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From the president, Kenneth R. Heyman
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Super Sunday 2008 brought community warmth to the year’s key UJA fundraiser
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For Debbie and Allan Janoff, being involved with and giving back to the MetroWest Jewish community is the expression of a Jewish heart. “When you discover your Jewish heart,” Allan explained, “you start to look at our history, where we are today, and what keeps us as strong as we are. When we remember who we are, that we’re Jewish, we’re one community, even though we’re spread all over the world.” to learn more about Debbie & Allan, click here |
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Jewish Family Service helps a young girl achieve a healthy social life
As a result of her disorder, she has very strong food preferences. She would eat only a very few foods, specifically, foods that are round and green. She often complained about being “annoyed” by certain qualities of her clothes, such as labels and fabric textures. The temperature affected her mood to a great degree, and she frequently felt too hot or too cold. Lightning was painful for her, and she had very bad reactions to being touched. |
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As the year begins, thanks are deserved all around
As we begin another year, we begin it here at UJC MetroWest with real strength and with thanks due to everyone in our community. We begin with wonderful news, and it is news that belongs to all of you far more than it belongs to us.
Super Sunday 2008, our annual phonathon for the UJA Campaign, was a remarkable success. The day-long community event raised more than $2.4 million, an increase of more than $300,000 over last year’s event. And more than that – there was a record level of community involvement. The Aidekman Campus was filled with new faces and new levels of enthusiasm. It was truly a day in which our entire community came together – to have a family day of fun together, to contribute together, and to work together to raise gifts to help our fellow Jews in the MetroWest community, in Israel, and around the world.
And so, congratulations are due to everyone, as much as the thanks from everyone here at UJC.
Of course, our thanks go to the contributors, first and foremost. Everything we do begins with you. Everything we can achieve together depends on your being there. You set into motion all the work we do together. And on this Super Sunday, you responded well above our expectations. You set the pace for the entire day, and you are the reason it was the success it became.
And our thanks go out to everyone who volunteered to make calls on Super Sunday. It was astonishing and a true joy to see how many people made time on a Sunday to come out. During several parts of the day, there was actually a shortage of chairs for volunteers to use. Most of the people who work at UJC were there, many community members who brought their families for the day, and many members of the boards of our partner agencies and of synagogues in the MetroWest area. To them all, the entire community owes a debt of gratitude.
And special thanks go to the community members who came from our local synagogues and UJC partner agencies. In response to our new initiatives for synagogues and agencies, they came in record numbers, and their enthusiasm and hard work was beyond measure and infectious. They helped to set the pace for the entire day, and the day defined the kind of success we look for in everything we do. And, as important as their spirit and good work, they graced us all with their company and helped to make the day a joy for all of us who came out.
And most important, I want to thank the entire MetroWest community. What we do at UJC is just a reflection of your ideals, your values, and your generosity of spirit. Without the support of an entire community, such as we saw on Super Sunday, we could accomplish little for all the people who depend on us. It is our goal to be an expression of the best instincts and the highest aspirations of the MetroWest Jewish community.
Together, We Truly Do,
Live Generously!
Kenneth R. Heyman
President
United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ
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Super Sunday 2008 brought community warmth to the year’s key UJA fundraiser
On a snowy Dec. 2, more than 600 volunteers came out to the Alex Aidekman Family Jewish Community Campus in Whippany to help bring warmth and joy to a wintry day and to make Super Sunday 2008 a remarkable success. The atmosphere was electric and, all around them, an entire community came together with new levels of excitement, dedicating their time, their efforts, and their passion to the annual fundraising event, the key event each year in the UJA MetroWest annual campaign.
This year, the day-long phonathon, which ran from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., raised more than $2.4 million, an increase of more than $300,000 over last year’s event. A total of about 2,800 gifts were closed, and out of those, approximately 330 came from new contributors.
And the record numbers were not just in the funds raised. The Aidekman Campus was filled with new faces and with new levels of enthusiasm on the part of members of UJC MetroWest’s partner agencies and MetroWest synagogues, who arrived to help in record numbers. People who had never participated in Super Sunday came to join in and to help make calls.
What spurred their involvement and enthusiasm were several new Super Sunday initiatives. This year saw the introduction of the Agency All-Star Challenge, in which UJC partner agencies competed for two $5,000 awards: for the agency that sent the greatest percentage of its board members to volunteer at Super Sunday and make phone calls, and for the agency that closed the greatest number of gifts. Eleven partner agencies delivered board members to the phonathon. All together, over 140 board members came over the course of the day. The Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life won with the largest percentage of its board coming to help, and Jewish Family Service won the award for closing the most gifts.
An award was given also for the agency whose members showed the greatest spirit. The winner was the Hebrew Academy of Morris County. A trophy inscribed with their name will be put on display at the Aidekman Campus.
In addition, this was the first year of the 50/50 Challenge for area synagogues. Synagogues were invited to send members of their congregations to call other members, and from every new gift closed, half went to the synagogue. A total of 14 synagogues participated and roughly 260 new gifts were closed from among their members.
And Dr. Gilbert H. Mayor of Morristown was honored with the “volunteer of the year” award.
