Kathy Shayna Shocket has the stories on the people who make a difference. 

Kathy takes us to the gala with a prestigious guest list.

How do you honor a philanthropist who prefers to stay out of the limelight? Especially when that philanthropist is Bill Levine? Well, the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center (VOSJCC) presented a wonderfully memorable event at the Arizona Biltmore. Bill Levine’s leadership and charitable contributions helped give rise to the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, named in honor of his late wife.  

 The tribute gala not only mirrored Bill’s understated, yet successful demeanor, but Co-Chairs Rachel Hoffer and Jonathan Hoffer share that- it’s the most successful in the VOSJCC’s history, netting over a record $1M with a record 750 guests! (The Hoffers, by the way met over 23 years ago at the former JCC in Phoenix where Rachel’s father was Executive Director.) 

Bill Levine wants to help stimulate new interest in the VOSJCC.  “I can’t tell you how much this evening means to me, even though this is not my game,” he says.  

Bill’s friend and business associate Andrew Cohn notes that,” The event had an element of understated elegance which mirrored Bill’s understated and humble approach.” Andrew Cohn and his wife Amy Cohn are pictured above with Bill Levine’s wife, Susan Levine; (retired head of Hospice of the Valley) and Jonathan and Rachel Hoffer. 

 Among the many other heavy-hitters who turned out were Carole and Arte Moreno (owner of the Anaheim Angles with whom Levine co-founded Outdoor Systems), Jerry Hirsch of the Lodestar Foundation, Jerry Simms (owner of Turf Paradise), Steve Hilton, CEO of Meritage Homes, Bud Selig, Commisioner Emeritus of Baseball,  Paul Gilbert of Beus Gilbert and Dan Cracchiolo of Burch & Cracchiolo, Ed Robson, CEO of Robson Communities and Levine’s children Julie Schoen, David Levine and Johnny Levine.

Brad Schoen and Julie Schoen are pictured above right with the evening’s entertainment, Jason Alexander, of Seinfeld fame. The guest list also boasted a delegation from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum from Washington, D.C.; including Deanie Stein and Jay Stein ( President of Stein Mart), Shelley Holt and Allan Holt (managing director, Carlyle Group) of the Hillside Foundation and Sara Bloomfield, the museum’s director. The Holts and Sara Bloomfield are pictured above left. 

Pictured above right are Bill Levine's grandchildren. The Lodestar Foundation and Jerry Simms were the fundraiser’s lead sponsors and Lin Sue Cooney, pictured above left, of Hospice of the Valley. was the gala's master of ceremonies.

As Jerry Hirsch, chairman of the Lodestar Foundation so appropriately said, “If what Bill Levine did quietly or anonymously were greatly publicized, there would be a gala in his honor every week.”

Mazel tov on a record setting evening! 

      Kathy Shayna Shocket is a freelance Writer, and TV- Field Producer based in Phoenix, AZ. The former TV-Reporter has written for publications such as TIME Magazine, Money Magazine, PEOPLE Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter and The NEW YORK TIMES. You can reach her at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it