In appreciation

In his May 19 “Shabbat Shalom” newsletter, Alliance President and CEO  Jeffrey Savit proclaimed May 22 to be “Rhode Island Jewish Community Employee Appreciation Day.” He called for expressing “our thanks to the countless professionals who selflessly work at our Jewish agencies, organizations and synagogues across greater Rhode Island.”

In that spirit, we express our appreciation for Marty Cooper, longtime director of the Alliance’s Community Relations Council (CRC), the Jewish community’s outreach, public policy and advocacy arm. After serving the Alliance for more than 10 years, Marty departed his position on Feb. 21. 

Marty carried out much of the Alliance’s work of tikkun olam, advocating on Israel and social justice issues. He was the public face of the Alliance to the Rhode Island interfaith community, the State House, the Rhode Island congressional delegation, local universities, the Israeli consulate in Boston, the Jewish Federations’ General Assembly and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs in Washington, D.C. Well-known in the Rhode Island policy and interfaith communities, Marty had many friends and colleagues both in the Jewish community and beyond. 

Marty worked tirelessly on behalf of the Jewish community and never ceased trying to find common ground among constituencies with often differing views.  We are grateful for the thoughtfulness, intelligence, expertise, respect and decency that he brought to his position.  He has left big shoes to fill.  We will miss him at the Alliance.

Sincerely,

Nina Tannenwald

Reverend Don Anderson

Imam Farid Ansari

Ruti Ben-Artzi

Jay Burdick

Deb DeBare

Rabbi Wayne Franklin

Rabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser

Ellen Goodman

Judy Kaye

Nancy Kirsch

Rabbi Dr. Marc Mandel

Ann Moskol

Tom Padwa

Rabbi James Rosenberg

Barry Schiller

Susan Sklar

Ezra Steiglitz

Richard H. Tropper

James Vincent