The day was also abuzz with family activities that filled the atrium and the entire building, making it an event for the whole MetroWest Jewish community. In the gym, children played carnival games and did mitzvah projects. Twenty-five teens from UJC’s partner communities in Merchavim/Ofakim came directly from the airport to work on “friendship quilts” and staff the carnival for MetroWest children. A three-hour teen program featured games, training, and a calling session for MetroWest teens. Teens currently in the Iris Teen Tzedakah Program held one of their meetings during the day and had their own special calling session.
In addition, Lévana of Lévana restaurant, one of New York City’s leading kosher restaurants, gave demonstrations of gourmet kosher cooking. Representatives of the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation set up a table and took cheek cell samples from potential donors for testing.
Along with the crowd of enthusiastic volunteers and so many families from the MetroWest Jewish community, government leaders turned out for the event, including State Senator Tom Kean, Jr., Assemblyman and Senator-elect Joseph Pennacchio, Maplewood Mayor Fred R. Profeta, West Caldwell Mayor Joseph Tempesta, Livingston Council members Gary Schneiderman and Arlene Johnson, Morris County Freeholder-elect Jim Murray, Essex County Freeholder Patricia Sebold, and Chatham Borough Mayor-elect V. Nelson Vaughn.
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Donor Spotlight: Debbie & Allan Janoff
For Debbie and Allan Janoff, being involved with and giving back to the MetroWest Jewish community is the expression of a Jewish heart.
“When you discover your Jewish heart,” Allan explained, “you start to look at our history, where we are today, and what keeps us as strong as we are. When we remember who we are, that we’re Jewish, we’re one community, even though we’re spread all over the world.”
Their commitment to the Jewish community focuses on their involvement with UJC MetroWest.
“Everything that UJC does through its partner agencies is important,” Debbie said. “I haven’t taken away anything from any event or program that wasn’t important. It’s important for us to help Jews around the world and to support Israel, and the federations around the country make sure that gets done.”
“Where else can you give your money,” Allan added, “where the organization is going to keeps its eye on the Jewish community. There is no other organization doing this. When I solicit, I ask a simple question, ‘where can you put your dollar today to be sure that the needs of the Jewish community are being addressed in the best way?’ There is nowhere else.”
And they feel their involvement in UJC is the best way to insure Jewish continuity into the future.
For them both, their involvement in the Jewish community as well as the general community has been extensive. Within the circuit of UJC and its partner agencies, Allan has served on the boards of UJC, the Rachel Coalition, Daughters of Israel, the New Jersey Jewish News, the Jewish Community Housing Corporation, and JESPY House. He also has been UJA Campaign vice chair for Major Gifts and has served on numerous committees. In addition, he has been chairman of MetroWest for Israel Bonds and has served on the boards of the American Cancer Society, Friends of IDF, AIPAC, and other organizations.
Debbie has served on the boards of Women’s Department and Jewish Family Service, has been on the steering committee for the Rachel Coalition, the Women’s Department Campaign Cabinet and Major Gifts Cabinet, and has been on various committees, including METROmagic, CHOICES, and the UJA Benefit Concert. In addition to her UJC involvement, she has served on the boards of Temple B’nai Abraham, Sisterhood, and the National Marfan Society.
Together, Debbie and Allan have been honored many times for their volunteer efforts, by, among others, Israel Bonds at the Prime Minister’s Event in 2005 and the Rachel Coalition at the Run for Rachel in 2005.
And of course, as the owners of The Crystal Plaza in Livingston, they have hosted many events for UJC.
Despite the breadth of their commitment to giving back to the community in general and helping wherever help is needed, their primary commitment is to the Jewish community and to UJC as the best way to reach the Jewish community.
“Everything we do in the community we also do for our kids,” Debbie observed. “Teaching them is the key to the Jewish future. They have to learn the importance of Jews taking care of Jewish problems, and that the way we live, in an affluent community, is not normal, not everyone lives like they do. And they have to learn by the examples we set for them.”
And evidently the examples they set are working well. Debbie and Allan have two boys and a girl: Hunter, Max, and Nicole. All three have shown real interest in discovering their Jewish identities.
Setting that example is the key to solving the main challenge facing the Jewish community today. “That’s getting young people involved,” Allan explained, “and it’s difficult in today’s world, it’s difficult everywhere, whether in the Jewish community or in the secular community.
“But we are very confident in the continued strength of our Jewish community, not only here but across the country. We feel very strongly that the younger people, as they come forward, are going to surpass us. I’m confident there is going to be great community leadership among the young.”
“There will always be a younger group that will pick up where the older generation left off,” Debbie added. “It takes some people a little longer to learn what the right thing to do is, but I’m optimistic that people ultimately do know what the right thing is, and ultimately they will step up and do the right thing.”
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Jewish Family Service helps a young girl achieve a healthy social life
When Emma first came to Jewish Family Service (JFS) of MetroWest, she was an eight-year-old girl who was troubled by Sensory Integration Disorder and had difficulties with social relations.
