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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, a beloved former mayor, a renowned preservationist and the 12-time Grammy Award-winning co-founder of the New World Symphony are among eight new inductees who will be honored and enshrined in the Miami Beach Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. in the Miami Beach Convention Center.
“It’s important to recognize the people that have made our City so extraordinary and unique,” explained Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, whose late parents are among the 2023 inductees.
The new inductees will join Michael Aller, former Mayor Matti Bower, Norman Braman, Barbara Capitman, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Tony Goldman, Jorge M. Gonzalez, Morris Lapidus, Dr. Solomon “Sol” Lichter, Stephen Muss and Mitchell “Micky” Wolfson, who were previously inducted.
The 2023 class consists of Ali, Judy Nelson Drucker, Russell Galbut, Seymour and Edith Gelber, Jerry Libbin, Nancy Liebman, Mark Samuelian and Michael Tilson Thomas. Eligible candidates must have been born in Miami Beach, made Miami Beach their place of residence or business and/or had a positive and lasting impact on the community.
“I am deeply honored to have served as the chair of the Hall of Fame Committee for our beloved city,” shared Robin Jacobs. “This role allowed me to be part of a wonderful journey, preserving the legacies of those who have made remarkable contributions to our community. It’s a privilege to have been surrounded by a dedicated committee, and work with our city’s leadership and the incredible team of Tourism and Culture at the City of Miami Beach to celebrate the outstanding individuals who have shaped our history. Together, we are fostering a sense of pride and inspiration that will resonate for generations to come.”
A permanent plaque bearing the likeness and accomplishments of each inductee will hang in the South Hallway of the recently renovated Miami Beach Convention Center at 1901 Convention Center Drive.
About the 2023 Inductees
Muhammad Ali
The legendary boxer and civil rights activist overcame 8-1 odds to defeat then heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Feb. 25, 1964 in what Sports Illustrated called one of the top 10 sports moments of the 20th Century.
Still known as Cassius Clay at the time of the championship bout, the fighter changed his name to Muhammad Ali a short time later. He trained at the famed Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach for much of his professional career and went on to win some of his most memorable contests, including the “Rumble in the Jungle” and the “Battle of New Orleans” during his time here.
Known for his flamboyant style and love of the limelight, it didn’t take long for Muhammad to become a fixture in Miami Beach. Today, he is celebrated around the world as one of the greatest athletes and cultural icons of all time. His fight at the Miami Beach Convention Center placed the city on the world stage like few events could and left a lasting legacy in Miami Beach. Convention Center Drive, which runs along the exterior of the Miami Beach Convention Center, has been co-named Muhammad Ali Way in the fighter’s honor.
Not only did Muhammad win some of his best-known fights during the time he trained here, he also became a beloved member of the local community. His presence brought attention and tourism to the area and inspired young boxers and athletes to follow in his footsteps. Muhammad’s legacy as a civil rights activist and his willingness to speak out on social justice issues continues to inspire the people of Miami Beach and beyond to fight for equality and justice. Muhammad is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, with a professional record of 56 wins (37 by knockout) and only five losses. He won the world heavyweight championship three times and defended his title a total of 19 times. Muhammad also won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
Judy Nelson Drucker
Born in New York on June 20, 1928, Judy made a lasting impression on the City of Miami Beach. As a child prodigy of music, Judy studied piano at the New York College of Music and voice at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music. Judy later studied voice at the University of Miami’s School of Music. She sold out all the major venues in South Florida, including the Miami-Dade County Auditorium, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, New World Center and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Judy brought the most talented and sought-after artists to Miami Beach, including Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, Isaac Stern, Vladimir Horowitz, Yo-Yo Ma, Leonard Bernstein, Itzhak Perlman, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Evgeny Kissin, Richard Tucker, Twyla Tharp, Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zukerman, Daniel Barenboim, Wynton Marsalis, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Cecilia Bartoli and the Three Tenors along with conductors James Conlon, Michael Tilson Thomas and Ramón Tebar.
Russell Galbut
Born and raised on Miami Beach, Russell is the third generation of a multigenerational family with five generations — over 100 family members still living in Miami Beach. The family presence has helped shape our Miami Beach community for almost 90 years. The place of one’s birth is always special, and Russell’s heart and soul are embedded in this wonderful city. Galbut’s noteworthy Miami Beach Historic restoration projects include The Alexander, The Shelbourne, The Mondrian, and The Gale and Decoplage to name a few. He was the first to embrace Barbara Capitman and her Art Deco Building Preservation, and his architectural contributions are notably evidenced by the colors and interior at the Shelbourne, and south beach renovations of The Gale, The Mondrian and Kaskades hotels.
