They say an apple doesn’t fall from the tree and that is certainly true in the case of Theza Friedman, her daughter, also Theza, both of West Windsor, and her mother, Theza Griesman of New York City.##M:[more]##
Griesman, 81, began the Birch Wathen Lenox School’s supply business in a closet under the master staircase 25 years ago or so. Still a volunteer, she raises large amounts of money for the school. Her daughter, Theza Friedman of West Windsor, recently organized a book donation project for the Cherry Tree School.
The younger Theza Friedman, a kindergarten student at Hawk School, and her friend, Callia Cordasco, a kindergarten student at Dutch Neck School, recently celebrated their fifth birthdays at a joint party with a 1960s theme.
“We feel the kids have enough of the endless random toys and gifts they receive for every birthday and big event, so as part of the invite, we asked their friends to please bring a new, unwrapped book in lieu of a gift, suitable for kids their age,” says Friedman.
All children attending the party received bookmarks in their goodie bags to remind them of their gift. “It was a wonderful day,” says Friedman. “We were lucky on all counts.”
At the party they collected more than 70 books and recently delivered them to the Cherry Tree preschool in West Windsor. The school, part of Prince of Peace Church, aides the homeless of Mercer County. Not only will every child receive a new book of their own, but others will be added to the school’s library.
“Theza and Callia are thrilled with this idea and excited to help out fellow children who have so little,” says Friedman. “The one time my daughter asked if she would get any gifts at all, I reassured her she would from her relatives, but that one of the most wonderful presents she would get is to actually give.”
The name Theza was derived by her great grandfather and has been kept in the family for four generations. Born and raised in the upper west side of New York City, Friedman attended and graduated from the Birch School, as did her older brothers.
“The first volunteer activity I remember was collecting money for UNICEF as a kid on Halloween in those little orange boxes,” she says. “I was also a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity, at Bucknell University.” She graduated from Bucknell, Class of 1985, with a degree in management and marketing.
Her father, Henry Griesman, owned a business called Dick & Goldschmidt Inc. in New York City. He retired a couple of years ago. In the past he volunteered for the Museum of Natural History.
Working with her father for 12 years after graduating from college, she bought western high end women’s apparel fabric in Europe and sold to couturiers and retailers nationwide. She also sold buttons and fabric from European mills to Seventh Avenue designers.
“My father is awesome, a true gentleman who taught me everything I know about integrity and business sense,” she says. “His customer base was fiercely loyal to him because he was always 100 percent honest with them, shared his knowledge, and served them well. His selflessness in business gave many people their start in the trade.”
She moved on to Hotjobs.com in 1997, where she was sales manager and then took over the events department and managed that for a few years. She left in 2002 to take on the job of mom.
Her husband, Robert Friedman, is controller for the JK Group in Plainsboro. They met at a trade show in New York City while she worked at hotjobs and he worked for an Internet start up in San Francisco. “We had dated long distance for 11 months when he proposed and moved to New York City to be with me,” she says. They moved to West Windsor in 2002.
“We chose West Windsor for the schools and for the love of the area I developed 23 years ago while visiting my college roommate, whose parents live in Princeton.”
Friedman and Patti Cordasco, a former project manager at Citicorp, met at the Little Gym when the girls were about a year old. The girls’ birthdays are two weeks apart. “We were both pregnant with our sons and had them a month apart,” says Friedman. “That is what prompted our first playdates.”
“The boys, AJ and Christopher, are a month apart and that is what prompted our first playdates,” says Friedman. “The boys are both at Beth Chaim Pre-School in the same class this year. They are great pals and really watch for each other.”
When they were looking for a place to donate the books, Friedman remembered Cherry Tree School. She helped to deliver meals through the preschool. “Sometimes it’s the only meal the kids have that day,” she says. She called Wendy Schutzer, the director of the school and a West Windsor resident. Schutzer was very happy to receive the books.
“Patti and I revel in the friendships that we share as well as the kids’ bonds,” says Friedman. “It is wonderful for us and we adore each other’s families.”
