Temple Judea will honor two of its own — Temple President Erik Groothuis and Holocaust survivor Claude Sherman — at its annual gala dinner on April 29.
Groothuis, a Roslyn resident, attended Columbia University where he met the love of his life, Marina Gurin. He graduated from Columbia with a degree in economics.
Groothuis went on to graduate from Harvard Law School. After clerking for Judge Whitman Knapp and working as an associate in the international law firms of Cleary Gottlieb LLP and Heller Ehrman LLP, Groothuis joined his current firm, Schlam, Scone and Dolan LLP in 2008.
He became a partner at the firm in 2011 and currently practices commercial litigation.
The Groothuis family, including daughters Maddie and Maya, joined Temple Judea in 2010. Groothuis joined the temple’s Board of Trustees in 2014 and became president in 2016.
His hobbies include running, cycling and fantasy baseball.
Born in France, Sherman — a Port Washington resident — was a young boy when his father was arrested for being a Jew.
Soon after, for his own safety, Sherman, then 17, was sent to live on his own in Lyon. Through a miraculous exchange of letters with his imprisoned father, Sherman was able to obtain information that led to his gaining employment in the banking field.
He later moved to New York and worked on the New York Stock Exchange, serving as both a floor official and a floor governor.
Sherman and his family joined Temple Judea in 1966, where he served as president from 1986 to 1988 and was instrumental in developing the vision and funding for Temple Judea’s Holocaust Resource Center.
Inspired by his father, Sherman has dedicated much of his life to the Jewish community and to helping others, including volunteering for more than 10,500 hours at North Shore University Hospital.
Temple Judea is pleased to honor both of these deserving men, as Sherman and Groothuis have exhibited leadership, vision and commitment to helping others.
The gala will feature a gourmet dinner from Temple Judea’s new in-house caterer, Hasson Caterers, and entertainment from Party Harty.
For more information, contact Temple Judea at (516) 621-8049 or visit temple-judea.com.
