Jacob Nover

Jacob Seymour Nover was born on December 19. 1927 on the first night of Hanukkah, to Annie and Nathan Nover. He was raised in Orange, NJ alongside his older siblings, Leo and Gertie. He was a graduate of Orange High School and NYU. Jack’s academic degree in Recreation positioned him well for his role in the US Army during the Korean Conflict, where he was stationed in Germany, teaching Phys Ed skills to German children.

Upon his return he worked in his father’s tavern and began dating Jacqueline Ettinger. They married in 1958, the first couple to be married in the current Oheb Shalom sanctuary. The couple moved to South Orange in 1960 with baby David, followed by Neal and Susan, and began building lifelong friendships.

Jack then owned his own tavern in Newark. The bar quickly gained a following because of its kind, generous host. During the 1967 riots the customers protected the bar. Soon he established Pathway Lounge in Jersey City, which became one of the first local bars where gay individuals knew they had a comfortable, welcoming place to congregate.

When Jack’s mother, Annie, died in 1975, Jack began attending weekday morning Minyan at Oheb Shalom. His intention was to complete the year of Kaddish but he liked the practice and the fellow Minyan-goers so much it became a daily habit for 50 years. Pre-Covid, Jackie and Jack supplied all the food for the Wednesday morning Minyan breakfast, making it an event not to be missed. During Covid, Jack began attending on Zoom. Although he was hardly techie, he felt tightly connected even in an online environment, to the point where he used the phrase “coming home from shul” even though he was still in the same room.

Oheb Shalom was a constant in Jackie and Jack’s lives, chairing the Parent Education Program, Rey’im, and numerous other events and committees. Each of their three children was married by Rabbi Shapiro and each of their children-in-law came from the local Jewish community.

Jack and Jackie took their retirement jobs as flea market vendors extremely seriously. If you were looking for something, they could find it. Their home was crowded with their own treasures and the former treasures of others. Everything had a price tag.

Jack was predeceased by Jackie in 2019. He is survived by his children David (Liz), Neal (Teri), and Susan (Geoff), grandchildren Amanda (Alex), Lori (Rakesh), Adam (Talia), Rachel (Ben), Scott (Rebecca), Brian (Angela), and Sydney. He was thrilled to become a great grandfather to Zoey and Rudy Barbag, and Julian and Emmett Suredam.

After Jackie passed away, Jack continued to make friends a priority.

The family will be receiving guests for Jacob from 10:15 AM to 10:45 AM at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, NJ 07039 followed by a funeral service at 11 am. Burial will be at Oheb Shalom Cemetery, 1321 N Broad St, Hillside, NJ 07205.

Donations in his memory may be made to Oheb Shalom Congregation of South Orange … these will be applied toward the Wednesday Morning Kiddush Fund.