[00:00:01]
EVERYONE.YOU CAN DO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT.
TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND TO ALL OF THE HONOREES AND TO THE MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY AND THOSE WATCHING ON OUR LIVE STREAM.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND ON BEHALF OF MY ENTIRE BOARD, I WANNA WELCOME YOU TO OUR ANNUAL JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION.
YES, YOU CAN APPLAUD FOR THAT.
EVERY YEAR WE LOOK FORWARD TO THIS EVENT IS IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE ONE OF THE MANY COMMUNITIES THAT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR COUNTY'S GREATEST STRENGTH, OF COURSE, WHICH IS THE DIVERSITY OF, OF ESSEX COUNTY.
WE RECOGNIZE MAY AS JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH, ALTHOUGH WE KNOW THAT EVERY DAY JEWISH, UH, AMERICANS ARE HARD AT WORK AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
THIS EVENING, THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE THE SELECTED, HAS SELECTED DESERVING INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE DONE JUST EXACTLY THAT.
WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF HONORING ROBIN SCHLAGER OF MONTCLAIR, FORMERLY OF MONTCLAIR CONGREGATION, AHA, SHALOM, AND NEWARK, AND RABBI MAX GER, UH, GERBERT OF TEMPLE BENET J UH, HIR HIR IN SHORT HILLS.
I'M SORRY, THERE MAY BE A LITTLE SURPRISE LATER ON.
IT HAS TO DO WITH PAT SIEBEL, BUT, UM, THAT'S STILL A SECRET.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT DIGEST YET.
WHAT IT STARTED AS A SECRET BECAME, UH, NOT SO WELL GUARDED, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA ALSO HONOR OUR LIVING LEGEND, PAT SIEBEL.
SO TO EACH HONORARY, I PERSONALLY SALUTE YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND TO CONTINUE TO MAKE ESTES KANE A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE AND TO WORK, AND TO, OF COURSE, RAISE FAMILIES.
IN ADDITION TO THE BOARD'S PLAQUES AND COMMENDATIONS, WE ALSO HAVE CERTIFICATES FROM CONGRESSWOMAN, UH, LAMONICA MACGYVER AND OLIVIA MEJIA FOR OUR HONOREES.
AND AT THIS TIME, I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR PERFORMER OF THE EVENING CAN LUCY FISHBEIN OF TEMPLE BENET JERUSALEM, UH, WHO WILL SING THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER.
OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE BY THE DAWNS EARLY LIGHT WHAT SO PROUDLY WE HELD AT THE TWILIGHTS LAST, WHOSE BROAD STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE, THE PARTS WE WATCHED WERE SO THE STREAMING AND THE ROCKET, THE BOMBS SINGING PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE.
OH, SAY THAT STAR SPAN THE LAND HAT.
I'LL ASK YOU TO REMAIN STANDING IF YOU'RE ABLE, AS WE CONTINUE WITH HATIKVA.
YOU CAN ALSO FEEL FREE TO JOIN WITH ME.
CALL, LET'S SEE ON SOPHIA, ALTHOUGH
[00:05:12]
SHALL PLEASE BE SEATED.HOW ABOUT A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR TALENTED SINGER HERE.
WE'RE HERE A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM HER AND A LITTLE BIT IN THE PROGRAM, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, DOING THAT.
UH, NOW IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INVITE RABBI MAX EDWARDS TO RENDER OPENING PRAYER AS I, UH, READ.
UH, RABBI EDWARDS IS AN ASSOCIATE RABBI AT TEMPLE BENET ABRAHAM IN LIVINGSTON.
HIS, HIS APPROACH TO CONGREGATIONAL LIFE IS GREATLY INFORMED BY HIS EXPERIENCE AS A HO HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN.
HE LIVES IN SOUTH ORANGE WITH HIS WIFE, EVIE, DAUGHTER ESTHER, AND THEIR DOG HEZIE.
PLEASE WELCOME RABBI MAX EDWARDS.
WITH MUCH GRATITUDE TO THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR CONVENING US AND TO MAYOR KLEIN AND THE LIVINGSTON TOWN COUNCIL FOR HOSTING US.
WE COME TOGETHER TONIGHT FOR AN EVENING OF COMMEMORATION AND GRATITUDE IN HONOR OF JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH, AND PARTICULARLY IN THESE TIMES WHEN SIMPLY BEING A JEW CAN FEEL LIKE AN ACT OF RESISTANCE.
THESE MOMENTS OF CELEBRATION ARE ALL THE MORE SO SWEET, AND LIFE GIVING JEWS AROUND THE WORLD JUST CELEBRATED THE HOLIDAY OF SHAVUOT A FESTIVAL COMMEMORATING OUR RECEIVING THE GIFT OF TO TORAH ON MOUNT SINAI.
AS WE REFLECT ON THE VALUES THAT THE TORAH COMMANDS US TO UPHOLD, WE DO SO TONIGHT BY RECOGNIZING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO EMBODY THESE IDEAS AND THESE IDEALS THROUGH THEIR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE, DIVINE SOURCE OF BLESSING.
MAY YOU BE OUR SOURCE OF LIGHT THIS EVENING THROUGH YOU.
MAY WE HONOR THESE CLAY KODESH, THESE HOLY VESSELS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND MAY THIS MOMENT NOURISH US ALL WORKING TOWARD RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE.
THANK YOU, RABBI, FOR THOSE VERY POIGNANT WORDS.
UH, NOW I WANNA JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PRESENT TODAY.
LET ME ALLOW, LET ME PLEASE, JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF MY COMMISSIONER COLLEAGUES.
I HAVE COMMISSIONER BRENDAN GILL WHO'S HERE, AND THERE'S A REAL LONG LIST OF DIGNITARIES.
EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IS A DIGNITARY.
AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW BRENDAN GI GOT OFF.
I'M NOT DOING THIS JOB TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS THE JOB WE DON'T REALLY LIKE.
'CAUSE INEVITABLE WE MAY MISS SOMEONE AND, UH, I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING BAD LAST WEEK OR SOMETHING.
BUT, UH, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, PLEASE.
UH, AND IF WE DO MISS ANYBODY, PLEASE, UH, LET ADAM KNOW IN THE BACK, AND WE'LL BE SURE TO OF COURSE, ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
WE HAVE ASSEMBLYWOMAN ROSIE BOGGO HERE.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW LEGENDS HERE.
WE HAVE FORMER ASSEMBLYMAN, TOM GIBLIN HERE, LIVINGSTON MAYOR, SEAN KLEIN, LIVINGSTON, COUNCILMAN, ED MEINHARDT, LIVINGSTON, COUNCILMAN MICHAEL VIRA, LIVINGSTON, DEPUTY MAYOR.
I, YOU, YOU GOTTA MAKE A QUORUM.
LIVINGSTON, COUNCILMAN AL ANTHONY.
SO I THINK THAT MAKES A QUORUM, YOU GUYS.
FORMER LIVINGSTON MAYOR ELLIE COHEN, FORMER LIVINGSTON MAYOR RUDY FERNANDEZ, ONE OF OUR VERY OWN.
JOHN SUAREZ IS DIVISION, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND LIVINGSTON, RESIDENT, FORMER CLERK OF THE BOARD, ADRIAN DAVIS, ONE OF OUR LEGENDS, UH, FROM MONTCLAIR DEMOCRATS.
CARRIE SHABBAT, WILL DE GRAHAM FROM REPRESENTATIVE MACGYVER'S OFFICE IS HERE.
DEBRA DAVIS FORD, FORMER CLERK OF THE BOARD AS WELL.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CLERKS HERE TODAY.
