Who we are Our team Our board Our Board Life President Zelda Feigen OAM Zelda Feigen has been associated with COA since it's inception. She is passionate about caring for those require help to stay in their own homes. Zelda has been nominated for many awards and her name appears on a plaque on Bondi Beach as a local hero. President Frank Marks Frank Marks has been a lawyer since 1963, first as a solicitor, then a judge, and more recently as a solicitor and mediator. He has been involved in Jewish communal affairs for many years. He has gained some practical experience in life as father of four children and grandfather of eight. Vice President George Freund George is a man who prizes social connection and when he came in to volunteer in 2009 he very quickly brought his cohort of friends into COA. Georges passion took him on to become president of COA, and he continues to work tirelessly in the role of Vice President. Vice President Ilona Lee AM I have been involved in the Sydney Jewish community for over 40 years and have served on the Boards of MDA, WIZO, Moriah College, Jewish Care, Shalom, JCA, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and NIF. My passion is social justice and I still chair the Shalom Gamarada Indigenous Scholarship Program. An adult educator by profession, I spent many years working in the area of health education and policy development. I am currently the General Manager of Plus61j Media. Honorary Treasurer Barry Phillips Barry has extensive senior management experience in leadership of finance disciplines, including in healthcare, aged care and some not-for-profit exposure. He is a passionate advocate of COA’s mission and is delighted to have the opportunity of playing a role in contributing towards COA. Barry joined COA in 2020. Honorary Secretary Roni Vandor Roni has a long history with COA as Operations Manager and looking after the Activity Centre; working with volunteers, arranging events, overseeing catering, and so much more. Since she retired she became a member of the Board, a member of the Marketing Sub-Committee, and on occasion has volunteered her services to cover for staff members who are on holiday. Roni has recently taken on the position of Secretary for the organisation. Anne Butt Anne is the daughter of our beloved late Jack Krygier, and follows a strong family tradition in supporting COA. With her history as a registered nurse and founder of an organisation providing home help, Anne brings a wealth of professional knowledge and excellent advice to COA Social Workers. Michael Moses Michael is married with 2 sons who both live overseas. He is retired after 40 years from the finance industry. Michael was the Vice-President of Masada College for 4 years and has always been very interested in the Jewish Day School movement in Sydney. Currently he works, for the last 12 months, in the administration office of Mount Sinai College for 2 days per week. Previously he did similar work at Moriah College for almost 3 years. Ben Politzer Ben has a long history of volunteering as a leader with the Scout Association, and is currently District Commissioner. He is also a volunteer for B'nai B'rith. When Ben retired he wanted to give more back to the community and chose COA, where he has become a valuable member. He volunteers as a bus assistant helping members get safely to and from the centre, and also works on the COA property management portfolio looking after problems with the center. Bettina Cass AO Bettina Cass AO FASSA is a sociologist and social policy adviser. As of 2020 she is emeritus professor at both the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney . Bettina was elected Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in 1989. She was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in the 1990 Australia Day Honours for "service to social security policy and women's affairs". Bettina will be lending a hand with policy and governance as part of the COA Board. Robert Schwartz Robert was a member of the Qantas Engineering team for 43 years. He established an international network of key contacts, and worked in a Fleet Manager role. After retirement, he provided engineering consulting services to Jetstar Airways as well as other aviation industry participants. he has extensive experience which enables him to play a valuable role in assisting the COA to achieve its goal of enriching the lives of Jewish seniors. Gary Knep Gary is the owner manager of a building company, and has extensive experience in project management, as well as years of involvement in Jewish communal organisations such as CSG. He is very pleased to working more closely with the COA.