106 USY Graduates Leave for Year in Israel

One hundred and six recent graduates of United Synagogue Youth departed at the beginning of September for Israel.

As part of USY’s NATIV College/Leadership Program, they will spend the next nine months studying, touring, volunteering, and learning new leadership techniques. USY is the high school affiliate of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

According to Jules Gutin, Director of United Synagogue Youth, this is the largest NATIV group in the program’s 27-year history. In fact, since September, 2003 Nativ enrollment has more than doubled. Mr. Gutin added that this follows a very successful summer, where the enrollment in USY Israel Programs topped 400 participants and staff.

This year’s NATIV students come from 25 different states and 2 Canadian provinces. From September through mid-January, students have the option to pursue academic studies at the Rothberg School for Overseas Studies of the Hebrew University, study Jewish texts at the United Synagogue’s Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem or take an intensive Ulpan. After winter break, students may live and volunteer on a Kibbutz or they may serve as volunteers in an Israeli Community.

The leadership training aspects of the program have enabled many NATIV graduates to assume leadership positions throughout the North American Jewish community. Several have become rabbis, while others have gone on to careers in Jewish youth work. Still others have risen to lay leadership positions in their synagogues and regions or have made Aliyah. Over half of the staff members on USY programs this past summer were graduates of NATIV.

Local participants from the Hagalil/ N.J. region include: Josh Bickel, Fair Lawn; Aaron Eidman, Englewood; Mara Feinberg, Rockaway; Julie Katz, Howell; Michelle Kuchinsky, Highland Park; Jacqueline Litvak, Millburn; Oren Pollak, E. Brunswick; Deborah Sason, East Brunswick; Lydia Schulman, Toms River; Irene Shulman, Englewood.

For more information about NATIV check out www.nativ.org or contact Nahum Binder , USY’s Central Shaliach , at 212-533-7800, ext. 2321, or e-mail nativ@uscj.org.

JCC Launches Diabetes Awareness Initiative

In recognition of the burgeoning problem of diabetes in the U.S., the JCC of Central N.J. is spotlighting a Diabetes Awareness Initiative this fall.

This program will kick off on October 2 with a visit from Overlook Hospital’s “Healthy Avenues Van,” which will offer free diabetes screenings from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Space is limited and appointments are recommended.

The program will continue the following week with a four-part workshop on “Taking Control: Steps Toward Managing Your Diabetes.”This workshop will be held on Tuesdays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., starting October 9.Taught by a certified diabetes educator and registered dietician from Overlook Hospital, this program will help diabetes patients and their families learn to make the healthy lifestyle choices that will aid them in managing their disease.The workshop will culminate in a cooking demonstration and tasting.

Both the screening and the workshop are open to all. There is no charge for the screening; the fees for the workshop are $160 for JCC members and $185 for the community at large.

For more information, to make an appointment for the diabetes screening, or to register for the diabetes management workshop, please contact Michele Dreiblatt at mdreiblatt@jccnj.org or (908) 889-8800 ext. 205.

The JCC of Central N.J. is located at 1391 Martine Avenue in Scotch Plains . The JCC of Central N.J. is a constituent agency of the United Way and the Jewish Federation of Central N.J. Financial assistance is available for membership and various programs.

Highland Park Temple/Congregation Anshe Emeth to Hold Geniza

The Highland Park Conservative Temple/Congregation Anshe Emeth will be conducting a geniza (burial of sacred objects) on Sunday, September 16, at 11 a.m. at the Congregation Anshe Emeth Cemetery off Cranbury Road in East Brunswick.

All the books and religious articles damaged by the fire that devastated the Temple on August 24, 2006 will be buried.

Now that the Temple is back in the undamaged part of their building after a year off-site, all these articles and books were sorted and enough items to fill two graves were set aside for burial.

What the temple is doing is something done by Jews throughout history, which is to bury sacred objects no longer usable in order to show respect for these objects.

It was decided to have the geniza to coincide with the yearly anniversary of the fire and also to have it during the 10 days of Awe.It is also symbolic to be burying these items in a cemetery owned by Congregation Anshe Emeth of South River, with whom the Highland Park Temple merged last year. It is another step in bringing the histories of these two synagogues together.

Dr. Randi Katz Joins Howell Hematology and Oncology Medical Practice

Dr. Randi Joy Katz, Morganville, has joined the medical practice of Kenneth D. Nahum, Howell, a practice that specializes in hematology and oncology.

Dr. Katz graduated from Binghamton University, Binghamton, N.Y. with a B.A. in biology. She was graduated from New York College of Osteopath Medicine, Old Westbury, N.Y., as a Doctor of Osteopathy in 2001. Dr. Katz completed both an internal medicine residency program and a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital, N.Y.

Dr. Katz became a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine in August 2004.She is a member of the American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Osteopathic Association, Medical Society of the State of New York, and the American Society of Hematology.

Dr. Katz is married to Dr. Evan Krawitz, an optometrist with Atlantic Eye Physicians, with offices in Long Branch, Holmdel, and Little Silver.

Ahavas Achim, Highland Park, invites you to join our 6th annual Israel Mission,from Jan.16-28, 2008. 

