Thank you for joining us at IGNITE! 2026!
A Huge Thank You for Joining Us at IGNITE! 2026!
What an extraordinary evening of connection, laughter and generosity. Gathering as one community, united in purpose and pride, reminds us of what makes Shalom Austin so special.
IGNITE! would not have been possible without the visionary leadership of our incredible co-chairs, Tracy & Rob Solomon and Rachel & Zack Jamail, and the inspiration of our truly deserving honorees, Jennifer Failla and Lawrence Maze. Their dedication and passion set the tone for an unforgettable evening.
We’re grateful to Dani Curiel for transforming the Dell JCC into a magical space, to our local food vendors and beverage sponsor for their exceptional offerings, and to Yohay Sponder for closing the evening with laughter.
The program highlighted how this community shows up in critical moments — providing care in times of crisis, advocating for Jewish students in our schools, keeping our community safe and secure, and strengthening connection with Jewish life in Israel, globally, and here at home. We’re built for this!
2026 Event Details
Date | Time | Location
Sunday, March 1, 2026, 5 PM
Dell JCC | 7300 Hart Ln, Austin, TX 78731
Event purpose
IGNITE! – Shalom Austin’s signature philanthropy and community-building event – is a meaningful and fun evening to celebrate our incredible community, share our impact, and spark the light of giving. At IGNITE!, we will recognize two community leaders, Lawrence Maze and Jennifer Failla, who have demonstrated true commitment to strengthening Shalom Austin and the greater Jewish community.
The goal of IGNITE! is to raise critical funds for Shalom Austin’s programs and services! This event will be instrumental in kicking off the 2026 Annual Campaign to ensure the needs of our growing community are met in the year ahead.
All attendees will be asked to invest in our community with a minimum gift of $180/person, $360/couple, $118/30 and younger.
Event Format
IGNITE! will begin with a cocktail reception with light bites, followed by an inspiring program highlighting Shalom Austin’s impact in the community and beyond. The evening will conclude with a live comedy performance by featured entertainer, Yohay Sponder.
IGNITE! is a theatre-style seated event.
Food Vendor Map
Food and drinks will be provided by local vendors!
Attire
Austin Chic (anything goes!)
Tickets
2026 Honorees
Lawrence Maze Bio
Lawrence Maze has spent his life engaged in community service and strengthening Jewish life in Austin. Born and raised in San Antonio, he grew up in a family where responsibility, commitment, and Jewish values were part of daily life. Both professionally and as a volunteer, Lawrence has consistently focused on doing what he can to help people—especially individuals who are disadvantaged or in need of support—and he views this work as part of his commitment to Tikkun Olam, the Jewish responsibility to help repair the world.
Lawrence has held several key roles in the Austin Jewish community. He is a past president of B’nai B’rith Hill City Lodge, Congregation Agudas Achim, and Jewish Family Service. He has also served on the boards of Shalom Austin—twice—and AGE of Central Texas. Across these positions, he worked on organizational development, program improvement, and expanding services for individuals and families.
A graduate of Texas A&M University (Class of 1978), Lawrence met his future wife, Arlene, during his senior year. After graduation, they spent five years in Houston before relocating to Austin in 1983.
In 1988, Lawrence and Arlene founded Austin Pain Therapy, the first outpatient pain rehabilitation clinic in Austin. The practice operated for more than 25 years and served thousands of patients before the couple sold it in 2014. That same year, Lawrence partnered with Bryan Oden, PT, and Chris Spurgeon to launch BubbieCare, a platform designed to help families directly hire caregivers while providing structure, guidance, and administrative support. The model focuses on helping caregivers earn a living wage and giving families a choice in whom they hire, increasing both financial stability for caregivers and flexibility for families seeking care.
Family remains an important part of Arlene and Lawrence’s life. They are the parents of Michael and Gregory, mother and father-in-law to Mara, and grandparents to Yogev, Nevo, and Carmi.
Previous Joseph Krassner Campaign Leadership Award Recipients
2024 Sandy Dochen
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 2026 Joseph Krassner Campaign Leadership Award Recipient, Lawrence Maze.
