Jared Kofsky
Columbia High School senior Jared Kofsky is one of three Essex County students to be honored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section (NCJW/Essex) with the 2016 Nancy and Robert Eskow NCJW Volunteer Award.
Kofsky was selected out of a field of 36 applicants and was recognized for starting a community service-based news website: Essex County Place or PlaceNJ.com.
Combining his passions of reporting and photography with a desire to serve others through mass communication, Kofsky, created PlaceNJ.com because he felt the media rarely highlighted the positive attributes of Newark and he wanted to communicate a different perspective and stress positive news.
The site operates under the slogan “Unifying Greater Newark, New Jersey with local news and events” and concentrates on events, education, transportation, culture, politics and business.
Kofsky received second place in a national competition sponsored by Seton Hall University in November 2015 where he showcased the website.
“I am happy to make a difference by using my website to serve others and to build community,” said Kofsky. “I look forward to continuing to use mass communication for charitable purposes.”
This is the 13th year the award has been bestowed to deserving high school students.
Other 2016 award winners include Madeline Broderick of Glen Ridge High Schoo and Mark Rosetti of Bloomfield High School.
