Tenafly December 2024 by Wainscot Media

STRESS LESS

MINDFULNESS COACH

MIRANDA LEE

SUPPORTING STRONGER COMMUNITIES

AMIE ABURUSTUM

Crime Queen Author Cate Holahan

A Multitude of Talents

Welcome to the December issue of Tenafly magazine! As we brace for the cold weather ahead, we have a fantastic lineup that celebrates local talent and engagement.

For instance, we’re excited to feature Tenafly resident and best-selling author Cate Holahan, whose suspense/ thriller books have captivated readers.

We also celebrate community leadership with Amie AbuRustum, President of the Board of Managers for The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County.

A final feature explores “Find That Pause”—resilience classes led by Miranda Lee, who shows how simple mindfulness techniques can help bring more calm and serenity to people living busy lives.

In our Q&A, we sit down with Tenafly Public Library director Julie Marallo to discuss resources and programs offered at one of our key local institutions.

For those with a taste for the finer things, enjoy our Local Tastes section highlighting exclusive French wine selections from Jeffrey Alpert.

As we wrap up another month, let’s look forward to a new year filled with hope and opportunities. Thanks so much for your support, and we hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Feel free to share your ideas and suggestions for making Tenafly magazine even better. Please email me at hello@tenaflymagazine.com.

Gina Palmieri Publisher

Publisher

Gina Palmieri

Local Editor

Jenna Demmer

Writers

Julie Marallo

Gabrielle Marcus

Elisabeth Sydor

Raina Wallens

Gabrielle Walters

Spencer Watson

Photographers

Alyson Barrow

Chris Marksbury

WAINSCOT MEDIA

Chairman

Carroll V. Dowden

President and CEO

Mark Dowden

VP, Group Publisher, Regional

Thomas Flannery

VP, Content Strategy

Maria Regan

Creative Director

Kijoo Kim

Art Director

Rosemary O›Connell

Executive Editor

Richard Laliberte

Associate Editor

Sophia Carlisle

Advertising Services Director

Jacquelynn Fischer

Operations Director

Catherine Rosario

Production Designer

Chris Ferrante

Print Production Manager

Fern Meshulam

Advertising Production Associate

Griff Dowden

Tenafly magazine is published by Wainscot Media. Serving residents of Tenafly, the magazine is distributed monthly via U.S. mail. Articles and advertisements contained herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. Copyright 2024 by Wainscot Media LLC. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALYSON BARROW

WHAT’S NEW AROUND TOWN

December Chamber Updates

Community events, attractions and opportunities from the Tenafly Chamber of Commerce

December in Tenafly brings the excitement of winter holidays. The downtown decorations are bigger and brighter than ever, the menorah is lit and the Christmas tree is decorated. Holiday concerts are held at the schools and our town organizations celebrate the merriment of the season all month long. Please support your local Tenafly businesses when shopping, dining and entertaining.

VISIT THE HOLIDAY WINDOW CONTEST

The Tenafly community is invited to vote for favorite window decorations. Winners will be announced at the Tenafly Holiday Fair on Dec. 14.

To learn more, visit www. tenaflychamber.org/holidaywindows.

HOLIDAY FUN AT THE FAIR

Join us for a festive day of shopping, food and fun at the Tenafly Holiday Fair. Get into the holiday spirit with local vendors offering unique gifts. Treat yourself to delicious seasonal treats. Enjoy live entertainment, ice skate the day away and get creative with festive crafts. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to support small businesses and celebrate the holidays together!

December 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oresko Park

Learn more at www. tenaflychamber.org/ holiday-fair.

TOP PICKS FOR PERFECT GIFTS

Shop small and stay local with these perfect holiday gifts for your loved ones:

• Available now at Apothecure RX: Personalized Skincare Bouquet. Give the luxury of personalized care—a customized skincare and beauty bouquet. Visit the shop at 1 Highwood Ave. or call 201-713-5800.

