Connecticut's "Jewish Movers & Shakers For 2011" List Announced By The Connecticut Jewish Ledger

Fourteen Community & Business Leaders Recognized For Their Leadership & Accomplishments 

(West Hartford, CT) -- The Connecticut Jewish Ledger today announced its list of the top Connecticut's "Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2011". Selected by the newspaper's editors, this year's group of 14 accomplished community and business leaders are being recognized for their leadership and the impact they made in the Jewish community in Connecticut during this past year.

“It’s a pleasure to highlight the select achievements of these dynamic people in our community,” said N. Richard Greenfield, publisher, Connecticut Jewish Ledger.  “As a result of their hard work and determination, our community today is a vibrant and a healthy place to raise our families and grow our businesses.”

In alphabetical order, the 14 people named as Connecticut's Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2011 are:

Andrew Banoff, Trumbull
As president and CEO of the Jewish Home for the Elderly since 2003, Andrew Banoff heads the second-largest skilled nursing facility in Connecticut.  Banoff has a long professional history in healthcare and has served as executive vice president of St. Vincent’s Health Services, an acute care teaching hospital in Bridgeport. He also was president and CEO of Connecticut Health Enterprises, a managed-care contracting company, vice president of Stamford Health System and vice president of New York Downtown Hospital. He has taught management at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield as an adjunct instructor.  Banoff is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a member of the board of directors of several organizations, including the Association of Jewish Aging Service, Connecticut Association of Not-for-Profit Providers for the Aging and Connecticut Alliance for Long Term Care.

Rabbi Amanda Brodie, Woodbridge
Described by fellow Ezra Academy faculty members as “the consummate educator,” Rabbi Amanda Brodie is lauded for incorporating differentiated instruction into the school’s curriculum.  Brodie has set an example for her own approach to teaching as she addresses each student’s strengths, adapting her instruction to capture the attention of each individual student.  Her leadership has influenced the overall approach to teaching students in a classroom or in the museum setting.

Josh Cohen, New Haven
Since 2007, Josh Cohen has been regional director of BBYO’s (formerly B’nai B’rith Youth Organization), Connecticut Valley Region chapter, overseeing 14 chapters and 400 members from Amherst through Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, and Danbury.  With a focus on identity enrichment and leadership development, BBYO’s activities emphasize Jewish heritage, community service, and social action. BBYO prides itself on being a peer-led movement.  In 2008, the chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary, an event spearheaded by Cohen and a group of alumni who reached out to hundreds of former members, directors and parents from across the country.

David Federman, Bloomfield
David Federman has held numerous leadership positions in the greater Hartford Jewish community. A past president of the Mandell Jewish Community Center in West Hartford, he is also a 1992 recipient of that organization’s Outstanding Leadership Award and currently chairs its Corporate Partnership Committee. Long active in the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, he chaired missions to Poland, the former Soviet Union and Israel, served as chair of the agency’s Annual Campaign and as its first vice president for 2006 and 2007. He was honored with the Federation’s Young Leadership Award in 1984. Federman also is a founder, president and chairman of the board of Jewish Links, Inc. and is currently a corporator at Hebrew Health Care.  In addition to his work within the Jewish community, Federman worked as a volunteer for the Arthritis Foundation of Northern and Southern New England, received the coveted National Volunteer Service Citation in 1999 and was the chairman of the board during 2004 and 2005. He also served on the National Board of Directors of the Arthritis Foundation and currently serves as treasurer of the newly formed New England region.

Arnold Greenberg, West Hartford
When the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gala dinner this fall, its honoree was Arnold Greenberg and his wife Beverly. With good reason. The West Hartford philanthropist and businessman founded the center and remains one of its chief supporters. University of Hartford President Walter Harrison describes the Greenberg Center as “the crown jewel” of the school.  Greenberg’s philanthropic work extends far beyond the Greenberg Center. He sits on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford and was vice president of the Council of Jewish Federations. He has been involved at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and the Hartford Stage and has served as chairman of the board of the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and the Board of Regents of the University of Hartford.

Greenwich High School Israel Club, Greenwich
Five years ago, Pam Ehrenkranz received a call from a student at Greenwich High School, concerned about an anti-Israel article printed in the school newspaper.  The student asked Ehrenkranz, executive director of UJA Federation of Greenwich, to write a response addressing the article’s factual inconsistencies. Instead, Ehrenkranz turned the challenge back to the student and offered her guidance. The Israel Club was born.  With financial and professional support from UJA Federation of Greenwich, the club meets weekly to learn about life in Israel through speakers, discussions, and cultural programs. Earlier this month, 12 Israel Club members received the Weitzman Youth Award for Jewish Philanthropy, presented at UJA Federation’s annual gala.

