Two siblings and two friends of JJ's who have had children since his death have chosen to name them after him - perhaps in reflection of his love for children as well as his friendship and love of life:
Moshe and Abbie Greenberg, JJ's brother and sister-in-law, gave birth to a second baby girl who they named Naava Netanya ("nun, nun" in Hebrew spells JJ).
Julia Joy David (whose proud parents are Deborah and Jonathan David, JJ's sister and brother -in-law) not only bares the initials JJ, her Hebrew name is Noa Yael (for "nun, yud" JJ's Hebrew initials were "nun, yud", Natan Yosef).
Joshua and Elizabeth Scheinfeld of Chicago named their son Lewis JJ Scheinfeld, Natan Yosef Eliezer in Hebrew, and are calling him JJ.
Alexandra Mandel and her husband, Jeff Schwartz, have named one of their newly born twin daughters Ava Joy. Alexandra explained that the J in Joy summons JJ's initials even as the name Joy celebrates JJ's zest for life.
JJ Greenberg Memorial Foundation - The J.J. Greenberg Memorial Foundation has been established to carry on the values and lessons of his life. He possessed a deep respect for all human beings, strong Jewish pride, and a great love for Israel. These values were expressed through acts of thoughtfulness and loving-kindness, giving of himself in personal service, work in Jewish outreach and renewal, a love of children, and care for the environment. The foundation will initiate and support specific projects in his spirit that advance these values and continue his work. The foundation address is: The JJ Greenberg Memorial Foundation, 459 Columbus Avenue, Suite 221, New York, NY, 10024. The foundation is a 501c and contributions are tax deductible.
Stay in touch with this site for further information and developments.
The Jewish Funders Network is creating an award, bearing JJ's name, to recognize young Jewish professionals who combine Jewish commitment, creativity, and exemplary human relations and make an outstanding contribution to the renaissance of the American Jewish community. The prize will include a cash award and certification.
The Natan Foundation has been created in JJ's name (Natan Yosef Greenberg) and memory to link young professionals who seek to pool resources and jointly support projects in Jewish philanthropy. The initiator of the project, Sender Cohen (working with two co-founders, David Steinhardt and Mike Steinberg) had consulted extensively with JJ in the original formulation of the concept. It will combine group study and the funding of innovative, creative, and socially meaningful Jewish projects as a method of educating younger professionals to become serious philanthropists and more Jewishly knowledgeable in the process.
A book on JJ's life, tentatively titled, "JJ Greenberg: A Life For Example." is being commissioned by an important Jewish charitable foundation. The book will be authored by noted biographer William Novak.
CLAL - The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, has dedicated its 2002 publication, "Where We Stand: Jewish Reflections on Everyday Spaces" to JJ's memory. The book combines photography and text to explore everyday spaces as places where we touch the sacred.
SAR High School in Riverdale. By a vote of its Board, the nascent SAR High School will be identified as "dedicated to the memory of JJ Greenberg". JJ was a graduate of SAR Academy (Elementary School), where he spent the happiest years of his educational life. SAR is an "open" school (without walls), focusing on the uniqueness and individual worth of each student. The school combines a strong emphasis on ethics (Ben Adam L'Chavero) and Gemilut Chassadim with a deep commitment to Zionism and Clal Yisrael. JJ -and thousands of SAR graduates -- long regretted that no SAR High School existed when they graduated. For its part, the school leadership sees JJ as a role model for the kind of Jewish human being it hopes to nurture among its students.
The Yeshiva of Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion, Israel is constructing a new neighborhood within the yishuv for its students and will be naming it "Tzur Natan Yosef" after JJ. The Yeshiva program combines rigorous Talmudic study with Chassidut, Kabalah, and spirituality, especially in the spirit of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav. Uniquely, the school affirms the importance of university study, Army service, and devotion to Clal Yisrael, and is also developing a women's study track.
Steinhardt Jewish Campus Service Corps (currently 92 fellows strong) has created a nationwide program, the "Kindness Initiative" in memory of JJ. The corps consists of graduates who spend a year (or two years in the case of Senior Fellows) serving as outreach workers to their Jewish campus peers. The Kindness Initiative program seeks to engage the whole campus in extensive programs of deeds of loving kindness. This novel idea has been enthusiastically received by campus administrations and students.