Sandy and Gene Alexander
An award-winning educator, Gene has been an adjunct professor in a variety of colleges and professional associations for the past four decades. Sandy and Gene owned and operated G.A. Agency Corp., a private employment service for preschool through high school, from 1978 until their retirement in 2004. Gene is the author of "Collections! It's My Money Anyway and Tale of a Sale...Letting Go of the Family Business" as well as a variety of articles and handbooks. He is currently the academic dean of the Business Information Center at the College for Business in Valley Stream.
The Alexanders met on a blind date and went on a second date simply to satisfy their matchmakers. A year later, they went on another date and immediately became engaged. They married on December 25, 1966 - although Gene did faint during the ceremony. They have two daughters: Carole is married to Wayne Holtzmann, and they have twins, Amanda and Logan; Jessica is married to Sean Donovan, and they have two children, Sydney and Ethan.
Sandy, who has been a Sisterhood member since 1978, was a Sisterhood Board member and a vice president and is now an honorary director. She chaired the Passover candy sale for eight years; she has been a cast member in four temple shows and coordinator of the after-theater caf� for many years; she is a member of the volunteer choir, has been a Religious School office volunteer, and has served on committees for both Sisterhood and the temple board. Sandy was also a member of the adult b'not mitzvah class of 2008. On the temple Board of Directors, Sandy has chaired Gifts and Memorials, a sanctuary refurbishing project, the Hallelujah panel project, and committees including Nursery School, Needlework Guild, Publicity, and Benefactors; she recently co-chaired the merger Artifacts committee.
Gene's temple responsibilities have also been varied. He taught in the Religious School and was a temple Board member for about 20 years; he wrote grants, coordinated and organized b'nai mitzvah rehearsals, and co-chaired a plethora of committees including Pulpit, Religious Practices, High Holy Days, Scholarship, Special Budgetary Review, Outreach, Facilities, Future Planning, Youth, and Religious and Hebrew schools as well as several search committees. He was instrumental in establishing Tuesday evening Upper School, the Austin and Shirley Alexander Essay Contest for confirmation students, the PACE program, and the program for parents of b'nai mitzvah students. He and Sandy co-chaired Gifts and Memorials as well as the Benefactors committee which increased participation by more than 40 percent and contributions by more than 60 percent. Recently he was the co-chair of the merger Education sub-committee.
Sandy and Gene are life members of Temple Emanu-El and look forward to their continued involvement in temple life.
SCHRAGER BIOS
Carole and Dave
Carole and Dave Schrager started off their married life in the Rockaways, but fortunately, for Temple Emanu-El of Lynbrook, they moved to the South Shore, and the rest is Temple history.
Carole was born in the Bronx, and although her family lived there until she was sixteen years old, they would spend summers in Rockaway Beach. When the family relocated to Rockaway, Carole attended Far Rockaway High School, where she met Dave, a Rockaway native. They married in 1962. Their children are Todd, Robin, and Debbie.
Dave practiced law in his Cedarhurst office for many years; he recently moved his office to his home. Carole was an elementary school teacher and a school librarian, retiring in 1998 when her first grandchildren were born. Debbie is married to Chad, Robin is married to Greg; the grandchildren are Jack, Ryan, Ethan and Alexis.
After they moved from the Rockaways in Queens to Valley Stream, Carole and Dave Schrager had little trouble finding a temple to join when their son Todd was approaching the age of bar mitzvah. They wanted a Reform temple, one in which Dave had little if any intentions of getting particularly involved. Fortunately, that was one decision that didn't last very long, and not only did they both become active members of Temple Emanu-El, they participated in many different branches of temple life.
Carole became an active Sisterhood member, rising in the ranks from Board member to vice president and to president, and then becoming a vice president again. Dave joined Men's Club, became a board member, and then took on the responsibilities of the Financial Secretary, which he has continued to be for many years. Carole expanded her role to temple responsibilities including co-chair of several committees: Cultural, Nursery School, and the Library. She taught in the temple library, served as a temple board member, and served on both Sisterhood and Temple nominating committees.
Dave was in charge of a variety of Men's Club events including the annual picnic. He also chaired the retention committee and the nominating committee. In temple, Dave taught a min-course in religious school, worked with the youth groups, was on several nominating committees and a rabbi search committee as well as the Board of Directors. For many years, Dave has been the aliyah coordinator for the High Holy Days.
Carole and Dave, who are now life members, agree that they are indeed lucky to belong to Temple Emanu-El, and they look forward to remaining active members of the temple and the temple community.
