Ocean JPages - JFOC Summer 2025 Magazine

Summer 2025
Impact
Community
Federation
Ocean
County
See Centerfold for the
My Son The Waiter Playbill.
Inside JPages | PJ Library p.4 | JFCS p. 5 | Israel Impact p.6 | Combatting Hate p.12 |

Thank you to our sponsors...
GOLD SPONSOR
Annabel & Manny Lindenbaum
SILVER SPONSORS
Cantors Ruth & Daniel Green
Shelly & Dennis Newman
PATRONS
Fran Gimpel
Shelley & Ray Lynnworth
Barbara & William Schulman
Dennis and Shelly Newman
Place your ad here.
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We want to thank our Board
members for all their contributions
to our community.
A Message from Our Managing Director
Thank you for connecting!
Let's Connect today takes on even more importance.
We live in a world that is far more uncertain than before. From concerns
about safety and security to rising antisemitism to tensions with Israel to
divisions in the Jewish community. Our Jewish community needs to be
smart, proactive, and effective in addressing issues on several fronts at once.
And, at the root of our ability to do this, and why we care, is our
connection – to each other and to the wellbeing of the Jewish people.
That is why it is so important to connect – to show support and to feel
supported – especially in times like this.
We are proud of the work of our Jewish Federation…
Providing senior counseling and services,
Leveraging $7Million in support for Holocaust survivors,
Expanding our PJ Library program throughout Ocean County,
Delivering $250,000 in Israel emergency grants after October 7,
Sponsoring security assessments, training, and services to partners in
Ocean County, and
Presenting programs for students and the broader community to counter
hate in all its forms, including sending Ocean County students to
Chhange's annual Colloquium.
Your support and connection makes all this and more possible.
Sincerely,
Keith Krivitzky, Managing Director
» www.jewishoceancounty.org/donate
JEWISH FEDERATION OF OCEAN COUNTY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Yvette Atkins (New)
Michael Berman
Helen Cocuzza
Cyndy Friedman
Richard Gaines (Past President)
Fran Gimpel
Peter Kitay
Lorna Klein (Exec Committee)
Avi Kotler (New)
Alan Krupnick
Pamela Ligorski
Annabel Lindenbaum (Chair)
Larry Mandel
Shelly Newman (Secretary)
David Rosen (Treasurer)
Lauren Rosen (Past President)
Randi Rozovsky (Past President)
Barbara Schulman (Past President)
Anise Singer
Mona Sternbach
JEWISH FEDERATION OF OCEAN COUNTY STAFF
Keith Krivitzky
Managing Director
Sharron Greenberg
Development & Program Manager
Rita Sason
Director of JFCS
Laurie Salka
JFCS Holocaust Survivor
Services Coordinator
Beth Gottesman
Administrative Assistant
Drew Staffenberg
Strategic Consultant
JFOC MISSION STATEMENT
• To further the welfare of the Jewish
community in Ocean County, Israel and
around the world.
• To plan for the philanthropic, social, cultural
and educational advancement of the Ocean
County Jewish Community.
• To foster cooperation among Ocean County
Jewish organizations, committees and
individuals.
Contact the Jewish Federation of
Ocean County at 732-363-0530
or federation@ocjf.org.
Summer 2025 3

We're growing again!
We will be welcoming everyone off our waiting list this summer
and expanding our territory so we cover all of Ocean County!
Besides books, there are a couple of programs that will now be open to everyone!
Get Togethers – PJ Families can apply for up to $100 grants to host programs that help you plan lowprep
Jewish-themed gatherings. Each family will be sent a unique link to apply. The grants are offered a
few times during the year and you can apply more than once!
First
time
camper
grants
up to $1000
First time camper grants up to $1000 - you'll want to apply
in October for the Summer of 2026.
To be eligible to receive an award, a camper must be all of the following:
• A current or former PJ Library subscriber or the sibling of a current or
former PJ Library subscriber who was enrolled in PJ Library.
• Attending a nonprofit Jewish overnight camp in the United States or
Canada that is on the One Happy Camper website.
• Attending overnight camp for the first time. First-time campers are
children who have never attended a Jewish overnight camp for 12 or
more consecutive days. Campers who attended a one-week “taste of
camp” program in a previous year are eligible to receive an award.
• Attending camp for 12 or more consecutive days.
• A resident of the US or Canada.
4 Ocean JPages

