A WRITER’S ROOTS
LAUREN ALIZA GREEN LIFE LESSONS FROM A COMBAT VET A SPARKLING CAREER
GEMOLOGIST
ELISA BRISMAN
LAUREN ALIZA GREEN LIFE LESSONS FROM A COMBAT VET A SPARKLING CAREER
GEMOLOGIST
ELISA BRISMAN
In an ever-changing world, where trends and technology evolve at a rapid pace, The Kojanis family has established themselves as a trusted name in the world of dentistry in Bergen County.
With a long history spanning three generations and their family name gracing multiple offices from Tenafly to Englewood Cliffs, Doctors Chris, Lee and Renee Kojanis reign supreme over all things dental in Bergen County. Their practices are testaments to enduring values, strong ties to the community and a commitment to providing the best and most personalized oral care. Their processes have withstood the test of time and their traditions, skill sets and expertise have been passed down from one generation to the next.
The journey began in the late 1950s when Dr. Chris Philip, a longtime Tenafly resident, began his practice in Manhattan. As luck would have it, his daughter, Katherine, met a young man who had a penchant for mechanics and more interestingly, a passion and aptitude for working with his hands. Dr. Philip recognized his talent immediately and encouraged him to use his special touch and steady hand to learn the art of dentistry. Chris Kojanis was a quick study, and after graduating with honors from NYU and completing his residency at FDU, he followed his father-in-law into the business and began working alongside him. It was a matter of time before he decided that he wanted to set up roots closer to home, as he and Katherine were hoping to start a family.
He realized that there was a need for a family practice in Tenafly and in 1985 he purchased an existing practice, which happened to be one of the first orthodontic practices in Tenafly! Before long everyone in town was trusting him to fix their smiles and his business was flourishing.
Chris went on to raise three children with Katherine in Tenafly. As the years passed, two of their children, Lee and Renee, inspired by the passion and success of their grandfather and father, chose to pursue careers as oral healthcare providers. After proudly going through the Tenafly school system from K-12, Lee attended Lafayette College, followed by NYU College of Dentistry, and eventually completed his 4-yr Oral & Maxillofacial residency at the renowned NYU Langone/Bellevue Hospital, where he remains on staff to this day as an Assistant Clinical Professor. His practice, Premier Oral Surgery Group, consists of three surgeons operating out of two locations, in Englewood Cliffs and Bergenfield. Lee has been named a top oral surgeon in Bergen County for the past 5 years and is the current Section Chief of Oral Surgery at Englewood Hospital Medical Center.
Renee, who was also a Tenafly school graduate, always had a passion and talent for art and working with her hands. She grew up watching her dad and helping out in the office, and as she grew up it became clear that her future was destined to take place in the world of Orthodontics. She also completed her education at NYU College of Dentistry where she graduated with honors as the Valedictorian of her class. She then attended Columbia University where she served as chief resident of the orthodontic program. She now works alongside her father every day at their original location on Dean Drive in Tenafly.
Many patients have been coming to this practice for generations, with children and grandchildren of original patients choosing the Kojanis family for their orthodontic and dental needs. This loyalty and continuity is a testament to their dedication to staying at the forefront of dental advancements while providing a truly personalized and hands-on experience.
Every single patient who walks through the door is treated personally by the doctors and they work together to discuss and manage each individual case from beginning to end.
As Renee proudly explains, “An important distinction of our practice is that my father and I are involved in every aspect of treatment, from consultation to case completion. We take pride in managing patient care closely without relying on help from outside auxiliary staff”. Although Lee and Renee went on to practice different dental specialties, they both wanted the opportunity to treat the community that they were raised in. Lee says, “Working here allows you to get to know your patients on a much deeper level. I’ve only been practicing for six years in Bergen County and have already had countless doctor–patient experiences with old friends, colleagues, teachers and coaches from my youth.”
As the pliers are passed to the next generation, one thing is certain: the legacy of beautiful smiles that they have created will continue to shine, one patient at a time.
