Hall of Fame 2011 Inductees

Barry Grosskopf was born in a displaced person’s camp along the Polish-German border. He came to America at the age of five and was raised in Miami Beach. He wanted to be a psychiatrist from the age of fifteen. Dr. Grosskopf has been medical director of many award winning and pioneering programs serving poor and underserved populations.

Dr. Grosskopf is a recipient of the US government’s Pioneer Award for helping start the National Health Service Corps. He was voted the outstanding community psychiatrist for Washington State in 2009 by the members of the Washington State Psychiatric Association, and most recently has been elected as the 83rd Distinguished Life Fellow to come from the state of Washington.

His book, released in 1999 with the title Forgive Your Parents, Heal yourself, was republished in 2007 and has also won awards.

Dr. Grosskopf lives on Vashon with his very kind and loving wife. He has two children and four granddaughters. He currently works as the psychiatrist for the Tulalip Tribe and says, “I never thought I could be this happy.”

Mitch Harman is a recognized expert on the effects of aging on hormone regulation and on hormone treatment of older men and women. He is board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology and is the Chief of the Endocrine Division at the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS), and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He has authored or co-authored numerous book chapters and research papers and served as president of American Aging Association.

After Mitch graduated MBHS in 1960, he attended Emory University, where he graduated cum laude with a BS in biology. He completed a six-year M.D./Ph.D. program at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn in 1970 and a residency in internal medicine at Yale in 1972. He next became a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service and served as a Clinical Associate at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he did research and trained in endocrinology. Next he moved to the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Baltimore, where he founded a lab for the study of aging of the male and female reproductive hormone systems and jointed the faculty of Johns Hopkins. He was promoted to CAPTAIN (O6) in the United States Public Health Service, and while at the NIA was Chief of the Endocrinology Section in the Laboratory of Clinical Physiology (LCP), and also served as acting Chief of the LCP and acting Clinical Director of the NIA. He was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins in 1984.

In Jan., 2000 Mitch retired from the USPHS to become the founding Director of the Kronos Longevity Research Institute (KLRI), a not-for-profit that conducted research on human aging. At KLRI he organized two large multicenter clinical trials, investigating effects of hormone treatment of older men and women results of which were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Annals of Internal Medicine. In 2012, Mitch moved to the Phoenix VA to become Chief of the Endocrine Division, He has just returned to Endocrinology after a year as interim Chief, and then acting Associate Chief, of Internal Medicine.

Mitch and his second wife, Carol live in Scottsdale, AZ. They have six grandchildren and are currently raising their youngest grandchild, Krystal. Mitch tries to stay active. He was awarded a third dan black belt in Ninjutsu on his 70th birthday in 2013 and is working on his 4th dan.

Born on December 21st, 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio, Stuart moved to Miami Beach at the age of four with his parents, Jan and Stanley Jacobs. He spent his life as a proactive force in the community and country, serving as Student Body President of Miami Beach Senior High, Naval Reserves Captain, Kiwanis Governor of Florida, Mass Mutual agent with CLU designation, President of the Estate Planning Council, Thirty-second degree Mason, and Shriner. Stuart was a dedicated member of Pi Lambda Phi at the University of Miami, the Miami Shores CLAMS, Million Dollar Roundtable, Beach High Hall of Fame, Temple Israel of Greater Miami, and his Thursday Lunch Bunch. Known affectionately as Mr. Beach High, Stu will undoubtedly be remembered for his colorful and personable character and his decades of service.

Stuart K. Jacobs passed away peacefully on June 8th, 2021 at the age of ninety-one.

--from his Obituary

Founding Director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel (ICCI), Ron Kronish is now an independent scholar, educator, speaker and writer. He has lived in Jerusalem since 1979, serving as Director of ICCI (1992-2016), Director of the office of an American Jewish organization in Israel (1988-92), Director of Staff Development and later Co-Director for the Melitz Centers for Jewish Zionist Education (1979-1988), lecturer in Education at Tel Aviv University (1982-1986) and at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1979-1981).

Dr. Kronish has lectured to a wide variety of groups in Israel, including synagogue groups, Jewish community missions and Jewish, Christian and interreligious groups. In addition, he has been a scholar-in-residence at universities, synagogues and communities in North America, Europe and in the Far East.

Educated at Brandeis University (BA), Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York (MHL, rabbinic ordination) and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (doctorate in philosophy and history of education), Rabbi Kronish has published articles and essays on Jewish politics, faith communities and the peace process, as well as education, culture and contemporary issues in America and Israel. He has represented ICCI at the Vatican and at many international conferences, and has frequently been consulted by media representatives for background information and briefings.

Dr. Kronish has edited four books of essays: --Coexistence and Reconciliation in Israel: Voices for Interreligious Dialogue (published by Paulist Press, 2015). --Towards the Twenty-first Century: Judaism and the Jewish People in Israel and America (published by Ktav, 1996), an anthology in memory of his beloved father, Rabbi Leon Kronish --Toward the Third Millennium (published by ICCI, 2000) --Pilgrimage in a New Millennium (published by ICCI, 1999).

He published a book entitled The Other Peace Process: Interreligious Dialogue, A View from Jerusalem in August 2017 by Hamilton Books (formerly University Press of America), an imprint of Rowman and Littlefield. This book, which is a professional memoir on his work in the field of Interreligious Dialogue and Peacebuilding, is used in courses in this field in Israel and abroad.

