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Larry Rezak strolls down Memory Lane for the Stamford JCC’s 100th birthday

By Cindy Mindell

STAMFORD – Soliciting journal ads is not for the faint of spirit. Just ask Larry Rezak, a longtime Stamford resident and active member of the JCC way back when it first graced Prospect Street.

As a member of the Centennial Committee, Rezak elected to contact fellow community members with appeals to buy journal ads for the March 12 Centennial Gala. He refers to himself as a “bulldog” in the solicitation process.

Since settling in Stamford 44 years ago, Rezak and his wife, Linda, have supported the Jewish community locally and beyond – “from Reform to Chasidic,” he says.

Rezak’s broad historical and programmatic involvement gives him the credibility of one who walks the walk when approaching potential contributors.

“You first start with believing in the worthiness of the cause and I certainly do: I think the center is a vital institution which unites a cross-section of the community,” he says. “Linda and I joined, our children were members, and now some of our grandchildren are the beneficiaries of the JCC.”

The Rezaks were among the original host families in 1978 when the Stamford JCC first welcomed the Israeli soldiers of Tzahal Shalom into the community.

As leader of the journal-ad solicitation effort, Rezak recruited his “army” of nine fund-raisers, who reach out via phone, email, and in-person meetings. The key, he says, is to make each appeal a personal one.

He writes customized letters, drawing on the deep store of memories he carries from the Prospect Street era.

“When I write to someone, I tell them how I remember them or their parents or a historical connection they might have with the JCC,” he says. “This is a great joy for me, to go down Memory Lane with many of the people who preceded me in the Jewish community, to hear their stories about being on a committee or watching their children grow up at the JCC, to catch up with them about their families.”

Any fundraising hopeful will tell tales of being turned down when contacting a potential donor, but Rezak has an easy response. “There are multiple Jewish and secular institutions that call on people’s generosity and focus; people say, ‘I support the synagogue,’ or ‘I support the Federation,’” he says. “We all do that. We did it when the JCC was raising money for the new building, we do it now, and it’s going to happen 50 years from now, when I’m long gone. They all should be supported, because one works hand-in-hand with the other: if you’re for Israel and the Federation, you certainly should be for the JCC because it enhances awareness through programs and lectures and the Maccabi Games. It works two ways.”

Rezak explains that these contributions will sustain the JCC as it enters its second century.

“Someone paid for my children and grandchildren to enjoy the facility and the next generation deserves the same thing,” he says. “That was the intention of the original founders and members.”

Rezak is seeing results. Even most of the community members who now spend most of the year in Florida are buying journal ads; others don’t want ads but make contributions to specific JCC programs.

This outreach and response are the essence of kahal tzibur, Rezak says, the Hebrew term referring to the entire community acting together.

“You can pray by yourself or you can pray as part of a community,” he says. “Our work is about educating the next generation for the next 100 years of the Stamford Jewish community and if you want to sustain things like the JCC, you have to pay the piper.”

Stamford JCC Centennial Gala: Saturday, March 12, 7:30 PM, Rockrimmon Country Club, 2949 Long Ridge Rd., Stamford. For tickets or information, or to share JCC memories: stamfordjcc.org/gala2016/centennial-gala, (203) 487-0965.

CAP: Larry and Linda Rezak

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