Honorees
The fate of Corey and Bonnie was sealed the moment Corey asked Bonnie to dance at his Bar Mitzvah. 33 years later and 3 grown children, they feel that they are each other’s Bershert,“meant to be for each other.”
Corey and Bonnie each grew up in West Orange. They first met in the 7th grade and have been smitten with each other since. Corey studied at Brandeis and Bonnie studied at Boston University. They were married four weeks after their graduations. Corey furthered his education by studying at UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School while Bonnie entered the work force as a buyer for Lord and Taylor. Their first son Max was born 5 years later followed by the births of Melissa and Alex.
The Metro West JCC and their synagogue were an extension of their home life growing up. Naturally, they found the community around Tenafly to be a fit. Unsure if they could afford to join the JCC as Corey just started his residency and their son Max was soon to be born, they generously received a reduced membership rate and a partial scholarship for nursery school. This act of generosity was the foundation of Bonnie and Corey’s philanthropic future. The JCC ultimately became the center of their world – their community where they formed lasting friendships. Bonnie joined the board of the JCC and has been a regular at their gym for over 29 years.
The Notis’ joined Temple Emanu-El when it was time to enroll their children in Hebrew School. They instantly felt connected. They proudly walked the Torahs down Tenafly Road to Temple Emanu-El’ s new home in Closter. This moment prompted them to become more active in the Temple Emanu-El community. They created the first mitzvah project walk- a- thon on the grounds of Temple Emanu-El for Max’s Bar Mitzvah class which provided birthday parties for children with cancer in Israel. This continued through Melissa’s Bat Mitzvah year as well. Bonnie continued to study Torah at in the Melton School and the Torah Institute, which opened up her world to so many other members of the Temple and the richness of Jewish history and teachings. The most poignant experiences for Bonnie and Corey happened on their first TE Mission to Israel. Coincidentally, they were planning on going to Israel when the Gaza War broke out. Any hesitation about whether or not to go was quelled after they participated in a pro-Israel rally held a few weeks prior. Their sense of community and devotion for Israel and Temple Emanu-El were heightened as they were embraced by so many Temple Members. The sense of belonging to a synagogue that encourages Tikkun Olam and inclusivity speaks to the values that they have hoped to instill in their children.
Today, they feel tremendous pride as they enter the beautiful synagogue which has served as a place to experience countless lifecycle events. The daily chapel windows were Bonnie’s ultimate expression of her love of art and design and giving back to our Temple.
Bonnie and Corey are immensely proud of this honor and are thrilled to share tonight with their friends and family and the entire Emanu-El community.
After getting married at Temple Emanu-El in July 2007, Briana Goldfein Holden and Matthew Holden purchased their first home in Tenafly and moved from Manhattan in 2009. Briana has enjoyed learning and teaching throughout her life, most importantly she has enjoyed teaching children. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Child Development and earned a dual Masters in Education and Special Education from the Bank Street Graduate School of Education. After teaching Second Grade for over 12 years in New York City, Briana decided it was time to take a break to spend some time teaching some of her most important students, her two daughters, Bari, age 8, and Isabelle, age 4. She has taken an active role in her daughters’ lives and enjoys spending her time volunteering at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades and the J. Spencer Smith School in Tenafly, where they attend school.
Briana grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey, the middle child of Shepard and Ellen Goldfein. Briana’s parents have been long time members and patrons of Temple Emanu-El and the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. Both were B’nai Mitzvot at Temple Ema-nu-El when it was still located in Englewood. Shep served as President of Temple Emanu-El from 1997 through 1999 and as co-chair of the “Gang of Thirty”, which led the ten-year odyssey to relocate the synagogue from Englewood to Closter. Like her parents, Briana attended Hebrew School and became a Bat Mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El.
Matthew grew up in Jericho, New York and moved to Upper Saddle River, New Jersey when he was nine years old, the oldest of two sons of Mark Holden and the late Barbara Broder Holden. Matthew’s family was a member of Temple Emanu-El in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey where he attended Hebrew School and became a Bar Mitzvah.
After graduating from Emory’s Goizueta School of Business with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Finance, Matthew deferred his admission to law school in order to accept a position with Lehman Brothers, Inc. as an Investment Banking Analyst. After working with Lehman he earned his law degree from the University of Miami and accepted a position as a corporate associate with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP in its New York office. Matthew is the founding member of the Holden Legal Group LLC, a boutique law firm with offices in Hackensack, New Jersey and Midtown Manhattan.
Following in the family tradition, Matthew, along with other devoted members of Temple Emanu-El, provided advice in connection with the planning and construction of Temple Emanu-El’s Promenade Level. In addition, he has represented the synagogue in the purchase of property that bordered the synagogue, and in the sale of Rabbi Hertzberg’s home in Englewood. He is frequently called upon by the Temple officers for legal advice. Matthew currently serves on Temple Emanu-El’s Board and has become engaged in Temple governance. He is also the President of the Board of Directors for the homeowner’s association in Bridgehampton, New York, where he and Briana have a second home. He also serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of his BNI Networking Chapter.
Above all else, family matters most to Briana and Matthew. With more than five decades of family ties to the synagogue, the strong communal and positive ethical values reflected at Temple Emanu-El, and by its clergy, continue to strengthen Matthew and Briana’s commitment to their communal activities. They feel privileged to receive this honor and hope that it will inspire other young families to see the temple as worthy of their year-round commitment and participation. Briana and Matt also hope that their children, as the next generation, through their ongoing activities and Jewish education at the synagogue, will continue the tradition. L’Dor V’Dor.