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

Surrounded by family members and friends, former Ventnor and current resident of Boca Raton, Florida, Rebecca Freeman reached a landmark 99th birthday. It was a six-hour celebration for the patient at the White Hall Boca Raton Rehab who was wearing a new Chicago White Sox baseball uniform sent her by team mogul Jerry Reinsdorf. Why? Rebecca wears white compression stockings to increase blood circulation in her legs and when she is asked why, her answer is, “I am pitching (or catching) today for the White Sox!” When Reinsdorf heard her story he sent her a uniform. Rebecca obviously was disappointed that her favorite team didn’t make the playoffs. Playing a key role in the celebration’s entertainment was her two-yearold great-granddaughter, Victoria. Michael Stein, and his internationally acclaimed three monkey act, entertained the crowd of family members, friends and guests. A giant birthday cake with 99 candles officially sealed the event. Looking much younger than her near centenarian year, Rebecca joined everyone singing “Take me out to the ball game,” but her favorite song is “Bi Mir Bist Du Shein” (To me you are so beautiful) which she is.

AS IDEAL HONOREES, CHARLES AND LYNN KRAMER, WILL BE FETED AT DIVERSITY DINNER

It is well known that Charles and Lynn Kramer have been successful in business as operators of Kramer Beverage Company, family owned for 85 years. Today’s HM is a more detailed followup to last week’s story about their honors Dec. 3 by the American Conference on Diversity. Diversity president and CEO Dianne Schwartz declared, “The Kramers are ideal honorees for our Humanitarian Award and are caring and committed people.” They have been recognized widely for their business success, but they have achieved as much in their Jewish community philanthropy and non- Judaic endeavors. As one of South Jersey’s leading soft drink-beer distributors, Charles became the third generation of his family to join the company after graduating from Rutgers University in 1964, and Lynn launched her career with the company in 1975 after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. Charles is active with United Way, Southern N.J. Development Council and other local service groups; past president of Congregation Beth Judah and president the past two years of the Stockton College Foundation. Also board member of HIAS, the Rutgers Executive Advisory Bd. and as N.J. State Director of the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Lynn is equally busy in volunteer activities as PP of the Jewish Federation, JCC and United Way boards, life member of Hadassah and RNS and AtlantiCare Health Services. She was honored as Business Woman of the Year by the Atlantic County Chamber of Commerce and served as VP and CFO of Kramer Beverage before retiring in 2006 after 31 years with KBC. The Kramers have two children, Michele and Mark and four granddaughters – Hannah, Molly, Jordan and Alison. Mark and his wife, Heather, reside in Voorhees, N.J., while Michele Kramer-Sloane lives in Mamaroneck, N.Y. with her husband, Peter. Charles and Lynn epitomize the slogan, “find a busy person and . . .

MOMMA LOSHEN BOOKS IS YEAR-ROUND PURSUIT, SAY ALAN AND ELLEN ROSENFIELD

Yiddish has few fluent people but there are die-hard advocates such as Ellen and Alan Rosenfield of Somers Point (Temple Emeth Shalom) and their annual summer journey to Amherst, Mass., to deliver hundreds of Yiddish books to the National Yiddish Book Center in that college town. HM was motivated to call the Rosenfields after reading an article in the Masorti Voice of Conservative Judaism written by retired professor of Communication Disorders at the University of Minnesota, Gerald Siegal, one of the nation’s leading proponents of preserving the Yiddish language. “Help save the Mama Loshen,” urge the Rosenfields, telling HM, “we are making the local collection a year round campaign, putting Yiddish books aside” – which the Rosenfields will collect next summer before making the trip to Amherst. They said, “We have been Zamlers (collectors) for the National Yiddish Book Center for over 20 years.” And they added, “We got involved in order to help save the language and culture of our parents and our grandparents and we visit the center once a year to deliver what we have collected. Of the millions of books collected by the NYBC, we are proud of the fact that several thousands of books were collected locally.” To continue this effort call the Rosenfields at 927-6398 for a pickup.”Help us carry on this effort to preserve Momma Loshen,” they appealed.

ATLANTIC CO. AND SOUTH JERSEY SENIOR TRANSPORTATION GETS $$ TO KEEP IT ROLLING

As a rider of Atlantic County Transportation to my work site because of a permanent shoulder injury preventing me from driving, I observe a good many members of our Jewish community (I know many of them) using the system. The vans take them to medical appointments, nutrition sites such as the Rosin Senior Center and Ventnor site, and the volunteer centers as well as the dialysis center at Shore Memorial Hospital. Each of us is asked to contribute one dollar each way but some can’t afford to pay. It was urged to make the donation mandatory even raising it to $1.50 each way but the Freeholders said “no,” although the money source from the declining Casino Revenue Fund is down, says David J. Rosen, finance officer of N.J. Budget Office, from nearly $40 million in 2008 to a projected $30.2 million in 2010. All HM can say to the County on behalf of the many riders is, “Thanks for keeping the volunteer donations at the present rate.”