UH, FORMER, UH, LIVINGSTON JUDGE LARRY COOPER,
[00:10:03]
AND FORMER ATTORNEY TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, MICHAEL PARLOVE.IF I MISS A ROOM, PLEASE DON'T BLAME MY HEAD, NOT MY HEART.
ADAM WILL, UH, MAKE SURE WE DO THAT.
SO WE THANK YOU ALL, UH, FOR JOINING US AS WELL AS TO THE LIVINGSTON FOLKS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE VERY WARM WELCOME.
EVERY TIME WE COME HERE, WE'RE VERY, WE RECEIVE VERY WELL, SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE USE OF YOUR SPACE TODAY.
NOW, TO GET US STARTED, I WANNA TURN THE MICROPHONE OVER TO COMMISSIONER GILL, WHO GOT OFF ON NOT HAVING TO DO ALL THAT INTRODUCTIONS.
MY GOOD FRIEND, COMMISSIONER GILL, EVERYBODY.
LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE PRESIDENTS
YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL JOB.
UM, THERE, THERE IS ANOTHER, UM, I'M SOON TO BE IN THE RANKS OF THE FORMER, TOO.
THERE'S A
UH, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE, UH, WITH ALL OF YOU TONIGHT, UH, IN THE GREAT TOWNSHIP OF LIVINGSTON.
UH, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I, I DO WANNA EXTEND MY SINCERE APOLOGIES.
I HAVE A, UM, A DAUGHTER WHO'S IN THE EIGHTH GRADE WHO'S GRADUATING THIS YEAR, WHO HAS SOMETHING GOING ON TONIGHT WITH HER SCHOOL.
SO I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO BE HERE FOR THE ENTIRE, UH, THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
SO MY SINCERE APOLOGIES ON THAT.
BUT I DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA ACKNOWLEDGE IT LATER, BUT THE DEAN OF OUR DELEGATION, UH, A PERSON WHO I HAVE BEEN HONORED TO SERVE WITH AND WORK WITH OVER MANY YEARS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SEE HER HERE, UH, TODAY IN PERSON, UH, COMMISSIONER PAT SIEBOLD AGAIN, WHO'S OF COURSE FAMILIAR TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, BUT WE'RE, WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO SEE YOU HERE AND, AND, AND WITH US IN PERSON.
SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AND BE WITH YOUR FAMILY AS WELL.
UM, I, BEFORE, UH, WE BRING UP OUR NEXT, UM, HONOREE, I WOULD ALSO, UM, JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE PEOPLE TONIGHT, UM, WHO ARE HERE FOR THIS CEREMONY, BECAUSE WE SHOULDN'T TAKE CEREMONIES LIKE THIS FOR GRANTED RIGHT NOW, UH, PARTICULARLY AT THIS TIME, UH, IN OUR HISTORY.
UM, AND I KNOW THE RABBI MENTIONED IT, BUT THIS IS, IT IS NOT, UM, LOST ON ME THAT IT IS, UM, IT'S NOT TO BE EXPECTED THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
AND I THINK EVERYONE HERE TONIGHT IS COMMITTED, INCLUDING OUR PRESIDENT, TO CONTINUING THIS GREAT, UH, TRADITION TO RECOGNIZING, UM, JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH, AND OF COURSE, TO RECOGNIZING ALL THE DIVERSE ETHNICITIES THAT MAKE UP THE GREAT COUNTY OF ESSEX.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL FOR BEING HERE, UH, TONIGHT.
WITH THAT, ALLOW ME TO BRING UP OUR FIRST HONOREE, UH, A PERSON WHO HAILED FROM MONTCLAIR FOR A LONG TIME, UM, BUT NOW LIVES IN ROSELAND
UM, BUT, UH, A, A DEAR, DEAR FRIEND, AND A PERSON WHO'S BEEN COMMITTED AND STILL COMMITTED, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, THE HONORABLE ROBIN SCHLAGER.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE COME TO ROBIN, JOIN ME AT THE, THE PODIUM, OF COURSE.
SO, UM, ALLOW ME TO PLEASE SHARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS TONIGHT, UH, FROM ROBIN'S, UM, COMMENDATION, A LONGTIME RESIDENT OF MONTCLAIR, AND NOW ROSELAND, A ROBIN
ROBIN SCHLAGER HAS SERVED THE PEOPLE OF HER HOMETOWN FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES.
SHE SERVED AS OUR SECOND WARD COUNCILWOMAN FOR 16 YEARS, INCLUDING ONE YEAR AS OUR DEPUTY MAYOR.
SHE WAS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR ALL CHILDREN'S, ALL ACCESS PLAYGROUND IN EDGEMONT PARK AND THE MONTCLAIR SKATE PARK, BOTH OF WHICH THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS ENJOY EACH AND EVERY DAY.
SHE BEGAN HER SERVICE TO MONTCLAIR AS A PTA PRESIDENT IN HER CHILDREN'S SCHOOL, AND SPENT SEVERAL YEARS ON THE TOWN WIDE PTA COUNCIL FOR 12 YEARS.
SHE WAS THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR THE NON-PROFIT MONTCLAIR FUND FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE, HELPING RAISE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE MONTCLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SHE SERVED AS THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR THE METROPOLITAN YMCA OF THE ORANGES, AND SHE CURRENTLY WORKS IN THE MONTCLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.
ROBIN AND HER HUSBAND KEN, MOVED TO ROSELAND IN 2024, AFTER 32 YEARS IN MONTCLAIR, WHERE THEY RAISED THEIR TWO CHILDREN.
THEY'RE PROUD OF THEIR YEARS AS MEMBERS OF TEMPLE NEAR TIMID IN BLOOMFIELD, AND MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, AUSTIN, WHICH HANGS ON THE HIGH HOLY DAYS EVERY YEAR AT TEMPLE NEAR TIMID ROBIN.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE, AN INDELIBLE PART OF THE MONTCLAIR COMMUNITY AND ITS HISTORY.
YOU ARE, I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, NOT ONLY, UM, FOR YOUR WORK WITHIN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, BUT FOR YOUR WORTH, UH, WITHIN MONTCLAIR AND THE LARGER COUNTY, UH, AS A WHOLE.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE A LONG TIME AGO, QUITE FRANKLY, BASED ON YOUR SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
[00:15:01]
WE'RE GONNA DEFINITELY YELL AT KEN FOR NOT BEING HERE TONIGHT.WE'LL MAKE SURE
UM, BUT WE ARE VERY HONORED THAT YOU'RE WITH US, VERY HONORED TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF THANK YOU OF THE COUNTY OF ETHICS, UH, RECOGNIZING YOUR SERVICE, YOUR COMMITMENT, UM, NOT ONLY, UM, TO JEWISH HERITAGE, UM, AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY AS WHOLE, MY HONOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE HONORABLE ROBIN SCHLAGER.
CARRIE, CARRIE, COME ON UP AND GET, WE CAN GO, WE CAN GO CARRIE, TO GET THE PICTURE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, UH, BRENDAN GILL AND COMMISSIONER CARLOS PALMER, BOTH OF WHOM I'VE KNOWN QUITE A LONG TIME.
BUT BRENDAN, YOU HAVE BEEN REPRESENTING ME, UM, AND OUR FAMILY FOR MANY YEARS, AND I TRULY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, NOT ONLY TO MONTCLAIR YOUR HOMETOWN, BUT OF ALL OF ESSEX COUNTY.
UM, I'D ALSO TO CONGRATULATE, UH, RABBI MATTHEW GITZ FROM TEMPLE BONNET
SHALOM, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH YOU HERE TONIGHT.
