Farmer Ted Stephens arrives at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly on Wednesdays from his farm in Sussex County, carrying loads of freshly picked vegetables.

Rabbi Steve Golden, the JCC’s Judaic director, sorts the produce before members of the JCC’s Special Services department arrive to bag the crops.

That evening, some 60 people arrive to pick up their shares of the harvest.

Welcome to the Hazon CSA at the JCC.

“Since the Bible and rabbinic tradition puts stewardship over the land as a central task for God’s servants,” said Golden, the program’s co-coordinator, “our participation in the Hazon CSA provides an opportunity for any member of the community to preserve, advocate for, and enjoy the blessings of the land.”

Hazon, an organization dedicated to creating a healthier and sustainable Jewish way of life, began its Community Supported Agriculture program in 2004. Thirty-two Hazon CSAs in North America and Israel contributed more than $900,000 to farmers and received more than 305,000 pounds of food in 2009. The JCC joined the program last summer to support the Stephens Farm through good times and bad and bring local, organic vegetables to the community.

Annemarie and Ted Stephens, left, on their Sussex County farm with members of the Kaplen JCC’s Hazon CSA Courtesy Kaplen JCC on the Palisades

“It enables the farmer to count on a determined amount of income so he can buy his seed, fix his tractor, whatever he needs to do to get his crops in the ground and growing,” said Golden, co-director with Shelley Levy of the JCC’s CSA. “It’s a group of people who want to support local, sustainable agriculture.”

Each week, about 20 members of JCC’s Special Services program, in their 20s and 30s, bag the vegetables before they are picked up. The JCC Association, the national umbrella group for the JCC movement, honored the JCC with one of its biennial awards in the spring because of the collaboration the CSA has created between the Judaic and Special Services departments.

“It is a way of helping them practice skills they’ve learned and feel good about accomplishing a job well done,” said Levy, who is director of the JCC’s Special Services department. “It’s been a wonderful experience for us to be part of this.”

Stephens, who runs the Wantage Township farm with his wife Annemarie, said the CSA has “worked out well in every way you can imagine.”

The group has 62 shareholders who own 48 shares between them. Some members have only half shares, some have full shares, while others split full shares. The CSA charges $550 for a full share — between 7 and 10 pounds of produce a week — and $330 for a half share — 3 to 5 pounds of produce a week. Food not picked up on Wednesdays is donated to Englewood’s Center for Food Action on Thursdays, which Golden said helps make the CSA Jewish.

“It’s not just eating organic or eating local,” he said, “but we’re also supporting people who are hungry and doing it in a Jewish context.”

CSA member Marty Kasdan makes a weekly pick-up during the 2009 season. Courtesy Kaplen JCC on the Palisades.

Of the $550 for a full share, $535 goes toward the farm, Golden said. Last season was particularly bad for farmers and the money from the CSA helped the Stephens Farm stay afloat, said CSA member Jonathan King of Englewood.

“It’s putting the importance on what this is doing rather than what do I get,” he said.

Getting local vegetables is important to King, who is in his second year in the CSA with his wife, Kathleen Mullally.

“My wife and I are both strong believers that we should try to buy locally,” he said. “We believe we’re eating healthier, as well as keeping our carbon footprint down.”

“It’s nice to be part of a community that supports a farming family,” said CSA participant Iris Mayer of Tenafly. “It just feels good to give back to someone who’s doing something for the environment, and certainly the Garden State of New Jersey. It’s nice to have local vegetables and they taste delicious.”

A small group of CSA members visited the farm earlier this month and another trip is planned during Sukkot. Members will set up a sukkah on the farm, eat, do some planting, and then go apple-picking.

“It’s great to see the people,” Stephens said. “It’s great to be able to show people how the stuff grows and educate them. I love having people come out to the farm.”

Not just veggies

The Hazon CSA at the Kaplen JCC offers more than just vegetables. Members can also get organic kosher chickens from Grow and Behold Foods. For more information on the CSA at the JCC, call Rabbi Steve Golden at (201) 569-7900 ext.1426.

What was a young black bear doing in a playground at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly Monday night?

“Playing a little bit,” said Avi Lewinson, the JCC’s executive director. “He was climbing some of the apparatus.”

Lewinson and Paul Costa, the facility director, were close enough to be “almost dancing with the bear,” he said. But, he added, “it was looking to stay away from me as much as I was looking to stay away from it.”

“On all fours,” Lewinson went on, “he — or maybe she — looked like a St. Bernard, or maybe a little smaller. Standing — I didn’t ask him to stand back-to-back with me — he was 5’9” to 5’11”, a little shorter than me, and weighed about 200 pounds, including a lot of fur.”

The bear soon climbed out of the playground and went into the woods in back of the JCC, where the police, whom Lewinson called, could make him out with their searchlights.

“I don’t feel he was dangerous,” Lewinson said. “He was like a big collie. He never charged and didn’t growl…. He was just doing what bears do…. When he realized we were close, he ran from us.”

