(Courtesy of JFCS) Jewish Family and Children Services of Northern New Jersey held its annual meeting on June 23. This year the meeting was held in person in the outdoor tent of Temple Emanu-el in Closter.
The president of the board of directors, Rachel Scheff, called the meeting to session by welcoming both the in-person and Zoom attendees to the event. The muted din of the crowd settled and Scheff offered the podium to Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner of Temple Emanu-El, who gave the evening’s dvar Torah. Rabbi Kirshner passionately explained that “the work that this group in particular does is work with your hands to touch other people’s hearts and souls.”
The theme of service as miracle carried throughout the evening. In her report, Chief Executive Officer Susan Greenbaum spoke of the hardships the agency faced as growing numbers of community members reached out for help in the peak months of the pandemic. Greenbaum captured the night’s theme by articulating, “All of us, all together, do nothing less dramatic than moving mountains every day, because helping a child or an adult or a family to find a new path of health and hope is miraculous indeed.”
Greenbaum’s CEO report was followed up with the naming of Andy Benesch as Volunteer of the Year. Since 2019, and even more so during the pandemic, Benesch has shown a commitment to his KMOW clients. Rather than reducing or eliminating his volunteer hours during the COVID pandemic, Benesch took on even more deliveries.
When asked why he chooses to volunteer, Benesch stated that he “feels best about his volunteering experience when he sees how meaningful the food and deliveries are to the recipients.”
The annual meeting concluded with a dedication to each of the outgoing board members. Bruce Egert, Barry Feigenbaum, Joan Krieger, Geoffrey Lewis, Gail Loewenstein and Ilene Gelman, whose terms ended, were each honored and thanked for their leadership and years of service to the organization. Sarah Nanus of Tenafly was also installed as JFCS’s newest board member.
President Rachel Scheff adjourned the meeting with words of hope and encouragement.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering with JFCS, please contact Patrick Kidd at 201-837-9090 or [email protected].
