FROM OUR RABBI

Dear Friends,
I am thrilled that you are here at the Temple Emanuel Dinner Dance as we celebrate our community and support

our synagogue.  As we do so, we honor members of our congregation and our staff for their devoted service to TEPV.

The rabbis teach in Pirkei Avot, The Ethics of our Fathers, "You are not obligated to finish the task, neither are you free to neglect it."  This is an important teaching when it comes to the work of synagogues.  It takes one's initiative and insight to begin to set pieces of the synagogue in motion.  Yet, it also takes one's ability to engage others in the project, because doing it all alone is not the answer.  And it also takes an important realization

that the work of a synagogue is never done!  
Each of our five honorees exemplifies this sagely teaching.  They have all been an integral part of building TEPV

and securing a solid foundation for the future success of our community

while engaging the whole community in the task. 

I am lucky that I can call all five of our honorees partners and friends. 
Upon my arrival to the synagogue, these were the first people I met.  And each asked the same question: "What can we do together to ensure the strong future of TEPV?"  Tonight is about celebrating the firm foundation of our community that has been secured in no small part by Joan and Dan Silna, Beth and Gary Hirschberg, and Rabbi Kniaz, and ensuring along with all of us that the future continues to be vibrant.
Tonight we celebrate and tomorrow we get back to work!  I look forward to continuing to build with our honorees

and with our TEPV family to ensure a storied future together.

RABBI LOREN MONOSOV

 

 

FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Dear Congregants and Friends,
 Welcome to Dine Dance Celebrate honoring our most precious Gems:  
Joan and Dan Silna      Beth and Gary Hirschberg      Rabbi Shelley Kniaz
 
Because of their vision, foresight, generosity and passion, Temple Emanuel continues to thrive as the center of Jewish life in the Pascack and Saddle River Valleys. Although their collective accomplishments are too great to list completely, we owe them a debt of gratitude for bringing us to our spiritual home in Woodcliff Lake; for securing our Religious School as a national benchmark for excellence; for impacting the lives of our children as our ECP continues to flourish, and for helping us identify two of our greatest gifts - Rabbi Monosov and Cantor Sokoloff. It is impossible to imagine Temple Emanuel without their many contributions!

I am so happy that you have chosen to join us tonight as we recognize our honorees for writing so many of the chapters in the "Temple Emanuel story". Thank you for your participation in the Tribute Journal which will provide our honorees with lasting memories of our appreciation for all they have done, and will also allow us to continue writing the story

for future Temple Emanuel generations. 

B'Shalom,   

Susan Bromberg, President

 

 

 

Joan & Dan Silna
 
     Joan and Dan Silna moved to Woodcliff Lake in 1971.  They felt it was important to be a part of the Jewish community so they immediately got involved with UJA Federation, ORT, and the YM-YWHA.  In 1974 they joined Temple Emanuel in Westwood and became active in Temple life.  As part of the building committee, Dan was among the group that helped Temple Emanuel move to our current location and they took part in that wonderfully moving march with Rabbi Ungar and Cantor Biddelman from Westwood to Woodcliff Lake and "up the hill". 
One of their most significant and satisfying philanthropic endeavors was the building of REED Academy's new facilities in Oakland, NJ, which provides one-on-one ABA Therapy

for children on the autism spectrum. 

     Dan has served as president of UJA Federation, the YM-YWHA in Washington Township, and Temple Emanuel and the Gerrard Berman Day School in Oakland.  Joan has served on the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey (JFNNJ) Women's Board

and on the PFA Board of Pascack Valley High School.

     Their greatest contribution to the future are their children Tracy and Amy,

their sons-in-law, Bobby and Bill and their grandchildren.
 

Beth & Gary Hirschberg
     From the moment Beth and Gary moved into Woodcliff Lake they have been fully engaged in their quest to be integrated into Jewish life in the Pascack Valley.  They are not just joiners, but provide leadership at every level. Prior to tonight, Beth and Gary have been honored by Israeli Bonds and the YJCC, as well as Gary's industry association, for their activism.  But it is the Temple that provides them with the greatest satisfaction.  Beth has oft stated, "It is our integrated happy place."
     Beth is in her seventh year as an ECP teacher.  She played a pivotal role in helping the transition of many families when the Y school closed and was absorbed into the ECP of Temple Emanuel.  She was a Mommy and Me facilitator and co-chaired what remains

the most successful holiday fundraiser, the Purim Comedy Night.
Gary has always been a familiar face in the Temple Emanuel community; leading shiva minyanim when called upon, being one of the weekly daveners at the Sunday Morning Services, and a regular Shabbat attendee.  He worked closely with the regional AIPAC office and led numerous groups to the annual conference.  Gary served on the YJCC Board for 20 years in various capacities and, ultimately, as its President for three years. Simultaneously, Gary served on various college committees at his beloved alma mater

and for five years was on the Jewish Home Assisted Living Board.
     Gary began his involvement with Temple Emanuel first as a member of the Board of Trustees.  Later he became a Vice President and from 2008-2010 was President.  His presidency was noted for a number of very positive changes, one of which is the transformation of our professional staff.  Gary was integrally involved in the hiring of Rabbi Kniaz, as well as, a new ECP director and our current Executive Director.   Most recently, he co-chaired both the Cantorial and Rabbinic searches, which resulted in the hiring

of Cantor Sokoloff and Rabbi Monosov.

     Beth and Gary are proud parents of three Temple Emanuel graduates, two of whom attended ECP

at Temple Emanuel and Hebrew High. Raising Danielle, Carly and Alexa, is the ultimate honor in their lives.
 

Rabbi Shelley Kniaz
      Rabbi Shelley Kniaz is proud to be in her tenth year as Director of Congregational Education at Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley in Woodcliff Lake, where she is privileged to work with students from ages 3 - 94 years old. Rabbi Kniaz brings her talents for developing quality education in an enjoyable, stimulating learning environment for students, their families and the school faculty. Personal relationships are essential to her rabbinate. The TEPV religious school is known locally for its excellence; this reputation has spread nationally and in Israel. Rabbi Kniaz loves being part of a team. She is fortunate to have an outstanding Board of Education with exceptional chairpeople, and to have Mike Padva as her mentor. She works closely with Rabbi Loren Monosov and Cantor Alan Sokoloff and the ECP and enjoys a strong and creative partnership with Margie Shore. She is grateful to the office and maintenance staff for their support.

     The TEPV religious school benefitted from a 2016 Covenant Foundation Ignition Grant for its project "EdTech Training for Congregational Schools" submitted by KULANU NNJ: a consortium of Reform & Conservative congregational schools and JFNNJ, which Rabbi Kniaz co-founded and co-directs. Currently she is applying for a three-year grant in Inclusion training. Rabbi Kniaz introduced the 7th grade online course "Mi-shoah Le-Tekumah: Remembering and Rebuilding," developed for Temple Emanuel by JETSIsrael, now offered to synagogue schools throughout North America. She also helped develop their Shutafut online exchange program between students in Israel and the Diaspora. She serves on the Board of JETSIsrael in an advisory capacity. 
     Rabbi Kniaz has been a curriculum writer and trainer and has taught in both synagogue and Solomon Schechter Day Schools. She has a BA in Hebrew and Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her MA in Jewish Education at JTS and was in the first class of women accepted into the Rabbinical School there. A resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, and active member of her "other shul," Congregation Beth Sholom, she is married to Rabbi/Dr. Eliezer Diamond and is the mother of five and grandmother of three.