Dr. Herschel "Harry" Gershenowitz (of blessed memory), lived his life to the fullest, and did his part to improve the world.
After a hardscrabble upbringing in Brooklyn, Dr. Gershenowitz, an amateur archaeologist, went on to discover a lost Jewish settlement in Gloucester County known as Ziontown which was abandoned in the 1890s, as well as a grown-over Jewish cemetery near Mays Landing.
He was a voracious reader and writer and a much-loved professor at Rowan University. At the age of 86 he became a bar mitzvah in 2012, and passed away in 2013.
His legacy did not end there, however.
In 2015, JCF received a substantial bequest from Dr. Gershenowitz's estate that he left for JCF. His generosity will enable JCF to award more dollars annually to organizations that provide important programming and services to Southern New Jersey residents.
JCF is proud to be able to continue Dr. Gershenowitz's legacy, as his fund is pooled with several other funds that contribute towards JCF's Fall and Spring Grants Cycles. These JCF Grants enable local non-profit organizations and synagogues to launch new and innovative programming, so, as a result, his legacy lives on and will continue to benefit our community for many years into the future.
We hope this compelling story of a local community member strikes a chord with you. It's a wonderful example of one person making a big difference by living and leaving a legacy.
