Elise Feldman of Farmingdale is the new president of the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County.
Photo by Jill Huber
July 8, 2008
Elise Feldman of Farmingdale, the new board president of the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County, sees her position as an opportunity to reach out to the Jewish population in all parts of the county.
“We’re poised to take on the needs created by the changing Jewish demographics,” Feldman said at the federation’s annual meeting on June 24, which took place at the Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County in Freehold (the museum is expected to officially open this fall).
“Our mission, our vision, and our values should protect and enhance Jewish life,” Feldman told NJ Jewish News. “We need to take responsibility for each other.”
The federation board of directors will strive for a better understanding of the services that are needed by the county’s Jewish population, which consists of more than 70,000 members, many of whom now live in the western part of the county, Feldman said.
“We need to figure out how to provide and connect services in the eastern and western areas of Monmouth County,” she said. “For example, we should investigate ways in which the two Jewish community centers, in Deal and Manalapan, and the various Jewish day schools can share knowledge, as well as programs and services.”
Fund-raising is also on the agenda, she said.
“We will have to raise money to help provide the county-wide Jewish population with the services they need, when we find out more about what they need and want,” said Feldman. About 3,000 of the 70,000 Monmouth County Jewish community members are federation donors, she said; “I think there are a lot more potential donors…. The Jewish spirit and initiative that now exist can provide for future generations.”
Compassion and commitment
When Feldman moved to Monmouth County 14 years ago, she immediately began to work closely with the federation. Among other positions, she has served as board vice president, annual campaign cochair, and chair of the Women’s Philanthropy campaign. She has also been the board development chair and training chair of the business and professional leadership forum of United Jewish Communities’ National Women’s Philanthropy arm.
In 2004, Feldman received the Kipnis-Wilson Friedland Award from UJC, the national umbrella of North American federations, for her work in philanthropy and community volunteerism; in 2006, she received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Monmouth federation’s Women’s Philanthropy at the group’s annual Main Event.
Feldman said her parents taught her about the value of a generous spirit.
“My mother and my father taught me about tzedaka when I was very young,” she said. “I was lucky to have them set an example for me to follow. The participation, commitment, and support of my family, friends, and the women in my office who share my life enable me to do the work that is so important to me.”
Feldman is the founder and president of Feldman Benefit Services, Inc., an actuarial firm in Springfield that designs, implements, and administers employee benefit programs, and Outsource, Inc., also in Springfield, a human resources consulting firm that provides training and counseling services.
She has served as an officer with the Small Business Council of America and is a member of the American Society of Pension Actuaries and the Financial Planning Association, a faculty member at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Department of Continuing Education, and an instructor for the Greater Newark Society of Financial Service Professionals.
Despite incidents of anti-Semitism, Feldman said, the future looks bright for the worldwide Jewish community.
“I believe we will be able to deal with the nations that are acquiring nuclear power, some with the intent of destroying Israel,” she said. “The money we raise will continue to inspire an international consciousness that promotes religious freedom for everyone.”
The levels of success achieved by members of the American-Jewish community must be preserved by providing quality religious and secular educational opportunities for future generations, she added. The effort involves raising funds to educate teachers, the purchase of innovative educational materials, a constant retelling of the stories of Jewish heritage and tradition, and preserving the quality of life of senior members of the community, Feldman said.
“I have a sense of compassion and commitment in equal measure,” she said. “As I grow and mature, I feel I can continue to help the causes I believe in. I believe I am making a difference.”
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