As a civic leader, Russell’s role in building The Miami Beach Jewish community Center (MBJCC) is monumental. In 1980, he gifted over $2 million dollars to develop this recreational center on Pine Tree Drive. The Russell and Ronalee Galbut Foundation, established in 2006, is another way the Galbuts give back to the community. Contributions have been made to Camillus House, ASPCA, local Miami Beach food drives and other local Miami Beach charities through this foundation.
Seymour and Edith Gelber
The history of Miami Beach couldn’t be written without considering the accomplishments of Seymour and Edith Gelber. In the early 1990s, the city was at a major inflection point. The previous mayor had been indicted, emerging Hispanic and gay populations felt unseen and unheard and the county’s tourism industry was beset with a “Black boycott.” Miami Beach was in the midst of a true identity crisis. Seymour and Edith came upon the scene as a team and were just what the doctor ordered.
Seymour was a universally respected local judge, former prosecutor and professor who, like so many who benefitted from the GI Bill settled in Miami Beach after his service as an Army Air Corps Buck Sergeant in World War II. Edith was an arts-loving, Ivy League-educated foreign languages teacher cherished by nearly five decades of Miami Beach students. The Gelbers came to Miami Beach from different boroughs of New York but met as teachers at the Normandy School in North Beach in the 1950s — Edith, the intellectual Latin and Spanish teacher and Seymour, the school’s not-so-intellectual athletic director. They fell in love, and for every day of the rest of their lives, never fell out of love.
After retiring from the Circuit Court as the Chief Judge of the Juvenile Court, Seymour decided to run for mayor. Edith, who was also retired from teaching, was up for the adventure. While Seymour received most of the accolades as mayor, anyone who knew them as a couple understood how impactful Edith was in helping shape the character and nature of her husband’s service, especially when it came to the arts.
In the area of arts and culture, Seymour and Edith brought transformational change. Edith was a true believer that a commitment to the arts could elevate a community. Even after retirement from teaching, she volunteered as a docent at our city’s museums. Mayor Gelber, with his wife’s guidance, changed the cultural landscape of our city. He created our Cultural Arts Council and grants process, started the public art program and began discussions with a little art fair at the time from Basel, Switzerland. Seymour played an instrumental role in emphasizing the expansion needs of our established arts organizations such as the Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony, The Wolfsonian and Bass Museum.
Jerry Libbin
Jerry moved to Miami Beach in 1982 and became the executive director of the Miami Beach Jewish Community Center (JCC). He has been involved in numerous civic organizations throughout his life, including the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, where he is an honorary lifetime trustee. He also served as president of the Miami Beach Rotary Club, president of the North Beach Development Corporation, president of the Normandy Shores Homeowners Association (HOA) and has been active in the Nor-Isle Optimist Club. In 2005, Jerry was elected to serve on the Miami Beach City Commission. Shortly after his reelection in 2009, he was hired as president and C.E.O. of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. After 13 years of service, Jerry will retire from the Chamber of Commerce at the end of 2023.
In his role at the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Jerry has often been called upon to organize our community business leaders around significant issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jerry was asked by then City Manager Jimmy Morales to bring together business leaders from every major industry as well as representatives from the religious community to develop recommendations for the City Commission on how to safely reopen each sector. Almost every recommendation was subsequently approved by the City Commission. Jerry takes great personal satisfaction in knowing he was able to play such a vital role in getting our residents and businesses back to a new normal.
Jerry’s efforts have contributed to Miami Beach’s status as an iconic destination, attracting visitors from all over the world. He continues to make lasting impressions on Miami Beach through his hard work, determination and persistence in supporting Miami Beach residents as well as the arts and culture scene.
