Press Release - West Orange, NJ

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz Lubavitch Center of Essex County 973-731-0770 or mendykas@orangejews.org www.orangejews.org

FORMER NFL LINEMAN AND SUPERBOWL CHAMP ALAN VEINGRAD TO ADDRESS WEST ORANGE JEWISH COMMUNITY Maintaining Jewish Identity and Pride on the Playing Field WEST ORANGE, N.J., February 7, 2005 -- Former NFL offensive lineman (1986-1992) and member of the 1992 Superbowl Champs, the Dallas Cowboys, Alan Veingrad, will address the West Orange Jewish community on how he, as the only Jew on his team, vigorously maintained his Jewish identity and pride in the wake of both “good-natured ribbing” and overt proselytizing. Veingrad’s talk will take place at a Friday night Sabbath dinner at 7:00pm on February 25 at Congregation AABJ&D, 700 Pleasant Valley Way.

In a 1995 article in the New York Times, Alan spoke of the importance of Judaism in his life, "It's hard being a professional football player. It's harder still being a Jewish football player...In the rough and tumble environment of an NFL team, a Jew is an outsider. Most meaningful to me is Judaism's strong emphasis on family and celebration, passed down to my brother and me by our parents. Among my warmest memories are Passover seders...or during Hanukkah, our festival of light and freedom, with its beautiful rituals, food, and songs. These holidays and others, and the weekly celebration of the Shabbat, bring us added joy and meaning and help us to renew Judaism and ourselves."

A joint project of the Lubavitch Center of Essex County and Cong AABJ&D, the February 25 dinner with Veingrad costs $18 for adults and $10 for children under thirteen. For more information or to make reservations, contact Anne Goldberg at Congregation AABJ&D, 973-736-1407, or Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz at Lubavitch Center, 973-731-0770/ mendykas@orangejews.org.

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