(Courtesy of Kaplen JCC on the Palisades) The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades recently founded the New Jersey Jewish Sports Hall of Fame to honor Jewish individuals who have distinguished themselves as leaders in the field of athletics within the state of New Jersey and successfully fostered their Jewish identity through sports. The inaugural inductees, who will be honored at the JCC’s Third Annual Sports Night of Champions on Thursday, March 5, at 6 p.m., include Jeff Kurtz, Leonard Rubin, z”l, and Joseph Taub, z”l. These three community leaders were nominated and chosen based on the following criteria: publicly identifying themselves to be Jewish; demonstrating outstanding accomplishments as athletes, coaches, sports media personalities, sports administrators or sports figures who made a significant, positive impact on our community; displaying excellence in leadership, sportsmanship and character; and were either born in New Jersey, lived in New Jersey for at least four years, currently live in New Jersey or played professionally for a New Jersey or tristate-area sports team.
The evening will include an elegant strolling dinner, a celebratory program with award presentations, a live auction and the presentation of the Joseph Taub Scholar Athlete Awards to one female and one male high school senior from Bergen County, who will each be presented with a $3,600 college scholarship in recognition of their excellence in sports, academics and their communities. Runner-up and honorable-mention awards will also be distributed. Since the establishment of this community-wide event two years ago, the JCC has raised more than $400,000 in support of critical scholarships at the JCC, of which more than $1.2 million is distributed annually.
“Every year, our Sports Night exceeds our expectations as a high-energy fundraiser that fills us with pride, knowing we can help countless children, families and seniors in need in our community,” said JCC CEO Jordan Shenker. “Launching our New Jersey Jewish Sports Hall of Fame substantially adds to our pride, as it allows us to honor both living and deceased leaders in our community who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to sports, their Jewish identity and the desire to inspire the next generation when it comes to both sports and sportsmanship.”
The event is being co-chaired by JoJo Rubach and Jeff Levitt, with a committee that includes Kenny Albert, Noah Garden, Jeff Kurtz, Danny Rubin, Craig Silver, Gordon A. Uehling III, Tracy Wolfson and Barry Zeller. The scholarship awards have been made possible by The Joseph and Arlene Taub Foundation in memory of Joseph Taub, z”l.
For further details, including VIP sponsorship opportunities, and tickets, visit jccotp.org/sportsnight or call Hilary Baris, [email protected] or 201-408-1412.