As fall gets into full swing, we’re excited to present our October issue, which is brimming with inspiring stories of some of our community’s many remarkable people and places!
We feature an engaging profile of author and Tenafly native Lauren Aliza Green that tells the story of her new novel, “The World After Alice,” and offers her insights into writing and the impact of where you grow up.
In other articles, you can plunge into the world of gemology with Elisa Brisman of Bergen Gemology and become acquainted with Elly GeanaPark’s charming sewing and design shop, Sewncute.
Learn about delicious meals offered at the JCC café, an eatery that serves the entire community in accordance with the JCC’s mission.
In the meantime, don’t miss our Q&A with Jonathan Cohen, a military veteran and former prosecutor, who shares advice on building resilience and cultivating mental toughness.
We hope you enjoy these thrilling stories and find something that resonates with you this month!
If you have any story suggestions about community life for Tenafly magazine, please contact me at hello@tenaflymagazine.com.
Gina Palmieri Publisher
Publisher Gina Palmieri
Local Editor
Jenna Demmer
Art Director
Sue Park
Writers
Erin Demmer
D. Flynn
Christiana Maimone
Julie Marallo
Elisabeth Sydor
Gabrielle Walters
Photographers
Alyson Barrow
Damian Castillo
Justin Schwab
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
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.
You’ve asked yourself why you can’t lose weight. But have you asked Valley?
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At Valley, it’s not only about losing weight. It’s about gaining health. Let’s succeed together.
A military veteran and former prosecutor offers insights into connections between self-awareness, exercise and transformation.
BY ERIN DEMMER
INTERVIEW WITH JONATHAN COHEN
Tenafly resident Jonathan Cohen has created a platform that embraces mental toughness to improve overall quality of life.
Cohen has made a positive difference in the community through both his professional and personal accomplishments. Along with his professional pursuits, he participates in marathons and other endurance activities to raise money for important causes such as Alzheimer’s disease research, Feeding America and the Friendship Circle.
Can you tell us more about your professional background?
I have a background in public service and served two years in the Israeli military, which included infantry combat. I went to college, law school and business school, and I spent three years serving as a criminal prosecutor in Bronx County, prosecuting domestic violence crimes for the special victims division.
Now I work as an associate general counsel and business strategist for PNY Technologies. I also host a podcast called “Inside the Inspired,” where I interview high performers.
Why is mental toughness important to you?
What initially sparked my interest was self-awareness that I developed around the relationship I had with myself. I grew up with labels placed on me by teachers and learning specialists, and everyone’s heart was in the right place but [the experience] shaped the perception I had of myself.
Once I understood my values, that helped me gain clarity on what I truly want and what success means to me. I realized that mental toughness was important when my life improved because I was doing harder things—and the harder the things I did, the better I felt. The moments that I pushed myself, I met the best sides of myself.
What lessons have you learned about mental toughness throughout your career?
The most powerful thing I’ve learned is the power of conscious breathing and deliberate nasal breathing from a nervous-system perspective. I was learning about the value of presence from studying stoicism, working with victims of domestic violence and understanding how to cultivate empathy.
A lot of my work was helping me understand physical transformation. I was learning about the impact of physical exercise and correlations between trauma and exercise; the more physical awareness you have, the more self-awareness you have.
What do you want to share with the Tenafly community about cultivating mental toughness in daily life?
You can cultivate mental toughness through presence, gratitude and self-love. Understanding the way you speak to yourself about yourself is extremely key, and cultivating mental toughness comes down to assigning meaning to things in your life. So if you can find meaning in your life and consistently chase that meaning, [you can] say: “How can I make the most of today? How can I make the most of this moment?” And it’ll start with being present.
Erin Demmer is a freelance writer living in Bergen County. She is also a clinical mental health counseling student who is passionate about helping others.
Tenafly native Lauren Aliza Green publishes her first novel—and reflects on the importance of place.
