When Joel Daner’s twin children were six years old, their teacher asked what their father did for a living.

“After thinking for awhile, one of my daughters volunteered that her daddy goes to meetings. It was an apt description,” said Daner.

And appropriate, therefore, that it was at yet another meeting — of the New Jersey Association of Jewish Communal Service — that Daner accepted the Saul Schwarz Distinguished Service Award in recognition of four decades of service to the Jewish community.

The award was presented during the NJAJCS conference held Dec. 7 at the Wilf Jewish Community Campus in Scotch Plains.

Among his many positions, Daner, a resident of West Orange, served as interim executive director of the former Jewish Education Association of MetroWest and in key positions at Jewish federations in New York and Baltimore.

He is currently president of the Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled of MetroWest.

In his remarks, Daner acknowledged “working with some of the best and most sophisticated professionals and lay leaders in the entire Jewish communal world. And I learned from each. For that I feel blessed.”

Recalling his life’s work, Daner offered some advice to his fellow communal workers.

“Judaism believes that when you save one person you save a world. In Jewish communal service, we work to make a difference,” he said. “Using our different skills, we each save a world through the individuals we impact. Be proud of your own accomplishments. Be proud of those of your colleagues and agencies. Remember your mission: to improve the lot of your constituents, members, and clients.

“We have all chosen a glorious, fulfilling profession,” he continued. “We never know how many days, months, or years we are given to spend on this earth. Let us make the most of all of our days in order to make a difference in the quality of life of others and our own as well.”

He also paid tribute to his late mentor Schwarz, the former associate executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Essex County — a forerunner of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ.

Daner said Schwarz “enabled me to launch my career in the federation system.”

“He and I worked closely together for nearly 10 years. Among the many things that I gained from him was an appreciation of his dedication and commitment to his community. His mission was to expand its services so it would be a better place in which to live, learn, and play.”

JSDD executive director Linda Press hailed Daner’s selection as recipient of the award. “JSDD takes great pride in acknowledging and congratulating Joel on this much deserved and probably long overdue recognition,” she said.

NJAJCS president Amy Cooper, who serves as associate executive vice president and director of financial resource development for the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey, congratulated Daner on his honor.

“Joel has touched the lives of countless professionals, positively impacted the agencies for which he has worked, and promoted the field of Jewish communal service for over 30 years,” she said.