Kaplen JCC’s ‘Big Night Out’ pays tribute to women leaders

Kaplen JCC’s ‘Big Night Out’ pays tribute to women leaders

From left, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Gayle Gerstein, Eva Rubach (Photos courtesy JCCOTP)
From left, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Gayle Gerstein, Eva Rubach (Photos courtesy JCCOTP)

The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades will hold “Strong Women, Strong Community,” its annual “Big Night Out” celebration, on Saturday, November 14, at 7:30 p.m., at the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City. This year’s party will recognize the accomplishments of three strong and exceptional local women: Dr. Jennifer Ashton, Gayle Gerstein, and Eva Rubach. Jen Maxfield, a weeknight reporter for NBC 4 New York, is the master of ceremonies.

The evening will feature food, drinks, and a special guest performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Miri Ben-Ari, the Israeli-born violinist whose talent was so evident so early that Isaac Stern gave her a violin when she was 12. She has been named one of the 10 most influential Israelis in America, recently honored as a “remarkable woman” by Michelle Obama, and named the “Goodwill Ambassador of Music” by the United Nations.

“Strong women who possess the courage and conviction to change the world inspire us and we are grateful to have women with this level of passion in our community who we can recognize and honor with pride,” the JCC’s CEO, Jordan Shenker, said.

Proceeds will support programs and services at the JCC that benefit Bergen County residents; specifically it will go to special needs programming, meals and programming for seniors; and scholarships to families facing financial difficulty.

Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a board-certified ob-gyn, is a leading voice on women’s health. Dr. Ashton co-hosts an Emmy Award-winning medical television show, “The Doctors,” and is the senior medical contributor/chief women’s health correspondent for ABC News’ “Good Morning America/World News Tonight.” She maintains an active clinical practice, is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and is on the attending staff at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center.

Gayle Gerstein joined the JCC when it was still in Englewood. Coming from a family of active volunteers and philanthropists, she has chaired the health club, served as board secretary, and was awarded the JCC’s prestigious Advanced Leadership award. She and her family also became longtime JCC supporters, establishing JCC endowments and offering support for its capital campaigns. She is serving her fourth term as an Alpine councilwoman, is on the board of Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey and Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, and will become the president of the Jewish Home at Rockleigh.

Eva Rubach, a Holocaust survivor, escaped to the United States in 1957, during the revolution in Hungary. She moved to Bergen County in 1979 and joined the JCC, where she became an active supporter of the capital campaign that allowed the JCC to move from Englewood to Tenafly. Committed to Jewish life and learning, Ms. Rubach and her family have continued to support the JCC as well as Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and both Mount Sinai Hospital and the Aventura Jewish Center, both in Florida.

That evening, partygoers will see a commemorative ejournal. For more information, call Sharon Potolsky at (201) 408-1405 or email her at potolsky@jccotp.org.

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