Fellowship honors federation exec’s father

Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ and the Touro College Graduate School of Social Work are seeking 15 candidates for $5,000 fellowships leading to master’s degrees in social work.

The Eli Kleinman Distinguished Service Fellowship for Jewish Communal Professional Leadership is named in memory of the father of Max Kleinman, executive vice president/CEO of the federation.

The elder Kleinman died in April at the age of 88.

A Nov. 27 press release issued by the federation described him as “a Holocaust survivor who tirelessly worked on behalf of Holocaust education, UJA, Israel advocacy, and sustaining community synagogues, educational institutions, and youth organizations.”

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“He came to the United States in 1949, and for the rest of his life he was actively involved in Jewish communal activities and affairs,” Max Kleinman explained. “He was always thankful to all of the federation agencies that helped resettle him and his family.”

The fellowship was established in recognition of his “extraordinary lifetime of service,” said the statement.

To qualify, applicants must reside in the Greater MetroWest catchment area or be employed by the federation or one of its agencies.

Those accepted for the fellowships may study either at the Touro College campus in New York or in a “blended learning model” that combines traditional classroom learning with on-line education.

As part of their master’s in social work education, fellows will carry out required field placement within an agency partnered with the Greater MetroWest federation.

Second-year students will be eligible for additional stipends if they specialize in working with military veterans and their families, older adults and their families, and people with serious and persistent mental illnesses.

After completing the two-year program and receiving master’s degrees, recipients will be required to work for a Greater MetroWest agency for one year.

The federation’s share of the cost will come from the Alan Lowenstein Fellowship Program, which provides fellowships for studies in Jewish communal service, and from the Eli Kleinman Fund for Jewish Education.

Information sessions for those interested in applying will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at noon at the Aidekman campus in Whippany and on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m. at the Cooperman JCC in West Orange.

For more information, contact Kerry Haley at Touro College Graduate School of Social Work, 212-463-0400, ext. 5376, or Kerry.haley@touro.edu; or Bonnie Sterling at the Greater MetroWest federation, 973-929-3082 or bsterling@jfedgmw.org.