DETROIT - The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) announced Wayne State professors Allen Goodman and Janet Hankin as recipients of this year's Shin Award, presented to individuals who demonstrate a commitment to Judaism and its principles through service to their community and synagogue.
The husband and wife have been active members of their synagogue, Congregation Beth Shalom, since coming to Detroit in 1986. Goodman is a past president of Beth Shalom's Religious School Board and a member of the budget and investment committees. Hankin, a former congregational trustee, has served on numerous synagogue committees.
Goodman is professor of economics at Wayne State University. He received his bachelor's from the University of Michigan and his Ph.D. from Yale. Goodman has written extensively on health care, housing and urban economics. He is a member of the International Health Economics Association and the American Society of Health Economists.
Hankin is professor and interim chair of the Department of Sociology at Wayne State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Her research interests include health disparities, prevention of drinking during pregnancy, health services research on mental health, drug abuse and alcoholism treatment. The couple, who resides in Huntington Woods, first met at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where they worked as research scientists.
Goodman and Hankin will be presented with the award at the JTS Gala Dinner on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. The annual dinner serves as a fundraising event for the seminary.
This year, JTS is adding a little spice to its traditional dinner by featuring a rabbinic cook-off, as well as a dessert demonstration and tasting with a celebrity chef. For reservations or more information, contact the JTS office at (248) 258-0055.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.