by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer

July 2, 2009

Finding areas for cooperation was the agenda on June 29, when Morris County officials met with leaders from United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ and its beneficiary agencies.

The groups gathered at the Office of Temporary Assistance in Morristown to discuss a range of county services and explore possibilities for strengthening the relationship between the county and the network of Jewish service providers under the UJC MetroWest umbrella.

The meeting was the first for the two groups.

“There’s a lot of interest within the agencies of UJC to work in close cooperation with Morris County,” said Melanie Gorelick, associate at the Community Relations Committee of UJC MetroWest, who organized the meeting. “And we have lay leaders who want to be more involved with Morris County relationships. We are just seeing now where the opportunities exist, and then we’ll follow up.”

Those opportunities were on display when Mary Jo Buchanan, director of the Morris County Department of Human Services, described a mobile van used by the Office of Temporary Assistance, or OTAPS. Reuben Rotman, executive director of Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, found one of the first areas of possible coordination: transportation.

“If we wanted to arrange for someone from OTAPS to come to our office in Morris County, could we arrange that?” Rotman asked.

“We can certainly talk about that,” Buchanan responded, as she would to the variety of ideas emerging from the session.

Buchanan came prepared with her own idea: appointing people from UJC MetroWest and its beneficiary agencies like JFS and Jewish Vocational Service to various county committee advisory boards. “It’s a way to have a voice at the table,” she said.

During a break, Gorelick explained she was prepared to move quickly. “I just spoke with Mary Jo about suggesting names for the advisory committees,” she told NJJN.

Gorelick suggested this opening meeting offered a chance for “broad brush” overviews, a first step in developing a long term relationship with the county. “We’re gathering all the information today to see where we can have input. It will help participants network and create opportunities for individual follow-up,” she said.

She acknowledged that it’s also a chance for both sides to tap into ever diminishing dollars. “We want make sure we are providing the best services we can to the community,” said Gorelick. “One priority is bringing government dollars to UJC.”

In his presentation, Scott DiGiralomo, deputy coordinator of the Morris County Office of Emergency Management, highlighted the ways in which UJC and Morris County are already working together in terms of homeland security. When the state asked his office for a list of nonprofit agencies that might be eligible for a homeland security grant, he said, “we proposed MetroWest.” UJC MetroWest received a grant that year and each year since, he said.

‘Open new doors’

With that, UJC MetroWest executive vice president Max Kleinman called the gathering “a day of synergies” and invited county officials to attend a July conference sponsored by the New Jersey-Israel Commission focusing on Israeli countermeasures to terrorism.

Among the lay leaders at the meeting were UJC MetroWest president Gary Aidekman, who lives in Madison; Elihu Davidson, a former member of the CRC who introduced himself at the meeting as “chief nudge” and advocate for just such a gathering; and outgoing CRC president Merle Kalishman.

In addition to Buchanan and Zellman, presenters included Frank Pinto, director of the Department of Planning and Development; Thomas Zellman, director of the Department of Law and Public Safety and several of his office heads; and a representative from the Prosecutor’s Office. The group also took a tour of the Morris County Correctional Facility, led by warden Frank Corrente.

There are approximately 35,000 Jews living in Morris County, and UJC MetroWest already supports a variety of programs and services in the county, including Parsippany LIVE, a program for aging in place; Lester Senior Housing in Whippany; the Alex Aidekman Family Jewish Community Campus in Whippany; JCC Camp Deeny Riback in Flanders; Morris County Connections, a partnership of JFS of MetroWest, area synagogues, and UJC MetroWest; and the Hebrew Academy of Morris County in Randolph.

Also present at the meeting were Roger Jacobs of the CRC; Joy Kurland, current director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey, who is leading a regionalized CRC that was to begin July 1; Arthur Sandman, UJC MetroWest associate executive vice president; Howard Rabner, UJC MetroWest associate executive vice president and chief financial officer; Leonard Schneider, executive director of JVS of MetroWest; Dana Lichtenberg, director of Morris County Connections; Karen Alexander, UJC MetroWest director of eldercare services; and Barbara Sebiri, representing JFS. Also present representing Morris County were Jack Schrier, Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and Pete Summers, Morris County health officer.

During a break in the meeting, Schneider expressed optimism. “I’m anxious to continue the conversation and pursue new areas,” he said. “I’m hopeful today will open new doors.”

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