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Memoirs

Our Rock
In this heartfelt memoir, Holly Strelzik and her family paint a vivid portrait of Jonathan Strelzik, the steadfast rock at the center of their lives. Through beloved stories and memories, this book reveals Jonathan’s unique journey, from his roots in a close-knit family to the milestones that defined him as a devoted husband, father, and friend. As you turn the pages, you’ll encounter a man known for his kindness, strength, and unwavering commitment to those he loves. Jonathan, Holly, their children Michael and Shay, and a circle of friends and relatives recount moments that capture Jonathan’s special spirit, celebrating his heritage, career success, and the cherished traditions and values he has passed down. Jonathan’s life serves as an example of love, integrity, and resilience, inspiring all who know him. Whether you know Jonathan personally or are meeting him for the first time in these pages, this memoir offers a deeply moving tribute to a life well-lived. It stands as a testament to the legacy he has created—a legacy his family will hold close for generations to come.

A Life of Abundance
Ed Weiss, born March 1, 1931, has truly achieved the American Dream. His remarkable journey, from a modest childhood in a large single-parent family to a fulfilling adult life of love and adventure, is the story of a great man whose positivity, wit, and wisdom have led him to a life of abundance. Ed’s bravery in the face of hardship—including poverty, war, firefighting, and even self-doubt—illustrates how he is both a hero and a genuine soul to those who know him. Ed’s LifeStory highlights the importance of his family and friends. In his early years, he developed strong bonds with his siblings, relishing simple joys like playing with his twin sister Edna and participating in family activities. As a fireman in the Teaneck Fire Department, where he rose to the rank of Deputy Chief, Ed earned both the respect and friendship of his colleagues. His professional life was complemented by a deep and enduring love for Mary, his wife of more than six decades, with whom he raised five children. Today, they enjoy many more grand and great-grandchildren. Throughout his memoir, Ed reflects on the profound impact of family, the joy of service, and the richness of a
life well-lived. His story, filled with personal anecdotes, humor, and
wisdom, serves as an inspiring testament to love and the enduring spirit of a life devoted to others.
life well-lived. His story, filled with personal anecdotes, humor, and
wisdom, serves as an inspiring testament to love and the enduring spirit of a life devoted to others.

Pro Bono
Bruce Dov Shoulson is a believer in the value of service and beneficence. Raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, Bruce hails from many generations of rabbis. He was an attorney for over four decades, and built his legacy by helping Jewish institutions of all denominations fight anti-Semitism and safeguard their rights to exist and thrive throughout New Jersey. Bruce's combination of intellectual sharpness and legal brilliance, along with his quiet, understated, and pleasant demeanor, earned him respect and admiration from colleagues, clients, and adversaries. He became an expert in every issue he argued, from kashrut to zoning. As his victories multiplied over the years and his reputation spread, more and more Jewish communities and institutions reached out to him for help, which he was always happy to provide pro bono. Those who have witnessed and experienced Bruce at work are awed, to the point that Bruce became a marvel of legendary status.
Memoirs

The Partisan of Czechoslovakia
Lazar Davidovic is a hero in the truest sense of the word: a man who was as tough as they come, driven by unimaginable circumstances to do whatever needed to be done to stay alive and fight to protect his beloved family. Braving World War II Europe and the Nazi menace, reeling from the murder of his young daughter at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, Lazar joined the partisans. As he describes in his story, he exacts revenge on the cowardly murderers, and feels no remorse for it. Lazar and his wife Helen's will to endure ensured the survival, the now thriving lives, of the many generations that have followed. Here, in Lazar's straightforward style, is what he went through to survive one of the most abominable chapters in human history.

Engineering a Life
Joe Lopez, born July 26, 1932, and raised in an immigrant family, grew up in modest though happy circumstances in 1930s and '40s Brooklyn, New York. His father's influence as a loving family man who set high standards and expectations taught Joe the value of honesty, humility, and hard work. Joe showed natural leadership abilities at a young age as he played with his neighborhood friends in the streets and on the ball fields. At age eighteen when the Korean War broke out, Joe, compelled by a feeling of patriotic duty, enlisted in the United States Air Force. While stationed in England during his service, he met and married June, the love of his life, with whom he raised three loving daughters. Joe enjoyed an enviable and high stakes career as a cost engineer and project manager, responsible for multi-million dollar construction projects around the globe. Respected for his insights and clarity of vision, his reputation spread throughout the industry. He was continually in demand and at the forefront of his field, which earned him acknowledgment in Who's Who in Science and Engineering and Who's Who in America for many years. This is the memoir of a great American whose kindness, work ethic, and love of country, family, and life led him to achieve the American Dream.