Refer a friend.
We want to thank Manasquan Bank for their long time support. The past three years they
have given us a grant for our Holocaust Survivor services. Annabel Lindenbaum, our board
chair, attended a breakfast with bank CEO James Vaccaro and many of the local non-profit
organizations they support. It's wonderful to see all the good work they do in the community
and we're grateful for their assistance in keeping our survivors living independently with dignity.
Contribute to help Holocaust survivors – www.jewishoceancounty.org/holocaust-fund.
If you or someone you know needs help,
our community is there to help.
• Individual & Group Counselling
• Speakers Bureau
• Assistance for Holocaust Survivors
• Bereavement and Caregiver Groups
www.jewishoceancounty.org/jfcs
732-363-8010 • jfcs@ocjf.org
Our community has supported bringing the hostages home.
Summer 2025 5

Israel Impact!
Make new connections, but keep the old…Thanks to your support we’re able to highlight our ongoing giving to
Shutaf and our new support of the Transcending Trauma Project and Rising Heroes. Please continue to support
these efforts — www.jewishoceancounty.org/IsraelEmergency.
The Second Year – Shutaf Teens Need Time to Settle In
We have seen with several Shutaf participants how the
continuity and stability of Shutaf helps them adjust, open
up and settle in. Very often when teens first come to the
program it can take time for them to realize that they can
relax and be themselves at Shutaf.
1. C. started at Shutaf in the fall of 2023, coming in every
week with a negative attitude, cursing at everyone,
hoarding and stealing supplies and refusing to put her
phone away. Her response to staff and peers was always
“No! I'm doing it my way.” She could not relax and didn't
seem to feel secure in the program environment.
Luckily, C. agreed to come back this past fall and we are
delighted to see a complete transformation! She's nicer to
the other participants, talks to them, puts her phone away,
is present and feels like she belongs. She volunteered for a
regular task when the group goes out to the supermarket to
buy supplies each week — she asks each person what job
they'd like to take on while shopping, then writes it down
carefully and reminds each person nicely.
2. Many Shutaf participants come from complicated
family backgrounds. A.'s parents are divorced, and she
lives with her father, stepmother, siblings and half-siblings
but has limited contact with her biological mother.
In her first year at Shutaf, she struggled, not knowing how
to express herself constructively when she was bored or
frustrated, instead she would tear things up, throw and
push things around. She didn't want to be told what to do
and felt her parents were forcing her to be at Shutaf.
In her second year she has settled down, finding things
to do during free time before the program begins and will
even express verbally that something is bothering her —
a bright light for example. She has flourished being in a
smaller group with more individual attention from the
staff, understanding that the counselors are there to help
her when needed. She has signed up for summer camp
(her choice!) and we look forward to seeing her there.
The Transcending Trauma Project
A project of Brothers of Jonathan, an Israeli charity that provides
support to soldiers and their families experiencing early to midstage
post-trauma symptoms to prevent chronic PTSD.
The Transcending Trauma Project is a life-changing program
that addresses the profound impact of October 7 on Israeli
soldiers and their families, displaced persons, and Nova Festival
celebrators.
Led by Dr. Anita Shkedi and a team of dedicated professionals,
this innovative human-horse therapy approach is transforming
lives affected by trauma. Participants are finding solace and
strength in the presence of our horses, sharing moments of
relaxation and healing that lead to profound personal growth
and greater resilience.
The project supports individuals in the early, mid, and post
stages of trauma, and then later if chronic PTSD has developed.
It provides immediate intervention and treatment, builds
resilience and encourages post traumatic growth. Transcending
Trauma is an excellent way to regain a sense of trust and
learn to manage this ongoing crisis. The project provides and
facilitates a customized Equine Assisted Service (EAS) for post
trauma sufferers at all stages of post trauma.
Connecting to the horse provides clients with personal and
behavioral skills like self-esteem and communication as well
as social support. Calming, relaxing activities and bonding
with horses help individuals regain resilience and flexibility to
meet both internal and external demands through emotional
diversity. The client can achieve post traumatic growth