As a result of her disorder, she has very strong food preferences. She would eat only a very few foods, specifically, foods that are round and green. She often complained about being “annoyed” by certain qualities of her clothes, such as labels and fabric textures. The temperature affected her mood to a great degree, and she frequently felt too hot or too cold. Lightning was painful for her, and she had very bad reactions to being touched.
Emma had little problem interacting appropriately with adults, but she could not do the same with her peers. She would stay apart and alone in social settings. She suffered significant anxiety over new experiences, such as family gatherings and school events, and would become upset and refuse to participate.
Emma’s parents called JFS for help. JFS professionals scheduled Emma to come for play therapy sessions with Tamar Stern, LCSW, Coordinator of the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative at JFS’s Ruth Sagner Center for Family Play Therapy. In the sessions, Emma was able to use the dolls, puppets, and a sand tray to tell her “stories.” After several sessions with Stern, she became very enthusiastic about engaging in her “play work” and using it to gain a sense of competence and flexibility with new situations.
Emma’s problem-solving abilities began to increase. Her parents reported that she started to talk about seeing her cousins at the seder in the coming year. And she was soon able to join her classmates on a class trip.
JFS also gave Emma’s parents guidance on how to make her environment “just right,” to help Emma avoid uncomfortable situations. And Emma’s school was contacted by JFS to advise them of the nature of Emma’s disability. As a result, her capability in handling social situations has continued to increase and the beginnings of a healthy social life are now possible for her.
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, one of the partner agencies of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ, has existed since 1861. It serves as a comprehensive social service agency for the MetroWest area. Its social workers, assisted by consulting psychologists and psychiatrists, provide counseling and assist families and individuals with facing the challenges of life a non-discriminatory basis. Those who become overwhelmed by financial problems, who are without family or friends to help them, and who can't benefit from government social programs, always have a place to turn to.
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JDC helps Ethiopians overcome the challenges of integration into Israeli society
Sarah and Menachem Zeru were raised in different small villages in Ethiopia. In 1985, before they knew each other, both of them decided to go to Israel. They had to cross the desert to Sudan, losing friends and relatives along the way to hunger and thirst. After reaching Sudan, they both were airlifted to Israel during Operation Moses. They met and married in Israel, and have three children.
A few years ago, Sarah and Menachem realized they faced two significant problems. Menachem felt at a cultural and linguistic disadvantage in the workplace. And the couple found their children were having educational and disciplinary problems at school. They felt powerless to help their children, sensing that the disciplinary practices from their own childhoods were inappropriate for their Israeli-born children.
Sarah and Menachem are among the 30,000 Ethiopian immigrants who have come to Israel over the past 20 years, joining a distinctive Israeli community that now numbers more than 100,000. The vast cultural differences between the rural villages of Ethiopia and modern Israel urban society have created enormous integration challenges for many of the immigrants and have resulted in high rates of unemployment, high rates of adult illiteracy, and education difficulties among Ethiopian-Israeli children.
The Ethiopian-Israeli community is in danger of becoming caught in a chronic cycle of poverty and unemployment. In response to their needs, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a partner agency of UJC MetroWest, established Operation Atzmaut, to help Ethiopian-Israeli families reduce their dependence on welfare and move towards self-sufficiency.
Sarah and Menachem began to participate in Operation Atzmaut in 2004. Menachem, who is a skilled welder with many years of experience, had been working at a major Israeli corporation since 1997 but was still employed on a temporary contract with low pay and no benefits. When he had raised the possibility of fixed employment, his direct supervisor ignored his skills and focused on his lack of a high school diploma. Lacking self-confidence, Menachem felt vulnerable and unsure of his job security.
Their family caseworker directed Menachem and Sarah to Operation Atzmaut's Employment Seminar, where they received detailed explanations of workers’ rights and the obligations of employers to employees. The caseworker coached them on how to communicate with employers in a firm and professional manner. In addition, through Operation Atzmaut, both enrolled in a Hebrew course that focused on enriching their Hebrew language skills for the workplace.
In July 2007, Menachem was dismissed after almost 10 years of loyal work. The couple refused to accept the decision. The entire family traveled to the offices of the CEO of the corporation. They sat there for an entire day, politely but tenaciously, until Menachem was granted a meeting with the CEO. He stated his case in a clear and professional manner, and the CEO immediately investigated the matter. As a result of the investigation, Menachem was rehired – as a permanent employee with full benefits.
Menachem and Sarah also told their caseworker about their feelings of powerlessness in dealing with the educational and behavioral issues of their two younger children, Ariel and Orit. Ariel had been sent home from school a number of times for hitting other kids, and Orit seemed incapable of keeping up with her class.
The caseworker suggested Menachem and Sarah attend Operation Atzmaut's parenting courses, where they developed practical tools for dealing with adolescent behavioral issues. They also learned about the various types of schools available for their children. After placing Ariel in a new school, Menachem and Sarah found that many of Ariel's behavior problems had been the result of feeling frustrated at school.
Operation Atzmaut subsidized an educational evaluation for Orit. She was diagnosed with learning disabilities and began receiving specialized assistance, causing her grades gradually to improve. In order to address overall educational gaps, Operation Atzmaut also provided tutoring for all three children for two hours weekly.
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