• Shop artisanal gifts and luxury fashion for the women and children on your list. Ave Lumi celebrates its third and final holiday season on Jay Street in Tenafly. Visit 9 Jay St. or www.ave-lumi.com.

• Excite your whole crew with new bikes from Tenafly Bicycle Workshop, 175 County Rd. or www. bicycleworkshop.com.

• Don’t come empty-handed: Bring your hosts Tenafly’s best baked goods with Keep It Sweet Desserts Holiday Cookie Box. Reach out on Instagram @KeepItSweetDesserts.

• Give the gift of sound healing with tuning forks, singing bowls and chimes from Sacred Space Meditation. Visit 32 Washington St. or call 201-788-1182.

• Peace in a package: Give someone special a half-day retreat with Find that Pause. To purchase, visit www. findthatpause.com/retreats.

• Give the gift that keeps on giving: Support Tenafly Nature Center this holiday season! Make a donation in someone’s name/honor by gifting an animal ambassador sponsorship, a trail sponsorship or an animal enclosure sponsorship. Learn more at https://tenaflynaturecenter. org/sponsor-a-trail. As a 501(c)(3) organization, donations to Tenafly Nature Center are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.

SUPPORT TENAFLY RESTAURANTS

Tenafly Pizza Restaurant: The TPR grand reopening happens this month! Bring your friends and family for Tenafly’s OG Italian favorite. Learn more at www.tenaflypizza.com.

Mel’s Butcher Box: The best burgers in the tristate region. Mel serves up fun for every occasion. Check her Instagram, @melsbutcherbox, for December specials.

Spring House: Make the holidays unforgettable with a fine dining experience at Spring House. Book your holiday gatherings today! Learn more at www.springhousetenafly.com.

La Prom: Get the full occasion catered or just the dessert. Impress the family with this local favorite. Stop in the shop or easily place your order online at https://laprom.com.

The Tenafly Chamber of Commerce is a local nonprofit organization that serves to enhance and elevate the Tenafly community experience by actively supporting our local businesses. To learn more, visit www.tenaflychamber.org.

Telling a Local Story

The Tenafly Public Library director discusses why libraries are important—and how to offer support.

BY GABRIELLE MARCUS

The Tenafly Public Library is a gem nestled in the heart of Tenafly, just off Riveredge Road. This facility offers not only a vast selection of books, but also a place where residents of all ages can gather, unwind and learn. Thanks to its well-run programs, plentiful resources, cleanliness and dedicated staff working under the guidance of director Julie Marallo, this library is a cornerstone of our community. We sat down with Marallo to explore what makes our library a special part of Tenafly’s story.

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE MARALLO

How would you describe the role of the library in a small town like Tenafly?

The library serves as a community center. We have book clubs, art lectures, concerts, craft classes, movies and many different programs for children. The library is run by our board members, almost all of whom live in Tenafly. They volunteer because they love the library. I live in Tenafly, and so do some other staff members. Between us, we have children or grandchildren in all four elementary schools, TMS and THS. We all have a personal stake in making the library the best it can be.

What role does the library play in supporting children’s literacy?

Our goal is to make reading a part of children’s daily routine from infancy so it remains a routine throughout their lives.

We start with our Babytime program, where the librarian sings and reads stories, then graduate to Toddler Tales, where children listen to picture books being read.

As kids start to read more independently, we have our Read to Dogs program, where kids read out loud to a therapy dog, which is easier for them than reading to a person. The dogs don’t correct or judge them, so they can practice without anxiety! We also have Reading Buddies, who are teen volunteers who listen to new readers.

Our librarians are not only very familiar with a wide variety of children’s literature, but they also know what to ask kids to match them with the right books. The kids who come to the library regularly have relationships with the librarians and trust their suggestions.

How do you work with Tenafly Public Schools?

The children’s librarians give tours to some of the elementary school classes and do school visits. They also try to stock books suggested on the schools’ summer reading lists.

