You are invited to the

UJA NNJ Annual Meeting
Wednesday, June 17th at 7 PM
at UJA Federation
50 EISENHOWER DRIVE, PARAMUS

Click here to see the invitation,
to make a reservation, or for directions.

We look forward to seeing you.

***

BERGEN READS CELEBRATES EIGHT YEARS
OF HELPING SCHOOL CHILDREN IN
HACKENSACK AND TEANECK READ BETTER

Certain events capture the spirit of UJA Federation—and the many rewards people get from their volunteer activities.

On Wednesday morning, we hosted just such an event: we were pleased to welcome sixty five Bergen Reads volunteers, school representatives, and UJA leadership and staff to 50 Ike to celebrate eight successful years of volunteering in the schools. Among the guests were principals and reading coaches from our participating schools; JCRC Chair, Dan Kirsch; Dennis McSherry, Regional Vice President of TD Bank Foundation, one of Bergen Reads’ funders; Bergen Reads co-chair, Susan Liebeskind; and, of course, the wonderful group of dedicated and committed volunteers.

Everyone celebrated, shared stories, and spoke movingly of the rewarding experience of being part of the program—both for the students and the Reading Buddies.

Bergen Reads’ mission is to provide one-on-one reading literacy mentoring for children, from kindergarten to third grade, through its volunteer Reading Buddies. Bergen Reads volunteers work one hour per week with two at-risk minority children whose reading skills are not up to class level. This year, 111 people served as Bergen Reads Reading Buddies in eight schools in the Teaneck and Hackensack school districts and helped nearly 225 students. 

Bergen Reads is a program of UJA NNJ’s Jewish Community Relations Council, and is funded by UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey’s Annual Campaign and also underwritten by TD Bank Foundation, PSE&G, RBC Dain Rauscher and Capital Group Companies.

PHOTO: Reading Buddy Linda Gould shows off the thank you cards she got from her kids.

These quotes from the event capture the impact Bergen Reads has had on the students, the volunteers, the schools and the community:

Vincent McHale, Principal, Hawthorne School, Teaneck:
“You know the show – America’s Top Models? YOU are OUR top models. You have modeled commitment to your students and a strong love for reading.  When G-d created the world, he said it was good.  What you are doing is good.”

Janet Shuler, Vice Principal Jackson Ave School, Hackensack:  “You haven’t just enriched the lives of the children, you have enriched the lives of an entire school and community.”

Miriam Hochheiser, volunteer: “I told my students on the first day to call me Grandma Mimi.  Many of them need a Grandma Mimi. This has been one of the greatest, inspiring, heart-warming experiences of my life.”

Irena Kondrar, volunteer: “I am modeling being a good citizen to my children.  You shouldn’t just thank us. We owe YOU a thank you.”
 
Other comments included a heartwarming story of a Bergen Reads volunteer, a docent at the Van Saun Park Zoo, who opened up a whole new scientific world of knowledge and experience by sharing with her students actual skeletal structures of reptiles and owls. These students had never been to a zoo before, let alone had the opportunity to touch and feel such creatures. One of the Hackensack principals told the group how Bergen Reads serves as a learning model at her school.

***

That evening, I attended the Melton Graduation at Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff. We extend our congratulations to the 42 graduates who completed a two year course of study. The ceremony included a well-deserved tribute to Melton Director, Renah Rabinowitz. We will provide more details on the celebration, including some great pictures, in next week’s Update.

Shabbat Shalom,

***

Economic Crisis Plan Update

How to Get Help

If you need assistance due to the economic crisis—or know someone who does—please use this contact information:

Jewish Family Service of Bergen County
1485 Teaneck Road, Teaneck 
(201) 837-9090
Email: ira@jfsbergen.org   
       
Jewish Family Service of North Jersey
One Pike Drive, Wayne
(973) 595-0111
Email: LKaufman@jfcsnj.org

(To give help, please visit www.ujannj.org/donate  to learn more about the Economic Crisis Fund.)