Click here to make a gift now.
Jennifer Failla Bio
Originally from Miami, Jennifer Failla graduated from Saint Mary’s College (BBA) and the University of Nebraska (MS) before she and her family permanently made Austin home in 2016.
Jennifer is the Principal of Strada Wealth Management and a nationally recognized specialist in financial planning. She holds multiple professional designations—including Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™ (CDFA™), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (SM), FINRA Dispute Resolution Arbitrator, certified mediator, and Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF). As a trained financial professional in Collaborative Law, her work is grounded in helping families navigate complex financial decisions with clarity and confidence.
Within the Jewish community, Jennifer is a dedicated lay leader who invests her time, expertise, and passion into strengthening Jewish life in Austin and beyond. She currently serves on the Shalom Austin Philanthropy and Finance Committees as well as the Women’s Philanthropy Advisory Council, where she is Co-Chair of the Lion of Judah giving society. She previously co-chaired the Legacy Giving within the Foundation and the Forever Lions initiatives.
Nationally, Jennifer joined the National Women’s Philanthropy (NWP) Board of Jewish Federations of North America in 2019. She is the immediate past chair of her NWP class, co-chaired the Toronto Mission, and is a part the Endowment and Legacy Cohort.
Beyond JFNA and Shalom Austin, Jennifer is Co-Chair of the capital campaign for Congregation Beth Israel (CBI), where she has also served on the board and multiple committees. She recently proudly co-chaired the Jewish National Fund’s Women’s Wednesday event.
Jennifer previously served on the board of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, where she received the Board Tzaddik Award. She is a proudly endowed Forever Lion in both Miami and Austin and has endowed her gift to CBI—her way of “forever belonging” to the synagogue she and her family loves.
Jennifer and her husband Josh are the proud parents of Noam and Nicola, who are both actively engaged in Jewish life at UC Berkeley and Westlake High School.
Previous Hymie & Louise Samuelson Leadership Award Recipients
2024 Frances Meltzer
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 2026 Hymie & Louise Samuelson Leadership Award Recipient, Jennifer Failla.
Click here to make a gift now.
YOHAY Sponder
With over 20 years of experience, Yohay Sponder brings his unique outlook on life to the stage. Throughout his career he has starred in multiple TV and radio shows, he produces and headlines in ‘Funny Monday – Israeli Comedy in English’ and has performed all over the world. Having gained a massive following on social media, Sponder has gone on a world tour with his new show “Self Loving Jew”. In his show, Sponder talks about self love, identity and faith. Yohay’s humor, smart wit and unapologetic attitude are the perfect antidote for even the toughest of times. He truly believes he can cure the world’s troubles one laugh at a time … but this time the joke’s on him!
CO-CHAIRS
Rachel & Zack Jamail
Tracy & Rob Solomon
HOST COMMITTEE
Jordan & Ariel Bruck
Coco & Daniel Carl
Laura Corman
Jami & Daniel Dajman
Candy & David Goldstein
Molly & Grant Prengler
Jessica & Joel Levine
Spencer Oshman
Suzanne & Jeffrey Schlesinger
Arthur & Margo Smith
Row Leaders
Sign up to be an IGNITE! Row Leader and encourage your friends, family and neighbors to join you for this exciting event. Row Leader responsibilities include:
- Fill a Row – invite and encourage community members to attend
- Promote the event and build enthusiasm within your network
- Share why you support Shalom Austin
- Welcome guests at the event
- Encourage participation during the fundraising portion of the evening and collect pledge cards
- Assist with post-event outreach and follow-up
IGNITE! Raffle Tickets
2026 Corporate Partners
Become a Corporate Partner
Corporate partners receive benefits such as recognition on collateral materials for programs and events, including print, online, wearables, giveaways, select opportunities to table at special events, inclusion in our business directory and annual Impact Report, event tickets, and special advertising opportunities.
Interested in becoming a corporate partner? Contact us at [email protected].
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AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731
(512) 735-8000
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