Are there current fundraising efforts or ways the community can support the library?

We are fortunate to have the Tenafly Library Friends, a nonprofit that raises money for extra programs and services. The organization sponsors our museum passes, concerts and children’s summer reading program. The community can support the library by joining the Tenafly Library Friends and by spreading the word to new residents that they should get a library card. Everyone should know that the library is there for them.

What is your vision for the library’s future?

We need a library that reflects modern use. We are renovating, starting with the teen area, which is heavily used after school. We plan to install new flooring, various sounddampening fixtures, a computer section and more charging stations and seating. We will renovate other sections over time.

Gabrielle Marcus is a Tenafly resident who left the hustle of New York City to embrace the suburban life with her husband, Brian, and lay down roots.

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The Power of a PAUSE

Mindfulness coach Miranda Lee helps people manage stress through accessible practices and skills.

BY SPENCER WATSON

If you asked people in Tenafly if they feel stressed, many of them would say yes. Miranda Lee is one Tenafly resident who was inspired to teach other people how to manage their stress with self-compassion.

She started her company, Find that Pause, to teach mindfulness, breath work and movement. She helps people find their inner strength through her mindset coaching so they can learn to embrace uncertainties in their lives with confidence.

Lee makes mindfulness meditation—a practice that involves being intentional in the present moment with non-judgment—

palatable to very busy people. When she first started practicing mindfulness, she meditated for 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes at night. “That isn’t realistic for many people; we don’t have the time for that,” Lee says. “What I do is bring it into daily life as you live it, so it becomes part of your life without needing extra time.” This could be as simple as taking a pause.

Lee has practiced yoga for 25 years and taught it for 14 years. “It’s been a big part of my life,” she says, “and I’m really delighted to be sharing it with others because these tools are so simple and so profound and helpful.”

A Stressful Change

Lee moved from London to New York City to Tenafly and found herself surrounded by a highperforming but stressed community trying to manage families and careers.

Looking for tools to deal with the stress of being a mother of small kids, “I was leaning back into my knowledge of yoga and meditation and trying to find ways to help myself whilst being aware these tools could help my community,” she says.

Inspiration first struck when she felt very stressed about her day-to-day routine taking her children to two different daycares and then starting her work day.

One particular snowy winter day, she says, “I [felt] so stressed out. I [felt] like I’ve already done my work for the day and I [hadn’t] even begun. It was this moment of complete overwhelm.”

With her history of practicing meditation and yoga since she was

a teenager, she knew enough just to take a pause and walk around her car. “It takes like 30 seconds, and I took a few breaths,” she recounts. “I looked at the sun shining on the snow, and I took a pause. By the time I got back to sit in my car to drive away, I felt a bit better. I felt a little bit more like I could cope with it.”

She then started to practice taking tiny pauses throughout the day, which is basic mindfulness meditation.

“I noticed that my ability to deal with stress, stay regulated, look for more joy in life and just be happier increased exponentially,” she says.

Lee became very interested in the benefits of mindfulness meditation and started researching the neuroscience behind it. She learned that mindfulness provides us with the tools to help manage stress and become more focused, happy and present. As she learned the tools, she was able to share them with other people in the community.

Starting small, she shared a mix of movement, yoga and meditation— infused with new science-based practices that she was learning—to parents at her son’s preschool. She also taught family members and children she knew.

Inspiration from Chaos

“Then COVID-19 hit and it was so stressful for everybody,” Lee says. She decided she needed to do more and started teaching anyone she knew on Zoom who found the practices useful. She formed a regular group during the pandemic consisting of

people in the community, welcoming anyone who wanted to join.

“I realized as COVID died down that this is what I wanted to do and this is my passion,” Lee says. “I really wanted to share it with more people.” So Lee started teaching to wider audiences.

She taught a community class with local libraries and was hired as a corporate facilitator teaching large companies. She also taught healthcare workers at providers such as Englewood Hospital.

