Evan Jaffe
Rabbi Evan Jaffe gives a voice to those who go ignored or have been abandoned. Flemington Jewish Community Center’s humble spiritual leader is a champion of compassion and justice for all. In March, he will be recognized by Volunteer Guardianship One-on-One, Inc. for his work with people with dementia and for mentoring new caretakers. He serves as emergency guardian for those abandoned at Hunterdon Medical Center. In December, when his synagogue completed its new Torah in honor of the congregation’s 90th anniversary, Rabbi Jaffe arranged for several severely disabled residents from centers for people with developmental disabilities to participate in the Torah writing process. He conducts weekly services for Hunterdon Center residents and regularly integrates them in synagogue. He is a founder of OPEN Religious Organizations Accepting Disabilities, which regularly arranges transportation to churches for the disabled. He also provides outreach to the poor and the homeless, and to Jewish inmates; co-sponsors African refugees; and volunteers with Meals on Wheels.
— Eileen Schwalb
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