(PTG) which is moving from what was, to what can be:
1. A sense of safety
2. Calming
3. A sense of self– and community efficacy
4. Connectedness
5. Resilience and hope
Each trauma sufferer receives eight sessions of equine assisted
services.
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Rising Heroes Update
WRITTEN MAY 14, 2025.
I wanted to share a few meaningful updates
with you —moments made possible by your
generous support.
Earlier this week, psychologists from my team
in the Hostage Crisis Negotiation unit met
with Edan Alexander and his family following
his release. I am relieved to report that he is in
good condition, with the exception of concerns
around his eyesight. Edan bravely shared
critical information about other hostages —
information that may help save lives.
This Sunday, a unit from the Givati Brigade
will be embarking on our resilience retreat.
This team were active duty soldiers on
October 7th and have since completed their
service and transitioned into reserve duty
soldiers — without a break in fighting. These
brave soldiers were part of critical SWAT
missions in Gaza and are now getting their first
opportunity to process their experiences and
speak with professionals. They were deeply
moved when the Givati Chief of Staff joined a
video call to personally thank the unit for their
bravery and work in the field.
As I write this, more than 10,000 reserveduty
soldiers have been called up for service
yet again. This repeated disruption takes a
real toll — not just on the soldiers, but on
their families, their stability, and their mental
well-being. Together, we are stepping into that
gap, allowing them to speak about the “other
war” they are dealing with, not in the physical
battlefield but the mental load of constant
gear-switching. We are equipping them with
tools and creating an address for them for
any potential future mental challenge. We
are also in close contact with the families of
these soldiers, including the wives of those
working in the dangerous tunnels. As more
teams prepare for another four-month reserve
rotation, your support helps us show up with
care, tools, and community when it matters
most.
Thank you for standing with us.
With gratitude,
Ben Milman
Rising Heroes
Rabbis on Connection and
Community
There are larger Federations throughout the USA. There
are wealthier Federations throughout the USA. There
are Federations with a longer history than ours. Ours is a
Federation with a difference:
• Its roots are in the “back- to- the -land” movement of
Jewish poultry farmers who pioneered Jewish life in
Ocean County in the early 1900's.
• Its past is connected with a deep love for Eretz Yisrael,
before there was an Israel!
• It began as a community-wide UJA fundraising
initiative.
• It developed into an ad hoc committee uniting
the Community of Jewish Farmers/ TR JCC,B'nai
Israel, and the Reform, Conservative and Orthodox
synagogues of Lakewood.
• It became the Ocean County Jewish Federation which
developed into the Jewish Federation of Ocean County.
• Highlights have included the creation of a Jewish
Family Service, lobbying in Washington, Celebration of
Israel's 30th anniversary with a Parade in Toms River
and support for some of the lesser known and less
well-served Jewish organizations such as Shutaf as well
as local, national and Israel-UJA causes.
May it continue to energize and inspire us!
Richard Hammerman, Rabbi Emeritus
Congregation B'nai Israel, Toms River, New Jersey
Our Sociability is Our Humanity — “Loneliness, the sensed
lack of human connection, touches on our essence as
social animals. We are not the only such animals, but it is
our ability to form extensive networks that differentiates
us from other species. Our sociability is our humanity
and this is deeply rooted in our evolutionary past. That
is what morality represents: our commitment to others,
our capacity to form bonds of belonging and care. Our
sense of wellness depends on being part of one or several
networks of relationship in which we are prepared to act
for the benefit of others, knowing that they are prepared
to do likewise for us. So individualism comes at a high cost:
the breakdown of marriage, the fragility of families, the
strength of communities, the sense of identity that comes
with both of these things, and the equally important sense
that we are part of something that preceded us and will
continue after we are no longer here.”
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Summer 2025 7

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A Visiting Production at
THE STRAND THEATER
Lakewood, NJ

Summer 2025 9

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Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Summer 2025 11

