Being involved in the Jewish community has always seemed "just natural" for David and Joan Zimmer and their daughters, Stephanie Bonder, Lisa Lisser, and Amy Zimmer.

David and Joan have been giving to United Jewish Appeal of MetroWest NJ and its predecessors ever since they moved from Connecticut in 1968. "We contacted UJA," said Joan. "We didn't wait for them to find us."

The couple joined a local synagogue and Joan became active in Hadassah. One year – Joan doesn't remember exactly when – they cochaired a UJA telethon held at Daughters of Israel, along with Jerry and Rita Horowitz. Unlike the more common phonathons, it was a televised event.

Joan and David were following the example of Jewish commitment set by their parents. "I grew up in Belleville, where my parents were both active in the Jewish community," said Joan. "My mother was president of the local Hadassah chapter, and David's mother was president of the Bridgeport (Conn.) Hadassah, so Jewish involvement came naturally to both of us."

Joan recalled that Federation used to sponsor "lounges," dances in area synagogues every other Sunday, so that all the Jewish young people in the area got to know each other. "I had warm feelings for Federation early on." She also noted that she had a bat mitzvah at 13, at a time when that was still uncommon.

The Zimmers' three children are carrying on the tradition of commitment. Amy and Lisa were recruitment chairs for the MetroWest delegation to the United Jewish Communities National Young Leadership Conference in Washington this past March. Stephanie was one of the "Forty under Forty" young people honored in the 2003 New Jersey Jewish News special supplement for making a difference in the MetroWest Jewish community. She credits her parents' involvement in UJC, Hadassah, and their synagogue with nurturing her Jewish identity and strong Zionist vision. Lisa has been selected as one of the 2004 "Forty under Forty."

If you, like David and Joan Zimmer, have given to UJA for 25 years or more, the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest would like to recognize you as a Ner Tamid Achiever, with a listing on the Ner Tamid honor roll and invitations to special events. If you are already a Ner Tamid Achiever, JCF encourages you to share your thoughts and feelings about UJA at .