Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ announces May 28 awardees
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest will hold its annual gala, “Building a Healthier & Stronger Community,” on May 28, at 6:30 p.m., in Florham Park.
JFS will honor distinguished community members for all they have done on the agency’s behalf. These recipients have given their time, support, generosity, and dedication to JFS and their commitment helps JFS build a healthier and stronger community. JFS provides innovative, compassionate, and social services to enhance the independence and well-being of individuals and families throughout all stages of life. JFS provides for the social services and mental health needs of the greater community with unparalleled professionalism, humanity, and respect for all who seek its support.
Thelma and Richard Florin of West Orange and Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., will receive the JFS Lifetime Philanthropy award. They have spent decades bringing their energy, leadership skills, and resources to vital community projects. The Florins have been involved with JFS since the late 1990s, as donors and volunteers. Thelma was a founding member and past chair of Rachel Coalition, the domestic violence division of JFS. Together they endowed the Florin Education Series, a yearly educational program that brings in speakers to raise awareness about domestic violence. Their JFS contributions also supported the naming of the Florin Family Library, the Family Support Center, and the Florin Family Waiting Room. Richie Florin was instrumental in helping at the Run for Rachel and other Rachel Coalition events by donating personalized swag bags for all participants. Together they have served on many local Jewish organization boards and have supported many local programs, including at their synagogue, Temple B’nai Jeshurun.
Terri Friedman of Livingston will receive the JFS Community Impact award. She’s a long-time volunteer for Rachel Coalition and in the broader Jewish community. She has served on the Rachel Coalition steering committee and now co-chairs its outreach committee, raising awareness of domestic violence in our community and fundraising to support Rachel Coalition domestic violence counseling and legal programs. Terri also serves on the JFS fundraising committee; is a board member of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, where she recently was vice chair for Federation’s Centennial Local Community Engagement and for the 2023 Centennial Mega-Mission to Israel. She sits on the boards of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest’s Women’s Philanthropy and National Women’s Philanthropy for Jewish Federations of North America. She co-chairs the JCC Metrowest New Jersey Jewish Film Festival and has leadership positions at her synagogue and other area nonprofits.
New Frontier, a strategic marketing and web development agency based in Millburn, is the JFS Community Partner award-winner. It has partnered with JFS and Rachel Coalition for more than a decade. Most recently, it created the jfsmetrowest.org website, allowing the agency to showcase its services. New Frontier added creative touches to the JFS website, including an escape button on the domestic violence page to give domestic violence victims a way to exit the website without their search history being detected.
New Frontier was founded in 2012 by former JFS vice president David Sorkin. Recently, New Frontier has expanded its reach through StoreFront, a program that New Jersey has recognized for its positive impact on more than 200 small businesses and countless charitable efforts statewide. It’s at newfrontier.com/storefront.
Howard Medow of Livingston will receive the JFS Maxine Myers Volunteer Services award. He has been volunteering with Reading Buddies since 2019, where he started at Redwood Elementary. During the pandemic, he pivoted to meal and care package delivery to at-risk older adults and Holocaust survivors, which he continues. When Reading Buddies returned in-person in 2022, so did Howard, who now volunteers for Pre-K students with disabilities. He credits his wife, Marion who is a JFS past president, with inspiring him and their adult children to volunteer.
Dinner sponsorships begin at $1,000. Each sponsor will be listed on both the gala and JFS websites, the event program, and event signage, and will be recognized in event marketing materials including email blasts and social media posts. All sponsors will receive an ad in the virtual journal and the special edition hard-copy journal for the award recipients. The deadline to sign up for sponsorships and be included in the print invitation is March 21. For information, go to www.jfsmetrowest.org/gala25 or call (973) 765-9050.
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