Monmouth board unanimous for merger

The board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County voted unanimously in favor of a pending merger with the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County, taking another giant step along the path to unification.

The balloting took place at a board meeting held Sept. 11 at the federation’s offices in Holmdel.

The next steps in the process are expected to take place in October, when community members in both counties cast their own votes. At press time, a federation spokesperson said procedures are being finalized for that balloting, tentatively slated for Oct. 23 in Monmouth. 

The Middlesex federation will announce the date for its own community canvassing after Oct. 1. 

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“This merger offers the opportunity to do more for our community together than either of us can do separately,” said Ken Philmus, Monmouth’s cochair on a Project Leadership Committee charged with structuring the merger. 

“It boils down to simple math: one plus one equals three. Because we’re stronger, we’ll attract more corporate support that will, in turn, help us do more for people here, in Israel, and overseas. Plus we’ll have a stronger presence in the national and international arenas,” said Philmus.

“I am 100 percent certain this merger will be good for both communities,” said Sheryl Grutman, president of the Monmouth federation. “My personal love is Women’s Philanthropy. I’ve watched it grow in Monmouth and can’t even imagine how terrific it will be once the merger happens.”

“If we are going to have a vibrant Jewish community in the future, federations need to focus on new ways of doing business and addressing challenges,” said Keith Krivitzky, executive director of the Monmouth group. “So I see this merger as strategically and existentially important.”