***

Campaign

• We have some great—and encouraging—news to report to you this week.  For the first time in two years, we are ahead in the number of gifts closed!  We also broke $9 million!  Our volunteer leadership and professional staff are working tirelessly to bring in gifts before our closing date of June 30, 2009.  For further information and to help, please contact Elliot Halperin, Campaign Director, at ElliotH@ujannj.org or by calling (201) 820-3950.
• This week, 39 UJA NNJ staff members participated in a “help us cross the finish line” staff telethon. Callers worked from 10 AM-4 PM and closed 125 gifts for a total of just under $50,000. Let’s keep going and sprint together to the finish line!
• An e-vite e-blast went out this week and reservations are coming in for the upcoming Commerce & Professionals Division Power Breakfast on June 25th at UJA NNJ.  Frani Feit, Jonathan Rochlin and Ken Zuckerberg are the co-chairs. Division co-chairs are Chuck Lieberman, Jason Shafron and Dan Shlufman.  Join us for power networking and a great speaker, Benjamin Anthony, a former IDF soldier who speaks about what it is like to be a soldier from a soldier’s point of view. To register, sign up online at www.ujannj.org/powerbreakfast; for further information about C&P, please email Devra Karger at DevraK@ujannj.org or call (201) 820-3951.

Taglit Birthright Israel

• On Monday evening, over 30 parents, grandparents, alumni, and other supporters of Birthright Israel gathered at the home of Mark and Debra Hirschberg.  The event was co-hosted by Barry and Melanie Zingler and Bram and Shari Alster.
  Local alumni shared their Taglit-Birthright Israel experiences—and inspired everyone in the room.  The alumni speakers included Jason Alster, Ellie Schneiderman, Brett Hirschberg, and Bari Hirschberg.
  Funds raised that evening will be directed toward a Northern New Jersey community trip for the summer of 2010.  Each of the gifts will be matched at a rate of 2-to-1 by the Adelson Family Foundation.
  To learn more about Birthright Israel or to make a supplemental contribution to help more young people travel to Israel, please get in touch with Amy Winn-Dworkin at (201) 820-3956 or amyw@ujannj.org.

Endowment Foundation

• UJA Federation received a bequest from the Estate of Betty Rosenberger.  Several other charitable organizations were also listed as beneficiaries in Mrs. Rosenberger’s will, including Hadassah and Congregation Beth Am in Teaneck.
  
  Betty Rosenberger passed away in November 2008.  She was born in 1913 and was a frequent contributor to the Annual Campaign, including in 2008.  She also volunteered at Super Sundays. The following notice of her passing appeared in Congregation Beth Am’s December 2008 bulletin:
  
  Let us remember Betty Rosenberger, as a community.
  
  Mrs. Betty Rosenberger along with her husband Arno, who were one of the founders of Beth Am, died during the past month.  The Rosenbergers had no children and no family on the east coast. Betty and Arno were active members at Beth Am for many years and after Arno’s death, Betty attended services and activities on a regular basis.  She was one of the “money ladies” at our bazaar and her always elegant appearance could make the rest of us “cringe” at our less than perfect ways.
  
  Thank you for helping to remember this lovely lady.
  
  We are grateful to the late Betty Rosenberger for her generosity.  May her memory, and the memory of Arno Rosenberger, always be for a blessing.

Israel Programs Center

• A wonderful way for the community to engage with Israel will happen this Monday, June 15th. The Israeli Scouts Caravan is coming to Northern New Jersey and will be performing at Gerrard Berman Day School in Oakland and at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County in New Milford. Pictured here, the “Rimon” (pomegranate) caravan. 
• Please join us on June 22nd at 50 Ike when the IPC is co-hosting (with the Jewish Community Relations Council and Stand with Us) an evening with Professor Charles A. Small who will speak about “Contemporary Anti-Semitism in an Age of Global Threats”.

