In honor of Henry James (Hank) Brandt.
-Marianne Lacey

In loving memory of Jean & Frank Cannavo.
​-Jeanne Cannavo

On Thursday, June 16th, the Joan & Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island installed five new board members at the organization’s Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors. The newest members of the Board of Directors are Jozette Carter-Williams, Traci Frey, Isaac Gorodetski, Boris Natenzon, and Jack Stern.
 
JCC Orit Lender said, “I want to welcome our five new Board members, who all have a history of working with our JCC. They have so much knowledge and enthusiasm, and I am so excited to see them use their talents to help our agency grow! We are fortunate to have a supportive Board and a dedicated staff, who ensured that we got through the past few difficult years together and emerged on the other side stronger than ever. It is thanks to all of them that we can continue to serve the changing needs of our community and make a positive impact on Staten Island.”
 
Learn more about our new board members below!
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Jozette Carter-Williams
Born in Brooklyn, Jozette Carter-Williams attended the College of Staten Island before beginning her career in the banking industry. She began her career as a teller at Staten Island Savings Bank and worked in various positions there until 2010. She subsequently worked at Empire State Bank before joining Northfield Bank this year as a Bank Manager, AVP. Jozette also owns and operates JoJo Cee Photography and has done charity photography for the American Cancer Society and Blue Lives Matter. Jozette was married to Gerard L. Carter, the namesake of the JCC’s Gerard Carter Center. Police Officer Carter was killed in the line of duty in July 1998. Jozette has become very involved in the Police Officer Gerard Carter Athletic Org., which was founded to help the children of Stapleton, the same community that Officer Carter patrolled. She continues to help children in the community and bridge the gap between our communities and the police through charitable endeavors. Jozette married Grady Williams Jr. in 2017. She has three children, Louis, Selena, and Jason, as well as two “bonus” children, Grady IV and Jenese. She is currently enrolled in the Academy of Art University pursuing a degree in Photography and the Arts.
 
Traci Frey
Traci Frey previously served on the Board from 2007-2010 and was the Treasurer at the end of her service. She has been a member of both Congregation B’nai Israel and Temple Emanuel. In her professional life, she served as the Deputy Superintendent of District 31 on Staten Island from November 2019- June 2021. Prior to that, Mrs. Frey was the Principal of the Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning High School, a New York City Outward Bound School following the tenets of Expeditionary Learning, for 10 years. Prior to becoming Principal, Mrs. Frey was the Assistant Principal of the Science Department at Edward R. Murrow High School, where she began her education career as a physics teacher in 1996. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Hamilton College, Masters in Secondary Science Education from the College of Staten Island, and Administration and Supervision Certificate from the College of St. Rose. She is the proud mother of Rebecca and Katie, and loving wife of her husband of blessed memory, David.
 
Isaac Gorodetski
An immigrant from Ukraine, Isaac spent most of his childhood in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood in Brooklyn—and has resided on Staten Island since his family moved across the bridge in 1999. As a Staten Island resident, he became a professional commuter at an early age, first traveling to CUNY Baruch College to attain a Bachelor’s degree in economics and then to earn a J.D. at New York Law School. Fresh out of law school, Isaac joined the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, a prominent think tank that conducts research and advances innovative ideas across a wide array of public policy issues, for five years. In 2016, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo hired Isaac to create and direct a public policy department at Borough Hall. In that capacity, Isaac and his team worked to tackle some of the most pressing problems facing Staten Island—from the opioid epidemic to mental health to workforce development. At the conclusion of Borough President Oddo’s final term, Isaac joined the Richmond County Supreme Court as principal law clerk to the Hon. Paul Marrone, Jr. Isaac is especially enjoying his new role as a dad to a little baby girl. He resides with his wife and daughter in Annadale and is excited for opportunities to serve communities across Staten Island.
 
Boris Natenzon
Boris Natenzon is the founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Enexia Specialty, one of New York’s largest full-service independent pharmacies. Born in Tashkent, formerly USSR, Boris moved to the United States with his family at three years old and grew up in Brooklyn, NY. He is a husband and a father of 3. Boris opened his first pharmacy along with his wife, Mrs. Angela Natenzon, RPh. in 2002, shortly after receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Long Island University in 1999. Enexia Specialty Pharmacy has been a tremendous initial step in reaching the vulnerable and contributing to better wellness for the communities Boris works with. Vitacare, Enexia’s long-term care division, offers specific services to senior care and non-profit agencies throughout NYC. During some of the darkest times over the last few years, Boris spearheaded the fight with NYS and the Governors’ office to get COVID-19 vaccines directly to facility patients and healthcare workers. Boris personally vaccinated thousands of people in pop-up clinics, private homes, and Enexia Pharmacy locations. In addition to his work, Boris has been a strong supporter of the Staten Island and New Jersey Chabad communities. He also serves as a board member of the (SIHC) Staten Island Holocaust Center, is vice-chair at the Northwell foundation board, and was recently awarded by Project Hospitality the Les Trautman Award for Outstanding Commitment to the People of Staten Island.
 
Jack Stern
Jack Stern has been practicing law on Staten Island since 1977. A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, he has worked for the Legal Aid Society of New York before entering private practice. His areas of expertise are real estate, elder law, and business practice. He was previously a partner in O’Neill, Stern & O’Neill and is presently a partner in Stern, Stern, and Fruchtman. Additionally, Jack is an instructor at the Staten Island Board of Realtors. In his free time, Jack serves on the Board of the St. George Theatre and Hillel at the College of Staten Island. He is a Past Chairman of Eger Lutheran Home and Services as well as a Past President of Congregation Aviv Hadash. Jack is a former director of New Springville Little League. He is a member of the Richmond County Bar Association. Jack and his wife Randi recently served as Journal Chairs for our Allan Weissglass Distinguished Leadership Award.

On Sunday, June 26, the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island will host SunriseWALKS to benefit the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, a free camp for children with cancer and their siblings.
 
After hosting virtual “walks” the past two years due to the pandemic, the JCC is excited to bring the annual fundraiser back in-person. This year’s SunriseWALKS, presented by Home Team Mortgage, will take place at a new location—Staten Island University Hospital “Community Park,” home of the Staten Island FerryHawks.
 
Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “We look forward to SunriseWALKS every year as an opportunity to raise awareness and funding for our amazing Sunrise Day Camp, and to celebrate our community’s generosity, which allows us to give so much back to children with cancer and their siblings. We’re so excited to be together again this year and we’re planning a really special day for families.”
 
The itinerary for the day is full of programming to be enjoyed by kids of all ages and their families, including carnival and camp-inspired games and activities such as a dunk tank, face-painting, and relay races, flag football and Krav Maga demonstrations, and running the stadium’s bases. Walkers will also enjoy music and special performances by magician Steve Rose, L.A. Dance, and more.
 
The walk will be emceed by Staten Island’s own Carmine Giovinazzo, best known for his role as Detective Danny Messer in the hit CBS series CSI: New York. The event will also include special messages from celebrities.
 
SunriseWALKS is the JCC’s largest fundraiser for the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island. Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Sunrise Day Camp and its year-round programs are provided to families completely free of charge, on a non-sectarian basis.
 
A proud member of the Sunrise Association, Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is the only summer day camp of its kind in New York City and serves children from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and nearby New Jersey.
 
Sandy Haft, Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, said, “Sunrise Day Camp is a special place, where we keep cancer outside the four walls of camp. Your support for SunriseWALKS means the world to us because it helps us bring some sunshine to children who need it most.”
 
Register for SunriseWALKS here to donate to Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island. Walkers can also register in-person on June 26 at the stadium, beginning at 10am.