Bergenfield—Areyvut, a non-profit based in Bergenfield, New Jersey, will be holding their annual Bergen County Breakfast at Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck on Sunday, April 6. This year, Areyvut is honoring Fair Lawn resident Jessica Baer with the Young Leadership Award and West Orange resident Shira Hammerman with the Community Leadership Award.
Founded in 2002, Areyvut develops and implements educational programming and community service opportunities for Jewish youth and teens throughout the Tri-State area. Baer first became involved in 2011 after she saw an advertisement for Areyvut’s Mitzvah Clowning program. A freshman at Fair Lawn High School, Baer remains active in Areyvut, as well as in Breaking the Chain Through Education, a non-profit that works to save child slaves by building schools in Ghana. Baer has visited Ghana twice and continues to raise awareness about the issue of child trafficking in her school and community.
Hammerman has served as the organization’s educational consultant since 2004. In addition to her role at Areyvut, Hammerman has taught at various day schools, and currently runs a curriculum project for the Jewish Theological Seminary while completing her Ph.D. in Education. Hammerman is also greatly involved in her synagogue, Ahawas Achim B’nai Jacob & David, and at Rae Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy.
“These two women are tremendous role models in their respective communities,” commented Daniel Rothner, Areyvut’s Founder and Director. “They embody the Jewish values of kindness, charity, and social action.”
For more information about Areyvut, or to register for the 2014 Bergen County Breakfast, please visit: www.areyvut.org, or call (201)-244-6702.