BY D. FLYNN
For Tenafly residents who remember Lauren Aliza Green from her childhood in town, the Alice they most closely associate her with won’t necessarily be the title character in her debut novel, “The World After Alice.” They know her from Wonderland.
Green inhabited as many as five roles a year at the Palisades JCC community theater, including not only the Wonderland Alice but also Julie in “Carousel” and Charity in “Sweet Charity.”
She would eventually go on to study theater at Bergen County Academies. She describes this as her first exposure to the interplay between character, scene and plot.
That is where she started when she began drafting her novel. First came the characters: two families impacted by the same loss. Next came the environment: vacationland Maine. Then she let them out to play. A boy raised in Manhattan compares trees to skyscrapers. His mother, from Minnesota, does not.
The book, available in print through Viking Penguin, covers two New York families traveling to Maine for a wedding 12 years after the death of the eponymous Alice. It covers themes of family, memory and mental health.
The initial draft took six months, followed by a year and a half of editing and revision. From start to finish, “The World After Alice” took two years—not bad for a pandemic project.
Experience, Memory and Research Green no longer lives in Tenafly, but her parents do. She returns to town frequently enough to admire the new walking trail behind J. Spencer Smith.
“As somebody who is so interested in memory and time and the way those things work, I see how much the places where we grow up imprint themselves on us on this mitochondrial level,” she says. “That’s the fingerprint that I walk around the world with: the street where I grew up; this house; the texture of the sunlight.”
Currently a resident of Brooklyn, Green says that growing up near the city made her “fluent in a cultural language that really values the arts.”
She would go on to complete an MFA at the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, but she’s also spent time on the Maine coast, where
much of the novel is set. She says it is a coincidence that she composed part of the draft while living in Bar Harbor during the pandemic.
Which is not to say that Green’s background work for the book was passive. Because the characters’ reactions hinge around a suicide, Green pored over CDC reports and first-person accounts from suicide survivors and the families of those lost.
“I felt so much responsibility to…I wouldn’t say get it right, but to make sure I was doing it justice, and so that was a ton of reading,” she says. Green cites rates of depression among young U.S. adults. For people struggling with mental health issues, support is available from the Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741) or by calling the 988 lifeline, which also has online chat services.
The Next Novel Viking has already bought the rights to publish Green’s second novel, which she finished drafting in late August.
Green describes the feeling of completing a manuscript as one of utter dread. “Once you reach the summit, you realize there are 10 other summits that lie ahead,” she says at the start of her revisions. “I printed [the manuscript] out last night and read the first 80 pages to go through with the red ink and start editing it.”
She says the new work is a modernday take on “King Lear” set on the Upper East Side. Green read the play as part of the core curriculum while an undergrad at Columbia University, and the story has haunted her since.
Instead of a king dividing his kingdom among three daughters and their suitors, the patriarch of Green’s novel tells his family that he will leave the bulk of his wealth to one of his three heirs. The battles take place in the courtrooms of Manhattan rather than Dark Age killing fields, but the family dynamics may still leave heads rolling.
Green will be attending publishing events in Bergen County early next year. Fiction Fridays should bring her back to town sometime in April.
Trading a cosmopolitan career for a simpler life, Elly Geana-Park opened Sewncute—and brought her design sense to Tenafly.
When walking down Washington Street, you may have stumbled across Sewncute. Stepping into this Tenafly boutique feels like being transported into a stereotypical grandmother’s sewing room—but impossibly cooler.
The various sewing machines, eyecatching gifts and numerous articles of clothing waiting to be altered are a clear reflection of owner Elly Geana-Park’s eclectic taste and culturally diverse background.
Geana-Park has been drawn to fashion and design her entire life, and her various works led her across the world before ultimately leading her to Tenafly.
