Adult Education Committee
Chair: TBD
The Adult Education Committee works in conjunction with the Rabbi and Cantor to provide interesting and thought-provoking educational experiences for our membership. Every few years we run an Adult B'nai Mitzvah class and the Adult B'nai Mitzvah ceremony is always a moving and meaningful event for our entire community. Hebrew reading classes are also frequently taught by Rabbi Finkel, Cantor Toren, and our Educational Director, Mary Sheydwasser. The goal of the committee is to bring adults in our community together for learning opportunities. Please contact Mary if there is a class or educational program you would like to see developed at PBJC - she will be happy to work with you to make it happen!
Caring Committee
Chair: Sandy Gonzalez and Carol
The Caring Committee provides assistance to our friends and fellow congregants in need and we need your help. Examples of the types of assistance we provide include:
*Delivering Shabbat meals occasionally on the second and fourth Friday of each month.
*Providing needed rides to doctors’ appointments.
*Shopping for those who can’t get out or picking up and delivering a prescription.
*Setting up a house for shiva.
*Keeping someone company or calling someone who would appreciate the companionship.
Please remember to let the PBJC office know if someone could use our help. We would like to know about illnesses, accidents, hospitalizations, births and deaths in our community. We want to be there for our fellow congregants in their time of need or happiness. Each of us can be part of our conduit. If you find out about any of the events that
Community Outreach Committee
Chairs: Abby Edelman, Jamie Kideckel and Ali Wise
The Community Outreach Committee began almost 10 years ago with a simple mission: to provide living necessities to those with a defined psychiatric illness who are clients of the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris Counties. Since its inception, the committee has provided beds, mattresses, bedding, tables, chairs, rugs, microwave ovens, etc for individuals who were placed in apartments or group homes by the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris Counties (MHA). In addition, we established a food pantry for the clients (consumers) at the MHA. We also have worked with the New Jersey Council for Jewish Women, to provide the resources to purchase clothing and sneakers for 40 children who were living in shelters maintained by Homeless Solutions. We also have provided first class Thanksgiving dinners for over 100 guests, which were served by members of the committee.
This committee continues to thrive under the leadership of a Board of Directors comprised of dedicated young adults who receive guidance from Abby Edelman, Jamie Kideckel, and Ali Wise. The committee now provides resources for clothing of children living in shelters as well as supporting nourish.NJ.
Community Scholarship Committee
Chair: Mark Roffman
The mission of this committee is to provide scholarships to academically-worthy students of Dover High School who have made a difference in their community. For the first year the committee, comprised of 21 members, provided one scholarship of $2,400 and two scholarships each of $400. The finanical committment to join the committee is $150 per year. Please contact Mark Roffman for more information or to join the committee.
nourish.NJ
Chairs: Lou Schwartz and Jen Abfier
The Community Soup Kitchen & Outreach Center is now known as nourish.NJ. The name was changed to better reflect the full scope of services they provide. Besides serving meals, they also provide a free farmer’s market, offer mental and physical health services, legal and immigration assistance, job search help, and secure housing assistance.
For more than 20 years, PBJC has served as a member congregation of this organization, taking responsibility for donating food and serving lunch whenever there is a fifth Sunday of a month. Since the pandemic, volunteers are not needed to regularly serve meals. However, we continue to help nourish.NJ with donations of non-perishable food items as well as with monetary donations so the organization can continue to provide much needed services and supplies to the community in need.
We look forward to continuing our relationship with nourish.NJ as the organization grows and evolves. We will see how we can best support the organization and the people it serves. Thank you for your continued support.
Finance Committee
Chairs: Evan Zuckerman
The Finance Committee works on all issues of synagogue financing, including budget preparation. They work in conjunction with our Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Synagogue Administrator, and Bookkeeper to ensure the financial operations of the synagogue run smoothly.
Fundraising Committee
Chair: Allison Banks and Todd Bressler
The Fundraising Committee works to raise funds for PBJC projects and special programs. A large gala type fundraiser is held every few years that brings our entire community together for a night of celebration to raise important funds for the synagogue. The committee will also run smaller events such as bowling nights, theme parties, dances, and more.
