Anyone deserving of an 'Honorable Menschen,' can contact Howard Berger via his e-mail: Howardberger9798@aol.com or by fax: 822-3670.

A very tight economy makes it imperative for area high school seniors to seek scholarship dollars to help pay the expensive cost of going to college after their graduation next June. The Avoda Club is one of the area's leading scholarship sources and committee chairman

Eric Goldstein (Linwood) says between now and March 1, 2009, is the time for seniors to request applications for competing for the precious dollars needed to pay at least a part of the cost of a higher education. For an application write to Eric Goldstein at 2188 West Avenue, Linwood, NJ 08221

ALISA COOPER'S PASSION FOR THE ARTS LEADS TO HER APPOINTMENT TO NJ ARTS COUNCIL

Alisa Cooper has a double celebration to mark this month. First is for her successful reelection to the Atlantic County Board of Freeholder for a second term. The other success was her appointment by Governor Corzine as a Commissioner of the New Jersey Council on the Arts, the state's leading performing and visual arts agency, which is a very prestigious appointment. Her hope is that some day she can emulate the late Lillian Levy (Ventnor) to achieve the chairmanship position on the Council. "I have a passion for the arts especially music," and she has the credentials to handle her new post as the owner of Alisa Cooper Orchestras and as a music teacher in Egg Harbor Township. Alisa is also a board member of Congregation Beth Israel in Northfield. She and her husband Doug and son live in Linwood. Reacting to her state appointment, Alisa said, "I will continue to be an advocate for the arts through these difficult economic ties." Mazel Tov Alisa.

ROSIN CENTER COLLECTING CANNED AND PACKAGED FOOD FOR COMMUNITY FOOD BANK

It's a well-known fact that the local food bank pantry doesn't have enough food to meet the demands of low income residents so director

Evelyn Benson has appealed for help. One of many respondents is the H.G. Rosin Senior Center in Atlantic City with director Gail Scherzer asking its clients and the Jewish community to contribute this month and in December to contribute canned and dry foods for the community bank. "We want you to make a donation and help others in need," appealed Scherzer, JOAS Executive Director Adrienne Epstein and the Center staff and volunteers.

BETH JUDAH URGES MEMBERS TO BE 'GOOD WILL AMBASSADORS' SEEKING NEW MEMBERS

There was a unique appeal from Congregation Beth Judah President Doug Stanger urging Congregants to become "Good Will Ambassadors" to the unaffiliated. Stanger explains that "there are more Jews unaffiliated with any synagogue than are members of synagogues and we all know neighbors, acquaintances, friends and family members who do not belong to a synagogue and I urge our members to reach out to them." He says there are rewarding experiences belonging to Beth Judah. Stanger also emphasizes "we will not turn anyone away based on financial restraints." This is an offer unaffiliated should take advantage of.

STOCKTON HUGHES CENTER HEAD SHARON SCHULMAN SEEKS POLITICAL CIVILITY

During the recent Presidential and Congressional elections there was one word not in the lexicon of the election verbiage - CIVILITY. Recently, Sharon Schulman, director of the William J. Hughes Center on Public Policy, at Richard Stockton College said she emphasized that word at an open forum, which attracted a bevy of public officials and experts to discuss the question of what to do about the nasty campaigning in the recent election. Schulman, who moderated the forum, attracted North Jersey Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, EHT Mayor James J. McCullough and Atlantic County Senator James Whelan. Schulman told HM, the Hughes Center is acting on the civility issues: "Since the beginning of the American electoral process, conducting civil political campaigns has been a challenge and since the use of TV in 1964 and now the Internet, the tenor of campaigns has gotten even less civil." And continued Schulman, "at the request of Whelan, the Hughes Center has been researching how countries around the globe handle the issue and we have written about the issues in the League of Municipalities magazine and then at a panel last week with legislators, campaign people and faculty, we had an indepth discussion on how to improve CIVILITY. And for the panelists, the bottom line is controlling the money used for campaigns." Concluded Schulman, "The Center will be publishing a research paper with recommendations shortly." HM says "maybe there is some hope."