When Gary Moroff realized there was no celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month at Ring House, where a majority of residents are Jewish, he got to work with a planning committee.
Moroff, a Ring House resident of two years, is the chairman of four events throughout the month of May designed to recognize three local Jewish leaders. Ring House is an independent living community in Rockville for retirees, owned by Charles E. Smith Life Communities.
“I thought it was important for our community here to learn about some of the Jewish Americans who have substantially contributed via a career or community service to communities in the United States, including our local community,” Moroff said.
Bruce J. Lederman, the president and CEO of CESLC, was the first name out of Moroff’s mouth as one of the honorees.
“I’ve lived here for two years and I didn’t know about Bruce Lederman until I moved here,” Moroff said, adding that one day, he got curious about CESLC’s president and CEO and conducted some research. “I realized that he was a very successful executive and that he’s done many nice things for the residents in the entire community in the six [CESLC] buildings.”
Lederman brings more than 25 years of experience as an “eldercare executive and thought leader,” according to CESLC’s website, with leadership roles in various organizations including the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Human Rights Campaign and the Health Facilities Association of Maryland.
“Getting to know the CEO of your community, it made the residents see him in a different light — not as a CEO but as a human,” Vica Carpio, CESLC’s life and leisure manager, said. “I think that inspired the residents to see that he’s a really good guy.”
Frieda Enoch was another honoree for her service to the DMV’s aging Jewish population. For the past two decades, Enoch has dedicated her career to running the Bender Jewish Community Center’s Coming of Age, an adult engagement program. Under her leadership, many older adults have gotten to go on day trips and see matinees, among other entertainment opportunities.
Moroff, who participated in the Coming of Age program years ago with his wife, said Enoch is also an accomplished vocalist.
At a May 12 tribute to Enoch, the vocalist performed at Ring House to an audience of nearly 50 residents and community members. Carpio said the resident planning committee made the right decision in choosing to honor Enoch, a daughter of Holocaust survivors, a Yiddish speaker and someone who works at a JCC.
“It was a lovely event,” Moroff said. “Her singing is beautiful. She played the guitar and she was accompanied by the Iris Piano Trio.”
“You could just see the smiles on all their faces, and they even asked for an encore,” Carpio added.
Carpio and Bret Stine, the executive director of Ring House, both noted that Enoch is not only a “beautiful singer” but skilled at getting attendees to sing and clap along.
“She really engaged the residents,” Stine said. “Residents were bopping to the beat, moving, singing with her. It really shows how vibrant our community is.”
Residents got another taste of music by a local Jewish artist with Seth Kibel, who performed at Ring House on May 22. Considered “one of the Mid-Atlantic’s premier woodwind specialists,” Kibel plays the saxophone, clarinet and flute. He is the leader, clarinetist and composer for The Alexandria Kleztet, an “alternative” klezmer and R&B band he started up in the Baltimore and D.C. area. Kibel works with bands that perform jazz, swing, klezmer and more.
“He’s also super goofy, he knows how to interact with the residents and he makes funny jokes both in Yiddish and in English,” Carpio said.
The fourth JAHM event at Ring House aimed to honor the residents.
“Our community is very rich in people who held important positions as teachers, lawyers, doctors, rabbis, and all of them had something to contribute,” Stine said of the Ring House residents.
“These events are a testament to our shared commitment to Jewish values and identity,” Moroff said in a press release. “It’s important to honor Jewish Americans who have dedicated their lives to service of others, whether through activities, education or the arts. Their contributions are an important reflection of our community, and a powerful reminder for this and future generations.”
Moroff and Carpio both said they’d like to see this program return in May 2026, perhaps even becoming an annual celebration. Although nothing is currently set in stone, the community has shown interest in coordinating future JAHM programs.
“I’m Jewish,” Moroff told Washington Jewish Week. “I identify with all sorts of Jewish interests, culture [and] religion. Jewish people have been so helpful around the world; they had an impact in the United States. So it makes me feel good that this may become a tradition here at the Ring House.”