A Korean-born designer who grew up in both Canada and Japan, Geana-Park attended Bunka Fashion School in Tokyo. She taught herself to sew in high
BY GABRIELLE WALTERS
school and has used the craft as an outlet to experiment with contrasting colors, unique textures and quality fabrics. To her, making clothing has been both a creative outlet and a basic need.
“Just like with cooking and doing laundry, [people] need to know basic sewing,” says Geana-Park. “So many people throw out clothes because they lose a button.” Instead of shopping for new clothes every season, she advocates learning how to sew and make your own original outfits, which she says “is always a great experience.”
After concluding her studies, she worked in New York City and uncovered the harsh reality of working in fashion. “When you decide to be a fashion designer, you’re [envisioning] a more glamorous life,” she says. “It’s very different when you go inside. It’s a lot of labor.”
As with most young fashion designers, she began her career working for various brands while dreaming of starting her own line.
In 2011, two of her dreams came true—she became a mother and a brand owner. After the birth of her son, she started a contemporary children’s wear brand, Suoak.
The venture began organically. While shopping for baby clothes, she realized she was not impressed by clothing on the market. She believes children’s garments should be “just as expressive and original as the children who wear them.”
She took a leap and began selling her garments at trade shows, hoping to be picked up by retailers. Soon after, her vibrant pieces were stocked on shelves in upscale and inspiring department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York.
Elly Geana-Park brings an eclectic sensibility to design and a do-it-yourself attitude rooted in a diverse background that includes being born in Korea, raised in Canada and Japan and inspired at a Toyko fashion school.
Having spent time in Tokyo and Manhattan, the cosmopolitan Geana-Park spent much of her life scurrying along busy streets and zigzagging across bustling sidewalks. However, as she and her Romanian-born husband began raising their first child in the city, they felt the environment was overstimulating for a youngster and that their next move would be to pack their belongings and head to the suburbs.
A Google search informed them that Tenafly has the top public school system outside of Manhattan, and a trip across the bridge led them to fall in love with the town’s slowerpaced lifestyle.
Today, Geana-Park, along with her husband and two children, ages 13 and 5, enjoy the town for all it has to offer. The days of feeling more comfortable in the city are over. “When I cross the bridge [from New York] and see the trees, I feel relief,” she says. “This is home.”
Living in Tenafly, Geana-Park decided to take the next step in her fashion-designer journey. With wholesaling and designing for other brands under her belt, it was now time to open her own retail space.
Sewncute’s door opened in March 2020, one week before the COVID-19 lockdown began. She swiftly had to close shop, but instead of becoming discouraged by this setback, she used her sewing skills to create and donate 20,000 masks to local Bergen County hospitals.
After posting about these donations on a Tenafly mom’s Facebook group, Geana-Park was moved when orders and messages of support started pouring in from local mothers. This support has been a constant during her time in Tenafly and is one of the many reasons she is grateful to call Tenafly home.
These days, you might find Geana-Park biking across town, transforming one of her husband’s old shirts into a dress for her daughter or hanging out at the JCC. She expresses her desire to see kids—both girls and boys—learn to sew and live an environmentally conscious lifestyle. She hopes to collaborate with the Tenafly library and school system to get residents more involved.
Until then, she’ll be soaking in all of the nature and community that Tenafly has to offer.
Sewncute is located at 35 Washington Street in Tenafly. For more information, call the shop at 917-690-6557, email info@sewncute.com or check out the business on Instagram @sewn.cute.
Gabrielle Walters is a Tenafly resident and small business owner. You can find her wellness products in multiple stores across Bergen County.
BY CHRISTIANA MAIMONE
Sometimes we fall in love with a career we never thought we’d be interested in.
This is what happened to longtime Tenafly resident and business owner Elisa Brisman of Bergen Gemology. Brisman and her husband put down roots in Tenafly over 20 years ago and raised their two sons here.
