(Courtesy of JFCNJ) The Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey (JFSCNJ) Virtual Gala Dinner will take place Tuesday, December 14 at 8 p.m. The virtual event is the main fundraiser supporting mental health, homecare, keeping older adults safe, and food insecurity programs serving the Union County community during COVID-19. Community partners, who have come together to support the agency’s many programs (many modified to accommodate changes due to the pandemic), will be featured in the presentation. JFCNJ gratefully acknowledges the Janoff family for allowing them to use the Crystal Plaza, Livingston event spaces to film parts of the event.

Register to view the event at: www.jfscentralnj.org/dinner.

Harrison Till, Phyllis Reich, Elyse and David Deutsch, Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund and Ed Palmieri, Jr., will be honored for their various contributions to the Agency.

Harrison Till, of Hoboken, will receive the Lilly K. Gottlieb Award for his work in assisting the expansion of the JFS Charlotte Shak Food Pantry to ensure it was able to keep up with the increased demand for food during the pandemic. Till works as a private wealth adviser and sits on the Young Leadership Cabinet Board of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. He and his wife, Ariel, are the proud parents of Addison. Till noted that he is “always interested in supporting Jewish causes where I can make an impact.”

Phyllis Reich, a lifelong resident of Elizabeth who has devoted the second part of her career to working in and improving the City of Elizabeth, will receive the Miriam S. Karch Award. Reich has encouraged a greater marketing and social media presence for JFS while connecting the agency to other community resources and organizations.

Elyse and David Deutsch of Scotch Plains have been longtime leaders within each organization they have been involved with during the 31 years they have resided in Union County. Elyse is passionate about alleviating food insecurity in our community and became a JFSCNJ board member in 2016. In their retirement, Elyse and David are active JFS Charlotte Shak Food Pantry volunteers.

Assemblywoman Annette Quijano will receive the Community Service Award for her support over her tenure in launching the Zimmerman Community Garden, securing funding for homeland security projects, and most recently for securing funding for an expanded JFS volunteer program.

Marian Z. Stern will receive the Community Partner Award on behalf of the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF), which awarded JFS with a $70,000 grant to purchase food for the JFS Charlotte Shak Food Pantry during the pandemic. Stern served as a team leader of the NJPRF committee that screened and prioritized applications for the fund.

Ed Palmieri, Jr., of Fanwood, New Jersey, who has spent his career as a group medical insurance and retirement plan professional to various municipalities, counties and school boards, will be the first recipient of the JFS Business Leadership Award. He served as a Union County commissioner in the mid-1980s, serves on boards of various other Union County-based boards, and was a founding member of the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce.

The Dinner Dance Committee includes: David Brooks, Mark L. Ginsberg, Toby Goldberger, Michael H. Gottlieb, Eric Harvitt, Jennifer Marshall Sofield, Donald Shapiro, Sherry and Henry Stein, Arielle Traub and Mark Wilf.

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All of those who register and attend the dinner have a chance to win one of these prizes: Judaica (donated by the Adir Gallery, Edison); two Knicks courtside tickets (Date TBD, donated by David and Lori Moore); Apple AirPods (donated by the Pekarsky family); and Vikings signed memorabilia (donated by the Wilf family). Winners will be notified and announced on JFS social media. No cash substitutes for prizes.

You may donate and register online: www.JFSCentralNJ.org/dinner, or contact them at: [email protected], or call the JFS office at (908) 352-8375. Sponsors will be listed on the Scroll of Honor and in all publicity. Information on how to access the dinner will be sent to all registrants closer to the date of the event.