Combating Hate — Our partnership with Chhange is wrapping up its third year, with students participating
in the Colloquium held in May. We’re proud to be able to provide these resources to Ocean County schools.
This year’s theme, The Art of Dialogue, was the basis for multiple professional development workshops,
the Colloquium, and the art projects.
Heroes Against Hate
Who belongs on this year's list? At the Jewish Federation’s annual Community of
Caring celebration in December, we will be honoring local “Heroes Against Hate”. We
are seeking your help in identifying and nominating possible Heroes to recognize.
Ideal candidates would be individuals who or organizations that have had a concrete
impact in our area:
• Countering hate or bigotry through individual action or initiating programs or
activities to encourage standing up to hate
• Educating the community (especially younger audiences) about tolerance,
diversity, and respect for differences
• Stepping up to respond to a crisis dealing with hate, bigotry, or bias
• Working to build bridges between different groups in our community, especially
those where there may be differences or lack of understanding
When it comes to hate, bigotry, and discrimination no one community stands alone.
Intolerance and attacks may be targeted to one particular group, but they seldom stop
there; hate metastasizes and can spread easily. It takes people of faith and principle to
step up, be upstanders, and to say: enough. That is the aim of honoring these Heroes
Against Hate…to encourage more in our community to stand up, to speak out, and to
make a difference. Please help us by identifying some of these local Heroes.
JFOC is proud to honor our county's
Heroes Against Hate each year at
our Community of Caring Celebration
held in December.
2021 HONOREES
Randy Bergmann
Sophie Braun
Tova Herskovitz
Chief Mitch Little
Toms River NAACP
2022 HONOREES
Trevor Kalb
Ian Rosenzweig
Chief James Riccio
Sgt. Jim Kelly
Exit 82 Theatre
2023 HONOREES
Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer
Caroline Winn
Jasmine and Mateo Guarin
Toms River Jewish Community Council
2024 HONOREES
Avi Kotler
St. Junipero Serra Parish
Chief Gregory Meyer
Reisa Sweet
Dr. Henry Jackson
Ariel Ifrah
Send this form in by September 15, 2025 or fill out online at https://jewishoceancounty.org/communitycaring/nominations.
Heroes Against Hate
YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION
NAME OF NOMINEE AND CONTACT INFORMATION
WHY THIS PERSON/ORGANIZATION IS A HERO AGAINST HATE. PLEASE BE SPECIFIC AS TO WHY THE PERSON DESERVES TO
BE RECOGNIZED.
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2025 Sponsorship Opportunities & Benefits
20
25
FULL SERIES ANNUAL SPONSORSHIPS
Gold Sponsor: $5,000 – Includes tickets for events and a full page ad in Ocean JPages
Silver Sponsor: $2,750 – Includes tickets for events and a half page ad in Ocean JPages
Bronze Sponsor: $1,500 – Includes tickets for events and a quarter page ad in Ocean JPages
Patron Sponsor: $1,000 – Includes tickets for events and name listing in Ocean JPages
All sponsorship levels are listed in multiple issues of the Jewish Journal and featured on our website, in community emails and social media.
WWW.JEWISHOCEANCOUNTY.ORG/SPONSORSHIPS
The deadline to be in the next issue of the Jewish Journal is the first Thursday of each month
Full Series Discount Sponsor Level: Gold@$5000 Silver@$2750 Bronze@$1500 Patron@$1000
(Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsors, please email camera-ready logo to sharron@ocjf.org)
Single Event – Fill in
Sponsor Level: Gold@$1800 Silver@$1000 Bronze@$540 Patron@$360
(Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsors, please email camera-ready logo to sharron@ocjf.org)
LET'S CONNECT ANNUAL PACKAGE INCLUDES THE LET'S CONNECT 2026 EVENT.
Send form to: Jewish Federation of Ocean County · 1235A Route 70 · Lakewood, NJ 08701 · 732-363-0530
Summer 2025 13

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Summer 2025 15

JEWISH FEDERATION OF OCEAN COUNTY
1235A RT 70, LAKWOOD, NJ 08701
WWW.JEWISHOCEANCOUNTY.ORG
E-MAIL: FEDERATION@OCJF.ORG
PHONE: 732-363-0530
Summer 2025