JCRS presents ‘Jewish Roots: Past, Present & Future’
By ALAN SMASON
The Jewish Children’s Regional Service (JCRS), the nation’s oldest children’s charity, held its annual event on April 1, with “Jewish Roots: Past, Present and Future” at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Amanda Abrams, a recipient of JCRS aid, speaks on how JCRS affected her life . (Photo by Alan Smason)
The “Jewish Roots” event was the sixth such annual event and has become the largest Jewish community event with a record number of 500 attendees, who hail from within the seven-state region that JCRS serves.
A cocktail reception with hors d’ouerves provided by Creole Cuisine was held beginning at 6:00 p.m. Spirits were donated by Republic Distributors and Sazerac Inc.
A seated dinner followed, also catered by Creole Cuisine, the restaurant group that owns Broussard’s, the Bombay Club, Kingfish, Tommy’s Cuisine and Marché Restaurants.
JCRS executive director Ned Goldberg and event chair Mark Rubin both addressed the crowd. Rubin introduced a special promotional video JCRS had worked on for the past six months showcasing some of the work they do in the Jewish community.
Past presidents of JCRS honored at 2017 “Jewish Roots Past, Present and Future” event. (Photo by Alan Smason)
Originally founded as the Jewish Orphans Home, JCRS honored 17 of its past presidents who were in the audience. Honorees present were Harriet Aguilar-Netto, Gayle Baer, present president Marc Beerman, Joan Berenson, Marcie Goldberg, Warren Goldstein, George Greenberg, Lisa Heller, Betsy Threefoot Kasten, Bruce Miller, Julie Wise Oreck, Ken Pailet, Leon Ritternberg, Dr. Mark Sands, Lee Scharff, Shirley Seelig and Marjorie Weiner.
A previous recipient of JCRS aid, Amanda Abrams spoke on how much the JCRS meant to her while growing up and how it made her feel to have such needed support at an early age. “Unfortunately, some parents and some children are dealt cards that they didn’t intend or that they didn’t ask for and they have to make the best of a situation,” Abrams noted. “That’s what happened to my mom and to me when I was a child.”
The emotional and financial support Abrams and her single parent mom received enabled her and her siblings to attend summer camp at Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, Mississippi and for her to attend college at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business; the University of Southern California, where she received an MBA; Hebrew Union College, where she obtained a Master’s degree in Jewish Non-Profit Management Time; and Harvard University Business School, where she completed performance management studies for non-profit work. “Time and time again we had to turn to the Jewish community for help,” Abrams continued.
“I know that I wouldn’ t be the person I am today had it not been for the experiences that I had as a kid,” she said. “I woudn’t have had those experiences had it not been for Jewish Children’s Regional Service.”
Ned Goldberg, left, accepts $50,000 check from B’nai B’rith. (Photo by Alan Smason)
Because of the assistance she received, Abrams decided to become a non-profit Jewish professional working to provide help to other members of the Jewish community. Today, she is a married mother of two sons and the Chief Program and Innovation Officer for the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Atlanta.
Earlier, the regional B’nai B’rith organization presented a check to the JCRS that represented the $50,000 in funds it had already donated this past year for Baton Rouge flood relief.
The NOCCA Jazz Ensemble provided entertinment throughout the early part of the evening. Silent auctions raised funds for JCRS during the meal.