Today, Lee continues to offer one-on-one coaching for both children and adults, teaches weekly classes at local libraries, does corporate training as a wellness facilitator and leads both fullday and half-day retreats.

She hones her skills at a high level and only teaches the practices she does herself.

As for the future, she plans to hold more retreats every month next year and hopes to hold international retreats in 2026.

“I think there’s a need for education about how accessible these skills are,” she says. “I’m talking about 30 seconds that you integrate into your day.”

Lee has a message to people who want to do meditation but struggle to find the time for it. “I don’t think people understand that mindset tools really don’t take extra time at all,” she says. “They’re just a way of looking at the world with a slightly different perspective or taking a momentary pause because that’s all your nervous system needs to regroup.”

There are many skills people can learn to manage their stress, and a less-stressed and happier community is a goal we can all aspire to.

Spencer Watson is a lifelong Bergen County resident. She is a poet and freelance writer who frequently writes about local news in New Jersey.

Suburban SUSPENSE

Cate Holahan writes page-turner thrillers drawing on her experience as a reporter—and her local roots.

BY RAINA WALLENS

Tenafly resident and USA Today bestselling thriller/suspense author and screenwriter Cate Holahan wasted no time kickstarting her writing career.

The Teaneck native got her first journalism gig at 14 working for The Record newspaper, where she cut her teeth writing obituaries. Her first article covered the best places to go in the Hamptons. “I’m calling up all these places, saying, ‘Um, what are the unique features of your bar, because I’m not allowed to walk in there,’” Holahan laughs.

Following high school, Holahan attended Princeton, where she wrote for the college newspaper and local town papers. Post-college, Holahan worked for the Boston Globe and then BusinessWeek magazine, where she covered technology.

After having her first child, Holahan pivoted to writing for television at CNBC because, she jokes, “I needed to make more than my nanny.”

In her own time, Holahan was always writing fiction, but it never really landed anywhere.

Then she attended a conference where an author addressed the room of parttime writers, explaining that there were only so many books published a year, and the part-time writers were up against authors like him, who wrote eight hours a day.

“That was sobering,” Holahan says. So, though some parents of newborns choose to sleep when their infant does, Holahan pushed herself to write while her baby dozed during maternity leave after her second child was born.

It was worth it. The novel Holahan wrote during that time—her first—was “Dark Turns,” published in 2015. She’s had five other novels published since then. A seventh, “The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold,” is set to be published in September 2025.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS MARKSBURY

New Directions

Those seven books are Holahan’s solo novels, but she’s also a co-author of the No. 1 Audible bestselling series “Young Rich Widows,” which is a result of the COVID-19 shutdowns.

“Bookstores were closed, and that’s how we sell our books, so everyone was freaking out,” Holahan explains.

Another suspense author, Vanessa Lillie, pointed out that Audible was acquiring audiobooks, and suggested that she, Holahan and two other suspense authors write a book proposal together. They did, and Audible loved it. “We wrote the book, and it took off,” Holahan says. “In a few weeks it

had, like, 27,000 reviews.”

Holahan’s screenwriting career is another result of COVID. Once again because of the closed bookstores, Holahan figured it would be a good idea to expand her writing tangentially. She enrolled in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she received her MFA in dramatic writing. “That was humbling,” she says. “Going back to school with all these books under my belt and someone’s tearing apart your plot, and you’re like, ‘I do get paid for this.’”

Turns out she got paid to do her homework as well. Holahan sold two screenplays, “Deadly Estate” and

“Midnight Hustle,” while she was in graduate school. Both are streaming on Fox’s Tubi. She has two television shows in development, and has sold options and shopping agreements for other scripts—all based on her books.

Fiction, Meet Journalism

Holahan’s second novel, “The Widower’s Wife,” is set in a suburb based on Tenafly. The book actually takes place in the house where she lives.