34 YEARS AGO, WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I MOVED TO MONTCLAIR FROM NEW YORK CITY, AND OUR CHILDREN STARTED TO ATTEND THE MONTCLAIR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, I IMMEDIATELY BECAME INVOLVED IN THE PTA, LIKE SO MANY OF US MOMS AND DADS AND CARE CAREGIVERS DO, SUPPORTING THE KIDS, TEACHERS, AD ADMINISTRATORS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, WHICH WAS OUR COMMUNITY.
I THOUGHT, I'M GONNA MAKE SOME CUPCAKES, I'M GONNA SELL SOME PLANTS, AND YOU'RE GONNA, IT'LL BE JUST GREAT.
BUT LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT GIVING BACK TO MY KIDS' SCHOOLS AS A REGULAR SUBURBAN MOM, THAT IT WOULD EVOLVE INTO BECOMING A MONTCLAIR TOWN COUNCILWOMAN FOR 16 YEARS.
I WOULD, I WAS URGED TO DO SO BY SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO I RESPECTED, INCLUDING MY DEAR FRIEND AND MONTCLAIR COMMUNITY LEADER, CARRIE SHIVE, WHO IS STILL HERE SUPPORTING ME TONIGHT.
I FIGURED IF I CAN HELP OUR SCHOOLS, THEN MAYBE I COULD HELP AND SUPPORT OUR TOWN AGAIN.
I THOUGHT I RAN, I WON, I RAN, RAN AGAIN.
AND AS TIME WENT ON, 16 YEARS WENT BY.
I ENJOYED MOSTLY EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
THERE'S A SAYING IN MONTCLAIR THAT I'M SURE COMMISSIONER GILL KNOWS ALL TOO WELL, THERE ARE 40,000 RESIDENTS, AND THERE ARE 40,000 OPINIONS IN MONTCLAIR
I GOT TO MEET THE MOST WONDERFUL MONTCLAIR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS, AND LEARNED A WHOLE LOT ABOUT INTRIGUING, INTRIGUING SUBJECTS LIKE OUR SEWER SYSTEM.
BUT I WORKED WITH DEDICATED COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, BUT MOST, ESPECIALLY FOR EIGHT YEARS WITH FORMER MAYOR ROBERT JACKSON.
I WAS NOT THEN AND STILL AM NOT NOW, CONSIDER MYSELF A POLITICIAN.
LIKE I SAID, JUST A SUBURBAN MOM, WIFE, COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO WANTED TO HELP AND GIVE BACK TO HER COMMUNITY.
ALTHOUGH MY HUSBAND AND I JUST LAST YEAR MOVED TO ROSELAND, MONTCLAIR WILL ALWAYS MEAN SO MUCH TO ME AND MY FAMILY.
OUR CHILDREN HAD THE BEST EXPERIENCE BEING BAR AND BAT MITZVAH, A TEMPLE NEAR TAMED IN BLOOMFIELD.
AND WE MADE SO MANY DEAR, DEAR FRIENDS THERE.
RABBI STEVEN KUSHNER, WHO IS NOW RETIRED, WAS A WONDERFUL MENTOR TO OUR FAMILY.
WE ARE STILL IN TOUCH WITH HIM AND ARE GRATEFUL TO HIM AND THE CONGREGATION AT NEAR TAMED, WHICH IS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER.
MY JEWISH HERITAGE MEANS SO MUCH TO ME, AND IT WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO MY PROUD FATHER, HAROLD SOLOMON, WHO NOT ONLY INSTILLED IN ME AND MY BROTHER WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A JEW, BUT THE TWO VETERAN AND A PROUD MEMBER OF THE JEWISH AMERICAN WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION.
IT'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS STILL ACTIVE TODAY AND SUPPORTS JEWISH VETERANS IN MANY, MANY WAYS.
AGAIN, MANY THANKS FOR THIS HONOR.
I ACCEPT IT ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, AND WITH PRIDE AND APPRECIATION OF THE
[00:20:01]
JEWISH COMMUNITY IN ESSEX COUNTY.WE ALSO HAVE THE BEST SWAG AROUND
UM, AGAIN, LET'S, UM, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR ROBIN SCHLAGER.
I'M NOW, UH, DELIGHTED TO WELCOME BACK, UH, CANTOR LUCY, UH, FISH PINE FOR ANOTHER SONG.
WHILE SHE'S COMING UP, WE'RE GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER.
UM, VERY FAMILIAR, I THINK, TO MANY IN THIS ROOM.
UH, SHE IS A SENIOR CANTOR AT TEMPLE BONAI.
JAY SHARUN, A NATIVE NEW YORKER.
SHE GREW UP ON THE UPPER WEST SIDE.
BEFORE THAT, SHE SERVED AS A CHAPLAIN INTERN AT MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER, AND AS A SUMMER CANTORIAL RESIDENT AT CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE.
SHE LOVES TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS THROUGH HER LOVE OF MUSIC.
SHE SEES IT AS HER HIGHEST CALLING TO CREATE MEANINGFUL AND CREATIVE PATHS TO JEWISH LEARNING, MUSIC, AND PRAYER, AND IS HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS HISTORIC AND VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
I WAS ASKED TO CHOOSE TWO PIECES OF MUSIC, WHICH IS REALLY HARD WHEN YOUR WHOLE LIFE CENTERS AROUND MUSIC.
BUT I CHOSE TWO PIECES TONIGHT THAT I HOPE WILL SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
UM, BUT THIS IS A SETTING OF A PRAYER, WHICH IS INTENDED TO BE SAID IN THE EVENING.
THE PRAYER HAS VENU, WHICH ASKS FOR SHELTER AND COMFORT.
AND, UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT WHEN THE SUN SETS AND THINGS GET DARK, IT CAN FEEL A LITTLE SCARY SOMETIMES.
AND SO OUR TRADITION TELLS US TO PRAY FOR SHELTER AND FOR COMFORT.
AND THE SONGWRITER WHO SET THIS PARTICULAR MELODY, UH, TO THE MUSIC, BROUGHT IN A TEXT THAT, UH, I THINK IS REALLY SPEAKS TO THE MOMENT AND SPEAKS TO THE MESSAGE THAT RABBI EDWARDS JUST SHARED A FEW MOMENTS AGO.
AND IF YOU KNOW IT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SING ALONG.
LET THERE BE LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG US.
LET PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP BE OUR SHELTER FROM LIFE STORMS. LET THERE BE LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG US.
LET PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP OUR SHELTER FROM LIFE.
I'M, WE GOT YOU HERE ALL NIGHT LONG.
BUSY, RIGHT? TWO DRINK MINIMUM AFTER THE EVENT, THOUGH,
UM, BEFORE I GO FURTHER, I, UH, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF PLACE AT OUR PROGRAM TODAY BECAUSE I KNOW BRENDAN HAD TO GO WITH HIS DAUGHTER.
AND AS A FATHER OF THREE, I KNOW THAT IF I DON'T GET THERE ON TIME, MY KIDS NEVER LET ME FORGIVE.
SO FORGIVE ME THAT WE WERE, WE FOREGO THE, WE WERE FORGOING THE, UH, WELCOME TO JUST A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT I WANNA BRING UP TWO FOLKS UP HERE.
I WANNA BRING UP MAYOR SEAN KLEIN AND ASSEMBLYWOMAN ROSIE BOGGO TO COME UP HERE.
WE'LL ASK THE MAYOR TO SAY A FEW WORDS ON BEHALF OF THE TOWNSHIP AND IS WELCOME.
