Taking the Lead: UJC of MetroWest, New Jersey's Epstein Mission

United Jewish Communities: Israel and Overseas Division

“I’m not usually a group person, but with this group, it feels different. We seem to have grown even more cohesive throughout our time together,” said Jean Mandell, a participant in the Epstein Leadership Mission to Israel from March 1st to 6th.

The special mission, which Mandell — like the other 10 participants — was specifically invited to join, brought together a select group of emerging leaders from the MetroWest Jewish Federation for an experience that was part inspirational trip to Israel and part leadership training seminar. The group toured extensively and also took part in rigorous solicitation training sessions that were interwoven into the itinerary.

Named in honor of late MetroWest Federation leader Seymour Epstein, the mission aims to nurture emerging leaders and celebrate the centrality of Israel for American Jews. Yet for many participants, it had the added benefit of creating a feeling of togetherness that was unique among missions to Israel.

According to Sally Epstein, Seymour’s widow — who, together with friends of Seymour, Sandy and Roz Hollander (who served as mentors on this year's mission) and Barbara and Dan Drench — created and helps fund the mission, the total experience represents her late husband’s personality and spirit.

“Seymour cared very much about young people and training future leaders. His great love was also Israel. He went on every mission he could and he would always fight for funding to go to Israel,” said Epstein.

After a pilot training seminar eight years ago which took place in New Jersey, the decision was made to bring the program to Israel every two years, and to center it on the federation’s various partner communities.

This year, the group visited Shaar Hanegev in the south which is partnered with the UJC of MetroWest since the last Intifada, and learned about the national security situation. Also in the region, they were served dinner cooked by women of the Ofakim Women’s Ethnic Empowerment group, dubbed affectionately “the ladies of Ofakim,” who have turned their culinary talents into a successful catering business and a means of empowerment. In Rishon l’Zion, the mission spent time at a community center in Neve Eliyahu, a MetroWest partner community for 30 years. There, they visited the Atzmaut program, which was initiated and is run by UJC of MetroWest together with JDC, Municipality of Rishon l'Zion and local Ethiopian leadership, and provides services for Ethiopian families, helping them to function as a “unit.”

For Mandell, who became involved in federation through her daughter’s school, Hebrew Academy of Morris County in Randolph, New Jersey, seeing the young Ethiopian children “eating their snacks and just being themselves,” struck a chord with her, and reminded her of the opportunities they were enjoying as a result of the commitment of federation donors.

Mission participant Mark Glajchen, a co-Chair of the MetroWest Young Leadership Campaign, agreed that the opportunity to see the effects of donor dollars in Israel was an added benefit of the trip.

“It’s easy enough to see how funding is used by Jewish Vocational Services or Daughters of Israel [a home for the aged] or any number of beneficiary agencies at home, but once you cross the ocean, it can seem like just another name. Being able to see the programs in action has been very helpful for me,” he said.

Glajchen, who moved to Livingston, New Jersey from South Africa in 2000, used the experience of visiting sites in Israel to improve his skills at solicitation.

According to Jonathan Ramsfelder, Chair of the mission, Glajchen excelled during solicitation training sessions with UJC National Training Chair Rob Mann, during which participants learned how to take their experiences on the mission, frame them into a story and make a connection with an audience.

“Mark was asked by Rob to get up and give a speech about his experiences on the mission as if he was speaking in front of 250 people at a dinner. He gave an amazing speech about how inspired he had been by a visit to the UJC of MetroWest supported Tel Aviv B’nai Zion pre-army mechina ( preparatory program), during the mission. It was clear that the trip and the training had transformed him,” Ramsfelder said.

Glajchen agreed with that assessment, saying he now felt “empowered,” to deal with all the challenges of leadership at home. Mandell said she too felt excited to put new ideas into practice upon return. “I’m blessed to be asked to take a trip like this, and the only way to thank Sally and the others is to go back and do the work,’ she said.

Jonathan Liss, Sherry Pollack, Dana Lichtenberg, Jonathan Ramsfelder

Mark Glajchen, Jonathan Ramsfelder, Jonathan Liss, Sandy Hollander in back; Sherry Pollack, Dana Lichtenberg, Jean Mandell, Roz Hollander, and David Boyko in front

Moran-guide, Sally Epstein