“Somebody once wrote in a review, ‘Oh, this town wouldn’t exist,’” says Holahan. “As if you wouldn’t have [someone] like me—I’m Jamaican and

Irish—or ‘Oh, you wouldn’t have in the suburbs a mixed-race woman living next to an Indian couple,’ and I’m sitting there, like, ‘What?’”

Whether or not reviewers find it believable, Holahan appreciates Tenafly’s diversity. She, her husband and two daughters have lived here for 11 years. “I love that you learn different things about different cultures, and I also think it’s interesting the way that people melt together, what people have in common,” she says. “I use that in my books all the time.”

When asked where ideas for her many stories come from, Holahan doesn’t skip a beat. “My anxiety,” she says, smiling.

Case in point: The book she’s completing now is about a kidnapping but is set against the backdrop of AI. Holahan explains that her interest in AI stemmed from anxiety about all the careers that AI might eradicate.

“That’s all my anxiety of what will happen for my kids’ careers, and of course, AI can write,” Holahan explains.

“One of the ways I solve my anxieties is that I do a lot of research for my books,” she continues. “It allows me to delve pretty deeply into something that’s bothering me and then kind of create a narrative.”

The complementary mix of Holahan’s talent at writing fiction and her journalistic background is what makes her stories so compelling. “We all try to create, at the end of the day, a fun story,” she says, “but the engine of the book is something we need to take a look at.”

Holahan’s solo novels can be found in bookstores, and “Young Rich Widows” can be purchased on Audible or in print nationwide.

Raina Wallens is a writer living in Tenafly.

Cate Holahan has written numerous screenplays and novels, with much of her published work taking place in suburban or well-to-do settings similar to those she knows from her own life.

Supporting Stronger Communities

Amie AbuRustum learned to give back as a child—and continues practicing philanthropy through The Community Chest.

Tenafly resident Amie AbuRustum has always had a calling to philanthropy.

Growing up, AbuRustum learned the significance of giving back to her community. Throughout her childhood, her parents set the example of being involved in the community by simply being involved themselves.

Her mother volunteered for the League for People with Disabilities, Inc. and served as a volunteer counselor at Johns Hopkins

BY GABRIELLE WALTERS

University. Her father was a member of the Hibernian society and served on the board of her elementary school. At a young age, the importance of education and helping others became ingrained in her.

These lessons from her upbringing led her to be involved in various nonprofit programs and, ultimately, to become president of The Community Chest.

The Community Chest, founded in the 1930s, is a social services organization

supporting nonprofits that make communities in eastern Bergen County stronger. AbuRustum discovered the organization 10 years ago, when she met executive director Shelly Wimpfheimer. AbuRustum began volunteering for various initiatives and joined the board in 2016.

“What drew me to The Community Chest is that it’s local,” AbuRustum says. “We are really trying to make a difference for people right here in our community.”

The JCC Thurnauer School of Music and its Young People’s Chorus, seen here performing at The Community Chest’s 2024 Gala, have been among the organization’s grant recipients.

Left: Amie AbuRustum at The Community Chest’s Fall Celebration on October 29 at the Englewood Field Club. Above: Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, executive director of The Community Chest, presents a donation to Tenafly mayor Mark Zinna for Tenafly Cares, to aid senior citizens, families and children experiencing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below: Tenafly residents who attended The Community Chest’s Fall Celebration included (from left) Jasmine Elson, Radhika Atreya, Anna Eunhwa Choi, Karin and Mark Erdtmann, Mai Abe Levin, Doreen Hawkins and Linda Steffe.

Top: The Community Chest’s Board of Managers at the organization’s 2024 Gala.

Bottom: Tenafly residents involved with The Community Chest include (from left) Mark Kesslen, past president; Phyllis Kesslen, a director on the Chest’s Board of Managers; Ed Skowronski; Ellen Skowronski, another director on the board; Dr. Nadeem AbuRustum; and Amie AbuRustum, president of the Board of Managers.

