What Would We Do Without Our Volunteers?
Once again, we are looking forward to our annual Gala on October 18th. This year we are delighted to pay tribute to 11 outstanding women – Past Gala Chairs – who see volunteerism providing defining moments in their lives to the grateful benefit of the Jewish Home. Our “Women of Valor – N’shay Hayil” – are Angelica Berrie, Myrna Block, Eleanor Epstein, Judy Freilich, Gayle Gerstein, Lynne Klatskin, Dianne Nashel, JoAnn Hassan Perlman, Syril Rubin, Sylvia Shirvan and Fran Ziegelheim. Each of our eleven women have spent most of their lives making a difference in other peoples lives. What a fabulous gift!
Angelica Berrie, President of the Russell Berrie Foundation, whose efforts impact worldwide as well as in Bergen County through the Berrie Fellows Program, a leadership development program through the UJANNJ; and of course her leadership here at the Jewish Home. Judy Freilich, a former speech pathologist, where volunteerism was very much present at home while growing up, began volunteering at JHR in the arts and crafts program. “Volunteering at JHR and JHAL has not only been a rewarding experience… but it has broadened my horizon, enlightened my thinking and my perspective on people and aging,” says Judy. Lynne Klatskin points to her family’s leadership role in building both the Jewish Home and the Jewish Community Center in New Haven, CT, and says it is an inspiration to her to bring commitment to communal institutions in Bergen County. All three are residents of Englewood.
Three of our honorees hail from Tenafly. Myrna Block, a busy business executive, always makes time for Jewish organization. As a Vice President of the Jewish Home at Rockleigh, she notes that her parents were wonderful role models, being very active in many Jewish causes. “Having an obligation to give back was engrained in me at a very early age,” says Sylvia Shirvan who has channeled her interest in medical research projects with the Women’s Division of Israel’s Technion and, with her husband, established the Sylvia and Stanley Shirvan Endowment for Rehabilitation Services for the Neurologically Impaired at JHR. A former teacher and editor and twice a president of Jewish Family Service, Dianne Nashel indicated she knew she had to volunteer to help when “I was watching family and friends get ill and grow old and I knew [the Jewish Home] was a place I could be confident would take good care of them.”
Gayle Gerstein finds time in her busy life for other organizations and Englewood Hospital, but relishes the time she has spent making sure the Gala was an annual success. JoAnn Hassan Perlman, an active volunteer in Jewish organizations since she was a teenager, worked as an educational consultant and special ed teacher, has participated with the Gala and has been a member of our board for years. Both Gayle and JoAnn live in Alpine.
Syril Rubin and Eleanor Epstein, both from Fort Lee, have spent their lives as prolific volunteers and, with their husbands, were involved from the beginning with the building of the Bergen County Jewish community and its organizations. Syril has always said she believes “a volunteer gets as much as she gives.” Eleanor Epstein started her volunteer efforts by standing on street corners shaking pushkas to collect funds for the Israeli War of Independence, has been an officer of many county organizations and is a longstanding member of JHR’s Board.
Fran Ziegelheim, from Franklin Lakes, has been the heart and soul of our Gala for many years, and recently saw first hand how important volunteering is for the Home to be able to deliver care to those in need.
These exceptional women are examples of the many from our communtiy whose strong support and hard work over our 94 year history has enabled the Jewish Home Family to have the ability to take care of our elderly.
We couldn’t have done it without them, and we are forever grateful.