(West Hartford, CT) - At a luncheon event today, officials from the Connecticut Jewish Ledger newspaper announced the paper's annual Connecticut's "Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2007 List”. A group of 14 talented, accomplished and dedicated business professionals and community leaders were recognized for their leadership roles and the impact they made in the Jewish community in Connecticut during the past year.
"It's an honor to recognize these 14 individuals as this year's Connecticut's 'Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2007'. Each person truly has displayed a long term and very dedicated commitment to their communities, and through these efforts, so many people have benefited and are living a better quality of life," stated Connecticut Jewish Ledger Publisher Richard Greenfield.
"It's all one big thing to me," said Dan Fried, one of the 14 Connecticut "Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2007. "It's all about service to the Jewish communities at large, starting with Stamford, Fairfield, Jerusalem and the rest of the Jewish world."
"I like to say I am the only sportscaster in America who currently uses the work "mishegas" on the air," commented ESPN anchor Mike Greenberg, one of 14 Connecticut's Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2007, host of the new ABC reality show Duel and co-host of ESPN radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning.
In alphabetical order, Connecticut's Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2007 are:
LUCILLE ALDERMAN, New Haven, CT
Lucille Alderman is a cornerstone of the New Haven community, lending her energy and leadership to such organizations as the Jewish Foundation, Jewish Federation, National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah and a host of other Jewish organizations. Additionally, she has served on the boards of many community organizations including Southern Connecticut State University and is president of the Community Soup Kitchen. She is involved in many civic projects in the community, has funded a fellowship at Yale University and is a benefactor at the Peabody Museum.
DORI ARAD, Storrs, CT
It was fancy footwork and superior leadership skills that gave University of Connecticut soccer star Dori Arad the right stuff to help carry his team all the way to the NCAA quarterfinals this fall. A junior at UConn majoring in nutritional science, Arad grew up on a kibbutz outside of Haifa and completed three years of service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as an officer before arriving at the UConn campus.
ANDY EDER, New Haven, CT area
As a former president of the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven in Woodbridge and Tower One, New Haven, Andy Eder is about to be honored by the Anti-Defamation League with the Torch of Liberty Award. He founded the Eder Leadership Institute "to train future leaders and make board members more passionate" and also founded and funded "The Jewish Scholarship Initiative," a scholarship program for Jewish families, which began when Eder became concerned about the predicament of the middle-class Jewish family.
DAN FRIED, Stamford, CT
Hundreds of Jews in Fairfield County and thousands throughout the world connect via Fried’s JewishStamford e-mail group and ConnectIsrael teleconferencing video-links from the Kotel and Jewish educational institutions. Using the Internet to create a virtual global Jewish community is a hobby for Fried, but one he devotes much of his time to. A chemist by training, Fried heads a Fairfield company that recovers precious metals from technology, like the NASA Space Shuttle heat-shields.
MIKE GREENBERG, Westport, CT
ESPN anchor Mike Greenberg is host of the new ABC reality show Duel and co-host of ESPN radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning. Appearing at this year's VISIONS event hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, Greenberg said, "I am fond of saying that we historically don't have a lot of great Jewish athletes. There was Sandy Koufax and before that was Hank Greenberg, and before that, you pretty much have to go back to David."
MICHAEL AND SHELLY KASSEN, Westport, CT
As Westport Second Selectwoman, Shelly Kassen is a prominent figure in the Jewish and greater communities. She's served on the UJA/Federation board since 1990 is a past president of The Conservative Synagogue and co-founded Share the Pie, a local initiative between her synagogue and the Interfaith Housing Association to benefit local charities. Active within the Breast Cancer Foundation and the Charter Oak Foundation, nonprofit benefiting Bridgeport area families. Shelly also serves on the regional and national boards of the Anti-Defamation League and was honored with its Distinguished Community Leadership Award, as well as by Westport/Weston with its Family Faces Achievement Award and the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship Award. Michael Kassen sits on AIPAC's National Board of Directors, as well as its Political Education Project and its Management, Investment, Long Range Planning and Audit committees. The Princeton grad is involved with the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, Jewish Communal Fund and the Charter Oak Foundation.
