NJ Jewish Leader Honored For Contributions To Newark High School

NEWARK, NJ — The treasurer of the Weequahic High School Alumni Association in Newark was among the honorees at the 2021 Essex County Jewish Heritage Month Celebration.

The Essex County Board of County Commissioners held its annual event via Zoom teleconference last week, paying tribute to three residents who have made big contributions to Livingston, Newark and Bloomfield (watch the video below).

Honorees included:

• Rabbi David Z. Vaisberg of Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston
• Arthur Lutzke, treasurer of the Weequahic High School Alumni Association in Newark
• Frederic Pressman, (posthumously) former vice president of religious living at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield

The event also “celebrated the accomplishments of Jewish men and women everywhere,” and honored members of Essex County’s Jewish community for their “contributions to the county and to society as a whole,” according to a release from the commissioner board.

Commissioner At-Large Patricia Sebold, the board’s only Jewish member, expressed pride in her faith and her pleasure to resume the annual celebration after last year’s unfortunate cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I am proud to be a Jewish American, and delighted to be the catalyst for the board’s celebration.” she said.

The board of commissioners offered the following background about this year’s honorees:

David Vaisberg – “He was recognized for his spiritual leadership as the senior rabbi of Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston. Additionally, he was recognized for his accomplishments as a writer, education advocate, and for his work fighting for social justice. He has partnered with New Jersey Together in community organizing in Essex County, led Temple B’nai Abraham’s efforts to upgrade their technology capabilities to meet the demands of the 21st century, and worked with members of the community to address hate and anti-Semitism.”

Arthur Lutzke – “In collaboration with his leadership, the Weequahic High School Alumni Association has provided financial assistance to hundreds of Weequahic High School graduates attending college or technical school. To date, the committee has raised almost one million dollars for scholarships, support enrichment programs, the school’s athletic teams, and other student activities. In response to the pandemic, 100 Google Chromebooks and their licenses were provided to the students at Weequahic High School while also supporting the New Jersey Community Food Bank and the staff of Beth Israel Hospital.”

Frederic Pressman – “He was the longtime Religious Living Chair at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield. He took the meaning of Tikkun Olam or ‘Mend the World’ literally. Whether he cut vegetables at the Bloomfield Café, participated in the monthly feeding program at Park Methodist Church, or organized the collection of over 20 tons of donated food for the Human Needs Food Pantry, he led by example. His wife Ronnie was gracious in representing her late husband and thanked the board for the honor.”

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