisa Goodgame

2006 Brian Feld

Make a Tribute Gift

Make a tribute gift in honor of our 2024 Hymie & Louise Samuelson Leadership Award Recipient, Frances Meltzer.

Click here to make a gift now.

Leadership volunteering Hands
CO-CHAIRS

Robin & Marty Davis

Lainie & Jonathan Polland

HOST COMMITTEE

Patti and Mitch Davis 

Ofir and Tomer Hagay Nevel 

Sharon and Bobby Krumholz 

Hillary and John Lande 

Lindsay and Jordan Neuren 

Allison and Jason Steinberg 

Liz and Todd Waldman 

 

As of 1/20/2024

Want to Join the 2024 IGNITE! Host Committee?

Contact ignite@shalomaustin.org to sign up!

IGNITE raffle

Corporate Partners

Ignite sponosor logos

Event sponsorships enable businesses to get in front of our community through branded visibility, physical attendance or speaking engagements. At Shalom Austin we offer a variety of community and targeted events that bring individuals and families together, including some of the most influential businesspeople in Austin.

Contact us at corporatepartnerships@shalomaustin.org to learn more! Click the image below for IGNITE! corporate sponsorship opportunitites.

 

CONTACT US