Community Award 2023: Janis Zaremba

At this year’s Annual Gathering, we held our inaugural Volunteer Awards. These awards will be given to volunteers who have best exemplified our Federation’s mission to provide care, connection, and community to the Greater Raleigh area. Our inaugural Community Award went to Janis Zaremba.

For the past two years, Janis has served on the Jewish Community Relations Council as its Law Enforcement Liaison. Did you know that Wake County has 14 law enforcement districts? Partnering with JCRC volunteers and Federation staff, Janis has successfully developed a relationship with every district, educating them about the Jewish community, traditions, and antisemitism. Due to her efforts, the police have been proactive in reaching out with intelligence and support when difficult matters of a threatening nature arise.

Janis also organizes a monthly meeting for synagogue security chairs in Wake County, which allows these volunteers to share information and resources for keeping their congregations safe.

On a second front, Janis has also engaged with the Wake County School Board. She has special empathy for parents and children dealing with antisemitism. She has met with the Wake County School Board, principals, teachers, parents and to provide guidance on how to combat antisemitism and bullying. According to Mark Goldhaber, Janis has earned the trust of parents and educators.

In a time of increasing antisemitism and security concerns, Janis and her team are the safeguards our community.