Arthur Schechner1949
Community leader, philanthropist, businessman
After attending Peshine Ave school and then Weequahic High School, where he was Class President each year, Arthur attended and graduated as Class Marshall from Syracuse University in 1953.
Arthur then entered the family insurance business and over a 65-year career built it into one of the largest and most respected insurance organizations in New Jersey.
Arthur then entered the family insurance business and over a 65-year career built it into one of the largest and most respected insurance organizations in New Jersey.
Professionally, he was a Chartered Life Underwriter and President of the Newark Chapter in1960. He lectured extensively on Insurance planning for the American College of Life Underwriters and Rutgers University. He is a former member of the American Assn of Pension Actuaries and life member of the million dollar round table for 31 consecutive years.
At the community level, he has been quite active in a wide range of charitable efforts. He is one of the few people to have been elected Chairman of two MetroWest agencies, The Daughters of Israel Geriatric Center and the Jewish Community Housing Corporation of which he was the founding Chair. He was twice chairman of the Federation-wide committee on the aging. He chaired the 1978 and 1980 delegation to the White House Conference on the Aging. He was the founding, and for 24 years, Chair of the Hebrew Free Loan of New Jersey. He was a commissioner of the New Jersey State board of Human Services and member of the board of the Valerie Fund for treatment of Child Oncology. He has served on every Agency Board in MetroWest
In 2023 Arthur received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Rabbinic College of America.
Arthur married Judi Ruback in 1957 and after her passing in 2006 he married Cynthia Hollander. He has four children, Marjorie and Tom Gart and Michael and June Schechner, six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Fully retired from business, he and Cynthia spend winters in Florida and summers in New Jersey enjoying fishing, poker and golf and pursuing a wide range of charitable and social activities.