Nancy Weinstein Liebman
In 1959, Nancy and her husband, Norman, moved to Miami Beach from Jersey City, New Jersey where she studied education at the Teacher’s College of New Jersey State. One of Nancy’s first successful projects was in the 1980s, where she and other activists prevented Miami-Dade County from changing the Venetian Causeway into a four-lane highway. Nancy served for nine years as a board member of the Miami-Dade Heritage Trust. In 1982, Nancy helped organize the National Trust’s first visit to Miami Beach in advocation for the protection of historic buildings. The visit led to further protections against the demolition of other historic buildings on a local level. Nancy was appointed to the Historic Preservation Board in 1987, which she chaired for six years. In 1989, Nancy was appointed executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League. She successfully lobbied in Washington, D.C. to have Miami Beach’s historic buildings legally retain their original names.
Nancy dedicated her life to Miami Beach, culminating with her appointment to the Miami Beach City Commission in 1993, where she served until 2001 as she continued to support historic preservation. She also wrote hundreds of pro-preservation letters, many of which were published on the editorial pages of the Miami Herald. Her goal was always to maintain Miami Beach’s original character and charm.
Mark Samuelian
Mark Samuelian’s roots in South Florida and Miami Beach ran deep. His grandfather lived in Coral Gables and Mark’s love for the area started in early childhood. A homeowner in Miami Beach since 2003, he enjoyed the richness and diversity of its residents and neighborhoods. Mark met Laura Dominguez, his life partner, in 2012, and they resided on Belle Isle on the Venetian Islands.
Mark’s passion for his community allowed him to be elected to the Miami Beach City Commission in November 2017 with overwhelming resident support. He received 68% of the votes cast and won all 24 precincts. In 2021, he was reelected to office without opposition.
While serving on the Miami Beach City Commission, he was a member of the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee, which adopts the city’s financial policies and oversees the creation and execution of the municipal budget. He also chaired the Land Use and Sustainability Committee, responsible for implementing land use regulations and sustainability policies to include resiliency and sea level rise. Along with his commission aide, Mark addressed over 1,000 resident inquiries and concerns while passing multiple initiatives to enhance the city’s resiliency, public safety and quality of life. Mark served on the Board of Directors for the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, The Board of Governors for the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and as an advisory board member of the World Affairs Council of Miami. He was also the past president of Miami Beach United.
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas is artistic director laureate of the Miami Beach-based New World Symphony (NWS), as well as music director laureate of the San Francisco Symphony and conductor laureate of the London Symphony Orchestra. With a career spanning nearly six decades, he is one of the most renowned and respected conductors in the history of orchestral music with 12 Grammy Awards. Michael co-founded the New World Symphony in 1987, choosing Miami Beach as its home. A postgraduate orchestral academy dedicated to preparing young musicians of diverse backgrounds for leadership roles in classical music, the New World Symphony has long been at the forefront of developments in the arts and in education. As artistic director laureate, he works with orchestral fellows to further their performance abilities and expand their understanding of professional responsibilities in an ever-changing musical environment. His vision for New World Center was to have it serve both as a home for the symphony as well as a cultural hub where the Miami Beach community could enjoy free concerts in SoundScape Park outside the concert hall. When not in use for live performances, Michael committed that New World Center would display visual art on the exterior wall that could be enjoyed by all residents and visitors.
Though Michael’s career is international, he often says his legacy lies in Miami Beach through the New World Symphony. In its first 35 years of operation, New World Symphony produced more than 1,200 alumni, 90% of whom maintain careers in music working in over 30 countries. In Miami Beach, fellows perform more than 60 concerts each season. More than a third of the performances are free to the Miami Beach community. Michael has also crafted community engagement activities that place New World Symphony fellows in schools, hospitals and community centers for educational performances and lectures. After their three-year fellowship ends, many alumni have stayed in Miami Beach to continue the community connections developed while they were fellows. Michael fosters this entrepreneurial spirit and connection to the community. He has inspired the talented youth of South Florida through the symphony’s annual Side-by-Side Concerts, where local young musicians perform alongside fellows at the New World Center. He has also led the creation of Project 305, in which NWS sourced materials from the local community to create the symphonic documentary, “Miami in Movements.” The project provided an authentic representation of our city that embraces issues of race, class, ethnicity, wealth disbursement, sea level rise, natural disasters and community well-being. With the New World Center campus and NWS’s WALLCAST® concerts, Michael has invigorated the Miami Beach cultural scene. Outdoor audiences are frequently a melting pot of ages, cultures and languages that reflect the diversity of the community. Michael’s contribution to Miami Beach was also reflected in his selection for the only human-inspired token to be included in the Miami and the Beaches Monopoly game.
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