RITA BORNSTEIN IS OUR PEARL..."The Jewish Pavilion is thrilled to announce Rita Peisner Bornstein, long time resident of Longwood, as its 2009 Honoree" says Ellen Bornstein Hrabovsky and Suzan Shader. Co-chairs of the Pavilion Gala scheduled for  May 17, 2009. "Rita is a true community activist and philanthropist. She is loved by everyone she meets and respected for her intelligence and wit " adds Sheryl Meitin, President of the Jewish Pavilion. 
 
Rita Bornstein attended the University of Chicago where she got an MA in English.  There, she met her future husband, Jerry Bornstein from an "Old Orlando family."
 
In 1950, Rita moved to Orlando, where Jerry had a large family actively engaged in Jewish community and civic affairs.  Rita became active in Hadassah and Sisterhood almost immediately and later accepted the positions of vice-president of Education for Hadassah, chairperson of Education for the Federation and vice-president of Education for Temple Israel.  Rita taught third and fourth grades in Sabbath School for Temple Israel early on and later taught history for the eighth grade.  She and her committee developed the curriculum for the Hebrew High School where she taught Comparative Religion for the eighth grade.  She also taught Literature at Temple Israel at night school for ninth and tenth graders.
 
Rita has served on the Federation Board, has been a member of the Community Relations Council for many years, and she is a permanent member of the Hebrew Day School Board.  She started a book study group while serving as vice-president of Hadassah, reading books on Jewish themes by Jewish authors and has continued with the study of fiction and non-fiction as a group leader for over thirty years.
 
Her other activities have concerned racial  integration in the schools, starting a Wider Horizons organization to help students who were attending all-white schools for the first time in the study of math and reading,  Jerry Bornstein was the attorney who succeeded in integrating both  Orange and Brevard Counties.  When the Education Act was finally passed by the Federal Government, Wider Horizons was no longer necessary as a transitional aid for children who were integrating.
 
Rita is the mother of three children- David, Judy and Ray and the grandmother of five children -Allison, Matt, Ethan, Jerica and Gabriel. The entire family is very active in the community.