Congregation Eitz Chaim will honor five volunteers on June 10

MONROE — Congregation Eitz Chaim and Monroe Woodbury Jewish Community Center will honor its “Volunteers of the Year” at a brunch sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County on Sunday, June 10.

The honorees are: Sisterhood Volunteers of the Year: Jane Kleiman and Rita Wincott

According to the congregation’s press release announcing the awards, Jane Kleiman and Rita Wincott are mainstays of the Sisterhood and of the shul.

“They are an integral part of everything that is planned and are active volunteer at many events,” the press release continued. “Jane has revived our Judaica shop and one only needs to look at the beautiful display case to see all of the treasures she has put out. Rita is the treasurer and has taken on several roles whenever we need to have them filled. At almost every Eitz Chaim event, one will see Jane and Rita performing some role in it. The Eitz Chaim Sisterhood is proud to recognize Jane and Rita as our volunteers of the year!

Men’s Club Volunteer of the Year: Jay Pomerantz

Jay has for many years served Eitz Chaim in a very quiet but supportive way.

“He is the epitome of the unsung volunteer in the sense that Jay performs jobs that he is neither asked to do or looks for accolades for,” the congregation said in its press release. “He is one of those ghost volunteers that either hears about something that needs to be done or utilizes his wealth of personal skills to just take care of things.”

Eitz Chaim Volunteers of the Year: Marty and Diane Soss

Diane and Marty are “the first two to step up and the last two to take credit,” is how the congregation begins to describe the couple in its press release. “They will likely be uncomfortable to be honored, but there is not a more deserving couple. Diane serves as second vice president of fundraising, but in addition to her ‘official’ role, she handles building use and helps to organize all programming from Chanukah’s ‘Share the Lights’ to the Purim carnival, delighting us as often through her culinary skills as with her enthusiasm.

“Marty heads up the house committee and spends endless hours coming to our rescue when anything needs fixing, which is often. He, too, volunteers at every event, quietly taking care of all the little things that could get easily overlooked and it is always comforting to know Marty is behind the scenes should we need another hand.

“We are so lucky,” the press release concludes, “to have this amazing couple as part of the Eitz Chaim family.”