Nurturing Leadership

While living in Baltimore, AbuRustum began working as a speech pathologist at Good Samaritan Hospital, serving patients who had recently suffered a stroke or brain injury, as well as those in inpatient rehab.

“I have always wanted to work directly with people; that was important to me,” says AbuRustum, recalling what led her to speech pathology. As she moved to Chicago and later to New York, she continued working as a speech pathologist in private practice until her second child was born. Around that time, she wanted to live in the suburbs, which brought her and her husband to Tenafly.

Today, AbuRustum continues to support the community in part by working closely with The Community Chest’s Young Women’s Leadership Program. This program recognizes young women in the area who have a passion for leadership. Many award winners are from Tenafly.

The Young Women’s Leadership Program is near and dear to AbuRustum’s heart because she wishes for all young women to embrace their abilities and follow their dreams. The program offers financial literacy for college-bound students, leadership workshops and more.

When reflecting on her own childhood and youth, AbuRustum recalls growing up in a family and community that “told me I could do anything I wanted to do,” she says.

It wasn’t until she was older that she realized not all young women felt this way. “I feel like the Young Women’s Leadership Program is really a way for me to extend that [message],” she says. “I was lucky to have grown up with that message, and I’d like to share that with other people.”

Serving as chair on The Community Chest’s Allocations Committee is an aspect of AbuRustum’s work that she feels very fortunate to be part of. Through this initiative, the Chest is able to grant local organizations the funding they need to

keep communities strong. Over the years, the committee has granted funds to Tenafly Nature Center, Thurnauer School of Music at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades and many more.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

The Community Chest’s tagline, “neighbors helping neighbors,” could not be more relevant for AbuRustum.

She is following in her parents’ footsteps by ensuring that her three children, Rob, 23, Nat, 21, and Andrew, 16, understand the importance of giving back. She tells them, “We’re very lucky to live in Tenafly, and just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean there is no need in the area.”

When she’s not volunteering her time to the community, you can find AbuRustum reading, enjoying time with family members and spending as much time at the beach as possible.

While her experience giving back has focused on helping others, she has also gained a community of her own from these experiences.

“When I first started volunteering at my kids’ schools, I really wanted to get to know people,” says AbuRustum. “I have made some really good friends through all my volunteering over the years. I’ve met some very interesting people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

As for the future of The Community Chest, she says she hopes to expand its initiatives and continue to fund local nonprofits.

To learn more about The Community Chest, call 202-568-7474 or visit www.thecommunitychestebc.org.

Gabrielle Walters is a Tenafly resident and small business owner. You can find her wellness products in multiple stores across Bergen County.

The Community Chest had a table with information at the Tenafly Community Night, and people of all ages stopped to learn more about the organization’s efforts.

Reasons to See a Primary Care Doctor 7

Regular visits to a physician who takes a broad view can keep you healthier—especially in winter.

Winter is upon us—and with it, increased risk of getting sick.

There’s no avoiding seasonal surges in colds, flus and viral illnesses, but you can help protect yourself and set yourself up for better health yearround with a simple step: regularly seeing a primary care doctor.

A primary care physician typically specializes in a discipline such as family or internal medicine and provides a point of entry into the healthcare system. Having a go-to health professional in your corner helps you avoid or—if you do get sick—assess and treat a broad variety of conditions.

After just one meeting, a primary care physician knows at least some of your medical history and possibly baseline results from routine screening tests. When something goes wrong, your doctor will know what “normal” looks like for you, which helps address both acute and chronic medical problems more effectively.

Here are key benefits of seeing a general doctor.

1 MEDICATION MANAGEMENT

People who use prescription drugs often take more than one, sometimes prescribed by different doctors. Many take vitamins and supplements as well. A primary care physician can monitor and track all your medications, helping to protect you from drug interactions. Your primary care doctor can also keep records of any changes

in dosages that might cause unwanted side effects, and can speak with your other providers and specialists to help fine-tune your regimen.

