On March 6, The Jewish Home Foundation of North Jersey hosted its inaugural “Builders Circle” event to honor its major donors. This gathering, designed to recognize and cultivate meaningful relationships with key supporters, took place at the One River School of Art in Allendale, New Jersey. Drawing a standing-room-only crowd, the evening successfully blended philanthropy with artistic appreciation, highlighted by the debut of Bonnie Morano’s latest art collection. The event also featured a captivating “fireside chat” with Matt Ross, founder of One River, who shared insights into Morano’s creative inspiration.
Carol Silver Elliott, president/CEO of Jewish Home Family, began, expressing her gratitude to the donors in attendance: “The generosity of our members makes so many things possible that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. You are the folks that make it possible for us to have a world-class rehabilitation center. The work we’re doing now is transformational. Within the walls of our long-term care setting, we’re moving towards small households modeled on the greenhouse project, focused on three important core values: a real home, a meaningful life, and empowered staff. We’ve opened our first greenhouse home on the assisted-living campus. The transformation in people’s life experiences is truly remarkable.
“The Jewish Home Family is proud to have the only elder abuse shelter in the State of New Jersey,” Silver Elliot continued, noting that each year, more than 3.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from elder abuse. “An older adult who is being abused, often by a family member, is really without a place to turn. We make it possible for them to recover. We provide them 90-120 days and then find a place for them to live out their lives with dignity.”
Ross shared his journey of discovering Bonnie Morano and her work. He explained his passion for collecting art and supporting emerging artists. “I find artists that appeal to me for a variety of reasons and help them in the early stages of their career. I’m looking constantly. When I was first studying, I took six classes, read 35 books, went to art fairs and went around the globe, to make sure my sense of connoisseurship was smart to inform what we were doing here at One River, but also to understand well-made art.” He explained that Morano made this collection over the last three months: “Bonnie had an assignment to produce a body of work in 90 days, and she met the moment.
“A native New Yorker, Morano lives and works in Brooklyn,” Ross continued. “She earned an MFA in painting from Hunter College in 2023 and an MBA from Marist College with a focus on ethical leadership. Her artistic practice is deeply influenced by her strong religious faith and her rich ethnic heritage. As an Orthodox Jewish woman with a Sephardic background, she explores themes of cultural heritage, history, and the intersection of religious and artistic worlds. Whether reflecting on the medieval Spanish expulsion or navigating the art world within the context of her faith, Morano’s heritage is the foundation of her work.”
Morano described changing careers and enrolling at Hunter. “I was a little bit of a fish out of water, but it helped me understand myself more, taught me patience and taught me to try different things. I don’t feel like I need to rush. I want to understand and absorb. Maturity allowed me to do that, and then making art more about spirituality, emotion and my worldview with color, shape and form.
“It’s very formal in the arts, but it’s also very much about my connection to Judaism,” Morano added. “I love that there’s that balance, because I feel like a lot of modern people are both things. You can be super-traditional, and you can be very contemporary. That’s what I’m trying to bring together.”
The artist then presented the pieces in her collection entitled ‘Double Space.’ She explained the themes, forms and colors. Most of the pieces were oil on canvas, with four pieces inspired by the holiday of Purim, entitled “Reversal of Fortune.” Additionally, Morano produced a series of 10 collagraphs, monoprints based on the morning blessings in traditional Jewish prayer books.
Ross encouraged the audience to deeply engage with the art, inviting them to reflect on which pieces resonated with them and why.
The event also featured a charcuterie spread designed and prepared by Jewish Home Assisted Living’s Avi Feld. The Jewish Home stated: “The success of the inaugural event signals a promising future for the ‘Builders Circle,’ which promises to become a cornerstone of their fundraising efforts.”