During the Fall semesters of 2018 and 2019, he taught a seminar on Interreligious Dialogue and Peacebuilding as an adjunct professor in the Theology School and Casperan Graduate School at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, in cooperation with the Center for Religion, Culture and Conflict of the university; for the previous 5 years, he taught a pro-seminar for M.A. students in the Coexistence and Conflict Program in the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. In addition, he lectured at universities and in communities in several other cities in the U.S.A.

--Bio from his website

Paul is a graduate of the University of Miami, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He served as President of the student body and is accredited as an all-time U student leader. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Law, serving as an Editor of Law Review and as Chief Justice of the Honor Court. Later, Paul completed the Executive Program in “Crisis Management: Exercising Leadership in Extraordinary Times,” at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Mr. Novack served six terms as Mayor of the Town of Surfside and a prior term as Town Commissioner, and never lost an election. Mayor Novack authored ground-breaking ethics and conflict of interest prohibition ordinances, led the Town through twelve consecutive balanced budgets, and consistently administered a public interest-based zoning policy that preserved the community’s character and scale. He sponsored historic legislation and Town Charter changes that gave town residents the power to reverse major zoning decisions of town officials. He engineered and achieved new Florida State law on fire safety in all of Florida’s public school facilities. Mayor Novack is recognized throughout Florida as a vigilant protector of community integrity, public safety, quality of life, and public service principles and ideals.

Paul has served on the Oversight Board for Miami Dade County Public Schools, the Miami-Dade County’s Economic Development Committee, the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee of the Florida League of Cities, the Board of Directors of two Synagogues, and on the Board of Directors of the South Florida Shomrim Jewish Law Enforcement Officers Society. Paul personally led several emergency disaster relief delivery missions into Haiti, and has organized disaster relief projects for Honduras and the Dominican Republic. He led efforts to train Mayors from dozens of cities in Haiti to enable them to build effective democratic systems. He has been named Humanitarian of the Year multiple times by international organizations, and he was named Florida’s most outstanding leader on issues of growth management and the environment.

Mr. Novack is a life long supporter of law enforcement and military personnel, and has led many commemorations of Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and tributes to those who have served in military, law enforcement, and national service. His record includes many civilian roles including Flotilla Staff Officer in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Captain in the Civil Air Patrol/Air Force Auxiliary, Associate Member of the Naval War College, and President of the South Florida Military Museum and Memorial Project. Today, he serves on the Board of Directors of the South Florida Aerospace Scholarship Corporation, providing scholarships to Air Force cadets at colleges and universities. Attorney Novack also serves on the Florida Highway Patrol Advisory Council and appointed in 2021 to the District Wide Safety and Security Committee of the Miami-Dade County Public School system. His family team sponsors a non-profit organization that provides support and scholarships for youth school music programs

Ann Curless-Weiss (born Ann Katherine Curless, October 7, 1964, in Albany, New York) is a popular music singer, most notable for being a member of Exposé.

Curless was raised in Miami Beach, Florida and attended school there. During her years attending Miami Beach High School, she joined Doug Burris' Rock Ensemble, and was a member of this from 1979-1982.

She enrolled in the highly respected University of Miami Frost School of Music, majoring in both Music and Music Merchandising. After graduating from the University of Miami, she started her music career in cover bands until she was asked to join Exposé. in 1986. She was the last member to join the "Arista lineup", and was introduced to Jeanette Jurado and Gioia Bruno at a Mexican restaurant in Miami.

She was active in Exposé from 1986-1996, singing lead on the hit singles "Stop, Listen, Look and Think", "As Long as I Can Dream", and "In Walked Love". Their debut album had more top-ten records (10) than The Beatles and The Supremes. After Exposé released their greatest hits album, she kept a low profile and worked on various projects. She has appeared in a local South Florida production of the musical Chess and has performed vocals on several dance-music projects; one called Clueless (miscredited as "Anne Curless"), another called the K&M Project for a remake of the Donna Summer song "Heaven Knows", worked with producer JJ on the song "Come to Me", and worked with producer Vinny Vero on a few tracks. She has also written for other artists, including Degrees of Motion, Celie Bee, and Angelina Bofill in addition to working on a charity project called "Songs of Love".

Today, in addition to Exposé's work, Ann has been involved in various projects outside of the group. She has also given seminars for new talent; wishing to teach the novices the pitfalls of the industry. She has acted in several productions, including a few commercials, as well as the theater.

--Bio from website tribute page

Born in Philadelphia in 1927, Burt moved with his parents to the Miami area in 1940. He graduated from Beach High in 1945.

Burt began his practice of law in Miami Beach following his graduation from the School of Law at the University of Miami in 1950. Burt’s legal and public service career is read like a novel. In 1969 he was the first graduate of University of Miami’s Law School ever elected to serve as President of The Florida Bar. In 1985 he was recognized nationally by Town & Country magazine as one of the best lawyers in the United States. In 1987 the National Law Journal included his name as one of the 43 Top Divorce Lawyers in the Nation. The highest recognition The Florida Bar Foundation could bestow on a Florida lawyer is its Medal of Honor. Burt was its recipient in 1998.

In 2007 Burt was named a Legal Legend by Miami-Dade County’s 11 Judicial Circuit Historical Society. A listing of all of Burt’s professional recognitions and awards, both State and National, would fill a couple of pages.