CNT Gala 2026 Honorees
This year, we are excited to celebrate and honor Adam & Patricia Feingold and Judy Tobias for their outstanding dedication to the CNT community. Please learn more about these amazing individuals below.
Adam Feingold
Adam was raised outside of Colorado Springs with two sisters and lots of pets. He attended services, Sunday School and became a bar mitzvah at Temple Shalom, which at the time was the only Reform/Conservative synagogue in Colorado Springs. After college in upstate New York, Adam moved to Pennsylvania where he married Patricia at Kesher Israel Synagogue in West Chester, PA. Their three children, Gabriel, Noah and David were born in Pennsylvania. Adam served on the ritual committee at KI while working as an Aerospace Engineer and later as a Software Consultant, all while studying in the evenings for his engineering master's degree.
Patricia and Adam, along with their three boys and dog, moved to Palos Verdes in 2008 and immediately became members at CNT. In addition to committee participation, Adam served as Trustee on the CNT Board and was elected Parliamentarian, where he focused on new processes for board efficiency and accountability. Adam also served as Financial Secretary, as Executive VP, ran special committees, and created the Green Committee. From 2023-2025 Adam served as President of CNT, leading the board to welcome and integrate Rabbi Graetz into our community, respond to the Oct 7th War in Israel, and keep CNT on solid financial footing.
Outside of CNT Adam works as an Aerospace Engineer and serves as Executive VP of the Western Region for AFCEA, a professional organization with a charter to bring government, academia and industry together for the ethical exchange of information in the high-tech industries.
Adam and Patricia enjoy traveling, and when he is home, Adam spends time woodworking, tackling home improvement projects, and walking their dogs.
Patricia Feingold
Patricia was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and spent her formative years in Brazil. As a youngster, her mother ensured she began learning foreign languages as early as possible, first with English and then French. As a teenager, an affinity for mathematics and programming became clear and a more technical professional path became the obvious choice. A move to New York at the beginning of her college years was the first step toward an engineering career.
After graduating from the New York Institute of Technology, she moved upstate to Schenectady to work for GE and start her master's degree. That is where she met Adam and where her Jewish life began.
Moving to the greater Philadelphia area, she and Adam looked for a synagogue where they would marry and start a family. Kesher Israel Congregation in West Chester, PA became the first choice, with a wonderful rabbi (David Glanzberg-Krainin) from whom she learned a lot about Jewish life, traditions, and observance. Conversion classes, mikvah, and their wedding all happened in rapid succession.
The following years were marked by a lot of energy and sleepless nights. Taking care of their household and three boys – who are remarkably close in age – was a big focus of energy and attention. There was also work, career evolution, and her love of learning. Studying has always been her favorite activity, and she passed that love on to their children. Reading and writing became a focus for their children’s education at home. The whole family was on a first-name basis with the local bookstore staff. And, much to Adam’s dismay, the family always owed copious amounts of library fees for late book returns.
In 2008, the Feingold Family said goodbye to all their friends in Pennsylvania and moved to California. A new life began with plenty of adjustments to a different culture on the West Coast. Many things changed, but some stayed the same. One of them was their sense of belonging to a Jewish community. They quickly found their new synagogue at CNT and began to make friends and participate in community life. Their boys continued their religious studies and were called to Torah at CNT. Patricia was also called to Torah at CNT.
Patricia is currently co-founder and managing partner of a space startup. She continues to pursue her love of learning by trying to develop basic fluency in Hebrew (both traditional prayer book and modern spoken) and to read from Torah, most recently becoming proficient in cantillation, thanks to a class with Cantor Jaffe. She also loves to spend time in the garden, cultivating beautiful flowers and succulents.
Judy Tobias
Judy Tobias grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and was raised in an orthodox community with her parents, and sister Ricki.
Judy's ambition was to be a Registered Nurse, and she graduated from the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing in 1964 and moved to Los Angeles in February 1965, where she worked at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital for the next 4 years. It was here that she met her late husband, Dr. Stanley Tobias, and began their marriage that would last 55 1/2 years.
Judy's first experience with the CNT community was during Rosh Hashana services in
1969, while pregnant with her first child. Although she knew no one at that time, Judy and her husband were welcomed with open arms and immediately felt included. Thus began her 50+ year journey with Congregation Ner Tamid.
She has many memories connected with CNT, the b'nai mitzvot of their 3 children and grandson, her own adult bat mitzvah in 1990, and the wedding of her daughter & son-in-law, 28 years ago. Her passion and true commitment started when she decided to become an adult bat mitzvah. What an eye opener that was for her. This started a continuous journey of learning and growth. Her participation in services, in chanting Torah and Haftarah, and the honor of leading the community in Shacharit prayers on RH Day 2, fills her with a sense of belonging and great satisfaction.
Judy's involvement over the years has included different CNT committees and even a term on the board in the early years, but her true passion has been her involvement with Sisterhood. For the past eight years, she has served as Co-Vice President of Ritual and Planning, and co-chairing Sisterhood Shabbat has been a true thrill for her. Watching women participate in all levels of the service not only brings her joy, but reaffirms the decision she made years ago to take part and support other women in their engagement. We have been so fortunate here at CNT to have an atmosphere that celebrates women’s learning, leadership, and growth. Judy is deeply grateful for the encouragement she receives from her Ner Tamid family, which fills her with a strong sense of belonging and satisfaction.