This was not the bear’s first venture to the JCC; he was seen there about two weeks ago, and by the time the police got there, he had disappeared into the woods.

“If he was interested,” Lewinson said, “I would have sold him a membership.”

Indeed, said Tenafly Police Chief Michael Bruno, “he seems to like the JCC.”

He added that “we can’t and don’t want to shoot the bear, because he has not become aggressive or threatened anyone.”

Noting that a Dumpster is near the building, Bruno speculated that the bear was “just looking for food in a rather congested area that isn’t conducive to bears and humans cohabiting well…. I don’t think [people] need to be afraid.” He added that he had “asked the director to maintain a little bit of heightened awareness.”

The police are working with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Game, Bruno said. “They are trying to see if they can get a trap installed here, and then they would take the bear and release him somewhere else…. I hope it will come to a quick conclusion that’s safe for everyone, including the animal.”

Rabbi Yosef Adler, who is Orthodox, said he might rejoice if his own child established a loving same-sex relationship, but that the Jewish community at large would not rejoice.

Adler, religious leader of Cong. Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck, spoke during a forum on sex roles at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly last week. He was answering a challenge from a young gay Orthodox man as to whether Adler would be as pleased as his own rabbi father would be with this son were he in that kind of relationship.

Three rabbis — Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform — spoke during the forum, and while there was disagreement among them about homosexual unions, their tone was civil. And Adler pointed out all of them agreed that bullying in general was to be condemned.

Still, Adler said, homosexual unions are contrary to Jewish law, and he opposes the publication of announcements of engagements between homosexuals, as The Jewish Standard had done in September. He contended that the publication of the announcement was a celebration of the union and suggested that if such announcements were paid advertisements they might be more acceptable to the Orthodox community.

Disagreeing with Adler about homosexual unions was Jordan Millstein, religious leader of Temple Sinai in Tenafly, who had officiated at two same-sex Jewish marriage ceremonies — which did not have legal standing — in the late ‘90s, at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, Ill. A Reform rabbi, he asked who has the right to decide that male and female are the only valid categories. As for the biblical injunction against homosexuality, Millstein said that the Bible has diverse views and people “cherry-pick” whatever ones they agree with. The ideal with any relationship, he went on, is that it be fully committed and honest, with trust and exclusivity. He added that homosexuals should feel that they have a place in the Jewish community. Temple Sinai and the Reform movement, he said, are dedicated to this notion.

David-Seth Kirshner, rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Closter, said that whatever people do in private should remain private. Adler agreed, and went further: “If someone desecrates the Sabbath, that doesn’t mean that he has no right to be active in the Jewish community.”

Kirshner said that he had enjoyed the hour’s talk he had with Adler at an earlier date and was pleased to see in how many areas they agreed. He suggested that North Jersey rabbis from the different streams of Judaism communicate with one another more often and that there should be one board of rabbis from all the streams. At present, Orthodox rabbis belong to the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County and Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist rabbis belong to the North Jersey Board of Rabbis.

Joy Kurland, director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey introduced the session, co-sponsored by UJA-NNJ and the Kaplen JCC. The moderator was Rabbi Reuven Kimelman, professor of classical rabbinic literature at Brandeis University. Two more rabbinic forums are scheduled, one at the YM-YWHA in Wayne and the other at the Bergen YJCC in Washington Township.

The renovated reception area is now larger, as well as warm and welcoming.

After three years and $19 million, the extensive renovation of the Kaplen Jewish Community Center on the Palisades has come to an end. (But the restaurant was not officially open as of Wednesday.)

The result, say visitors to the facility, is an ultra-modern, warm, and welcoming environment. Its new entrance and lobby, which some have called “stunning,” is paved with “Jerusalem Gold” — an elegant stone imported from Israel. The lobby also features woodwork made of anigre, an imported wood. Decorative tiling appears throughout the building, donated by Artistic Tile.

The JCC started in Englewood in 1951 and moved to 411 E. Clinton Ave., in Tenafly, in 1981. It plans to celebrate its 60th anniversary in November with a gala celebration in the new, enhanced facility.

Renovations reportedly reached into virtually every area of the 141,200-square-foot building, including a 15,000-square-foot summer camp building. There were six additions to the facility as well, totaling 25,000 square feet.

“This project was a logistical challenge because we had to do all the construction with minimal disruption to ongoing programs and operations,” said Joseph Langan, president of River Drive Construction. “This involved relocating many services and juggling complex schedules, but, as a result of working closely with the JCC, we were able to ensure a smooth transition. The end result is a stunning, updated facility that better meets the needs of the growing membership.”

Since the renovation began three years ago, JCC membership has grown nearly 20 percent. There are now approximately 13,000 individual members. Thousands use the facility every day, including nearly 1,000 patrons of the fitness and recreation areas alone.

The three areas to experience the greatest enhancements are the Early Childhood Department, which has been consolidated into two secure areas; Fitness and Recreation, which has been upgraded to a state-of-the-art two-story center; and community space, which has been increased.

