"Jewish Movers & Shakers"

The Connecticut Jewish Ledger newspaper has announced its annual Connecticut’s "Jewish Movers & Shakers for 2008 List" and two Greater New Haven residents are on it.
In all, a group of 14 talented, accomplished and dedicated business professionals and community leaders were recognized for their leadership roles and the impact they made in the Jewish community in Connecticut during the past year, the Ledger said.
"We’ve identified these 14 community leaders because of their hard work, generosity and commitment to the community during this past year...the individuals on this year’s movers and shakers list have definitely improved the lives of the people around them as well as all Connecticut residents," said Richard Greenfield, publisher, Connecticut Jewish Ledger.

Named were David Beckerman, of Woodbridge, who received the 2008 ADL Greater New Haven Torch of Liberty Award in May and Rabbi Richard Eisenberg, also of Woodbridge, who formerly was the longtime rabbi at at Congregation B’nai Jacob in Woodbridge.

Beckerman, a New Haven businessman, is former coach of the Hamden Hall Country Day School Basketball team, which he led to win eight New England Championships and five Fairchester League Titles and also coached the Jewish Community Center Basketball team to the JWB National Basketball Championship and served as coach of the U.S. Maccabiah Basketball Team in Mexico City.
A former president of the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven, Beckerman is the founder and chairman of Community One, which benefits the seven constituent agencies of the New Haven Jewish Federation, and he serves on several other boards.











Eisenberg, who spent 25 years as a full-time pulpit rabbi, most of that time at Congregation B’nai Jacob, two years ago chose to start a new career – as a drug and alcohol recovery counselor. With a goal of starting a practice focusing on recovery from chemical dependency and alcoholism addiction in the Jewish community, Eisenberg recently completed studies toward a degree in drug counseling while serving part-time as interim rabbi at Beth El in Torrington. He completed the certificate program in drug and alcohol recovery counseling at Gateway Community College, which included a year-long internship at the APT Foundation, an out-patient substance-abuse treatment program in New Haven. He recently became a full-time counselor there.
In alphabetical order, the other people named are: Nora Raleigh Baskin, Weston; Rabbi Simcha Berger, Bridgeport; Barry Blau, Westport; Linda Cohn, Southbury; Steve Friedlander, Westport; Rabbi Ilana Garber, West Hartford; Jerry Gordon, Pensacola, Fla.; Ira Henowitz and Samuel Kassow, both of West Hartford; Zach Levins, also Westport; Sarah Darer Littman, Stamford; Daniel Papermaster, also of West Hartford.
The Connecticut Jewish Ledger weekly is dedicated to furthering Jewish life in the region and serving the community.






Editor's note: this information was provided by the Connecticut Jewish Ledger