Naomi Lazarus

Naomi Lazarus enjoyed successful careers in education, gerontology, and social work. Upon her retirement, she became a volunteer for UJA-Federation of New York and has been donating her time with us for 30 years.

Naomi brings to each project she undertakes the same enthusiasm that she had for the first one. "I could not not do something," she says. "UJA-Federation cannot exist without volunteers." While still a student at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Naomi interned at UJA-Federation. Years later, as director of admissions at Wurzweiler, she was involved with sending other interns to UJA-Federation and monitoring their achievements and progress.

Among Naomi's other activities at UJA-Federation have been assisting at the Wiener Educational Center and serving on the Caring Commission's Poverty, Aging, and Health, Healing & Hospice task forces. As a member of the Health, Healing & Hospice Task Force, Naomi participated in the creation of the Mollie and Jack Zicklin Jewish Hospice Residence. "It makes me feel good to do this," she notes. "You've got to help make the world a little better (tikkun olam)."

Naomi was one of the early advocates for the creation of the Volunteer and Leadership Development Division (VLDD). In the late 1980s, she wrote to Stephen D. Solender, then executive vice president of UJA-Federation, suggesting that a separate department be established to encourage and support volunteerism.

Her ideas, along with those of others, led to the establishment of VLDD, which has since become an integral part of the organization.

Now she works as a project manager for the department, focusing on securing new volunteers, with a special concentration on baby boomers. She is also a member of Manhattan Women's Philanthropy, spearheading its Grandmothers Committee. In addition, she serves on Caring Commission's Task Force on Aging and the Jewish Community Network Commission's Task Force on Jewish Community Councils.

Naomi, a devoted mother and grandmother, has volunteered for other organizations as well, including Beth Israel Medical Center, Perlow Hospice, and the East Midwood Jewish Center as a board member and as an active volunteer in the Harry Halpern Day School in Brooklyn before moving to Manhattan. In the months after 9/11, she spent time bringing comfort to victims and their families at Pier 54.

But Naomi's heart and soul are at UJA-Federation. As she puts it: "When you help somebody, you help yourself. And I like to help people."