LYNN — Epstein Hillel School will honor Lynn residents Arlene Stahl, Jack Stahl, and Susan Stahl, recipients of the Dr. Bennett I. Solomon Community Leadership Award, at the school’s annual gala celebration on Oct. 26.
The gala will include a lunch reception and presentation of the award, followed by a performance of “The Cher Show: the Broadway Musical” at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly.
Arlene and Jack Stahl have been leaders on the North Shore for more than six decades. They were both raised in Lynn, where the Jewish Community Center (then located on Market Street) was pivotal to their childhood experiences. In fact, it was at the JCC in Lynn where they first met each other as teenagers and also met many of their lifelong friends.
Growing up, Jack Stahl was an exceptional athlete and was a captain and a Hall-of-Famer of the Lynn Classical High School basketball team, where he played alongside friend Harry Agganis. Jack Stahl eventually secured a four-year basketball scholarship to Suffolk University and was later inducted to the Suffolk University Hall of Fame as well. After earning his business degree and serving in the Navy, Jack Stahl and his childhood friend Arnie Kline co-founded Boston Traders: a successful clothing company based in Lynn. Jack Stahl stayed with the company until he sold the business in 1995.
Arlene Stahl moved to California after high school and worked for Music Corporation of America and William Morris, which were two of the biggest talent agencies at that time. When she returned to Massachusetts, she volunteered with ORT America. She then had an exciting and varied career path. She worked in the Harcus Krakow art gallery in Boston in the late ’70s; she had a candy and gift business called The Chocolate Strawberry in Swampscott in the ’80s; and, along with friends, she opened two restaurants in the ’90s: On The Park in the South End and Hooch and Holly’s in Ogunquit, Maine. Arlene Stahl also assisted in designing the women’s line at Boston Traders.
Married since 1962, Arlene and Jack Stahl have committed themselves to numerous community organizations. They have been active members of Temple Emanu-El in Marblehead for almost 60 years, and the JCC of the North Shore continues to be like a second home to them and a place for many of their volunteer and philanthropic endeavors. Jack Stahl was president of the JCC from 2000-2002, was pivotal in several endowment campaigns, received the Man of Honor award in 2006, and was the 1999 recipient of the Samuel S. Stahl Community Service Award, an award named in memory of Jack Stahl’s beloved cousin Sam. Arlene Stahl championed all of these efforts and co-chaired several of the JCC’s Showhouse fundraisers. Arlene and Jack Stahl were benefactors of the Stahl/Kline Activities Wing and the Stahl/Kline Outdoor Pool, and they were honored, along with Arnold and Maria Kline, at the JCC’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2011.
Arlene and Jack Stahl have also been dedicated supporters of Epstein Hillel School, engaging in many EHS events over the years. They have volunteered as Grandfriends, an intergenerational mentorship program that pairs seniors with EHS first grade students, and Jack Stahl shared his family’s story with the 4th-grade students last year as part of the immigration unit.
Arlene and Jack Stahl’s daughter Susan Stahl has been an integral part of the Epstein Hillel Community since 2012, when her daughter Olivia Stahl Schuller (EHS ‘21) began kindergarten. Susan Stahl is currently serving on the EHS Board of Directors and has previously served on the board and contributed to many committees, including governance and marketing, demonstrating her commitment to fostering a thriving and vibrant school community.
Susan Stahl is a licensed psychologist practicing in Massachusetts and New York with a doctorate in Clinical Health Psychology from Yeshiva University’s Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. Her diverse background includes a successful career in marketing and merchandising within the fashion industry before pivoting to her current profession. This pivot was driven by a dedication to mental health and well-being.
“We are honored to be this year’s recipients for Epstein Hillel’s Dr. Bennett I. Solomon Community Leadership Award,” the Stahls said. “We have loved participating in Epstein Hillel School’s programs over the years and watching the school flourish under Amy Gold’s leadership. We are proud of the school’s continued impact on its students and the community.”
The award recognizes the extraordinary commitment made by individuals to Epstein Hillel School and to the greater North Shore community.
For tickets to the 2025 EHS Gala and/or to make a tribute in honor of Arlene, Jack, and Susan Stahl, visit epsteinhillel.org/gala-2025 or email [email protected].
