Celebrating four generations of commitment

A family with a deep devotion to the Jewish community that has worshipped for four generations at Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere will be honored for their commitment to the congregation, community and the State of Israel at the synagogue’s dinner dance on Sunday.

Susan Sreter, 94, the matriarch of the family, her son Alex,73, and his wife Vicki, their three children — Beth and Neil Berman, Dana and Scott Greissman, and David and Lisa Sreter (all in their 40s) and their eight children are the honorees.
“The synagogue provides for me a place to pray together with my family. The rabbi motivates me to be the best person I can be,” said Alex, who works as a healthcare administrator in Port Jefferson. “Congregation Sons of Israel is the perfect synagogue for me because I share the same values and traditions as they do.”

The family has deep roots in the community, dating back to 1981, when Alex and Vicki moved to the Five Towns and joined the congregation. Susan joined them in the same year, and also became a member of the synagogue. Two of Alex’s children currently reside in the Five Towns and are members of the synagogue. They send their children to The Brandeis School in Lawrence, and the family recently celebrated the bat mitzvah of David and Lisa Sreter daughter Abby at the Woodmere-based temple.

Susan and Alex are both Holocaust survivors. When Alex was an infant, Susan gave him to a Catholic family who cared for him, while Susan and her husband, Oster, hid until the end of World War II. “Susan Sreter is a true aishet chayil (woman of valor) for what she did to save Alex, herself, and her husband during the Holocaust,” said Binnie Stein, a fellow congregant, who noted her kindness and care for others. Oster Sreter died 25 years ago at 83.

The family is very active in the community, according Rabbi, Bruce Ginsburg, the congregation’s spiritual leader. Alex and Vicki served on Brandeis’s executive board, and Alex served as the school’s treasurer. They also are members of the Friends of Israel Defense Forces events committee. Vicki and Beth are part of the synagogue’s Sisterhood, and Beth and Neil currently serve on the temple’s executive board. The family regularly attends services each week.

“I am very close with all the generations of this family and in this family we see generations of commitment to Torah, Congregation Sons of Israel, the Jewish people and tradition,” said Ginsberg.

Stein appreciates the family’s contributions to the congregation and community at large. “I have known the family for many years, and they have made a tremendous impression on my life,” he said. “They give the congregation every reason to be proud of them.”  

Moshe Carroll contributed to this story.