At UJA NNJ, the beginning of every Annual Campaign is marked with a time-honored tradition, one that sets the tone for the year to come. Called Leadership Kick-Off, it’s the four-day period—this year September 17-20—during which UJA NNJ’s major donors, members of its Board of Trustees, and supporters from across the community gather to renew their commitments and explore the needs their gifts will meet. A contribution to UJA NNJ’s Annual Campaign is a gift to the Jewish community, locally, nationally, in Israel, and in 60 countries around the world.

Ethiopia to Israel: 2,000 miles and 2,000 years in a single night

For Alan Scharfstein and Ken Saibel, last month’s trip to Ethiopia—part of a national UJA mission—was a time to experience what it’s like for Jews of an ancient civilization to travel 2,000 miles and 2,000 years in a single night. The two, UJA NNJ Campaign chair and assistant executive vice-president respectively, traveled with a group of 90 Ethiopian olim (immigrants) making Aliyah to Israel.

Woodcliff Lake – UJA NNJ is all about building our Jewish community. Last week, people from throughout northern New Jersey had a chance to come out and see their community in action during UJA NNJ’s Annual Meeting, held at Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley in Woodcliff Lake. A major highlight of the event was an insightful keynote address, entitled "Looking Back, Looking Ahead: A Journalist’s View of the Changing American Jewish Community," given by Gary Rosenblatt editor and publisher of The Jewish Week of New York. There was the election of Officers and Trustees, as well as presentation of two awards: the Russell Berrie Young Leadership Award to Martha Cohen and Gregory Meisel and the Marge Bornstein Award for Outstanding Volunteerism to Dr. Leonard Cole. There was also a special musical video presentation by Gale S. Bindelglass to remind those present of UJA NNJ’s mission to build community together.

River Edge – Convener...Organizer…Mobilizer… Funder…Problem-solver: these are five action nouns that taken together describe one and only one agency in the northern part of the state…UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey. In one week and one day on June 30, that agency’s (UJA NNJ for short) 2007 Annual Campaign is set to close. June 30 is when the agency asks those who haven’t yet done so, to write out a check so that UJA NNJ can continue to be not just a funder but all those other action nouns too.

So what about those action nouns? Without question, UJA NNJ is a funder. It funds the 13 local day schools, all three area Jewish community centers, both Jewish family service agencies, both Jewish assisted living facilities for seniors and over 80 agencies and programs here in the US and overseas.

But UJA NNJ is also an organizer and a mobilizer. When the Second Lebanon War broke out last July, it was UJA NNJ that organized the community and held a solidarity rally that saw more than 1,000 people from all across the area come together to show their support of Israel. This community demonstrated that as disparate as we are in how we worship and where we live, we can and will act together. And UJA NNJ showed the way.

Everyone knows that the less money you spend on overhead, the more that’s available for services to the community. That’s the impetus behind UJA NNJ convening and spearheading the initiative to form a collective for joint purchasing of supplies and health insurance among our Jewish agencies in northern New Jersey. Not exciting you say? By spending less money on overhead essentials, each agency will be able to spend more on services. It is UJA NNJ that has shown how exciting that can be.

UJA NNJ is a problem solver too. When a school faces a predicament resulting from the wonderful but unanticipated growth of its student body and the associated lack of funds to support it, it’s UJA NNJ that will step up to the plate and provide emergency funding and advice from a pool of knowledgeable professionals who can help that school navigate its way out of dangerous waters into the calm.

In these ways as well as so many others, UJA NNJ acts as no single agency in northern New Jersey can act…on behalf of the entire community. UJA NNJ is the central address of northern New Jersey’s Jewish community. It is the glue that holds it together.

You can write out a check and send it to UJA NNJ at 111 Kinderkamack Rd., River Edge, NJ 07661. Or you can make a donation online at www.ujannj.org. We take Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. For information call 201-488-6800.

Woodcliff Lake – Traditionally, the UJA NNJ Annual Meeting is an event at which northern New Jersey’s Jewish community can have the opportunity to hear about all that UJA NNJ has achieved in the past 12 months. It is also a time to honor those in the community who have made a positive difference. This year’s Annual Meeting is set to take place Wednesday, June 20, 7 p.m. at Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley, 87 Overlook Drive, Woodcliff Lake.