2 PREVENTION ADVICE

Seeking out a primary care physician regularly even when you’re feeling fine can help keep you from becoming seriously ill down the road. From your health profile, your doctor will be able to recommend testing that can assess your chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other serious-butcommon problems. If your medical history and tests indicate that you’re prone to specific illnesses, your primary care physician can suggest healthy lifestyle changes and regular screenings to reduce your risks.

3 REMOTE CONSULTATION

Baseline health information that your primary care physician collects may allow your doctor to be comfortable treating certain problems through telemedicine, knowing you can always schedule an in-person followup if your symptoms don’t improve. Without a primary care doctor, you’re likelier to need a trip to a medical office.

4 REFERRALS TO SPECIALISTS

When you need the care of an expert in a certain specialty, your primary care physician can help you find the

right person—not only someone with the proper qualifications, but a provider who will mesh well with your personality and care preferences. If you prefer aggressive treatments, for instance, you can communicate this to your primary care physician, who can recommend specialists who align with your approach.

5 HELP IN THE ER

Wondering if you should head to the emergency room? If it’s a serious condition that could lead to death or disability, call 911. For lesser issues, you can contact your doctor’s office for guidance, potentially sparing you a trip. If you do need to seek emergency care, your doctor may be able to call ahead and provide medical details that could shorten your wait time when appropriate.

6 BETTER OVERALL CARE

People with primary care physicians tend to receive significantly more high-value healthcare such as flu shots and cancer screenings. They often have better patient experiences and overall access to healthcare as well.

7 A SHOT AT LONGER LIFE

Research suggests that people who live in areas where primary care physicians are readily available on average have longer life spans. But benefiting from their services depends on actually going to your primary care doctor.

Uncorking a New Career

BY ELISABETH SYDOR

Jeffrey Alpert follows a calling to curate and import exclusive, artisanal French wines.

When some people have a midlife crisis, they go on a buying spree or have an affair. When Tenafly resident Jeffrey Alpert began thinking about changing his life, he discovered wine—not to drown his sorrows, but as a calling.

In 2000, he started Jeffrey Alpert Selections, a company dedicated to importing and distributing unique French wines.

Returning from visits with his wife to her native France, Alpert would bring wine back as gifts, often to sommeliers at restaurants where he entertained clients of the New York City-based printing company he co-owned. When a friend encouraged him to sell some to a shop in Westchester, the owner asked for a pallet. Alpert responded, “What’s a pallet?”

As his hobby bloomed into a full-time career, he was drawn to wines with terroir. These wines express a sense of place that

encapsulates not just the soil but the ecosystem—even the rocks, climate and people who nurture the grapevines, typically on a small piece of land. The resulting wine conjures a unique place that is alive, soulful and enduring.

‘I’m So Much Happier’ Alpert brings in only small quantities at a time, working with about 60 producers, exclusively French.

“I really consider myself a talent scout, not an importer,” he says. “I look for that person with curiosity.” For example: “I have one winemaker harvesting grapes really cold in the middle of the night, resulting in a shorter maceration [the breakdown of grapes, seeds and stems]. This creates a completely different expression.”

Recently he held his first portfolio tasting. It took place at the Four Horsemen, an

exclusive restaurant and wine bar in Brooklyn partly owned by dear friend and renowned wine expert Justin Chearno, who died this past summer, after years of encouraging Alpert.

“Every time I thought the room would empty out, more people came in,” Alpert says of the crowd—some 250 established distributors and new clients in the space of five hours.

A bonus to his new life is traveling to places from Montana to Louisiana and more, often joined by his wife.

“I went through a metamorphosis,” Alpert says. “Every day [that] I wake up, I’m so much happier with my life.”

To learn more or to contact Alpert, visit www. jeffreyalpertselections.com.

Opposite page, top: Jeffrey Alpert (left), pictured with his daughter, who works with him closely, travels often to France to scout exceptional wines that (this page) distributors and clients occasionally sample at large events.