Richard Nelson “Oz” Greibel, Simsbury
When the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford was seeking a way to promote more positive Israel awareness, its leadership turned to the MetroHartford Alliance and its Director Oz Greibel.  He proved to be an enthusiastic and invaluable partner. In May 2011, the JCRC and MetroHartford Alliance International Business Council organized the first-ever Connecticut-Israel Technology Summit. One hundred New England-based and Israeli companies specializing in life science, security, and defense, met at Goodwin College to discuss business opportunities.  As a result of the summit, Greibel took part in a national trade mission to Israel with Chamber of Commerce executives and will speak about his experiences at an upcoming JCRC board meeting.

Gary Jones, New Haven
When Gary Jones took over as regional director of the Anti-Defamation League Connecticut regional board in May 2011, he was hardly new to the cause. A private practice attorney, Jones had been involved with the Hamden-based organization as a lay leader since 1988, serving as board chair from 2000 to 2002.  In addition, he served as chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford and the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut and has been in lay leadership positions with the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and Hebrew Health Care.  Under his leadership, ADL has played an instrumental role in the passage of Connecticut’s new anti-bullying legislation as well as a number of other laws combating discrimination and bigotry.

Stacy Kamisar, Weston
Stacey Kamisar wears many hats in the Jewish community, and bears them all with great skill and poise. A member of The Conservative Synagogue in Westport, Kamisar has held several positions on the board, serving as religious-school chair and on the executive committee. She is currently the chair of adult education, responsible for programming that reflects the synagogue’s special focus on Israel.  Since 2009, Kamisar has been program coordinator at UJA/Federation Westport Weston Wilton Norwalk, where she coordinates women’s philanthropy events and the annual Israel Celebration. One of her first projects was Books2Connect, an idea that evolved from UJA/Federation’s community-wide Mitzvah Day in 2008. Through a partnership Kamisar helped build with the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce and the Norwalk Community College student honor society.

Rabbi Elly Krimsky, Stamford
Since coming to Stamford in 2009, Rabbi Elly Krimsky has continued Young Israel’s tradition of community involvement. President of the Stamford Board of Rabbis and member of the Vaad HaKashrus of Fairfield County, Krimsky teaches several weekly adult-education classes at Young Israel and at various community venues. He is a member of the executive committee of the Rabbinical Council of America and the annual communal Yom Hashoah commemoration committee.

Steve Lander, Norwalk
Steve Lander has been an integral part of the Fairfield County Jewish community ever since he moved to Norwalk in 1969 to take the position of youth director at the Norwalk Jewish Community Center. Since then, he has served as campaign chair for the Norwalk UJA Federation, as president of Beth Israel Synagogue of Westport/Norwalk and, together with his wife Lieba, as a board member of board of Norwalk’s Congregation Beth El. Steve also worked at the Stamford JCC – first as youth director and later as program director and then executive director, helping in programming and fundraising.  In 1975, Steve left the JCC to found Amazing Stores along with David Lenore. In 2000, he returned to Jewish communal work as executive director of Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford. For the past four years he has served as the executive director of Temple Beth El in Stamford.

Elana MacGilpin, West Hartford
Since 2006, Elana Goldberg MacGilpin has split her responsibilities working as director of Chai-The Center for Jewish Life in Avon and as the director of adult programming at the Mandell JCC in West Hartford, where she also coordinates the Jewish Book Festival. She is the second director to serve at the Chai Center, which opened in 2004.

Michael Price, Chester
As executive director of Goodspeed Musicals since 1968, Michael Price can’t find the dividing line between his Jewish identity and his theatrical life. Price, who lives in Chester, has crafted a professional life that interweaves his Jewish identity and values, his political values and his theatrical life. A native of Chicago, after graduating college and taking theatrical shows on the road as a stage manager, he relied on Jewish communities to serve as his link to home.   He is active in the Union of Reform Judaism, is a past president of the Jewish Federation Association of Connecticut, and is also a longtime board member of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. He also serves as commissioner of culture and tourism for Connecticut and accompanied Congressman Joe Courtney on an economic trade mission trip to Israel last year.

Richard Rubenstein, West Hartford
At its annual meeting earlier this year, Hebrew Health Care installed Richard Rubenstein of West Hartford as its board chairman. For Rubenstein, the appointment was a family affair -- a 35-year veteran of the board, he follows in the footsteps of his father, Charles, who served as chair of HHC -- then called the Hebrew Home -- when it was located on Tower Avenue.  Rubenstein, who has served as lay leader with several local non-profit organizations including Congregation Beth Israel and the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford.

The Connecticut Jewish Ledger and Western Massachusetts Jewish Ledger newspapers are 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, the Jewish Ledger 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 Jewish Ledger's Movers & Shakers List, visit www.jewishledger.com.

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