Please join the following families who will be participating: Ackerman, Erdfarb, Friedenberg, Goldberg, Jacobs, Kanner, Karpoff, Kessel, Kohl, Rosenberg, Schwarzberg, and Sholom. The mission will include roundtrip non-stop flights on El Al Israel Airlines fromNewark, eight nights at the Prima Kings Hotel, two nights at the Sheraton Herods inEilat, three days of touring with experienced guides, a full Israeli breakfast daily, dinners in Eilat, Friday night and Shabbat lunch on both Shabbatot,tips, transfers, and handling.

The cost per person (based on double occupancy) is $2029 plus airport tax and fuel surcharge (currently $230). Registration has already begun, and is available on a first-come, first-serve basis with a non-refundable deposit of $350 per person by Monday, Sept.17. To register, visitthe mission website at www.arieltours.com/aamission. Questions can be directed to aamission@arieltours.com.

NEW JERSEY STATE OF ISRAEL BONDS WOMEN’S DIVISION HONORS “THREE FACES OF GOLDA”

For the first time, New Jersey State of Israel Bonds is proud to honor three distinguished women, Diana Daniels, Joan Nelson, and Jo Aimee Ostrov, at its annual Golda Meir Tribute Luncheon to be held Monday, September 24, 2007 at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston.

Diana Daniels of Short Hills has served as President of Temple B’nai Abraham’s Sisterhood since 2004 where she has been instrumental in developing programs to raise money for Israel and increased community awareness regarding Israel, the Holocaust and Jewish activities.She is active in AIPAC, a life member of Hadassah, Wizo and National Council of Jewish Women and a member of ORT and the Jewish Republican Coalition.Diana currently serves on the board of N.J. Women’s Division of Israel Bonds.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Drew University and has been married to Jim Daniels for 37 years.Together they have invested in Israel Bonds for 33 years and have visited Israel nine times.The couple supports the Sister Rose Thering Foundation at Seton Hall University and the Drew University Holocaust Center.Proud parents of David, a plastic surgeon, Sharon, an adjunct professor at Drew University, Judith, a real estate agent, and two teenagers, Joshua and Jonathan, Diana and Jim are awaiting the arrival of a second grandchild to join two year old granddaughter, Isabella.

Joan Nelson was born in Plainfield and has been a resident of Montville for the past 35 years.A graduate of Douglass College, she is the comptroller of Caritron, an electronic design firm which was founded by Joan and Eugene Bruce Nelson, her late husband of thirty-eight years.

Joan has been a committed member of the Steering Committee of the Rachel Coalition for the past six years.She currently co-chairs the Friends of Rachel Campaign and is actively involved in the Run for Rachel, Legal Committee, Community Event and the Rachel Angels.Joan is a member and supporter or the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Jewish Museum in New York City.She is a member of Temple Sholom of West Essex and the Pine Brook Jewish Center.

Joan takes great pride in the fact that her children, Carol Schunkewitz, Richard Nelson, Susan Novin and husband Joshua are all active in Israel Bonds.She is the proud grandmother of Elyse and Jason Schunkewitz and Emma Novin.“It has been for many years and continues to be, a priority to our family to support the development and growth of Israel.It is also most important that Israel remains a country in which all Jews are free to live,” she said.

Jo Aimee Ostrov of Long Branch serves on the Executive Board of Hadassah and is a member of Hadassah’s National Board.She has just completed her term as the National Major Gifts Chair and is past president of the Southern New Jersey Region of Hadassah.

Aimee has been appointed to the New Jersey Israel Commission and the Governor’s Commission on Women.She has also served on the Boards of the East Brunswick Jewish Center, Jewish Family Service of Southern Middlesex County, Special Education P.T.A of East Brunswick and the Commission on Aging and was a Democratic Committeewoman from her district.

Aimee is a graduate of Cornell University and has a Master’s Degree in Food and Nutrition from Rutgers University.She worked for many years as a dietitian in hospitals and in nursing homes.

Aimee is married to Jerry, who retired from Johnson & Johnson in 2005 and works as a consultant and Board member in the consumer products and medical device fields.Daughter Betsy works for Pfizer.Son-in-law Boris Veysman is an emergency room physician at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and an assistant professor at UMDNJ.They have just moved to Freehold with their two year old twins, Alana and Aaron.Son, David Ostrov works for Middlesex County and resides in East Brunswick.

The guest speaker at the Golda Meir Luncheon will be Donna Rosenthal, award-winning author of The Israelis:Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land.

State of Israel Bonds is an international organization offering securities issued by the government of Israel.Since its inception in 1951, Israel Bonds has secured $25 billion in investment capital for the development of every aspect of Israel’s economy, including agriculture, commerce and industry.Throughout its history, Israel has maintained a perfect record of the payment of principal and interest on the securities it has issued.Israel Bonds proceeds play a major role in absorbing Jews from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia and elsewhere, and in providing crucial financial resources to Israel for a new era of promise and opportunity.

For information about attending the Golda Meir Luncheon or about investing in Israel Bonds, please call Linda Schmidt at (973) 994-0516 or (800) 404-3235.

Photo (left to right): Diana Daniels, Joan Nelson, Jo Aimee Ostrov.