The 11th annual UJA Benefit Concert will be held on Wednesday, May 7, at 7:30 p.m., at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The year’s concert takes place on the eve of Israel Independence Day, which commemorates the signing of the declaration of the State of Israel by David Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv in May 1948. The concert, titled “Israel @ 60,” is the premiere event of the MetroWest Jewish community’s commemoration of Israel’s anniversary.

Paula and Jerry Gottesman of Morristown will be the evening’s honorees. The Gottesmans are pioneering donors who have helped shape the future of the Jewish community in MetroWest and beyond. Jerry Gottesman is co-founder of Edison Parking, now Edison Properties, of Newark, a diversified firm specializes in mini storage, parking, and real estate development.

“This concert is special because it takes place on the actual eve of the 60th anniversary of Israel and will feature music appropriate for the occasion,” said Max L. Kleinman, UJC MetroWest Executive Vice President. “Our honorees, the Gottesmans, are long-term supporters of Israel, United Jewish Appeal, and day schools, and they support Israel’s next generation. We will be joined with leaders from Israel, legislators of the State of New Jersey, and our own local community. The net proceeds from the concert will benefit the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) of MetroWest NJ campaign. It in turn will allocate 25 percent of the proceeds for our MetroWest Community Day School Fund, which the Gottesmans founded. I congratulate the leadership for making this into a milestone event appropriate for this special birthday for Israel.”

The concert will include somber music, such as the theme from the film Schindler’s List, to recall the loss of six million Jews in the Holocaust preceding the establishment of the Jewish homeland. In addition, there will be classical favorites with upbeat themes, celebrating the modern state of Israel.

Serving as honorary chairs of the event are Gov. Jon S. Corzine, U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, and Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.

The concert will be conducted by Lucas Richman with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) and will feature Israeli-born pianist Benjamin Hochman, who has won acclaim in Israel for his performances of Israeli pieces. A community dessert reception will be held from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. and is open to all in attendance.

National leaders in the field of Jewish day school education, the Gottesmans were among the first in the nation to provide a cap on tuition for students from middle income families who attend a Jewish day school. A decade ago, they created the “Base Grant” program at the Hebrew Academy of Morris County (HAMC), which has since become a national model for Jewish day school affordability. In 2007, the Gottesmans created the largest program endowment in the history of the MetroWest community by endowing the HAMC tuition program and becoming founding donors of the MetroWest Community Day School Fund. The Herskowitz Society, a day school donor society, is named in memory of Jerry’s family members. The Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union and the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy are the two other Jewish day schools involved.

Lucas Richman has been a leader in his generation, not only in the versatility of the repertoire he presents, but also in his ability to engage audiences beyond the concert hall. He has appeared as guest conductor with numerous orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Baltimore Symphony.

Pianist Benjamin Hochman is achieving widespread acclaim for his performances as an orchestral soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. His honors include second prize at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the “Partosh Prize,” awarded by the Israeli Minister of Culture for best performance of an Israeli work, and first prize at the National Piano Competition of the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem.

The 11th Annual UJA Benefit Concert is made possible through the generosity of the UJA Benefit Concert Benefactors, a group of donors who have created a permanent endowment with the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest NJ to underwrite the concert’s annual costs.

The UJA Concert benefactors are Joan L. and Allen I. Bildner, Short Hills; Judy and Stewart Colton, Short Hills; Toby and Leon G. Cooperman, Short Hills; Beth and William S. Furman, South Orange; Anita and Franklin Hannoch, Livingston; Dr. Victor and the late Dr. Mia Parsonnet, Millburn; Lore and Eric F. Ross, South Orange; Judy and Josh S. Weston, Montclair; Beth and Leonard Wilf, Short Hills; and Barbara and Edward Zinbarg, Short Hills.

Concert tickets range from $100 to $20. To order, call 1-800-ALLEGRO (255-3476), Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. For additional information about the 11th Annual UJA Benefit Concert, contact Jayne Waltzer at (973) 929-3037 or [email protected]. You can also find detailed information about the event at www.ujcnj.org/concert.