Raffaele
Raffaele Coscarelli, born October 1, 1950, in the small town of Rose, Cosenza, Italy, has lived the life of a man whose story needs to be shared. Born to a veteran of World War II who witnessed the Nazi’s atrocities firsthand, Raffaele lived his early years subject to an untenable post-war life in which both the land and economy were barren. Raffaele’s father, imagining no real future in Italy, made the courageous decision to uproot the family to a new continent. In his memoir, Raffaele recounts his youthful exploits in Buenos Aires and his aptitude for working with his hands. Emigrating to the United States at the age of nineteen, Raffaele applied his mechanical skills, personal charm, and impressive work ethic to launch his career, first as a business owner, and then as a mechanic specializing in massive trucks. A valued and indispensable expert, Raffaele helped his employers’ businesses expand exponentially. Meanwhile, Raffaele established himself as a family man, falling in love with Emilia and together raising their daughter Vanessa. Today, he enjoys spending time with his family, in particular his grandson Calvin.
Memoirs

Together Forever
There are multiple chapters to the life we have lived: growing up poor during wartime, surviving a communist regime, risking our lives to escape, establishing new roots in a foreign land, and now relaxing in older age to reflect on the journey we have taken. We were fortunate to find true, lifelong love with each other, which led to our having our beautiful daughters and grandson. Adapting to a very different culture and language was hard, for sure, but we succeeded together in great style. We achieved the American Dream: foreigners emigrating to a new country, working hard to build a successful life, and raising a wonderful family. We are free now to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and we have the time to reflect on where we came from and what we’ve been through. We felt it was important to share the story our lives with you and the generations that follow. We hope these pages will teach you something about our history in Europe, about our journey to each other, and the life we created in the United States. Most of all, we hope you enjoy the story of our family’s legacy.

Home Is Who You're With
When Bob and Erin Montellione fell in love, they set in motion a chain of events that has proliferated that love out into the world many-fold. They both hail from loving, close families, Bob from parents and a sister he adores and respects, and Erin from a large family of warm parents she was devoted to and six siblings she counts among her best friends. By the time Bob and Erin met, they had developed into kind, family-oriented people who believed in the values of friendship, hard work, and celebration. Their qualities made them the perfect match to begin their amazing life together. Loved and appreciated by a multitude of family and friends, Bob and Erin have achieved the American Dream: they grew up in working class families, found true love, and attained a level of professional success that allows them to truly enjoy life's pleasures. They are a couple who knows how to live, and this is the story of their life.

A Blessed Life
Nancy Polow has lived a life blessed with love, health, and happiness, and feels eternal gratitude for her good fortune. She experienced an idyllic youth spent playing with her siblings and friends in suburban Maplewood and at summer camp. A key theme to her story is empathy and kindness, which led to lifelong friendships from high school and college, and an enchantment with rock ‘n’. Nancy knew at an early age that she loved helping people. After taking a public speaking course, she discovered her calling as a speech therapist. The positive energy that Nancy gives to the world comes back to her tenfold. She built a successful, award-winning business in Suburban Speech Center that has helped thousands of children improve how they speak. Today, she enjoys her many friends, her beloved children and their spouses, and her three wonderful grandchildren, who bring her joy beyond description.
Memoirs

Sidney
Dr. Sidney Winawer, born in 1931 and raised in Brooklyn in an immigrant family, comes from a distinguished lineage which can be traced to the first Winawer in 1700s Warsaw. A family man, athlete, and polymath with myriad interests, Sid catapulted his medical career into an international crusade for cancer prevention, chairing national and international colon cancer guidelines committees that introduced screening colonoscopy and polyp detection.

Life on the Line
Born January 14, 1951, in Chernovtsy, Ukraine, Alan has truly achieved the American Dream. Raised in an atmosphere still traumatized by World War II, dedicated to education and self-improvement in a communist land short on opportunity, Alan decided to brave the unknown and lead his family to America. Despite great obstacles, with dogged perseverance and self-belief, Alan paved his own unique road to success. Alan’s story is an American Story.

Little Princess & Blond Angel
Raised in different Italian cities, Elisa and Gustavo were forced to brave hardships and trauma with the onset of World War II. Hunger, violence, and the Nazi presence tested their families' resolve. Following the war, Gustavo, a sergeant in the Italian Air Force, met a kindred spirit in Elisa, a hairdresser in her family salon. The two married and began their adventure by emigrating to New Jersey. Today, they enjoy their retirement surrounded by generations of family.