Local scholarship fund assists Israeli immigrants
Short Hills’ Steven Roth honors father’s story by helping students
, NJJN Staff Writer | 03.20.08

H. Steven Roth has a close relationship with Israel, and it’s about to become closer.

He’s been helping family members there financially and otherwise for years, but now he’s going to start helping strangers.

“My vision is to help young people who have gone through a similar plight my parents did and to give them an education toward a better life so they can contribute to Israel rather than be a burden,” he told NJJN in a phone interview from his Short Hills home.

Roth has created a scholarship program for young Israeli immigrants from Ethiopia and Cherkassy, Ukraine.

With an initial investment of $20,000, the H. Steven and Nancy Roth Education Fund in honor of Ben and Ellie, his parents, will provide 13 students with $1,000 each toward university tuition.

All the students have immigrated to Israel from either Ethiopia or Cherkassy, a partnership community of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey, which is administering the fund.

Some recipients came with parents, while others came alone; some came as children, and some came as adults. They range in age from 21 to 44. Some are entering a second or third year of studies; some will be first-year students.

The idea behind the scholarship is to ease the way for strangers who are facing the struggles his own father, a Holocaust survivor, confronted.

Ben Roth went to Israel from Vienna in the 1940s, lived on a kibbutz, and fought in the War for Independence. He ultimately left for the Bronx with Steve’s mother in 1955, where they made their own American dream. Ellie, also from Vienna, had finished high school and made her way to Israel via Shanghai. Although Ben had a minimal education, he opened several small clothing stores “and made a nice living,” said his son.

Roth went to Israel for the first time for his bar mitzva and has been back once or twice a year almost ever since. He has found his own success, as an asset-based lender at Lake Equipment Leasing, a Short Hills company. Meanwhile, family members in Israel continue to struggle, and he does what he can to help them.

On a UJC MetroWest-sponsored business and professional mission to Israel a few months ago, Roth met some Ethiopian immigrants.

“I could picture my parents as children or as young adults being in that same situation. I could actually see my family in need of this same kind of help,” said Roth. “My father came to this country and worked as a receiving clerk in a clothing store. He became very successful in business and, before long, had his own clothing stores, because he had the drive and desire to do better. I saw that same desire in the Ethiopian community.”

Originally, Roth planned to provide full tuition to a more limited number of students; but after receiving dozens of applications, he and MetroWest officials decided to spread the funds to include more recipients. Roth said he plans to contribute at least $10,000 each year for the foreseeable future.

The scholarship is not his first major tzedaka project — he’s been serving for 15 years on the Millburn/Short Hills First Aid Squad and can be found riding every Tuesday with the squad. He is also a member of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, where he has served as brotherhood president. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children: Brian, 22; Allison, 19; and Michael, 18.

Roth was in Israel last week, when he had a chance to greet some of the beneficiaries of his scholarship.

“It was very moving to meet these students and see how appreciative they are and how necessary this help is. They traveled very far just to meet me and thank me,” he said. “It is very different actually seeing the person who gets your help rather than just writing a check and sending it overseas. Very satisfying indeed.”

Local stories posted courtesy of the New Jersey Jewish News