Washington Township – Judaism’s wealth of enriching traditions were fully on display at last Sunday’s Great Jewish Wedding Event, coordinated by UJA NNJ’s Jewish Community Relations Council and the Synagogue Leadership Initiative. Hundreds of attendees came away with a deeper understanding about the unique aspects that Jews from different countries and denominations bring to this milestone event. The "celebrants" enjoyed seeing festive Yemenite dancing, magnificent costumes from Morocco, and the Indian bride in all her regalia. They took in the fragrance of the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, and gained insights into what makes Hasidic weddings so memorable. Century 21 department store was a Gold Sponsor of this event, held at the Bergen County YJCC. Highlights included an exhibit of portraits from "Jews Around the World" by photojournalist, Zion Ozeri, a Yemenite wedding presentation by artist, Geula Vardi, music by Klezmer by Alicia Svigals, Lea Bayers Rapp’s seminar on planning a Jewish wedding, and a vendor fair.

Sunday, June 10 – The Jersey to Jerusalem Reunion is scheduled to be held at Temple Beth Or, 56 Ridgewood Road, Washington Township, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Recapture the spirit of Jersey to Jerusalem, revisit and catch up with bus mates, share memories and stories of that emotional time when we sang, danced, and cried. Enjoy Israeli music and food, be there for the premiere of the Jersey to Jerusalem video, and applaud the winning entries of the J2J photo contest. UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey’s Jersey to Jerusalem reunion will be a perfect time to find out how to get connected and involved in UJA NNJ’s projects in Israel. To RSVP, contact Sadie Herbert by June 4 at 201-488-6800, ext. 268, email sadieh@ujannj.org, or sign up online at www.ujannj.org

Wyckoff – It was an evening of warm hospitality and socializing that gave members of the Financial, Legal & Real Estate (FLRE) Honor Society an opportunity to get to know each other better in an intimate setting. The FLRE Honor Society Recognition and Appreciation Event, held recently at the home of Marjorie and Harry Immerman, was an occasion to thank the professionals who are among the most generous community members in giving of their time and financial resources.

Welcoming the attendees were Division co-chairs, Charles Lieberman and Dan Shlufman. New Honor Society member, Simona Snyder, spoke about how her family was helped by the UJA Federation system to escape the anti-Semitism they experienced in Latvia to begin a new life in the U.S.

Snyder’s mother, Zoya Leyben, is a renowned violinist who spoke on video about how the Jewish community helped fulfill the dream she had of playing in an American symphony orchestra and having her family live in freedom. Snyder was joined by her sisters, Emma Nelson and Yvietta Matison – who with the help of the UJA Federation system was reunited with her family after being denied an immigration visa for ten years.

Rockleigh – Nearly 500 women from throughout northern New Jersey rejoiced in their shared Jewish heritage while getting together with long-standing friends and making new ones at the UJA NNJ’s Women’s Division annual Spring Luncheon on May 3rd at the Rockleigh Country Club.

This year, the attendees paid tribute to event honorees Sylvia Safer, Jan Seligmann Weiss, and as this year’s Rising Star, Lisa Beth Meisel. After bidding on the outstanding raffle prizes and generously supporting the UJA NNJ Annual Campaign, they enjoyed the wit and warmth of guest speaker - bestselling author Jennifer Weiner.

The Lion of Judah Reception was sponsored by Dr. Tzvi Small of Bergen Plastic Surgery. Event co-sponsors were Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, and the Prestige Family of Fine Automobiles.

For information about upcoming Women’s Division events, contact Jodi Heimler, 201-488-6800, ext 226, or email jodih@ujannj.org

Tenafly – Broadway actress and cabaret performer Jana Robbins shared her life in show business through stories and songs with the 65 women who recently attended the UJA NNJ Business & Professional Women’s Division 2007 Spring Dinner. Ann Leib and Joyce Malech co-chaired this B&P campaign event, which was held at the Clinton Inn in Tenafly.