(Courtesy of Jewish Federation of MetroWest) Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ honored community leaders for their exceptional leadership during these unprecedented times. The event, “A Special Night of Gratitude,” was held at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell. It was attended by nearly 300 people, and $850,000 was raised. The honorees were:
Mark Wilf, chair, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) Board of Trustees. Mark Wilf is an exemplary leader locally and nationally. With his term at Jewish Federations of North America coming to an end, he was acknowledged for all he has done to lead the Federation system during a time of great transition, unrest in Israel, increased antisemitism and a global and economic pandemic.
During his speech, Wilf said, “Thank you all so much for this honor. It truly means the world to me. I wish my father, Joe, was alive to celebrate with us today. My parents’ legacy of participation in Jewish life is a part of my soul, and I work each and every day to live up to the example that they set.”
Michael Goldberg, chair, United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Annual Campaign. Michael Goldberg, as UJA campaign chair for the past three years, not only provided exceptionally generous resources, but his leadership and counsel provided tremendous value to the overall organizational mission. Michael has become one of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest’s more committed leaders and community advocates.
When Goldberg remarked, “For me, Ukraine is not some distant country. I am so proud of the support (more than $3.5 million) our community has given to date. We genuinely care about Jews around the world and your Federation has supported, visited and called Cherkassy, Ukraine, our sister city, for many years.”
Michele Landau, president, Women’s Philanthropy. Michele Landau has been a thoughtful and committed leader. She has secured multi-year UJA gifts, endowed her Lion of Judah gift and successfully asked others to join her. Michele’s innovative and forward-thinking leadership has paved the way for future Women’s Philanthropy presidents.
Upon being recognized for her work, Landau stated, “Being involved in Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest and particularly, Women’s Philanthropy, has been a tremendous gift. It is a platform to make an impact, to collaborate with others, to visit Jewish communities around the world and to practice tikkun olam, our shared obligation to help repair the world.”
President of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ David Saginaw, who served as the master of ceremonies for the evening, said, “Mark, Michael and Michele are role models for the entire community when it comes to family and philanthropy, [and] when these three leaders signed on to their roles, they could not have imagined what the next few years had in store. Each time, no matter the challenge, these leaders answered the call.”