BRUCE PUTTERMAN, West Hartford, CT
Bruce Putterman was introduced to the world of autism when his son Jack was diagnosed with the condition as a toddler. Today, Putterman is an expert on the subject and a strong advocate, not only on behalf of his own son, but also on behalf of all those families going through the same experience. A marketing professional, he serves as treasurer of the Autism Society of Connecticut and is a well-respected member of the West Hartford Board of Education. Last February Putterman was tapped to help introduce the topic of autism to the Jewish community when he moderated a panel discussion on the subject at the Mandell Jewish Community Center, West Hartford.
CYRAL SHELDON, Farmington, CT
Some time ago, it occurred to Cyral Sheldon that philanthropists - especially those who make thoughtful decisions - are made, not born. She spearheaded the creation of the Teen Leadership and Tzedakah Institute of Yachad, the Greater Hartford Jewish community high school and has served as director of the program since its inception two years ago. The mission of the Institute is to teach the next generation of Jewish community leaders how to make responsible philanthropic decisions on behalf of the community. Sheldon worked previously in the corporate world as a director of training and communications.
MORRIS AND SHIRLEY TRACHTEN, New Haven, CT
The ambitious capital campaign to erect a much-needed new home for Hillel on the campus of University of Connecticut at Storrs wasn't even officially off the ground last winter, when it received its first major gift. Morris and Shirley Trachten jumpstarted the $6 million campaign with a hefty donation of $1 million. In 2003, his generous gift made possible the creation of the school's Morris N. Trachten Kosher Dining Facility. Since the facility opened, UConn's Jewish student population has doubled to more than 1,600 students. Longtime members of the Westville Synagogue in New Haven, the Trachtens' philanthropy extends far beyond UConn. They are also generous supporters of Camp Laurelwood in Madison and AMIT Women, Boys Town and Aish HaTorah in Israel. In addition to their synagogue, the couple support UJA Federation and a host of local Jewish agencies. They have also established a Jewish Education Fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven.
JANE WEITZMAN, Greenwich, CT
Jane Weitzman's long arm of philanthropic involvement reaches from her board positions at UJA/Federation in Greenwich, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and the Jewish Book Council to her longtime membership on the executive committee of the American Joint Distribution Committee. She serves on the national executive committee of AIPAC. These days her Weitzman-Albert Education Initiative in Bat Yam keeps her busy. She launched the Joint Distribution Committee program last year at the Harel School to help at-risk children from who are Ethiopian-Israelis, native-born Israelis and children of immigrant families from Syria, the former Soviet Union, India and Mexico.
RABBI SHLOMO YAFFE, West Hartford, CT
Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe of Congregation Agudas Achim in West Hartford has developed a national reputation as a scholar, author and lecturer over the last few years. In addition to traveling the country lecturing on a variety of Judaic topics, Yaffe spends one day a week as a scholar-in-residence at Chabad in Manhattan, and writes an Ask the Rabbi column for Chabad.org. Still, the rabbi manages to maintain a full load of courses at his home. His penchant for combining the intellectual with the spiritual led Yaffe to offer a monthly legal symposium at The Institute of American and Talmudic Law, a nonprofit that provides continuing legal education to attorneys and other legal professionals.
HENRY ZACHS, West Hartford, CT
This past October when the Hillel Foundation at the University of Connecticut officially launched a major capital and endowment campaign to build a bigger and better home on its Storrs campus to replace an aging facility, there was a familiar face out there in front promoting the organization's effort. Thanks to the behind-the-scene efforts of Zachs, the campaign had already pocketed $3.5 in pledges. It isn't the first time the ubiquitous philanthropist has gone to bat for local Hillels. A graduate of Trinity College, he and his wife Judy made possible the $2.8 million Trinity Zachs Hillel House which opened on the school's campus just a few years ago and last winter he stimulated giving by putting a generous challenge grant on each of the tables of Hillel at Trinity College, UConn and University of Hartford. A generous benefactor to many area nonprofits, Zachs is especially attentive to the needs of the local Jewish community.
Founded in 1929, the Connecticut Jewish Ledger has been dedicated to furthering Jewish life in the region and serving the community. As a weekly source for the latest news about current events, people and issues in the Jewish communities across the state, the Ledger also serves the Western Massachusetts area with a monthly edition and has been recognized by the New England Press Association, American Jewish Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. To read the full news story, which includes background information and more details, about the Connecticut Jewish Ledger's Movers & Shakers List, visit www.jewishledger.com.
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Fourteen Connecticut Community Leaders Recognized For Accomplishments
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