By Joshua Fisch
On Sunday, April 23, over 200 people gathered at the Robert Treat Hotel in downtown Newark to mark the 67th Anniversary Dinner of Congregation Adath Israel of Elizabeth. The evening was a rousing success, with the attendees enjoying each other’s company amid a wondrous volume of food. From sushi to dumplings to veal and, of course, the requisite charcuterie table, there was something to be enjoyed by every palate. It was a wonderful opportunity for congregants, community members, and guests to join together and celebrate our shared history.
The dinner itself was a tribute to our beloved friend Alexander Krause z”l. With the establishment of the Alexander Krause Service Award, the congregation recognized the legacy of an incredible community member, and at the same time acknowledged a wonderful couple who gives so much to the Adath Israel family—the inaugural recipients, Drs Talya and Effie Gluck.
The evening’s festivities were emceed by AI board member and good friend of both the Krause and Gluck families, Benjy Singfer. Benjy shared many memories and anecdotes, while also highlighting the incredible growth of the Adath Israel community, recognizing the efforts of our esteemed youth directors, Yoni and Alyssa Sheer, and acknowledging the incredible impact on the growth of the older children of Rabbi and Mrs. Avi Rosenbaum.
Rabbi Jonathan Schwartz elevated the evening with words of Torah from the coming week’s parsha, while highlighting the connection to Adath Israel. He demonstrated for all of us how being part of a kehila that works, lives and learns together creates a community that grows together. By highlighting our past, present and future, he also emphasized the contributions of both the Krause and Gluck families.
The Rav Ha’ir of Elizabeth, Rabbi Elazar M. Teitz, shlita, followed with a bracha for the entire community, an appropriate parallel to Alex, as a Kohen, having blessed so many of us over the years. This was followed by a video tribute to Alex, highlighting all of our dear friend’s incredible contributions to the community, from having served on the JEC board and the Union County Y board, to his impact on Hatzalah of Union County, to his Little League coaching at the Elmora Youth League and his spearheading the development of the STEAM program at the JEC.
Some of Alex’s most beloved contributions were collectively recognized as the menus for both the annual JEC Golf outing as well as the AI dinner itself. Alex’s love of food and his desire to ensure that everyone had a great time were highlighted as one of his greatest gifts. His attention to detail was just one of the ways in which he expressed his caring for others. He put tremendous energy into planning the golf outing, despite never once playing a round. And the evening itself was a celebration of AI dinners past, as the menu was a homage to Alex, featuring dishes he had particularly loved and selected in his many years as the AI Dinner co-chair.
After his wife Sarah accepted a gift of a tzedakah box inscribed in recognition of Alex’s contributions to the community, the evening turned to the Guests of Honor and the recipients of the inaugural Alexander Krause Service Award. After the presentation of the gift of an engraved Jerusalem stone Challah board, Dr. Effie Gluck entertained everyone with stories of wonderful times he had shared with the Krause family. His speech showed his dedication to the shul and community by sharing a story in which, after a particularly long day at his periodontal practice, he fell asleep in shul as he was preparing to give a shiur the following day. When he awoke at 3 a.m., his first thought was to continue preparing, and he subsequently set off the alarm in the shul while in search of a sefer. While certainly the most entertaining, that was just one of several stories that were told that evening, highlighting his and Talya’s service to our community.
Hearing of the incredible contributions of Dr. Talya Gluck, who has her own pediatric dental practice and yet still makes the time to volunteer with all her children while also serving as a board member for the JEC, was an inspiration that showed the commitment and dedication the entire Gluck family demonstrates on a daily basis as devoted members of our community. The dinner then concluded with a wonderful dessert buffet. The entire evening served as a manifestation of the building blocks of Torah, Avodah, and Yirat Shamayim, and was a fitting tribute to Adath Israel’s past, present, and future.