AND, UH, ASSEMBLYWOMAN, OLLI CAN SAY WHATEVER SHE WANTS.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA WELCOME EVERYONE HERE, UM, UH, TO LIVINGSTON.
IT IS REALLY WONDERFUL TO HAVE THE COMMISSIONER BOARD COME INTO LIVINGSTON, FIRST OF ALL, BUT ALSO, UM, ESPECIALLY AT JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH.
UM, AGAIN, THE, UH, THE RABBI, UH, TOUCHED ON THIS, UH, ANTISEMITISM FEELS VERY REAL AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
YOU KNOW, I GREW UP IN LIVINGSTON.
I, I CAN TELL YOU, I NEVER FELT IT.
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR MY CHILDREN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WITH ALL THAT THEY'RE EXPOSED TO, THEY,
[00:25:01]
THEY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT IS.AND, AND, AND THEY, AND THEY FEEL IT.
AND, UM, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT, UH, A COM, THE COMMISSIONER BOARD OF ESSEX, WHICH IS JUST SUCH AN IMPORTANT, UH, ORGANIZATION, UH, IS COMING HERE TO COMMEMORATE IT AND TO CELEBRATE IT WITH US.
AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, AND ON BEHALF OF THE 30,000 PEOPLE OF LIVINGTON, AND SAY THANK YOU TO THEM FOR DOING THAT.
UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE HONOREES.
UH, I'M HERE WITH THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, UH, AS WE SAID, CADEN AND ED AND MICHAEL, AND, UH, UM, AND AL, WHERE'S AL AL'S RIGHT THERE.
UM, AND EVEN OUR FORMER COUNCILWOMAN IS HERE.
UM, I THINK I WANT, WE WANT TO ALSO CONGRATULATE THE HONOREES.
UH, AND I JUST WANNA PUT A SPECIAL NOTE, UH, TO PAT, UH, WHO'S SO WONDERFUL TO HAVE HER HERE IN PERSON.
AS, AS, UH, UH, BRENDAN SAID, UM, I'VE BEEN RUNNING AROUND THE COUNTY A LOT, UH, THESE LAST, UH, FEW MONTHS.
AND, UH, EVERYWHERE I GO, PEOPLE KNOW PAT SEABOLD.
UM, AND SHE MEANS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT, NOT JUST TO LIVINGSTON, BUT TO ALL OF ESSEX COUNTY.
UH, AND I'VE, I'VE CERTAINLY SEEN IT FIRSTHAND WITH, UH, NO MATTER WHERE I'M GOING.
UM, EVERYONE KNOWS PAT AND BRINGS UP PAT'S NAME AND ASKS, ASKS FOR PAT.
AND, UH, THE FACT THAT, UM, SHE'S MY CLOSE FRIEND, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I'M ABLE TO SAY AND, AND, AND, UH, AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT, UM, ALL THE WARM THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT YOU.
SO, UM, THANKS EVERYONE FOR COMING AND, UH, PLEASE, OUR ASSEMBLY WOMAN.
I WISH I KNEW I WAS SPEAKING TONIGHT.
UM, BUT THERE ARE, UH, I WANNA CONGRATULATE ALL THE HONOREES, OF COURSE, BUT THERE ARE TWO VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE BEING HONORED TONIGHT THAT HAVE BECOME VERY, VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART AND HAVE HELPED ME IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
RABBI MATT GER, WHO I UNDERSTAND IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT MY WONDERFUL CANTOR IS, SO I'M SURE SHE'LL TAKE BACK MY WORDS.
UM, I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF TEMPLE BENET RUM NOW FOR ALMOST HOW OLD ARE THE TWIN? 17 YEARS.
UM, IT, IT'S ACTUALLY MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I LOST MY MOTHER ABOUT 30 DAYS TODAY.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENED, I CALLED THE TEMPLE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE RABBI MAT WAS.
I THINK HE WAS ON A TRAIN SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA.
HE WAS ON A TRAIN SOMEWHERE, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED ME WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF THAT PHONE CALL JUST TO GIVE ME THAT WARM HUG AND TO MAKE SURE THAT MY FAMILY AND I WERE OKAY, AND THAT WE KNEW HE WAS COMING BACK AND HE WAS GONNA MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS TAKEN CARE OF.
BUT ASIDE FROM THAT, EVERY TIME RABBI MATT SPEAKS, HE LEAVES YOU WITH A LITTLE SOMETHING.
YOU WALK AWAY WITH SOMETHING THAT IS MEANINGFUL AND PROFOUND, AND THAT JUST SETS YOUR DAY FOR COMFORT.
AND IT JUST, IT DOESN'T STOP JUST AT TALKING ABOUT TORAH.
HE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO JUSTICE, TO COMMUNITY, TO BUILDING BRIDGES, TO MAKING SURE THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL FROM ANY RELIGION, FROM ANY WALK OF LIFE FEELS VALUED AND RESPECTED.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HE MAKES SURE THAT HE PASSES ON TO ALL OF HIS CONGREGANTS.
SOMETIMES HE'S HAD TO TELL US SOME VERY HARD TRUTHS FROM THE PULPIT WHERE WE NEED TO BEHAVE.
AND HE GETS US TO DO THAT SOMEHOW.
AND HE IS SOMEONE WHO, UH, MY FAMILY ABSOLUTELY, ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE CLERGY AT TBJ, WE TREASURE AND WE VALUE, AND WE KNOW THAT WE CAN ALWAYS FIND COMFORT IN HIM.
THE SECOND PERSON IS SOMEONE WHO WE, ON THE COUNCIL, SOME OF US QUIETLY REFER TO AS MOM, ALTHOUGH SHE DOESN'T LIKE IT.
AND WE SAY MOM CALLED AND SHE NEEDS SOMETHING.
AND THERE'S, I KNOW, PARTICULARLY SOME OF US WHO JUST COME RUNNING, HAVING JUST LOST MY MOTHER IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS AND, AND FEEL THAT SPIRIT OF, OF HAVING SOMEONE AROUND ME.
AND THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN FOR THE PAST, I THINK FIVE YEARS, PAT SEABOLD.
UM, SHE CERTAINLY KNOWS HOW TO PUT US AND KEEP US IN LINE WHEN WE HAVE NEEDED THAT, JUST LIKE A MOM.
BUT SHE'S ALSO BEEN A VERY GOOD MENTOR AND A HELPER AND SOMEONE THAT YOU CAN JUST CALL AND SAY, PAT, I NEED ADVICE ON SOMETHING, OR, I JUST NEED YOU TO HEAR ME AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.
OR IF IT'S JUST, EVEN JUST CONFESSING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, OR JUST A GOOD GOSSIP
BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, SHE'S JUST A GOOD HUMAN BEING WHO CARES FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO, WHEN THEY ARE IN NEED, YOU CAN HER AND CONFIDE IN HER TO BE SUPPORTIVE.
SHE'S BEEN AROUND FOR SO LONG, COLLECTING PEOPLE.
SHE TAKES PICTURES OF PEOPLE WHO COME VISIT HER AT ENGLE MORE.
AND THERE'S SOME PICTURES THAT AREN'T EVEN THERE.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO JUST FIND THAT COMFORT IN HER BECAUSE SHE HAS PUT IN US AND
[00:30:01]
HAS LED US TO A PLACE WHERE WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE COME TO HER, WE WILL FIND AIDEN SUPPORT.WHAT SHE HAS DONE THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY IN OVER 50 YEARS.
AND WHAT SHE HAS GIVEN TO THE TOWNSHIP OF LIVINGSTON HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS LEGACY.
