Two Morganville residents who promote Jewish awareness in their families and communities while overcoming challenges will be honored during Chabad of Western Monmouth County’s 27th annual Jewish Women’s Day program, which will take place at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 23 at the Freehold Jewish Center, 50 Broad St., Freehold.
The event will include a brunch and feature an auction of themed gift baskets.
This year’s guest speaker, Lynda Fishman, has overcome tragedy in her own life and now inspires others to face their own obstacles. When Fishman was 13, her mother and two younger sisters were killed in a plane crash, leaving her to be raised by her father.
Fishman is the author of an autobiography, “Repairing Rainbows: A True Story of Family, Tragedy and Choices,” which will be available for sale the day of the event.
“Repairing Our Rainbows” will be the theme, and the two honorees, who have faced their own challenges, will be honored with the Aishes Chayil (Woman of Valor) award during the brunch.
Honoree Evelyn Medwed Fabrikant was born in Rome, Italy, outside a displaced persons camp to parents who had both lost their previous families, including children, in the Holocaust. As an adult, her efforts to promote Judaism have extended from her immediate family to Israel and the Ukraine.
Her adult children include a son, David, and his wife, Dina, who live in San Clemente, Calif., with their children Matthew, 12, and Nicole, 7. Son Jason works in Jersey City and Philadelphia.
Daughter Rebekah and husband Garret live in Jersey City and are the parents of Alexandra, 7, and Ashton Michael, almost 4, whose Hebrew name is Moshe Chaim, named for Fabrikant’s late husband, Michael.
Honoree Rhonda Ravitz Friedberg has successfully met the challenge of raising a child with special needs and has extended her efforts to other families. Her son, Zachary, 16, was born with a rare mitochondrial disease.
Since the 1970s there have been only 300 documented cases and there are currently only 20 people with the disease in the world, according to Friedberg. Although the medical prognosis was grim, she never gave up. Several local “Walks for Zachary” raised $250,000 for research, according to a press release.
“Zachary is a miracle,” his mother said. “Never give up. If you believe in something, it can happen.”
Friedberg, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and her husband, Michael, are also the parents of Ben, 18, a freshman at Binghamton University; and Rebecca, 11, who attends the Chabad Hebrew School.
Admission at the door will be $45. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. for auction preview. For more information, call 732-972-3687.