Ridgewood's 'Terror Medicine' Professor to be Honored at Jewish Society Gala

The following was submitted to Patch by the Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey.

A Ridgewood resident is this year's Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey's Gala honoree. 

Reservations are currently being accepted for the 2nd Annual JHSNNJ Gala to be held on May 20 at 6:30 at the YJCC in Washington Twp. This year the honoree is Dr. Leonard Cole, dentist, political scientist, professor, author, TV spokesperson, chemical weapons, bioterrorism and terror medicine consultant and leader in the Jewish community of north Jersey and the community-at-large. 

Dr. Cole hails from Paterson and New York City and now makes his home with his family in Ridgewood. He practiced dentistry in Hawthorne for almost 40 years, and along the way pursued his multiple intellectual passions to find himself a sought-after spokesperson on a myriad of topics. 

Dr. Cole is an adjunct professor at Rutgers and recently introduced a course on terror medicine, the first of its kind in the nation. He has testified before Congress - including Congressman Pascrell on the House Committee on Homeland Security. 

Cole has appeared on Fox, MSNBC and MSN to speak about bioterrorism and chemical weapons. He is considered an expert on the poison ricin. However, these topics belie the gentle soft-spoken man who is being honored. 

“He is an extraordinary person,” said Alvin Reisbaum, a personal friend of Dr. Cole’s, also a prior president of The Jewish Federation, as Dr. Cole is, and a trustee on the board of the Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey, sponsor of the event. 

Reisbaum continues, “We certainly are not the first to honor Lenny, he has received many honors in the past, all deserved. The the Historical Society is proud to honor him because he has played such a significant role in our local history, as well as on the national stage.”

The mission of the Jewish Historical Society of North Jersey is to collect, preserve, and make available the documentary heritage of Jewish life and culture in Passaic, Bergen, and northern Hudson Counties. It is currently located in the old Barnert Hospital in Paterson, NJ. 

The JHSNNJ is open to the public MWF from 11:00am to 3:00 pm. The society houses historic records, photographs, oral histories and memorabilia. JHSNNJ is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation.  

The Gala Event honoring Dr. Cole will be May 20 at 6:30 pm YJCC of Bergen County 605 Pascack Road, Washington Twp. NJ. The cost of a ticket is $60.00. A photo ID is required when attending the tribute dinner. 

For more information about the event or to make a reservation contact Anne Friedman Meyers,  anne.f.meyers@gmail.com, Ina Cohen Harris, inahar@optonline.net, or Mireille Lipsitz Schuck, mils90@aol.com