“After three long years, we now have a fabulous revitalized center to welcome and serve our members for generations to come,” said JCC Chief Operating Officer Sue Gelsey. “We are beyond proud of our new facility,” she added.

The architect for the project was SNS Architects & Engineers, based in Montvale. Dahn & Krieger Architects and Planners, based in Hackensack, designed the new café and other additions.

Shortly before his death in March, the philanthropist Henry Taub lay down a challenge to the Jewish communities served by the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. If they would put up $3 million by April 1, 2012, to help complete the JCC’s capital campaign, he would put up the additional $1.5 million.

Taub’s commitment to enhancing Jewish life was legendary. The Kaplen JCC, however, had a special place in his heart. While his son Steven Taub calls it “a little bit of a stretch,” he says that his family’s association with, and support for, the Tenafly facility extends to some four generations.

“My father was one of its founders and the first president in the Tenafly location,” said Taub. “Together with my mother, he was always dedicated to the community and encouraged others to participate.”

The next generation followed suit, with Steven’s sister, Judy Gold, his brother, Ira, and his wife, Benay, serving as JCC board members. Their children, in turn, have participated in numerous JCC activities, from preschool to the teen philanthropy program.

Factoring in the Yiddish concert series sponsored by Henry and Marilyn Taub for seniors in memory of Marilyn’s parents, “that’s four generations,” said Taub.

Henry Taub supported the JCC even in his final days, said his son. According to Avi Lewinson, JCC executive director, Taub asked him what he could do to help his beloved community center and was told that while the fundraising effort had already collected $27 million for endowments and the capital campaign, $4.5 million was still needed to finish the job. As a result, Taub lay down his challenge. He stipulated, however, that every board member must make a contribution.

“Henry Taub supported the center from the beginning,” said Lewinson. “While he had the wherewithal to be able to donate whatever he wanted, he felt people shouldn’t rely on him and assume he’d take care of it. He wanted them to do their fair share. The Community Challenge is an incredible example of that.”

“Everyone believes it will happen,” said Steven Taub, despite the fact that the current economic climate has made fundraising more challenging, “Campaigns are conceived for the long term, and the leadership has responded.”

Lewinson echoed Taub’s optimism.

“It’s easier to do fundraising when you have matching dollars,” he said. “I feel blessed and amazed that in this climate, where so many not-for-profits are really struggling, this is resonating. People are stepping up. We’re getting gifts from people who already gave, as well as new gifts. It’s very heartening.”

“I feel truly honored that Henry felt as strongly as he did about the JCC,” said Lewinson. “This campaign is a real tribute to him.”

So far, the challenge has brought in pledges of about $1.2 million.

Lewinson said he doesn’t want to get down “to the last second” to collect the necessary funds.

He added, “I truly believe [the funding] won’t be an issue. People will step up to make sure we get it.”

Steven Taub said he believes the JCC is stronger than ever, citing the “parking lot factor” as evidence of its popularity.

“It’s tough to get a parking spot,” he said. “They have extensive programming covering the gamut from education to sports, arts, and music, as well as a health club. They cover the full age range, from the very young to seniors, and they have programs for people with special needs. In every sense, it’s a real community center for Jews regardless of their denomination.”

Steven Taub described the renovation of the community center as “just outstanding,” both aesthetically and in its ability to accommodate even more programming.

Lewinson said the facility is “always evaluating and adding programs. We look to see who isn’t being served. Finishing the campaign will enable us to be at the forefront of new and exciting programming for the Jewish community and the community at large.”

The executive director pointed out that programming for seniors was very important to Henry and Marilyn Taub, as was “getting Yiddishkeit out to the community.” He said that one area of expanded programming is “our relationship with Israel — helping people look at Israel in terms of what it does for humankind.”

According to Lewinson, the JCC’s current membership embraces approximately 3,500 units, or between 12,000 and 13,000 people who come in on a regular basis. This includes both members and nonmembers, whether they participate in special needs programs, concerts, lectures, or Judaic classes.

“Seven hundred different individuals participate in at least one program a week,” he said, adding that in recent years the number of Israeli and Russian families has increased. While the center attracts non-Jews as well, “it’s an overwhelmingly Jewish population,” he said.

Lewinson said the JCC is having a gala in November to celebrate “the completion of the renovation, 60 years as an organization, and 30 years in Tenafly.” The event will honor “special people,” he said, noting that Charles and Lynne Klatskin will receive a lifetime achievement award. Also honored will be JoJo Rubach, building chair; Pearl Seiden, campaign chair; and past presidents Nancy I. Brown, Daniel Rubin, and Robin Miller.

Lewinson attributes the success of his institution to “the mix of an incredibly committed community in terms of leadership and an incredible staff, all on same track, [with a] belief in and commitment to our core mission as a Jewish organization.

“Some Jewish organizations trying to be a success start to do things that the general community does, thinking it will help them,” he said. “Our strong commitment to our Jewish mission is what helps us succeed.”