Elisabeth Sydor is a writer and editor who lives in Tappan, New York.

Places to Eat in Tenafly

Axia Taverna

Awe & Wonder Coffee Shop 35 Highwood Ave. 201-569-1461

Axia Taverna 18 Piermont Road 201-569-5999 www.axiataverna.com

Cafe Angelique 1 Piermont Road 201-541-1010 http://cafeangeliquenyc.com/

Europe Café & Grill 1 Highwood Ave. 201-569-4444 www.europecafegrill.com

JCC Café

411 E. Clinton Ave. 201-569-7900

La Promenade 137 Piermont Road 201-567-2500 https://laprom.com

Mel’s Butcher Box 10 W. Railroad Ave. 201-266-4633 www.melsbutcherbox.com

Mr. Wok & Sushi 1 Highwood Road 201-569-3969 www.mrwoksushinj.com

Pizza Nova 24 Washington St. 201-894-9700

Simply Vietnamese 1 Highwood Ave. 201-568-7770 https://simplyvietnamese.info

Spring House 91 W. Clinton Ave. 201-353-0080 www.springhousetenafly.com

Tenafly Diner 16 W. Railroad Ave. 201-567-5522 www.tenaflyclassicdiner.com

Tenafly Hot Bagels 35B Washington St. 201-567-2935

The 130 Club Steakhouse 130 County Road 201-431-2427 https://the130club.com

TPR Restaurant Pizzeria 38 W. Railroad Ave. 201-871-0444 www.tenaflypizza.com/ about.php

Veda Contemporary Indian Cuisine 10 Jay St. 201-399-7788

www.vedatenafly.com/ djmaxihz/restaurant/ order-online

La Promenade

TPR Restaurant Pizzeria

Nobel-Worthy Works BOOK NOOK

Try these notable books by winners of the famous literary prize, which is presented each December.

BY JULIE MARALLO

December 10 is the day the Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm. While the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature is announced in October, the award is presented in December with the others. If you have had your fill of holiday-themed lists and Hallmark movies, try these heavy hitters. All books are for adults.

“THE VEGETARIAN”

By Han Kang, 2024 Winner

After a series of nightmares, Yeong-hye decides that she can never eat meat again. This is not just a decision to become a vegetarian. Much to her family’s dismay and disgust, Yeonghye believes she is literally becoming one with nature. Her transformation will ruin her marriage and tear her family apart. Is there anything that will make her come to her senses?

“THE YEARS”

By Annie Ernaux, 2022 Winner

Shortlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize, “The Years” is an autobiography of Ernaux’s life from the 1940s to 2006. This is no ordinary biography, as Ernaux blends her own life with events going on in the world at the time. She presents a view of world events from a French perspective, so you might have to visit Wikipedia a few times to understand all of her references.

Julie Marallo is the director of the Tenafly Public Library.

“AFTERLIVES”

By Abdulrazak Gurnah, 2021 Winner

Germany’s colonial rule of East Africa is often overshadowed by the colonial powers that superseded it. This novel is set in the late 1800s in Germanoccupied East Africa. Ilyas returns to his village after many years of forced service to the Germans, only to find his family gone. Hamza has just returned from his ordeal as an unwilling soldier in the German army and falls in love with Ilyas’s sister. While they are fighting to rebuild their families, village and dignity, the Germans fight even harder to hold onto the land they see as theirs.

“HERZOG”

By Saul Bellow, 1976 Winner

Step into the mind of Moses Herzog as he writes letters he never sends about his dysfunctional family and the world around him. Saul Bellow has won just about every literary award there is. Now is a good time to revisit his work or discover him for the first time.

Miller’s Bakery gets ready to close out the year with holiday delights such as these green treats photographed by Mark Miller. Have a great image for Photo Op? Submit your high-resolution shot to hello@tenaflymagazine.com.