Out & About XXX
JESSE BERNSTEIN | JE STAFF
J director when she met Zuritsky for
the first time. Working in develop-
ment and engagement, her first contact
with Zuritsky was on a cold call; she
“wanted to tell him a little bit about
who we are and what we do, because
he didn’t know.” Zuritsky agreed to a
meeting, and it was a fruitful one.

Bronstein was not yet AJC’s regional
director when she met Zuritsky for
the first time. Working in develop-
ment and engagement, her first contact
with Zuritsky was on a cold call; she
“wanted to tell him a little bit about
who we are and what we do, because
he didn’t know.” Zuritsky agreed to a
meeting, and it was a fruitful one.

The AJC “captured his imagination,”
Bronstein said, by dint of its impact on
local and national politics. Zuritsky,
with his interest in intergroup relat
“He’s a role model, a mentor and
innovator, someone not afraid to tackle
issues,” Bronstein said. “And Joe embod-
ies what AJC stands for. He is a centrist.

Zuritsky, for his part, sees the AJC
as a bastion of well-trained, intelligent
representatives of the Jewish people,
bringing a “diplomatic approach” to
sensitive, important issues for Jews
around the world.

“That’s something that the Jewish
people really need: really highly qual-
ified spokesmen to speak around the
world on Jewish and Israeli issues. And
that’s what the AJC does,” Zuritsky
said. JE
oe Zuritsky, chairman and CEO
of Parkway Corp., will be hon-
ored with the American Jewish
Committee Philadelphia/Southern
New Jersey’s Human Relations Award
at the organization’s annual meeting
on JULY 73.

Zuritsky, a longtime AJC board
member and a key supporter, was an
obvious candidate to be this year’s
recipient, according to Marcia
Bronstein, regional director of AJC
Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey.

The Human Relations Award “is for
a person who’s near and dear to AJC,
like a family member,” Bronstein said.

“That really does mean Joe, to a T.”
“I am honored, very much honored,”
Zuritsky said. “It’s part of supporting an
organization that I hold in high value.”
Zuritsky, a patron of many local,
national and Israeli organizations, said
he is flattered he was selected for the
award, though he admits that, having
been honored in a similar fashion so
many times over the years, he looks
forward to when he won’t impose on
friends for their support.

“Hopefully, this is the last honor I’ll
get,” he laughed.

Per the AJC, Zuritsky “has been a
stalwart member of AJC’s Board and
Executive Committee for many years. He
is a passionate advocate for AJC’s mission
of protecting Jewish lives and commu- “wanted to tell him a little bit about ment and engagement, her first contact
nities, ensuring a safe and secure Israel, who we are and what we do, because with Zuritsky was on a cold call; she
and advocating for democratic values and he didn’t know.” Zuritsky agreed to a “wanted to tell him a little bit about
human rights for all. Joe has long been meeting, and it was a fruitful one.

who we are and what we do, because
a supporter of interfaith and intergroup
Bronstein was not yet AJC’s regional he didn’t know.” Zuritsky agreed to a
dialogue, and a lifelong learner.”
director when she met Zuritsky for meeting, and it was a fruitful one.

The 2021 annual meeting, AJC’s the first time. Working in develop-
Bronstein was not yet AJC’s regional
77th, will feature a keynote address ment and engagement, her first contact director when she met Zuritsky for
from 1 The
Drexel Jewish
University with Zuritsky
was Counties
on a cold promoted
call; she the
first time.

Working to senior
in develop-
Family President
Service John
of Atlantic
& Cape May
Christine Zoda-Egizi
director of homeless alliance services
A. Fry in the virtual ceremony where “wanted to tell him a little bit about
ment and engagement, her first contact
2 and Iyana James to associate director of justice involved services. Ralph Penn and his band performed for Federation Housing residents
Zuritsky will receive his award.

who we are and what we do, because with Zuritsky was on a cold call; she
3 at Bronstein
Samuel was A. Green
in Elkins he Park.

and the agreed
Northeast not yet House
AJC’s regional
didn’t KleinLife
know.” Zuritsky
to a Philadelphia
“wanted to tell Kehillah
him a marked
little bit Jewish
about New Year 5783 with a Rosh
4 Hashanah
Abrams School Rabbi
director when celebration.

she met Zuritsky
for Hebrew
meeting, Academy’s
and it was a Head
fruitful of one.

who Ira we Budow
are and showed
what we his do, Sandy
because Koufax jersey to students during
a lesson
about the
Hall of
Fame pitcher’s
decision to
sit out
the first
game of
the 1965
World Series
on the first time. Working in develop-
Bronstein was not yet AJC’s regional he didn’t know.” Zuritsky agreed Yom
to a Kippur. 5 The National Merit
ment and engagement,
her first Jack
contact M. Barrack
director Hebrew
when she
met Zuritsky
and Niva
it was Cohen
a fruitful National
one. Merit Semifinalists. 6 Congregation
Scholarship Corp. named
Academy seniors for Ben meeting,
Zelnick and
with Or Zuritsky
on a cold
call; leaders
she the in Berwyn
first time. taught
Working in develop-
Bronstein was not and
yet AJC’s
Shalom’s was
religious school
students how to decorate
for Sukkot
blow regional
the shofar.

