When Miriam Stiefel of Englewood read about an innovative partnership between Holy Name Medical Center and the Sinai Schools, she had an idea. She approached her company’s foundation, which awards grants to registered Canadian and U.S. charitable organizations, and told them about Holy Name and its efforts to help Sinai Schools in its mission to educate Jewish children with learning disabilities. “I personally know people who have benefited from Sinai Schools and I thought the synergy of the Holy Name and Sinai Schools relationship was worthy of our support,” Stiefel said.

On Monday, December 7, she presented a check for $10,000 from the Just Energy Foundation to Michael Maron, chief executive officer of Holy Name Medical Center. While funds have not been allocated towards specific initiatives, they will help support the programs Holy Name and Sinai Schools are doing together (see “Wisdom From Sinai, Powered by Holy Name,” in the December 3 issue of the Jewish Link).

As director of affiliate marketing for Just Energy, Stiefel is very involved with nonprofits throughout New York and New Jersey. The Just Energy Affinity Program offers groups access to preferred natural gas and/or electricity pricing for its members, and the organization earns money for each member enrolled. Over the past 10 years, Just Energy’s Affinity Program has given over $1M to non-profit affinity organizations in New York and New Jersey. An active member of the Englewood Jewish community, Stiefel served as president of Congregation Ahavath Torah’s Sisterhood, and received its annual leadership award twice.

Holy Name Medical Center is a comprehensive, 361-bed healthcare facility in Teaneck, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 1925. Maron expressed his gratitude for the donation to Holy Name from Just Energy and said he welcomes additional contributions. “We’re very excited to see that the positive impact of Holy Name’s partnership with the Sinai Schools has inspired support from our community.”

By Bracha Schwartz