Partnership 2000

• Last week, eight volunteer and professional leaders from northern New Jersey attended a regional Partnership 2000 conference at the MetroWest NJ federation. The conference addressed the impact of P2K, even in difficult financial times. One of the highlights of the conference was a program sharing session. Many NNJ – Nahariya programs were emphasized at this session as wonderful examples of people-to-people relationships built through the Partnership.

Jewish Educational Services

• We are proud to announce that Lisa Friedman of Temple Beth El Nursery school and Religious School in Closter has won the Grinspoon Steinhardt  Teacher of the Year Award. She will receive $1,000 from UJA NNJ and a $1,500 professional development stipend from Grinspoon and Steinhardt foundations. Lisa is the tenth winner of this prestigious award from NNJ.
  
  Lisa has served Temple Beth El in multiple capacities. A graduate of Bank Street, she has been employed at the Temple as a nursery school teacher  for several years. When she joined the faculty of the religious school, she encouraged innovation and creativity. For the past few years, she has encouraged the educators and clergy to institute and support a Madrichim program in the school. She also volunteered to usher a youth group through the year when funds for a paid youth advisor were not available. Lisa is a true presence in the Jewish lives of Temple Beth El children from age 3 through High School. Her teaching is experiential with strong emphasis on the arts.
  
  We send our congratulations for this well-deserved award.
  
• There is a certain amount of turnover in school staffing each year, and JES provides consultation services to both educators and schools on instituting change.  This week, for example, Frieda Hershman Huberman met with a new principal to discuss aligning curriculum with school vision.

Jewish Community Relations Council

• The JCRC Annual Meeting was held on June 3rd and featured a tribute to outgoing officers and board members, and the installation of incoming officers and board members. Executive Board members who were recognized included Gale S. Bindelglass, who completed her three-year term as Chair of the Jewish Leadership Forum; Larry Eisen, who completed his three-year term as Chair of Domestic Public Policy; and Rabbi Joshua Finkelstein, who completed his three-year term as Chair of Intergroup Relations. New board members who were installed included Rabbi Shammai Engelmayer, Linda Gould, Carol Newman, Kathie Williams, and Seth Lipschitz. Attendees also received a preview of the new Hope For Peace PowerPoint presentation featuring interviews with non-Jewish community leaders who had visited Israel and shared their personal experiences.

• The annual JCRC Legislative Gathering took place this week. Federal, state and municipal legislators met to learn about the important work of the JCRC and Federation, discuss issues of mutual concern and explore ways of fostering positive working relationships. Officials in attendance included State Senator Loretta Weinberg, Assemblywoman Valerie Vaineri Huttle, Assemblywoman Charlotte Vandervalk, Assemblywoman Joan Voss, Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, Matthew Weiss (Field Representative for Congressman Scott Garrett), Brian Nagle (Congressional Aide for Congressman Steven Rothman), Mayor Richard Goldberg of Hawthorne and Mayor Michael Wildes of Englewood. Issues addressed included the peace process, Iran, 2010 appropriations, Homeland Security, Healthcare Reform, Special Needs, pending cemetery legislation, and in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants.
• Bergen Reads will begin recruitment for its ninth year of service to the community in late July.  If you are interested in participating or want more information, please get in touch with Sharon Rifkind at (201) 820-3947 or sharonr@ujannj.org.
• Israel and World Affairs - The JCRC and the Israel Programs Center in coordination with Stand With Us will sponsor a program at  UJA NNJ entitled "Contemporary Anti-Semitism in an Age of Global Threats" on Monday, June 22 at 7:30 PM. The featured speaker is Professor Charles A. Small, Director of the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anti-Semitism. Topics to be addressed include the fallout from Durban II, the dangers of Iran, anti-Israel vs. anti-Semitism and how to respond. This event, which is free and open to the community, will offer a first-hand account of what occurred at Durban II and how we can combat anti-Semitism and anti-Israel propaganda in our community. Click here to see the event flyer.