The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County will host a retrospective exhibit during the spring of 2022, Rabbi Sally J. Priesand: A Fifty Year Celebration Honoring the Ordination of America’s First Female Rabbi and Her Contributions to Monmouth County.
There will be an in-person (masked and vaccinated) opening reception on March 13 from 3-5 p.m. with Priesand as the honored guest. The reception will be limited to 35 people, plus guests representing the organizations in which Priesand has served. Admission is $36 per person, according to a press release.
In 1981, Priesand was hired as the full-time rabbi at Monmouth Reform Temple, Tinton Falls, where she served for 25 years. She remains at the synagogue as its Rabbi Emerita.
The exhibit will focus on the impact Priesand’s presence has had in Monmouth County, through the synagogue and beyond. She has served on numerous boards of trustees, and has been president of the Board of Interfaith Neighbors, Asbury Park, for 30 years.
The exhibit will be in place for much of 2022 and attendees may schedule a visit by appointment.
When the limit for attendance to the opening reception is reached, interested attendees may register to receive a Zoom link to watch live streaming of the spoken portion of the event. To register or to receive the Zoom link, call 732-252-6990 or visit http://www.jhmomc.org
Citizens for Informed Land Use (CILU) will host a virtual presentation by John D. Liu, “The Flourishing Path,” on Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Liu will describe how functional ecosystems are biodiverse and fertile due to the natural regulation of the water cycle, the weather and the climate.
Liu will explain how people can refigure the ecological, economic and social world to enable them to get on “The Flourishing Path” to a future in which everyone can thrive, according to a press release.
Liu is a former producer and cameraman for CBS News. He founded the Environmental Education Media Project and helped to create the China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Center.
He is currently Ecosystem Ambassador for the Commonland Foundation and Visiting Research Fellow at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, according to the press release.
This Zoom presentation on Feb. 21 is free and open to the public. To register, contact Karen at karsyv356@gmail.com. The presentation will be livestreamed and recorded on CILU’s YouTube channel (search CILU Holmdel). For more information, contact Jenni at jenni@blumenthal.com or 732-264-8482.
Monmouth County Administrator Teri O’Connor has been sworn in as the 81st president of the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC). O’Connor is the first non-elected official elected to the position, according to a press release from the county.
“Today I stand here as the first county administrator to serve as president of this outstanding organization, but I stand on behalf of all county administrators in recognition of the work we do and the importance of that work,” O’Connor said.
“There are 21 of us and we are a close group of professionals who rely on one another to fully discuss issues that are facing our counties. The recognition of this work by the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners and all elected county officials in New Jersey is greatly appreciated. Today, statewide, you are acknowledging the impact of our work and we are grateful,” she said.
According to the county’s press release, NJAC is committed to advocating for legislation, regulations and policy directives that empower county governments to operate more effectively and efficiently. NJAC is also committed to advancing innovative programs and initiatives that enhance the level of service provided and save taxpayer dollars.
Peter Grandich and Company will sponsor an Irish Heritage Drivers Race at Freehold Raceway on March 12.
Joining Peter and Mary Grandich for the event will be former boxing world title challengers Gerry Cooney and John Duddy, and former NFL Pro Bowl punter Jeff Feagles, who became a Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants in 2008.
Each athlete will be present in the winner’s circle for the presentation to the winning horse and driver of the Irish Heritage Drivers Race. The athletes will be available to meet attendees in the Renaissance Dining Room throughout the day, according to a press release.
“Having first sponsored this race in 2014, I am especially pleased we will also be making a significant donation this year to the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore, of which I am a member,” said Grandich, managing member of Peter Grandich and Company.
Freehold Raceway was established in 1853 and features live standardbred harness racing. For information about the upcoming schedule, visit FreeholdRaceway.com
Monmouth Arts invites the public to attend the 2022 Monmouth Arts virtual annual meeting on Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. Keynote speaker Angela Kariotis, director of diversity and inclusion/CCOG at Brookdale Community College, will talk about a healing centered engagement framework through art.
Kariotis is a community engaged culture worker and educator building creative programs serving the needs of cities, institutions and students of all ages for public good. She will address what it means to heal and how art plays an important part in the healing process, according to a press release.
The meeting is free and open to the public. Visit https://www.monmoutharts.org/annualmeeting for more information and to RSVP.
Monmouth Arts is an independent arts advocacy organization that delivers programs and services to artists, member organizations and arts affiliates to ensure the arts thrive in Monmouth County. For more information, call 732-212-1890 or visit www.monmoutharts.org