As a Bergen County native raised in Upper Saddle River, Brisman wanted to live somewhere close to Manhattan that reminded her of home, so Tenafly just made sense. “We didn’t know a soul here,” she says. “We just knew we wanted Bergen County, close to the bridge, and we found Tenafly. It’s wonderful. I have no desire to move.“
In college, Brisman studied business and sociology, unsure of where her path would lead after graduation. She didn’t hear the term “gemology” until she took a part-time job at a jewelry store—a job that would change everything for her.
There, she worked under a gemologist who soon became a mentor, inspiring her to pursue a career in the jewelry business. “[My mentor’s] passion for gemology really sparked my interest and I found a different path, as opposed to a traditional one,” Brisman says.
After graduating from college, Brisman went on to study at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for a certificate in gemology. She holds certifications in appraisal theory as well, allowing her to give her clients an accurate valuation and identification of their jewelry.
An expert at identifying, authenticating and appraising precious gemstones such as those you find on a wedding ring, Brisman now has over 25 years of experience in her field and a widely successful business to show for it.
As for why she opened Bergen Gemology, she explains, “I found that there was a very, very strong need in Bergen County for an independent jeweler-slash-appraiser.”
At her business, located right in Tenafly, you can buy unique jewelry pieces for any occasion and have expert assistance in designing your very own. Have jewelry or stones but aren’t sure what they’re worth?
Brisman and her team of jewelers and designers offer excellent appraisal services as well.
When it comes to buying jewelry or appraisals, it’s important to have someone you trust to help you, and Brisman prides herself on being this person for many clients in and outside of Tenafly. In fact, her clientele remains so loyal that they continue to rely on her even after moving as far as Florida and California.
“It should be a wonderful, wonderful time in somebody’s life when they’re usually buying their first piece of jewelry,” she says, “and I try to take all of the guesswork, all of the stress out of that and make it a really great experience.” This shared sense of significance is important to her.
“You know, it’s creating milestones,” she says. “I have customers from 20 to 25 years ago who have children coming back for anniversary gifts. It’s memorable for me.”
Bergen Gemology not only offers ready pieces for any occasion but also can work with customers to create one-of-a-kind custom jewelry.
Brisman’s two grown sons are in their 20s and on their own, with one working in finance and sports projection and the other working as a dentist. Though the nest is empty, she says it’s hard to feel lonely in Tenafly.
“There’s a microcosm of different communities,” she says. “We have a lot of great lifelong friends that we’ve made here.”
As a small business owner, she knows the importance of shopping locally. “I’m always on Washington Avenue,” she says. “I just bought wine from our local
wine store. He was very helpful—he had a lovely wine that was a collector’s edition.”
When she’s not studying precious gemstones, Brisman enjoys spending time with loved ones, especially out at favorite Tenafly spots such as Café Angelique and the town’s newer Café Trois. “I go in there all the time for sandwiches, salads and pastries,” she says. “I had their green juice and felt so much better throughout the day.”
She’s an avid golfer and tennis player as well, often playing with friends in her free time.
Brisman remains a shining gem in her community, offering her knowledge and expertise and forming meaningful connections that last a lifetime. Our lives are full of many milestones, and Brisman treasures the opportunity to contribute to happy memories for her clients.
For more information about Brisman’s services, visit www.bergengemology.com or find Bergen Gemology on Instagram and Facebook @BergenGemology.
eldersadvocacygroup.com
THURSDAY,
The Kaplen JCC’s café welcomes a diverse clientele under the leadership of Elliot and Michal Rosenfeld.
BY ELISABETH SYDOR
in Tenafly, the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades is rooted in Jewish tradition but has a diverse mission:
“to cultivate the social, intellectual, physical and spiritual wellbeing of the entire community.”
The JCC’s Nancy and Howard Brown Café addresses that goal, recently celebrating one year under the ownership of Elliot Rosenfeld and management of his daughter, Michal Rosenfeld.
The kosher eatery offers a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu to appeal to all ethnicities as well as a kid-friendly environment and nourishing snacks for center participants on the run. The café also accepts online orders for pickup, makes lunches for the JCC programs and does all
the center’s catering.
