David Meisner turned 75 years old in April and was excited to have his wife, Pamela, and all six of his children in Cincinnati to celebrate with him. They donned David’s favorite cowboy-style shirts and embarked on what he thought was a bar hopping evening. When he arrived at the Carnegie, he was surprised to find a carefully orchestrated surprise party for his birthday.
David’s six children came in from all over. His oldest, his daughter Meryl and her husband Hector, came from Beaufort, South Carolina. His oldest son, Harry, lives locally in Cincinnati. His son Louie came in from Denver and was set up to photograph the event. Nathan came from Chicago, Herbert from Washington D.C., and Ivan from Detroit.
David Meisner
Meryl organized what she called an adult bar mitzvah party with a disco theme (David’s favorite) complete with colorful lights and a D.J. playing loud music. Along with the traditional slide show of David and family over the years that played throughout the evening, there was a new twist that I hadn’t seen in my sons’ bar mitzvah days. People were able to send photos of the party directly to several screens.
Meryl invited mostly family members but included some longtime friends from across the country. Three of David’s siblings Joe (Gerry), Rebecca (Robert), and Deborah (Lenny)came from Detroit. His brother Matthew (Madeleine) came from Kalamazoo. His brother Benjamin (Risa) came from Chicago. David’s sister-in-law Beverly came in from Santa Barbara. Our own Israelite celebrity columnist and previous editor Iris Pastor and her husband Steve (David’s brother-in-law) came from Tampa. Steve is David’s wife Pam’s brother.
David’s additional family and friends came from California, Orange County, Berkeley, Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Indiana, Washington DC, and Columbus. David danced with everyone he could get to join him on the dance floor saying, “My mother always told me to dance with everyone at the party.” He even got his 92-year-old Aunt Edie from Detroit to dance with him.
Annie Kanter and Justin Kohl
Annie Kanter and Justin Kohl got married at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza on June 3, 2023. It was an unforgettable celebration filled with love, joy, mid-century modern touches, and a lot of dancing. Annie’s brother, Rabbi Sammy Kanter (a recent HUC graduate) officiated their wedding ceremony under a chuppah built by Justin’s Dad and covered by a tallit made from Annie’s Mom’s wedding veil. Rabbi Lewis Kamrass officiated the Ketubah ceremony in front of their immediate families.
The ceremony took place in the Continental Ballroom, accompanied by a string quartet that played their favorite songs. The reception was held in the Pavilion Ballroom, in the style of a 1960s supper club. The live 16-piece band had guests dancing all night long and the couple’s dogs were even honored through various design elements.
Annie and Justin met on a dating app in 2019. Annie graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. and works as a marketing manager at Rookwood Properties. Justin graduated from Northern Kentucky University and is a restaurant owner. The couple lives in Cincinnati with their two rescue dogs, Charlie and Max.
Annie’s family includes her parents, Mark and Marcy Kanter of Cincinnati, her brother and brother-in-law Rabbi Sammy Kanter and Zvi Zobin of New York, and her paternal grandparents, Robert and Lynne Kanter of Cincinnati. Her maternal grandparents Herbert and Muriel Lang of Scottsdale, AZ are deceased.
Justin is the son of Greg and Patti Kohl of Cincinnati. His grandparents, Wilfred and Dorothy Kohl and William and Maud Tegenkamp of Cincinnati, are deceased.