House and Grounds Committee
Chair: Alan Rothberg
The House and Grounds Commitee works on maintaining and improving the buildings and grounds owned by PBJC. The committee is responsible for routine upkeep and maintenance as well as new projects and initiatives.
Legal Committee
Chair: Aili Monahan
The Legal Committee is convened as necessary to oversee legal matters for the synagogue. The committee meets during contract negotiations and when needed to deal with any legal matters pertinent to PBJC.
Membership Committee
Chair: Ilissa Schachman and Robyn Zampaglione
The Membership Committee is responsible for welcoming new members to our community. Their mission is to maintain and grow our membership. A welcome event is held each fall to enable our new members to meet other members of our PBJC family. The committee also helps provide outreach to the local community.
Early Childhood Center Committee
Chair: Lauren Baumgarten and Stacey Cozewith
The Early Childhood Center (ECC) committee works with our ECC Directors on executing the mission and goals of our wonderful early childhood program, which includes the PBJC Preschool, Giggle Zone Day Care, and PBJC Day Camp. The committee meets throughout the year to allow parents to discuss ways to further enhance the program.
Programming Committee
Chair: Allison Banks and Todd Bressler
The Programming Committee works to bring interesting programing to PBJC for both the PBJC membership and the greater community in Montville and surrounding towns.
Public Relations and Social Media Committee
Chair: Erica Paris
The Public Relations and Social Media Committee is responsible for promoting PBJC events and activities to the community. The committee will create posts for the PBJC social media pages, including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. They will also help create press releases for local media as appropriate for various events.
Religious School Committee
Chairs:
The Religious School committee works with our Educational Director on executing the mission and goals of our dynamic and vibrant Religious School program. The committee meets several times throughout the year to allow parents to discuss ways to further enhance the program.
Ritual Committee
Chairs: Barry Weinreb and Jonathan Cohen
The Ritual committee works together with the Rabbi and Cantor on all religious and spiritual issues concerning the synagogue. They organize and plan High Holy Day services each year and work diligently throughout the year to help ensure the spiritual needs of our entire congregation are met.
Sakolsky-Melzer Scholarship Committee
Chair: Beverly Berkowitz
Arlene and David Sakolsky, along with their three sons, Eliot, Harvey and Bill were pillars of the Jewish community. Eliot was the United Synagogue Youth (USY) leader at Congregation Beth Shalom in Pompton Lakes. He passed away at the age of thirty-one.
A scholarship fund was established by Congregation Beth Shalom in Eliot’s memory. The goal of the Fund is to provide financial aid to youth participating in Jewish activities such as Kadima, USY, Camp Ramah, Israel trips and other Jewish educational activities.
Congregation Beth Shalom has transferred the funds to Pine Brook Jewish Center where it will continue to perpetuate Eliot's memory. May his memory be a blessing to our youth.
Eliot’s brothers, Harvey and Bill, are current members of Pine Brook Jewish Center. Upon learning of the sudden and tragic loss of Aaron Melzer, a Pine Brook Jewish Center Hebrew School Student, Congregation Beth Shalom honored the Melzer family by rededicating the Fund as the Eliot Sakolsky Aaron Melzer Scholarship Fund.
Aaron is the son of Margo and Jason Melzer, and the older brother of triplets, Anna. Brielle, and Brian. Aaron was a Hebrew School Student at Pine Brook Jewish Center, beginning at the age of two in its Pre-School. Aaron was a kind, loving, thoughtful and empathetic young man who was looking forward to his Bar Mitzvah.
It was Aaron's dream to travel to Israel, but he never did, as a result of his sudden passing at the age of eleven. The Melzer Family shares the Sakolsky Family's mission to offer financial assistance to Hebrew School students so that they can further their Jewish studies at home and abroad.
In memory of Eliot Sakolsky and Aaron Melzer, this Fund will continue to financially assist Jewish youth to obtain a meaningful Jewish education and to fulfill their own individual dreams. This committee receives and reviews the scholarship applications and determines the recipients and reward amounts.
Security Committee
Chairs: Mike Singer