AND I MEAN, FOR ME, IT HAS IS GOING TO BE FOREVER MORE.
AND I'M SURE FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN, WHAT YOU HAVE SET FORTH IS SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO LOVE YOU, PAT, AND WE ARE ALL ALWAYS PRAYING FOR YOU.
BUT WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE OKAY AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF, AND HAVE CHILDREN WHO ABSOLUTELY ADORE YOU.
A DAUGHTER WHO HAS NOT LEFT YOUR SIDE AND IS ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT YOU.
AND WE JUST WANNA, I WANNA ALWAYS JUST CONGRATULATE YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART ABOUT, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU REPRESENTED FOR THIS COUNTY, AND NOT JUST THE COUNTY, BUT FOR THE TOWNSHIP OF LIVINGSTON AS WELL.
SO FOR THOSE TWO INDIVIDUAL, I'M VERY GRATEFUL.
I MEAN, I CAN GO ON AND ON ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD WITH JUDAISM, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WE NEED TO STOP AND JUST THANK THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DOING THE WORK WITH THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY ARE OUR, OUR PEOPLE.
NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT'S HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF THIS WORLD.
BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, IN OUR HOME OF LIVINGSTON ARE RECOGNIZED AND RESPECTED.
I THINK OUR POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE ALWAYS THERE, OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICERS WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR TEMPLES, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SAFE SECURITY GUARDS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, RABBI MATT WROTE A BOOK ABOUT BEING SOMEONE WHO, WHO IS WORKING A A, AM I GETTING THIS WRONG? I HAVE THIS BOOK ON MY COFFEE TABLE.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE A, UM, A RABBI DURING COVID, AND HOW YOU HAVE TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE DURING TIMES OF EMERGENCY AND HOW DEEP THAT CUTS.
AND THIS IS A TIME OF EMERGENCY IN THE WORLD OF JUDAISM.
AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT WE NEED TO STAY TOGETHER.
WE ALL HAVE A MILLION OPINIONS, BUT I THINK AS A JEWISH COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO BAND TOGETHER FOR OUR OWN SAFETY, TO MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR WAY OF LIFE THAT I KNOW WE ALL HOLD, HOLD DEAR, AND TO MAKE SURE OUR CHILDREN LEARN ABOUT OUR TRADITIONS AND CONTINUE TO REMEMBER THEM MOVING FORWARD.
DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS GONNA SPEAK TODAY,
SO I KNEW IT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM FOR YOU 'CAUSE YOU SPEAK FROM THE HEART AND, UH, YOU DELIVERED AND YOU GAVE THE LONGEST PRESENTATION OF THE EVENING SO FAR.
SO YOU SEE, MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S WHY THEY PUT ME HERE AS PRESIDENT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I KNOW THESE THINGS, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND TO MAYOR SEAN KLEIN, THANK YOU AS WELL.
I KNOW I'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SAT IN THE DAYS HERE WITH OUR COMMISSIONER MEETINGS.
IT'S MORE FUN TO DO THESE EVENTS IN THE MEETINGS, BELIEVE ME.
I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE KIM, JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO, MY COLLEAGUE, COMMISSIONER COOPER, SHE'S HERE.
SO COOPER'S THERE, SHE'S IN THE BACK.
I HAVE THE, UH, THE PRIVILEGE OF INTRODUCING OUR NEXT HONOREE OF THE PROGRAM, COMMISSIONER MARY THOMAS, WHO SPONSORED THIS HONOREE SENSE OF REGRETS 'CAUSE SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO COME AT THE LAST MINUTE.
UH, BUT SHE DOES SEND HER SINCERE THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS.
SO I'M HERE PINCHING, BUT PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING CONATION CONGREGATION, AAS SHALOM TO THE PODIUM, REPRESENTED BY JEFFREY HEON.
AND WHILE HE COMES UP HERE, I'M GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COMMENDATION.
THE CONGREGATION IS A VERY DIVERSE, UH, COMMUNITY OF JEWS WHOSE FAMILY COME FROM IRAN, BELARUS, WEST AFRICA, UKRAINE, JAMAICA, POLAND, SUDAN, AND LITHUANIA.
THE EGALITARIAN COMMUNITY DOES JEWISH, UH, TOGETHER, THEY PRAY, THEY EAT, THEY STUDY THE LIFE AND ARGUE.
UM, THE CONGREGATION WAS FOUNDED AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UH, FIRST AS THE MINAN AND AT THE MEMBER'S HOME.
AND THEN BY 19 FIVE AS AN ORGANIZED CONGREGATION ADJACENT TO THE CURRENT BUILDING, THE CONGREGATION FOUND WORSHIPERS PRIMARILY AND THE GROCERS OF MERCHANTS WHO SERVE THE ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS AROUND THE NORTH WARD.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN ITS CURRENT BUILDING IN 1923.
AND THE SYNAGOGUE'S MAGNIFICENT ARC WAS CONSTRUCTED IN ITS PREVIOUS LOCATION IN 1873 AND IS, UH, TRANSPLANT IN 1929.
ITS FOUNDER IS LEOPOLD, UH, JACOBSON TRIMMED AND INSTALLED THE ARC AND THE 6-YEAR-OLD BUILDING.
IT IS THE OLDEST KNOWN ARC IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, AMONG AND AMONG THE OLDEST IN THE NATION.
IN RECENT YEARS, THE CONGREGATION WAS NAMED TO THE NEW JERSEY REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND THEN TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
SO THE SYNAGOGUE WAS ORIGINALLY FOUNDED.
[00:35:01]
IT WAS ORIGINALLY FOUNDED AS AN ORTHODOX CONGREGATION, AND IN THE 1990S IT BECAME, UH, AN EGALITARIAN CONSERVATIVE CONGREGATION IN WHICH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN FULLY PARTICIPATE IN AND LEAD THE SERVICES.IT WAS VOTED, UH, TO ACCORD WOMEN RIGHTS FULL PARTICIPATION TO ITS SERVICE.
AND DURING THESE YEARS, THE CORE REGULAR, UH, UM, SHOW GOERS HAS CHANGED FROM PRIMARILY SENIOR CITIZENS TO A WIDE RANGE OF AGES AND BACKGROUNDS.
SO WE'RE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE OF THE, UH, CONGREGATION'S REMARKABLE HISTORY.
THANK YOU TO, UH, FOR YOU, FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP FOR THE NEWARK JEWISH COMMUNITY AND FOR BRINGING THIS INCREDIBLE TRADITION INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT THE BOARD'S PLAQUE IN TIONS, ALONG WITH CERTIFICATES FROM CONGRESSWOMAN MACGYVER AND MEJIA.
AND WE HAVE THE AWARD HERE FOR BOTH YOU, THEY GOTTA TAKE OUR PICTURE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU FOR SPEED.
OKAY, SO THIS IS, I, I'M PRESENTING ERIC FRIEDMAN, THE PRESIDENT OF HA SHALOM.
SO, UH, WE, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.
I I, I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY, BY ADAM A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN, WHEN I, I RECEIVED HIS EMAIL.
BUT, UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID, BUT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TAKE OUR ROLE, UM, SERIOUSLY AS THE LAST REMAINING SYNAGOGUE IN NEWARK, BUT ALSO, UH, AS PART OF ESSEX COUNTY.
