Jane Brailove Rutkoff
1943 – 2026
Jane Brailove Rutkoff died on August 19, 2026 at age 82 in Lawrenceville NJ. She passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family.
Jane was born and raised in Elizabeth, NJ to Sylvia and Dr. Morris Brailove. Her mother was instrumental in founding the Jefferson Park Day Care Center and was president of the New Jersey Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey. Her father was a dentist in Elizabeth for 50 years.
After graduating from Battin High School, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania, and her master’s degree in English literature from Bryn Mawr, writing about Nathaniel Hawthorne.
During a rich and varied career, she taught English at West Philadelphia High School, worked at the Knox County Department of Family Services (Ohio), and held leadership positions with the 5 STEP teacher-education program at Kenyon College, and the Ohio Humanities Council.
Jane served as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities from 1998 until her retirement in 2011, spearheading innovative programming reflective of the diverse communities of New Jersey.
Jane also served her communities as a tireless volunteer. She helped to preserve the history and culture of her father’s birthplace, Woodbine, NJ, a Jewish agricultural community established as a refuge for Eastern European Jews fleeing persecution in the 19th century. In later years, she and her partner Peter Israel were active in multiple projects at HomeFront, an organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Central New Jersey.
Jane cared deeply about protecting wildlife and the natural world. She had a great love for monarch butterflies, and created a milkweed sanctuary in her garden to attract and nurture them. Her poetic spirit and joie-de-vivre were infectious, and most noted when reminiscing about the friendships she formed at Eagle Island Girl Scout Camp on Upper Saranac Lake in New York; spending time with her grandkids; or at the shore – especially playing skee-ball on the Jersey boardwalk.
She is survived by her son Joshua Rutkoff and daughter-in-law Lynn Amores of Los Angeles, CA; daughter Rebekah Rutkoff of New York City; brother Michael Brailove of Highland Park, NJ; her long-time partner Peter Israel, of Lawrenceville, NJ; grandchildren, Moshe and Dante; and her nephew and niece, Adam and Rachel Brailove. She was passionate in making sure her far-flung family stayed connected, usually over a table full of food. She will be missed immensely.
Contributions in her memory can be made to HomeFront in Lawrenceville, NJ.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Funeral arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel. OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Jane-Brailove-Rutkoff
Jane was a joy to be with. Her warmth and sense of humor enriched every gathering. Jane, my
Sister Chris and I shared many discussions about how alumnae like us could help save and rebirth our childhood camp, Eagle Island on Upper Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks. We knew that girls needed opportunities in this rustic environment to build skills,respect for nature, confidence and friendships to enrich a life time. Once again Eagle Island flourishes and Jane was a part of the team that has made this a summer haven for girls and young women once again.
I’ve also admired her passionate commitment to
Home Front and will happily make a donation in her honor to both this worthy project and Eagle island. Thinking of Jane makes me smile and know she lives on in our hearts and in her good works. Ginny Hildebrand
The quote that first comes to me about Jane is from Maya Angelou:
“ I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
As I read through Jane’s obituary. My memory was jogged about the things that she loved and was involved in over the years. However, when I think of her, I think of the quiet, peaceful smile that she always carried with her, even the day I last saw her as she was laying in her hospital bed, having just received her breathing treatment, with her oxygen tube in her nose.
I’ll remember Jane, as warm, inviting, interested in what you had to say and a willingness to engage in conversation about any topic.
I didn’t know Jane well, as when I met her, she was in New Jersey, where I also grew up (coincidentally the same town that her brother Michael lived in) while I was 3000 miles away in northern California. However, whenever I made the trip out to visit my mother, in my mind, the original Jane, we drove to Lawrenceville to visit her cousin Peter, There, in their beautiful home filled with wonderful art, and photos of family I always felt at home; I was family.
I never really knew Jane outside of that cozy living room with the lookout to a beautiful backyard, and the pass through to her simple yet inviting kitchen
She will be deeply missed and remembered by concentric circles of family, friends, and colleagues for many many years to come
Dear Jane, I miss you terribly, your quiet encouragement, laughter and friendship.
I first met Jane at Eagle Island Camp when we were both eighth graders. We were in the Trip Unit, and the climax of our month would be a ten-day canoe trip thru 80 miles of Adirondack waters.
Jane and I were immediate friends. I loved her sense of humor and sly smile. We were paddling partners on that ten-day which was memorable in many ways. It was always fun planning mischief together and deciding who else to involve.
After that month, we both went to the Mariner (Sailing) unit. Jane had been there the year before so already knew how to sail and I learned a lot from her. For two summers we were shipmates, sailing and racing on our glorious Upper Saranac Lake, a highlight of both our lives.
During the winters we often got together and one very memorable time was when Jane’s parents took us to Greenwich Village, a first for me.
Jane loved singing camp songs and I know she sang them to her two children and whenever we met up too.
We reconnected twenty years ago when we learned Eagle Island might be closed and sold by the Girl Scouts.
I was retired by then, but Jane was still working so I had much more time to devote to what became this important cause. But Jane was my constant advisor on what to do next. And she was able to attend every important gathering of our growing number of dedicated alumni.
Together with my sister and other friends, we were able to save our camp, acquire it and re-open as a non-profit. It is now flourishing. Jane made several visits to camp along the way, helping to get it ready to again serve girls in the way we all learned to be confident, collaborative leaders.
After she retired, she and Peter bought the beautiful house on the hill where I visited them often. What fun to see her monarch butterfly garden, watch the birds at their feeders and for my dog Paco to chase the alpacas in the next property.
Whether it was going to demonstrations, or memorial meetings or camp it was always comforting to share these times with Jane. There is so much more that brings tears to my eyes. I miss you, Jane. You were there for the best years of my youth and adulthood too. You are part of so many of my best memories.