1 5
2 3
26 OCTOBER 13, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
6 Courtesy of the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
4 Photo by Julie LaFair Miller
Courtesy of Stu Coren
Courtesy of Debbie Zlotnick
Courtesy of the Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties
XXXXXXXXXXXX Courtesy of the Abrams Hebrew Academy
around last word
town



last word
Cantor Eliot Vogel
JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
C antor Eliot Vogel arrived at
Har Zion Temple in Penn
Valley in 1991. He grew
up in Connecticut, graduated from
Boston University and then the Jewish
Theological Seminary in New York
City and served congregations in his
home state and New Jersey.

But once he got to the Main Line, he
never left.

Through six rabbinic transitions in
15 years between the late 2000s and
late 2010s, Vogel was there. During the
pandemic, the cantor was the only per-
son in the building, keeping the com-
munity alive. And after it reopened, he
was still there, greeting people as they
walked through the doors or around
the campus.

But after the first Shabbat weekend in
November, he will no longer be there.

Vogel, 68, is retiring after more than
three decades. He said it’s time for a
younger voice to step onto the bimah
and help transition to shorter services
with more instruments and congre-
gational participation. Vogel believes
that Conservative synagogues are mov-
ing in that direction, while he is bet-
ter-versed in the longer Conservative
services of yesteryear.

“I imagine my successor being more
adept at speaking to the Jews who will
fill the pews in the future in a musical
language, style and idiom which, while
I might be able to appreciate, and might
even employ at times now, would not
be one that would feel entirely authen-
tic to me,” Vogel said.

But the cantor will be missed,
according to congregants.

Joe Carver, a Har Zion member for
70 years and a past president, called
Vogel the “glue who’s kept Har Zion
together.” Carver remembers the final
Yom Kippur service led by the previous
cantor, Isaac Wall, who served for 46
years, according to Har Zion’s website.

Carver recalls thinking that the syn-
agogue would never find such a great
cantor again.

Now, though, he admits that Vogel
proved him wrong.

“He’s much more than a cantor,”
Carver said.

But a great cantor he certainly is.

Carver remembered that, on numer-
ous occasions, Vogel’s baritone voice
brought him to tears. That voice can
make a prayer “reach deep inside of
you,” the longtime congregant said.

At the same time, according to
Carver, Vogel is like a rabbi: He’s “a
people person,” too. Despite his attach-
ment to Conservative traditions, Vogel
was willing to grow with his congrega-
tion. As Carver put it, Vogel probably
never imagined when he took the job
in 1991 that he would one day share
the bimah with a computer. But during
COVID, he adopted the practice to
keep services going online.

Carver is not sure if Har Zion would
even still be here without Vogel.

“There were people who fled when
we had rabbi turmoil,” he said. “But he
kept people there.”
Sarah Luksenberg has been a Har
Zion congregant for more than 40
years. She lives within walking dis-
tance of the synagogue on Hagys Ford
Road. And she called Vogel “the heart
of Har Zion.”
“For 32 years, he’s been a leader, a
mentor, a teacher,” she added.

Luksenberg thought about it for a
second and then stated with confidence
that she had not experienced a major
life event without Vogel present. He
was on the bimah at her bat mitzvah;
he officiated at her wedding; he over-
saw the naming ceremonies for her
children. While preparing for a wedding, the
cantor tries to get to know “everything
about you,” she said. And when he’s
prepping for a bar or bat mitzvah, “he’s
making sure you know the part and
why you’re doing the part,” she added.

“He’s always there and always avail-
able. He’s a true leader,” Luksenberg
concluded. As he transitions into retirement, Vogel
is looking forward to being available on
a weekend for maybe the first time in
his adult life. His wife, Karen Vogel, is
also planning on retiring from her job
as the director of social work for Saint
Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

Working for a hospital requires
weekend work, too, so for most of
their careers, “doing something on a
weekend was unheard of,” the cantor
said. Now the couple can just enjoy the
Sabbath and their three grandchildren,
all of whom live within driving dis-
tance in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and
Rockville, Maryland.

Vogel doesn’t have a more specific
plan than that. And he doesn’t want to
make one just yet.

“It’s evolving sort of daily,” he said.

As he looks back over his career,
the cantor hopes that people remem-
ber him for leading “beautiful services
with a lot of intent” and as “a constant
in people’s spiritual lives.” JE
jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
27 Courtesy of Har Zion Temple
RETIRES FROM HAR ZION TEMPLE AFTER NEARLY 32 YEARS