THE, THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, UM, HAS A REALLY STRONG AND, AND LONGSTANDING, UH, LEGACY THAT WE'RE TRYING IN OUR OWN HUMBLE WAGES TO TRY TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD, UH, IN NEWARK.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO EVERYONE HERE, I DON'T KNOW EVERYONE'S BACKGROUND, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S A, YES, IT'S A SYNAGOGUE, AND YES, WE HAVE JEWISH SERVICES, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US THAT EVERYONE EMBRACES, UH, THE FACT THAT WE, WE ARE ALSO A COMMUNITY RESOURCE.
AND A COMMUNITY RESOURCE BY US IS NOT PURELY JEWISH.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE OPEN OUR GALLERY SPACE TO THE, THE, THE BLACK AND LATINO COMMUNITIES.
WE, WE, WE, UH, WE HAVE NO LESS THAN THREE AFRICAN AMERICAN THEATER ARTS GROUPS REHEARSING DURING THE WEEK IN OUR SPACE SO THAT WE DON'T CHARGE 'EM RENT.
AND, UH, I, I, I, I SHARE THIS BECAUSE, UH, ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE WHO, UH, MIGHT HAVE A NEED AND, AND DESIRE, UH, FOR SPACE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ABOUT COLLABORATION.
AND, UH, WE WANT TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FREEHOLDERS, UH, OBVIOUSLY HAVE A, A HUGE TASK, UH, UH, IN FRONT OF THEM ON A DAILY BASIS.
WE, WE JUST DID OUR OWN WAY, WANT TO JUST, JUST TRY TO PARTICIPATE AND CONTRIBUTE TO ALL THE GOOD IN ESSEX COUNTY.
NEXT ON THE PROGRAM, I BELIEVE ANOTHER MUSICAL SELECTION BY THE CANTOR.
THERE IS A TALMUDIC TEXT THAT SAYS, COLE Y ISRAEL, ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
ALL THE JEWISH PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE ANOTHER.
AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHERE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY ARE SO IMPORTANT AND LOOKING OUTWARD TO THOSE WHO ARE OUR ALLIES, WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS, WHO ARE THE BUILDERS OF COMMUNITY, UM, BECOMES INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT.
I THOUGHT THAT THIS SETTING BY ALANA ARIAN, WHO IS A JEWISH COMPOSER, UM, WAS, UH, PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE.
AND, UM, HEARING ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS THAT WERE JUST SAID ABOUT CONGREGATION OF SHALOM IN NEWARK, WHERE TBJ WAS ALSO FOUNDED 178 YEARS AGO, UM, I FEEL THAT THIS IS, UH, THIS PIECE ALL THE MORE SO APPROPRIATE AND MAZEL TUB TO, TO YOUR COMMUNITY FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL WORK THAT YOU DO.
[00:40:32]
WE ARE TRAVELING THE SAME PATH TOGETHER.WE ARE WALKING EACH OTHER BACK.
WE ARE WALKING EACH OTHER BACK HOME.
WE ARE PART OF THIS HOLY COMMUNITY.
WE ARE LINKS THE CHAIN OF TRADITION, THE ONES CARRYING FORWARD THEIR VISION.
WE ARE REACHING BEYOND OUR OWN CIRCLE.
WE ARE HEALING THE CRACKS IN OUR WORLD.
WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER AS ONE.
WE ARE WALKING EACH OTHER BACK HOME.
CAN WE HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE? HOLD ON.
WHAT? SO EVERYONE CAN SEE YOU RIGHT HERE? YES, WE GO FRONT AND CENTER.
AM I IN A GOOD POSITION NOW? HOLD ON, HOLD ON.
THAT SONG WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
COULD WE HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME FOR CANTOR FISHBEIN? NOW CANTOR, PLEASE DON'T GO ANYONE ANYWHERE FOR OUR NEXT HONOREE, A GOOD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE OF YOURS.
AS YOU KNOW, I AM COMMISSIONER PAT SIEBOLD, AND IT IS NOW MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE OUR NEXT HONOREE OF THE NIGHT, RABBI MATTHEW GOERTZ OF TEMPLE BENET JEIN.
HE HAS EXPRESSED HIS REGRETS THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK CANTOR FISHBEIN TO ACCEPT ON HIS BEHALF.
RABBI ER'S VOICE HAS BROUGHT COMFORT IN TIMES OF GRIEF, COURAGE IN MOMENTS OF DIVISION AND HOPE IN PERIODS OF UNCERTAINTY.
SINCE BECOMING SENIOR RABBI OF BENET JEIN, HE HAS LED WITH INTELLECT, COMPASSION, AND MORAL CLARITY.
HE HAS DE DEDICATED HIMSELF NOT ONLY TO JEWISH
[00:45:01]
LEARNING AND WORSHIP, BUT TO THE BROADER PURSUIT OF JUSTICE, HEALING, AND HUMAN DIGNITY.HE HELPED FOUND THE NEWARK COALITION FOR HOPE AND PEACE, BRINGING TOGETHER JEWISH CHRISTIAN, AND MUSLIM LEADERS TO CONFRONT VIOLENCE AND BUILD UNDERSTANDING ACROSS COMMUNITIES.
HE ALSO SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF A COALITION OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, USING HIS PLATFORM TO REMIND US THAT FAITH MUST UNITE RATHER THAN DIVIDE.
RABBI UR IS ALSO A GIFTED AUTHOR WHOSE WRITINGS HAVE HELPED COUNTLESS PEOPLE NAVIGATE BOTH PERSONAL LOSS AND COLLECTIVE HARDSHIP.
IN HIS FIRST BOOK, THE GIFT OF GRIEF, FINDING PEACE, TRANSFORMATION, AND RENEWED LIFE AFTER GREAT SORROW, HE EXPLORED HOW HEARTBREAK CAN TRANSFORM US, AND HOW GRIEF, WHILE PAINFUL, CAN DEEPEN OUR HUMANITY AND RECONNECT OUR PURPOSE.
THEN DURING ONE OF THE MOST ISOLATING AND UNCERTAIN MOMENTS IN MODERN HISTORY, HE WROTE, TO BUILD A BRAVE SPACE, THE MAKING OF A SPIRITUAL FIRST RESPONDER WRITTEN DURING THE COVID ERA.
THE BOOK REFLECTS ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CLERGY AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO SHOW UP DURING MOMENTS OF FEAR, LOST UNREST, AND UNCERTAINTY.
RABBI ER'S LEADERSHIP IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.
WHETHER CONFRONTING A GRIEVING FAMILY, MENTORING YOUNG PEOPLE, ADVOCATING FOR JUSTICE, OR HELPING COMMUNITIES NAVIGATE DIFFICULT MOMENTS, HE REMINDS US THAT FAITH IS NOT PASSIVE.
FAITH CALLS US TO SHOW UP FOR ONE ANOTHER.
PLEASE JOIN CELEBRATING RABBI ADAM GAR FOR HIS EXTRA LEADERSHIP.
HIS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TOOK HIM THE PROFOUND IMPACT HE CONTINUES TO HAVE ON ALL THOSE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KNOW HIM.
CANTOR, PLEASE PASS OUR THANKS AND WELL WISHES ALONG TO HIM.
I AM PROUD TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE BOARD'S PLAQUE AND COMMENDATIONS AND CERTIFICATES FROM CONGRESSWOMAN MACGYVER AND MEJIA.
PLEASE SHARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE RABBI FOR US, PLEASE.
SO IF YOU WOULD, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER ON BEHALF OF RABBI GOERTZ.
UM, I KNOW HE REGRETS THAT HE CAN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.
HE IS, I BELIEVE, ACTUALLY ON A PLANE AT THIS EXACT MOMENT, TRAVELING TO DO IMPORTANT WORK ELSEWHERE.
HE'S SORT OF ALWAYS OUT AND ABOUT DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED.
