Naomi and Jeff Stonberg have long been involved with Jewish organizations and have a strong connection to Israel. Naomi practiced law for 50 years, and Jeff worked in building restoration. They have three children and six grandchildren, and are proponents of Jewish day schools. Naomi and Jeff are strong Zionists, fluent in Hebrew, and frequently visit Israel. Naomi is currently the president of Temple Ahavat Achim. They live in Gloucester.

Can you please tell us a little about your background?

I grew up in Roxbury and later in Milton. My father was the president of the Moreland Street Shul in Roxbury. We were very involved in the Jewish community. I was the president of United Synagogue Youth [USY] in my synagogue and was on the inaugural “USY on Wheels” trip in 1963. I went to Israel with USY and traveled to Israel on a regular basis after my first visit. Jeff grew up in a traditional Reform household in Newton. We traveled to Israel on our honeymoon and our Israeli relatives only spoke Hebrew. Jeff did not understand a word, so I taught him a few: avateach, meaning watermelon, and beit shimoosh, meaning bathroom. He kept confusing the two words, providing entertainment for our relatives. Several years later, he enrolled in Ulpan at Hebrew College and now he is fluent in Hebrew.

How did you meet?

During the summer following my graduation from college, I worked at a summer job at the top floor of the state office building. Jeff was dating one of my office mates and came up with her to see the view. We met and the rest is history.

Why did you choose to become an attorney?

My father was a judge and my brother and my extended family were all lawyers. I received a master’s in social work with a specialty in community organization. During my second year of social work school, I discovered that no one wanted a “middle class Jewish woman” as a community organizer, and Jeff encouraged me to go to law school. While at NYU Law School, I took an internship helping people with employment issues. When I came to Boston, I looked for a job in a law firm representing unions and employees, but the local “union” firm had just hired their woman, so I went to work for a public sector management labor firm. I became the first woman partner in my firm but wanted to spend more time with my family and moved my office closer to home. I developed a school law and labor management practice and represented a university system and two dozen school districts in their labor negotiations and school law issues. I was the founding president of the Massachusetts Council of School Board Attorneys and was the first attorney from Massachusetts to serve on the National Council of School Board Attorneys. After practicing law for 50 years, I retired two years ago.

How did Jeff choose his career in restoring old buildings?

When Jeff was 10 years old, his parents purchased an 1890s carriage house that was part of an estate in Newton Centre, and made it into a beautiful, restored home. Upon graduation from Harvard Business School, Jeff set himself on a trajectory to pursue his love of building restoration and adaptive reuse to include brownstones, loft buildings, even a “Richardson Romanesque” School as housing, and our Victorian home at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester.

Tell us about your children and grandchildren.

We have three daughters and six grandchildren. Five of our six grandchildren attend Hebrew day schools. Our oldest daughter has a master’s in public health and is an entrepreneur with a specialty in nonprofit grant writing. She has one child and lives in Philadelphia. Our middle child lives in Atlanta and has four children. She is getting a master’s degree in nutrition and she and her husband are deeply involved in Jewish causes in Atlanta. They met in Atlanta at an American Israel Public Affairs Committee event. Our youngest daughter lives in Norwood. Her son Noah attends Rashi [School in Dedham] and enjoys “summer camp” at our Gloucester home.

You’re both very involved in Jewish organizations?

We were members of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley for over 30 years, where I served as vice president and Jeff was the temple member responsible for the building operations and served on the building committee for the new temple. I served on the boards of Metrowest Jewish Day School and Gateways. In addition, I was the chair of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Haifa Social Service Committee, where we developed long-term friendships. We have both studied in the Me’ah program. Since moving full-time to Gloucester in 2013, we became active at Temple Ahavat Achim, where I currently serve as president. We have an amazing kehillah [community], a wonderful new rabbi, and a devoted community of volunteers. I am just concluding nine years on the board of Rockport Music. During my tenure, I am proud to say we have had many Israeli artists and a sold-out performance with David Broza [Israeli singer-songwriter]. This summer, Jerome Eichler will be talking about his book on music and the Holocaust followed by a concert with the music mentioned in his book. Jeff and I have been involved in AIPAC for 25 years and Jeff has served on the National Council. We are proud Zionists, as are our children and their families, and try to visit Israel at least once a year.

Have you been involved in other organizations?

Yes, we have a close family member who has neurofibromatosis, a disease which involves the growth of tumors on nerve endings. There is no cure for this disease. I have served as the President of the New England chapter. We have lobbied for research funds for this disorder. Through Department of Defense and NIH research grants, we have made major progress in identifying the gene and developing treatments. Our organization has also been funding promising research at Massachusetts General Hospital. Unfortunately, we have just learned that the funding for most of our research has been discontinued. We will continue to run golf tournaments and other fundraising endeavors, but the loss of federal funding is a huge setback.

Jeff, can you talk about your involvement in AIPAC?

AIPAC’s mission is to strengthen the relationship between Israel and the United States with a focus on mutual security interests and support. We lobby members of Congress to support military aid, to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear arms and weapons capability, and to support direct negotiations between Israel and its neighbors to achieve mutual peace and prosperity. We have been involved in this organization for 25 years along with many colleagues who are Democrats and Republicans and are from all walks of life who are joined in support of the United States-Israel relationship.

You have five grandchildren enrolled in Jewish day school. Why is your family so dedicated to Jewish learning?

It is important that the next generation be knowledgeable about Judaism and peoplehood. We are the heirs to a 4,000-year-old tradition given to us by birth or adoption. It is a central to our being, and we pass on this gift and knowledge, with love to our grandchildren.

What’s your advice about instilling Jewish pride and education to our students who are in public schools and colleges?

Education is the key. As a retired school lawyer, I am deeply concerned about the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s anti-Israel bias, and evidenced by the outright antisemitic propaganda on its members-only website. The way to address this bias is through brave students like David Magen, who, as a high school freshman, working respectfully with faculty by using factual data, was able to change the curriculum at Marblehead High School. The Massachusetts Legislative Antisemitism Task Force is doing an excellent job. Jeremy Burton, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council [JCRC], gave an excellent talk on antisemitism at our congregation, which was attended by the Gloucester mayor, members of the City Council, and the Human Rights Commission. We were able to educate the city officials about the necessity of addressing antisemitism in our community. After viewing the acclaimed movie “October 8th” and following the daily news about antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents in universities, I believe that alumni of our institutions of higher learning need to make their voices heard and we need to continue to provide Jewish university students with the tools to address antisemitism. Our oldest grandchild is applying to college, and she will select an institution that is addressing these issues and has a student body that shares our values.