Hadassah Northern NJ Installs Leslie Felner as President Dec 11th

December 7, 2022 – NEW YORK, NY – Hadassah Northern New Jersey (HNNJ) will install its incoming President Leslie Felner and its 2023 board on Sunday, December 11th at 10:30 AM, announced HNNJ Region President Geri Lipschitz. Hadassah Jewish Education Chair Miriam Aron will officiate as Installing Officer. Admission is free and donations are accepted. According to Hadassah policy, advanced registration and a signed participant release are required for all events. The location will be provided for all registrants. Online reservations are required by December 8th at https://tinyurl.com/NNJInstallation22.

Lipschitz states, “Leslie is deeply committed to Hadassah. She had kept her Fair Lawn Chapter alive and functioning for many years. She has been on the HNNJ Region Board for many years and has held many different portfolios. She exemplifies Hadassah's motto – ‘The Power of Women Who Do’ and I am confident that Leslie will continue to do so!”

Felner adds, “I am honored to take on the role of President of Hadassah Northern NJ. Our outgoing President Geri Lipschitz felt strongly that her successor should be well prepared to lead the region. To that effect, she provided me with a very thorough training, and we worked closely on our Region's annual plans, chapter support and needs, despite dealing with the very real limitations that the Covid pandemic placed upon our region soon after she took office. In 2023, I look forward to continuing many of the innovative programs she introduced as well as promoting our grassroots and annual giving projects which support the extraordinary work of Hadassah.”

Leslie Felner most recently served as Organization Vice President and was both Past President and Past Co-President of the Hadassah Fair Lawn chapter, which she joined in 1998. Other region and chapter positions include Fundraising VP; Advocacy Chair; HNNJ Region’s Activity Board, where she chaired the department stores charity days (Macys, Lord &Taylor, Fortunoff’s and Bloomingdales); and HNNJ Region’s Nominating Committee. In 2001, Felner was named “HNNJ Region’s Young Leader” and represented the region at the Hadassah Convention in Israel. It was this trip that firmly cemented her commitment to Hadassah.

Previously, Felner lived in Chicago where she worked in Community Health Planning and co-authored Chicago’s Long Term Care Plan which addressed many of Chicago’s most pressing community health issues. While in Chicago, she also did volunteer work dealing with teen pregnancy issues, infant mortality and food insecurity and worked on fundraisers for ORT, supporting their educational system around the world.

In New York City, Felner was the Administrator of the NYS School Health Demonstration Project which placed fourteen pediatric clinics in New York City public elementary schools, high schools and Head Start Programs.

In Bergen County, Felner worked as a Strategic Planner and Development Consultant for several small not-for-profits and managed projects for Bergen County government.

Locally, Felner sits on the Fair Lawn Board of Health and the Recreation Committee. For several years, Felner wrote Community Health Development Block Grants requesting funds from Bergen County to support a local food pantry supplying kosher food to food insecure kosher residents.

Felner has an MS in Health and Safety Education from the University of Illinois-Urbana/ Champaign and an MPH with an emphasis in Public Health Policy from the University of Illinois School of Public Health in Chicago.

Felner is the first member of her family to be a Hadassah member. Subsequently, she made all three daughter’s Life Members. Her late husband was a Hadassah Associate. Her eldest daughter Leah is a member of the first class of Hadassah EVOLVE Fellows.

ABOUT HADASSAH

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. (HWZOA), is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With nearly 300,000 members, Associates and supporters, HWZOA brings women together to effect change and advocate on such critical issues as ensuring the security of Israel, combating antisemitism and promoting women’s health. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization's (HMO) two hospitals in Jerusalem, HWZOA helps support exemplary patient care for over a million people every year and HMO’s world-renowned medical research. HMO serves without regard to race, religion or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination in 2005 for building “bridges to peace.” Additionally, HWZOA supports several Youth Aliyah villages that set at-risk children in Israel on the path to a successful future. For more information, visit www.hadassah.org.