I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF KNOWING RABBI GWARTZ FOR GOING ON 30 YEARS, BECAUSE HE'S NOT ONLY MY CLERGY PARTNER OF THE LAST DECADE, BUT ALSO MY CHILDHOOD RABBI.
I MET HIM IN THIRD GRADE, UH, WHEN I WAS ABOUT NINE YEARS OLD.
AND, UM, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING HIM DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBED, WHICH IS INSTILLING HOPE AND INSPIRATION, UH, IN COMMUNITIES, NOT ONLY THE ONES THAT HE SERVES, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNITIES THAT HE TOUCHES JUST BY WAY OF HIS PRESENCE.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN LAWN SIGNS AROUND OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT SAY HOPE MATTERS.
AND I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THERE IS AN OLD ADAGE THAT RABBIS GIVE ONE SERMON THEIR ENTIRE CAREER, AND THEY JUST SAY IT WITH DIFFERENT WORDS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND RABBI GWARTZ'S SON JAKE IS ALWAYS SORT OF, UM, POKING AT HIM THAT HIS ONE SERMON IS THAT HOPE MATTERS.
THAT HOPE IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT.
AND IN THIS TIME OF DARKNESS, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, IT LOOKS SO BLEAK OUT, OUT THERE IN THE WORLD AND IN OUR PHONES AND ALL OF THE NOTIFICATIONS THAT WE GET EVERY DAY AND THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE SHARE.
AND YET, BIG AWARDS SHOWS UP EVERY DAY.
UM, OUR IMPERATIVE AS HIS TEAM AND AS HIS CLERGY PARTNERS ARE TO MEET THE MOMENT, NOT, NOT WITH DESPAIR AND NOT WITH SADNESS, AND NOT WITH A SENSE OF, UM, OF GETTING STUCK, BUT RATHER TO PROPEL OURSELVES FORWARD WITH THAT MESSAGE OF HOPE.
AND, UM, SO MUCH SO THAT HE WANTED TO CREATE SIGNS THAT WE WOULD PEPPER AROUND THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE WERE DRIVING BY, HE SAID, IT CAN'T BE ANYTHING THAT'S BRANDED FOR US.
IT SHOULDN'T BE RELIGIOUS, IT SHOULDN'T BE JEWISH.
IT SHOULD JUST REMIND YOU AS YOU DRIVE BY THAT HOPE MATTERS.
AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON ANOTHER ONE, ACTUALLY.
SO YOU'LL SEE HOPE STILL MATTERS.
SO, UM, SO ON HIS BEHALF AND ON OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY'S BEHALF, WE'RE, WE'RE SO HONORED, UM, AND HE'S SO HONORED FOR, FOR THIS HONOR, AND I AM REALLY PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT IT ON HIS BEHALF.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR THINKING OF HIM AND THINKING OF US, AND WE'RE SO, UM, TOUCHED TO SEE THOSE WHO ARE HERE AND HAPPY TO CLAIM FORMER LIVINGSTON, MAYOR ELLIE AND ELLIE COHEN, AND ASSEMBLYWOMAN ROSIE BOGGO AS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND TO ALL OF YOU, FOR ALL OF YOUR SERVICE.
[00:50:43]
CANTOR, YOU'VE BEEN UP HERE LONGER THAN I HAVE.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE TODAY FOR US, AND TO MAKE THIS EVENT EVEN MORE SPECIAL.
PAT, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO AWAY, WE'RE NOT DONE WITH YOU YET BY ANY MEANS.
WE HAVE A, SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ATYPICAL FOR OUR EVENT.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF JUST GOING ALONG WITH, UH, A LITTLE AD-LIBBING HERE.
I WANNA INVITE A FEW PEOPLE TO JOIN ME.
I WANNA INVITE MAYOR KLEIN AND HIS COUNCIL TO JOIN ME UP HERE.
I'M GONNA ONCE AGAIN SURPRISE ASSEMBLYWOMAN PAGOLI TO COME UP HERE, BUT YOU WON'T SAY ANY WORDS THIS TIME.
I WANNA INVITE PAT'S FAMILY TO COME.
YOU GUYS COME BEHIND ME HERE SO WE ALL FIT.
PAT'S FAMILY COME TO, COME ON.
AND I WANNA INVITE MY COMMISSIONER COLLEAGUE TO SHAMI COOPER TO JOIN US AS WELL.
AND, UH, AT THE RISK OF HAVING THIS PROGRAM FALL APART, I WANT TO, I WANT TO ASK MY STAFF TO COME UP HERE.
I WANT EVERYONE TO COME ON UP AND THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T KNOW I'M DOING THIS, BUT EVERYONE COME UP, EVEN THE GUY RUNNING THE TECH STUFF, IF IT GOES WELL, THEY'LL JUST BE SO WE'LL ALL REMEMBER.
BUT COME ON UP, MARIZA AND KATHY AND CALVIN, KYLE, SOMEONE ELSE WILL GET THE PICTURE.
YOU'RE GONNA PUT HIM IN YOUR ROOM.
YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA BE SO HAPPY YOU THEM IN YOUR ROOM.
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE MSN BBC.
ALL RIGHT, NOW LISTEN, I GOT A FEW THINGS WE WANNA SAY HERE.
SO, UH, PAT, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU GO YET.
WE HAVE SOMEONE HOLD IT FOR YOU IF YOU LIKE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEONE HOLD IT.
SO, BEFORE WE CONCLUDE OUR PROGRAM, DON'T WORRY, WE'RE GONNA BE FOR A BIT.
WE, WE COME TIGHTER EVERYBODY.
BEFORE WE CONCLUDE TONIGHT'S PROGRAM, UH, WE WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE OUR OWN, THE WOMAN THAT I CALL THE QUEEN OF OUR BOARD.
I KNOW, UH, BRENDAN CALLS HER THE, THE, THE, THE DEAN OF THE DELEGATION, BUT I'VE ALL ALWAYS CALLED HER THE QUEEN OF OUR BOARD.
AND SO WE JUST HAVE A FEW COMMENTS TO MAKE.
SO I WANNA FIRST ASK, UM, UH, LET ME JUST SAY A FEW THINGS.
PAT HAS BEEN THE LONGEST TENURED FREEHOLDER SLASH COMMISSIONER IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY WITH OVER 33 YEARS.
UH, AND THAT'S A REMARKABLE, THAT'S A REMARKABLE FEAT, PERIOD.
BUT TO, TO DO IT AS A WOMAN, I THINK EVEN FIRST WOMAN AT THE TABLE AT A LOT, A LOT OF THINGS.
SHE'S NOT JUST AN INSPIRATION FOR WOMEN AND FOR MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY.
SHE'S AN INSPIRATION, AN INSPIRATION TO ME.
WHEN I FIRST FIRST ARRIVED ON THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, NINE YEARS AGO, WHENEVER IT WAS, NOBODY WAS MORE WELCOMING ME THAN PAT SEBEL.
FIRST CUBAN AMERICAN IS COMING ON
I SAID, PAT, I DON'T THINK ANYONE REALLY CARES.
I, UM, SHE CELEBRATES EVERYONE ELSE'S CULTURE.
SHE WAS, UM, SHE, SHE WAS NOT ONLY A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, BUT AT LARGE ORGANIZING EVENTS LIKE THIS ONE.
IN FACT, THIS EVENT, THIS VERY CELEBRATION OF THE JEWISH HERITAGE WAS BECAUSE OF PAT.
AND IT'S, I THINK, APPROPRIATE THAT IN YOU HONOR YOU.
