Our Honorees
Heidi & Brett Cohen
Heidi and Brett Cohen have a long history of participating in Jewish life and giving back to their Jewish communities and the world around them. They even met on an Israel Bonds Trip to Israel in 1998! Married in NYC in 2000, they moved to Short Hills in 2004 and joined CBI the following year, where they enrolled their young children in the preschool and at BBRS. Their son, Koby is now 16 and their daughter Kayla is 14 – both proudly attend Newark Academy.During their years at CBI, Heidi has worked on the Hearts and Hand Committee, Membership Committee, Nominating Committee and Gala Committee. Brett has served on the Capital Campaign Committee, BBRS Board, BBRS Parent Association (treasurer), the CBI Board of Trustees, and is currently serving on the CBI Finance Committee.
Heidi is originally from the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio. After graduating from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania and receiving her MBA from UCLA, she worked in banking for 15 years. An active volunteer at Glenwood Elementary School, she has also chaired or co-chaired several events for Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ including co-chairing the Borinsky Leadership Program in 2017, Hineni for 2017-18, and participating on the Women’s Mission to Israel in 2017. She has been a board member of Women’s Philanthropy since 2016. When not volunteering, Heidi enjoys tennis, skiing, yoga, walking, playing bridge, and being a soccer/gymnastics mom/manager.
Brett was born and raised in Albany, son of Herb and Marilyn, who have on occasion been spotted attending services and events at CBI. After graduating from Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of the Capital District and from Albany State in 1981, he went to Israel for an ulpan program at Kibbutz Ma’ayan Zvi followed by his first accounting job with a firm in Tel Aviv where he worked for a year. He now has had a long career with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and currently serves as a consulting partner in the firm's national office in Florham Park.
In the community, Brett has served as treasurer and executive board member of the Racquets Club of Short Hills for three years. Brett and Heidi have both participated in AIPAC for many years and have started to bring to their children to AIPAC’s annual Policy Conference in Washington.
Brett’s love of bicycle riding and desire to make a difference in the world have led him to participate in countless bike-a-thons over the years including 13 years riding in the 200 mile Pan Mass Challenge, raising over $300K for cancer research and care at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. For 6 years, Brett, Heidi and their kids participated in the Hazon Environmental Bike Ride in New York, an organization that works to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community. In November 2016, Brett helped lead the 17 member Desert Dawgs team (including a dozen CBIers) in a 5-day ride through the Negev desert - he was the top fundraiser for the event, raising nearly $20K for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. And in April of next year, Brett plans to lead the Desert Dawgs in the Federation’s first ever Tour de Summer Camps NJ, a local ride to raise funds for the One Happy Camper program.
Brett’s other passions include electric vehicles and solar power. He’s proud of having driven 100% electric vehicles since being invited to be part of a BMW pilot program back in 2011.
Aleza Rosenberg
Aleza grew up in a traditional, religiously conservative home, imbued with Zionism and the love of Hebrew and the Bible. She received her Teacher’s Diploma from Herzliah Hebrew Teachers’ Institute in Israel and just a year later received her BA in Mathematics from Brooklyn College.
In 1955, she won a scholarship to study in Israel. It was the dream of a lifetime for her! She travelled to Israel by ship with a group of thirty students from various Hebrew Teachers’ Institutes. Formal classes as well as field trips deepened her understanding of the land of Israel and its historical, political, cultural and religious landscape. Among the highlights of this trip was a private audience and conversation with Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. Her knowledge of Hebrew is extensive from these experiences.
Aleza became very active in SZO (Student Zionist Organization). She continued to attend meetings and retreats even after completing school and becoming employed by an actuarial consulting firm. It was at one of those gatherings that she met her husband, Joe. Joe was just beginning his college education since he had spent several years in Israel and in the US army.
Their three children, Ruth, Judy and Ari all attended Solomon Schechter Day School, now known as Golda Och Academy. In those early years of the school, Aleza worked as a sub for the Hebrew teachers, and on various fund-raising activities; later she did a stint on the Education Committee and on the Board of Trustees. Long before it was fashionable, each of her children celebrated becoming a Bat/Bar Mitzvah with a meaningful ceremony developed by Aleza and Joe, with each child chanting a haftarah related to their respective Biblical names.
The experience of auditing a class at NYU with the renowned scholar of Bible and ancient Near Eastern languages, the late Professor Cyrus Gordon, opened her eyes to a different approach to Bible study. It fascinated her and she enrolled in the graduate school and in 1988, earned her MA in Bible and the Ancient Near East. She also completed all of her coursework towards a doctorate. Years later, Aleza joined Golda Och (the woman for whom the school is now named) and a handful of women to form an ongoing Hebrew Book Club which met weekly to read contemporary Israeli literature in Hebrew and for ten years was an active participant.
Over the years, Aleza has been involved at GOA, Daughters of Israel, and Congregation Beth-El and more recently at CBI. She is a life member of Hadassah. Soon after becoming a member of CBI, she approached Rabbi Bayar with the idea of helping CBI host contemporary speakers on significant and timely topics. Last year, Andrea Hirschfeld asked Aleza to chair the Committee on Adult Learning in collaboration with Rabbi Sharon Litwin. With input from David Good and from representatives of the various arms of CBI, Rabbi Sharon, Aleza and Marion Mohl organized a variety of programs and highlighted them in an attractive brochure. The major speaker in 2017 received rave reviews and brought in a record crowd, many from the community at large. Aleza looks forward to more compelling programs at CBI in the years ahead.
Michelle Neier & Jonathan Schor
Michelle Neier and Jonathan Schor are committed to the warm Congregation B’nai Israel community having been graciously welcomed when they joined ten years ago. After becoming members, they became immediately active in order to meet new people. Now they appreciate and feel part of an extended family that values friendship, community, and faith.
Michelle grew up in New Rochelle, NY, and attended Union College and Albany Medical College. She did her residency at North Shore University Hospital (where Jonathan also worked although they actually met on a blind date) and had a fellowship at NY Columbia Presbyterian. She is currently a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Goryeb Children’s Center in Morristown.
Jonathan grew up in Woodmere, NY, graduating from NYU. After medical school at SUNY Downstate, he had additional residencies at NYU and UMDNJ Newark. He now works as a vascular surgeon at Staten Island University Hospital.
Soon after their marriage, their jobs brought them to NJ, first for a brief stint in Summit before settling happily in Short Hills. On the day of Juliette’s baby naming, this area was hit with a raging snow storm. But, it was only sunshine and smiles inside as Cantor Wallach welcomed and named Juliette (Yael Shoshanah). Weather conditions were much milder at the next baby naming, celebrating the birth of Rebecca, Rivkah Miriam (a summer baby). Both Juliette and Rebecca attended HGECC.
Michelle has been chair of the HGECC Board and is now a CBI board member. She is also involved in the Membership and Family Engagement committees. Jonathan is an active member of Men’s Club where for years he has been peddling delicious challot in various shapes and flavors, enhancing the Shabbat experiences for many in our congregation.
Outside of CBI, in addition to excellent patient care and valuable contributions to the health care field, Michelle and Jonathan continue their long-standing involvement with Jewish National Fund. They also volunteer at Golda Och Academy where Juliette, almost 8, is in 2nd grade and Rebecca, 5, is in kindergarten.
Although their jobs, family, and Jewish engagement keep them plenty busy, they do take some time for hobbies. Michelle recently started cycling and is an avid reader. Jonathan is obsessed with his saltwater fish tank and all things electronic. They both thoroughly enjoy family vacations in Israel.