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To former Gov. Jon S. Corzine, Rutgers University Hillel represents the nexus of two communities of great value to the state: the "national asset" of New Jersey state education, and the Jewish groups with whom he worked often as the state's chief executive.

"Organizations like Hillel contribute to the pluralism and the environment and that life that a great university needs, because, particularly in larger universities, you look for those areas in which Rutgers students can find their home, of which Hillel does a good job for the Jewish community at Rutgers," Corzine told The Jewish State in an interview with local Jewish media Feb. 10.

Corzine will be honored by Rutgers Hillel at its annual dinner March 23. The dinner, at which Arthur and Betty Roswell, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Dr. Richard and Ellen Gertler will also be honored, will take place at The Crystal Plaza in Livingston, from 7-9 p.m.

Corzine lost his bid for re-election in November to Gov. Chris Christie. Though the two campaigns clashed over the issue of public education funding, Corzine said he is encouraged by Christie's drive to continue raising education standards in the state, to better educate students from early childhood through college.

"Our kids come better prepared, more of them go to college, they are better prepared for college than almost every other state in the country, and we have to take better advantage of that," Corzine said. "I think [Christie] and I are on the same wavelength there; that was the heart and soul of my most passionate efforts -- to focus on kids and their education, their health care, making sure that those who are less fortunate have the opportunity to get to the starting line on a more equal basis."

Corzine also elevated to permanent the status of the New Jersey-Israel Commission, which was designed to foster partnerships between Israel and New Jersey-based businesses and high-tech firms.

"That partnership and that relationship is longstanding; it preceded me and I don't think it is unique to my governorship," Corzine said. "We emphasized the economic role and gave it greater status and focus, and the relationship between Israel and the United States, between Israel and New Jersey, is just going to grow when you have people nurturing this."

New Jersey, Corzine said, has much in common with Israel culturally, with the state's large Jewish community, and economically, with research and development in the biotech, energy, and pharmaceutical fields.

"I think that this is a great opportunity, both for New Jerseyans and for Israel's entrepreneurs, to look for joint efforts and for them to make New Jersey their home," he said.

Corzine said Rutgers Hillel enables students to strengthen their connections with Judaism and with Israel, and forge friendships with others going through the same process. He said he takes great pride in being honored by Hillel.

"I respect the organization, what it's doing, and how people feel about it," Corzine said, adding that Hillel's efforts toward raising awareness for global conflicts like the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan are examples of the important contributions Hillel is making to broader society.

Corzine, a former CEO of Goldman Sachs, said he is considering a return to the business world, possibly through entrepreneurship or in a more advisory role with an established company that could benefit from his guidance and experience.

He said he intends to keep up his connection with the state's Jewish community, with whom he worked closely as governor. Corzine visited Israel as recently as July 2008, when he toured the embattled South under rocket fire from Gaza. The connections Corzine made in the Jewish community, he said, were just some of the many friendships and partnerships from his term in office that he looks back on fondly.

"I felt like it was the most important four years of my life," Corzine said. "And I look forward to continuing to work on some of those things that were a part of that government, specifically the educational aspect, and maintaining the kinds of friendships that developed because I had the opportunity and the joy of being governor."