Walk into the main lobby, hang a right and there it is: a refuge for a quick coffee after dropping the kids at daycare or dinner downtime amid a hectic family schedule.
“My dad has 20 years’ experience running the JCC café in Scotch Plains, but this is a more discerning audience,” says Michal.
There are a variety of options, such as health-conscious salmon specialties with homemade soups, and a custom salad bar offering around 25 toppings to choose from. Meanwhile, there are also popular kid favorites such as pizza, pasta, fish sticks and types of fries, slushies, snack boxes and ice cream. All food is made to order.
Owner Elliot has run kosher operations in New Jersey for decades, working with both meat and dairy—an unusual dual specialty in the kosher arena that requires separate kitchens, pans and utensils for
preparing the two different food groups.
Manager Michal, a recent graduate in social work, is new to the field and the first of the family’s 10 children to join the business (brother Michael has also recently come aboard).
She feels her education adds to her current role of “communicating with customers, managing issues,” and is content to wait to enter the social work field.
“I’m happy every day to go to work,” she says. As she hands out tasty anniversary cookies with a smile, her grateful customers are no doubt glad she is sticking around.
The JCC café is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in winter (3 p.m. in summer); and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Elisabeth
Sydor is a freelance writer and web content consultant.
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If visceral Halloween horror leaves you stone cold, try these creepy (and even child-friendly) stories.
Are you looking for something just slightly creepy to read this October? Case in point: Perhaps you would like to read your children Halloween stories but don’t truly want to scare them. Here are some suggestions.
“WE
By Shirley Jackson
Mary Katherine Blackwood, an 18-year-old known as Merricat, lives with her older sister, Constance, and her perpetually confused Uncle Julian. The rest of Merricat’s family had been poisoned with arsenic years ago, and the people in her village believe that one of the sisters is the killer. When mysterious cousin Charles shows up at her house with an interest in Constance and the Blackwood family estate, superstitious and childlike Merricat is immediately on edge.
BY JULIE MARALLO
By Sheridan Le Fanu
Written a quarter century before Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” “Carmilla” is one of the first major works of vampire fiction. Teenage Laura lives in an Austrian castle with her father. She has been having dreams about a young woman every night since she was a child. One day a carriage breaks down in front of her castle and Laura instantly recognizes the girl inside it, Carmilla, as the girl in her dreams. Laura’s family takes in Carmilla and the girls become best friends. But soon the girls in the village become mysteriously ill, and Laura herself becomes weaker by the day. The villagers start to wonder if Carmilla is to blame.
By Olga Tokarczuk
Janina lives in a remote village in Poland taking care of wealthy people’s vacation homes and teaching elementary school. When a much-despised neighbor turns up dead, Janina thinks she has the answer, but the police won’t listen to her. Then the bodies start piling up. Author Olga Tokarczuk won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2018.
“BEHIND THE MASK”
By Yangsook Choi
Kimin has always been frightened of his grandfather’s Korean dance mask, but now that his grandfather has passed away, Kimin wants to wear it to feel closer to him. When Kimin tells his class that he is going to be his grandfather for Halloween, they laugh at him. But when they see him dancing in his mask and robe on Halloween, they gain a new perspective. This lovely book is a unique multicultural Halloween story.
By Denys Cazet
This book, with its catchy refrain and rhyming lines about pumpkin pie, is the perfect read-aloud. Jack and his grandmother have moved into a house haunted by Old Man Wilkerson, a grouch who died eating pumpkin pie. As soon as the ghost smells their baking, he barges in on them, telling them exactly how he would like his pie. The whole family will be laughing.
In this photo taken by Brady Sansotta, Jenny Jackson and her daughter sit together in Huyler Park to soak up one of the last days of warm, summer weather.
Have a great image for Photo Op? Submit your high-resolution shot to hello@tenaflymagazine.com.