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Mike
Stavitsky's lifetime of achievements and contribution
included:
Chairman
of the Newark Housing Authority.
National
Vice-President of the United States Organization (U.S.O.) during
the years of World War II.
Co-Founder, with Herbert
Lehman, and President of the American Association of Jewish
Education (A.A.J.E.).
The
Founder, along with Ed Stavitsky's Uncle, Mike Hollander, of the
Beth Israel Hospital.
President
of the New Jersey Federation of YMHA/YWHAs and founded the New
Jersey YMHA/YWHA Camps.
Administrative Assistant
and Chief Fundraiser in the United States for Dr Chaim
Weizman.
President
of Temple B'nai Abraham, Newark New Jersey (then)
1939-49.
Served as
a member of the Rutgers College Council.
Member of
the Board of Trustees of Dropsie College.
Vice
President - Jewish Publication Society of America.
Executive
Committee member, World Federation of YMHAs and Jewish Community
Centres.
Treasurer
of National Friends of Hillel.
Vice
President - United Synagogue Council of America.
Board
Member of the United Jewish Theological Seminary of
America.
Consultant to the United
States Housing Authority.
Chairman
of the Board of Adjustment, Borough of New Providence.
A Founder
of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Doctor of
Juris Prudence.
Recipient
of an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Rutgers
University.
Recipient
of the first Federal Savings & Loan Charter for the State of
New Jersey.
Vice
President of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare
Boards.
First
Chairman of the Large City Budgeting Conference of the National
Foundation for Jewish Culture.
In his
book “The Enduring Community: The Jews of Newark and Metrowest”,
William B. Helmreich writes:
“Stavitsky was born
in Russia and came to the U.S. at the age of eight. He possessed an
unusual combination of credentials – an accounting degree from NYU
and graduate studies in social work. This gave him the ability to
deal with both financial and social issues as they emerged in the
Jewish community….
“In
1922, Stavitsky’s career shifted from social work to business,
mostly real estate and mortgage financing, where he became quite
successful. As a community-oriented person, however, this was not
enough to hold his interest and he became one of the most effective
Jewish community leaders in the city’s history. He was chairman of
Newark’s United Jewish Appeal, president of the Jewish Education
Association and president of Temple B’nai Abraham. As president of
the Conference of Jewish Charities between 1931 and 1935, he
presided over one of its most critical periods. Had he not taken
firm control of the organization then, it is doubtful that it could
have survived. Stavitsky believed in commitment to the Jewish
community nationally and his involvement also extended beyond the
Jewish sphere. The organizations in which he held important posts
included the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds,
the United Jewish Appeal, the Jewish Theological Seminary, the
American Association for Jewish Education, which he founded, the
B'nai Brith Hillel Commission, Newark Public Housing
Authority, and the United Service Organization."
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