NOW SHE HAS BEEN, I, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S WHAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WITH BEING THE GREATEST ADVOCATE FOR OUR PARK SYSTEM.
YOU CANNOT MOVE ANYTHING UNDER THE AGENDA.
WE, WE ALL SORT OF KNOW THAT, RIGHT? COOPER, WE ALL GOT PAT'S GOTTA MOVE IT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND SHE'LL ALWAYS TELL YOU ABOUT HER WORK ON THE OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE AND SO FORTH.
PAT KNOWS THAT AGENDA INSIDE, OUT TO THIS DAY.
SHE DOESN'T EVER SLIP ON THAT AGENDA.
SHE'S EXTREMELY WELL INFORMED.
SO WE WILL EVENTUALLY TAKE SOME TIME TO PROBABLY CELEBRATE YOUR VERY WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT.
TONIGHT'S NOT THAT NIGHT, BUT BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR COMMUNITY, THIS IS YOUR HOME, UH, THIS IS YOUR,
[00:55:01]
YOUR, YOUR CONGREGATION, IF YOU WILL.WE THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO, TO HAVE THIS HERE WITH YOU HERE IN LIVINGSTON, WHERE YOU BELONG.
AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND ON THE BEHALF OF THE REST OF THE WORLD, WE WANT TO, WE OF COURSE, WANNA GIVE YOU THESE FLOWERS AND OF COURSE, THE SPECIAL COMMENDATION.
AND, UH, I WANT TO GIVE THE MICROPHONE IN CASE YOU WANT SAY ANYTHING.
BUT DON'T GO ON TOO LONG LIKE ROSIE, ROSIE, BECAUSE WE HAVE
WE HAVE, WE HAVE FOOD IN THE OTHER ROOM.
THERE'S NOTHING LEFT FOR ME TO SAY.
I APOLOGIZE THAT I'M HERE IN THE WHEELCHAIR WITH THIS BRACE ON MY SHOULDER AS I, I HAVE A BROKEN SHOULDER, BUT I'M IN THE WHEELCHAIR HERE AND I'M STAYING AT INGLE MOORE AND THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF ME, BUT THEY LET ME OUT TONIGHT TO BE HERE.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE, IT'S TRUE, IT'S TRUE.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
I HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT.
I HAVE PEOPLE WHOSE CHILDREN WERE STUDENTS OF MINE.
IT'S AMAZING TO SEE YOU SITTING HERE TONIGHT.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE ALL.
AND YES, I AM NOT RUNNING TO BE A COMMISSIONER.
THE COMMISSIONER FOR 33, 33 YEARS.
WHAT IS REALLY INTERESTING, I BECAME A COMMISSIONER, A FREEHOLDER AS WE WERE CALLED THREE YEARS AFTER OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE, JOE DI VINCENZO BECAME A FREEHOLDER.
AND HE WAS A FREEHOLDER, AND I WAS SO FRIENDLY WITH HIM, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.
I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT IN ESSEX COUNTY, AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, WOULD BE A WONDERFUL TO BE A FREEHOLDER AND GOOD FRIENDS WITH HIM.
AND HE SUPPORTED ME TREMENDOUSLY.
AND OF COURSE, HE WAS PRESIDENT OF THE FREEHOLDER BOARD AND THEN WENT ON TO BECOME OUR WONDERFUL COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
AND IT'S TIME FOR SOMEONE TO TAKE MY PLACES ON THAT BOARD AND DO A GREAT JOB.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND THANK YOU TO ONE MORE THANK THANK YOU TO CARLOS PALMARIS FOR MY GOOD FRIEND AND SAYING SUCH NICE THINGS ABOUT ME,
WELL, YES, ROSIE, I DO LEARN FROM THE BEST.
UM, I HAVE A SPECIAL, UH, POINT OF PRIVILEGE HERE SINCE I HAVE THE MICROPHONE NOW, UH, I WANNA THANK SEAN KLEIN AND MIKE VIRA BECAUSE WHAT THIS STARTED MONTHS AGO AS A SURPRISE, IS FOR PAT.
UH, I SAID, WELL, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE HER LAST, UH, CHARITY CELEBRATION.
WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE WHO, WITHIN HER, IN HER COMMUNITY AND BEYOND HAS BEEN A, IS A LEGEND.
AND, UH, WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
SO PLAN B WAS TO HAVE THIS EVENT HERE TONIGHT, AND THEN RUN OVER NEXT DOOR AND GIVE HER THE FLOWERS AND TAKE ALL THESE PEOPLE WITH ME,
AND THEY'RE PROBABLY REALLY HAPPY THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN.
I THINK THIS IS WHY THEY LET HER OUT TODAY.
BUT, UH, WE WISH YOU A WONDERFUL RECOVERY, PAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE LOVE YOU.
WE KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOU ALL UNINFORMED.
UH, AND WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON.
SO HERE IN WORDS, AND AS WE CONCLUDE THIS, CONCLUDE THIS PROGRAM, I WANT TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR JOINING CELEBRATE THE JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION YEAR CELEBRATION YEAR.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR HOPES AND MUNICIPAL OFFICES, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OUR HONOREES.
HEARING YOUR ACCOMPLISH ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE INSPIRED EACH OF US.
DO MORE TO BE BETTER CITIZENS.
WE KNOW BECAUSE OF YOU, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE BETTER, BETTER ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONER.
BUT WE INVITE EV JOIN US FOR REFRESHMENTS IN THE OTHER ROOM, JUST AROUND THE CORNER.
AND TO THE LEFT, THERE, THERE WILL BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE PICTURES.
SO I'M GONNA ASK ALL OF US HERE TO STAY JUST FOR A MOMENT AND TO ASK THE HONOREES TO JOIN US SO WE COULD TAKE PICTURES.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE NOW, AND THE PROGRAM ARE HAVING ROBERT MAX EDWARDS SOMEHOW FIND HIS WAY UP HERE, UH, TO RENDER A CLOSING PRAYER.
WE'LL, WE'LL JUST STAY AROUND YOU IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
PLEASE, PAT RABBI'S GONNA DO A RABBI.
RABBI SHOULD NEVER STAND BETWEEN ANYONE AND FOOD.
SO I UNDERSTAND
EACH WEEK ON SATURDAY MORNING, JEWISH COMMUNITIES READ A SECTION OF TORAH.
IT'S OUR WAY THROUGH THE ENTIRE SCROLL AND START AGAIN.
AND THE, AND THE PORTION READ THIS COMPANY AND INCLUDES ONE OF THE OLDEST BLESSINGS JUDAISM HAS TO OFFER THE
[01:00:01]
BLESSING THAT AARON, AARON AND HIS SONS, THE PRIESTS OF ISRAEL WOULD RECITE IN ORDER TO BLESS THE COMMUNITY.SO WE CLOSE TONIGHT WITH THIS BLESSING OF PEACE UPON OUR HONOR, HONOREES UPON THEIR FAMILIES, AND UPON ALL YOUR THIS EVENING, MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND PROTECT YOU.
MAY GOD'S FACE SHINE UPON YOU AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU.
MAY GOD BESTOW FAVOR UPON YOU AND MAY BE GRANTED PEACE.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE PICTURES IN THE HALLWAYS BECAUSE APPARENTLY WE'RE BEING THROWN OUT.
THEY HAVE ANOTHER, UH, THING GOING ON HERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO RELOCATE TO THE HALLWAY, PLEASE.
HONOREE, STICK WITH, TAKE SOME PICTURES, AND THEN FOOD.
THERE'S NO TIME LIMIT ON THE FOOD UNTIL IT RUNS OUT.