AMIT Magazine Winter 2016

B U I L D I N G I S R A E L . O N E C H I L D AT A T I M E .

To

Everything There is a Season. w i n t e r 2 0 1 6 : : c h o r e f 5 7 7 6 : : Vo l . L X X X V I I I N o. 1

IN THIS ISSUE:

TRAINING FOR A LIFETIME A L U M N I S P OT L I G H T

E N G I N E E R TO E D U C ATO R A N N UA L D I N N E R

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AMIT enables Israel’s youth to realize their potential and strengthens Israeli society by educating and nurturing children from diverse backgrounds within a framework of academic excellence, religious values and Zionist ideals.

The AMIT Legacy Society is our new program in planned giving. Through this initiative you have the ability to shape the future of Israel and its most important asset – the children. You become a member of the AMIT Legacy Society when you make a planned gift, a contribution that has a long-lasting and exponential benefit for the children of AMIT. One of the easiest and least expensive ways to benefit AMIT and reduce your estate taxes is to include a bequest provision in your will or revocable trust. Since it is simple to update or revise your will, bequests allow you the most flexibility and security should your circumstances or plans change.

The AMIT Legacy Society ensures that AMIT programs and services that have been funded throughout the years will extend well into the future.

THE AMIT LEGACY SOCIETY Any planned gift, will or bequest entitles you to the following benefits: • Listing in AMIT Magazine • Listing on the AMIT Website • Special recognition at AMIT dinners and luncheons If you have made a provision in your estate plans for AMIT, please allow us to inspire others and list your name in our AMIT Legacy Society Roster.

For more information or to let us know that you have already included AMIT in your estate plans, please contact Robin Isaacson, National Director of Planned Giving, at 954-922-5100 or robini@amitchildren.org.

All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential and imply no obligation to make a gift.

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12/15/15 10:24 PM

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

the first 100 days...

By Debbie Moed

AFTER NEARLY 30 YEARS OF INVOLVEMENT WITH AMIT, it’s fair to say that I’ve seen a lot—and yet I’m continually surprised by how much there is to learn.

Each and every time I visit with AMIT principals, teachers, reshet (network) staff and above all, students, I see the diversity of our student body and gain valuable knowledge about how AMIT, in the most practical sense, is equipping our students for 21st century success.

I recently traveled extensively around Israel and the United States, representing AMIT. In Israel, I visited communities vastly different from one another both in terms of socio-economic levels and opportunities and support available to our students and their families. In each AMIT school, I saw a distinct environment created to meet the needs of every student, where learners of all types are inspired to strive for excellence and set high but attainable goals. In Jerusalem, Modi’in, Or Akiva, Ra’anana and Rehovot, I met teachers who are not just concerned with their students’ grades, but with each child as an individual. I met social workers who use art, music, photography and special projects to reach the most challenged students, uncovering latent talents while teaching them conventional subjects along the way.

I met high level science and math students—girls and boy engaged in advanced robotics, computer science, and physics, competing and winning prizes in both Israeli and international competitions.

I saw the effect that AMIT’s professional development program has on educators in the reshet . A number of teachers recently brought into the AMIT reshet confided in me that there’s a marked change in the atmosphere of their schools—feelings of pride and confidence can actually be felt in the hallways. Despite the difficult challenges facing the entire country, AMIT students are overwhelmingly positive about their prospects for the future.

Here in the States, AMIT Dinners showcased our talented students. Six members of the Kfar Blatt Youth

Choir performed in New York and Los Angeles.

Each of them has overcome tremendous personal challenges and gained the self-assurance that has allowed them to become accomplished performers.

They are making progress toward their academic and personal goals thanks to the excellent education and emotional support they receive at the Kfar. The students’ plans for a bright future are well within reach—something they would not have dreamt possible just a few short years ago.

Yair Alkalai, alumnus of AMIT Gwen Straus Science and Technology High School and now a Lieutenant Colonel in the elite Sayeret Givati Brigade, spoke movingly to audiences in Chicago, Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia about his search for Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, a”h, during Operation Protective Edge.

Yair’s message was that the values inculcated in him and his classmate Hadar by their teachers at AMIT Gwen Straus prompted him to make the snap decision to search for Hadar in that dark, forbidding tunnel—and those values have shaped the person he is today.

During my travels, I was privileged to meet many capable and motivated lay leaders. I was struck by the devotion of our long-standing members, and I had positive discussions with newer ones. Across all interactions, I can say unequivocally, that there is enormous excitement about what AMIT is accomplishing.

Everywhere I traveled, people are impressed with the scope of AMIT’s reach and the quality of education we are bringing to students throughout the entire country, in particular the periphery, where the socio-economic and social needs are greatest. And of course there is shared pride in being part of the circle of support that makes it all possible.

May our students continue to excel, and may the New Year bring peace, serenity and prosperity for all of Israel. 

Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 3

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8

winter 2016 – choref 5776 Vol. LXXXVIII No. 1

BUILDING ISRAEL. ONE CHILD AT A TIME.

8

TRAINING FOR A LIFETIME

The AMIT Hammer Rehovot Pre-army Junior College.

By Judy Lash-Balint

14

14

ENGINEER TO EDUCATOR

Profile of Guy Dekel, principal of AMIT Karmiel Torah and Science High School.

By Helga Abraham

24

HIGHLIGHTS

Achievements, events, profiles and school news throughout the AMIT network.

By Cheryl Shaanan and Robert E. Sutton

28

SUTKER DEDICATION

AMIT celebrates the dedication of the Mr. and Mrs. Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in

28

School for Boys.

By Robert E. Sutton

About The Cover

B U I L D I N G I S R A E L . O N E C H I L D AT A T I M E .

Sundial on the campus of AMIT Karmiel Torah and Science High School

To

Everything There is a Season. w i n t e r 2 0 1 6 : : c h o r e f 5 7 7 6 : : Vo l . L X X X V I I I N o. 1

IN THIS ISSUE:

TRAINING FOR A LIFETIME A L U M N I S P OT L I G H T

E N G I N E E R TO E D U C ATO R A N N UA L D I N N E R

AMIT COUNCIL OFFICES

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National Office 817 Broadway New York, NY 10003 1-800-989-AMIT (2648) 212-477-4720 Fax: 212-353-2312 email: info@amitchildren.org Baltimore/Boston/Washington DC 2800 Stone Cliff Drive, Unit #112 Baltimore, MD 21209 410-484-2223 410-370-9411 Call for Fax: 410-484-2223 email: robbiep@amitchildren.org Chicago 3856 B West Oakton Skokie, IL 60076 847-677-3800 847-372-8702 Fax: 847-982-0057 email: amitchicago@amitchildren.org

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Cleveland 23743 Greenlawn Avenue Beachwood, OH 44122 216-382-4441 email: amitcleveland@amitchildren.org Southeast Region 2700 North 29th Ave. Suite 203 Hollywood, FL 33020 954-922-5100 Fax: 954-922-5199 email: robini@amitchildren.org Los Angeles 1122 S. Robertson Blvd., #9 Los Angeles, CA 90035 310-859-4885 Fax: 310-859-4875 email: michalt@amitchildren.org

Philadelphia P.O. Box 342 Wynnewood, PA 19096 410-484-2223 410-370-9411 Call for Fax: 410-484-2223 email: robbiep@amitchildren.org AMIT UK Friends of AMIT Women UK 152/154 Coles Green Rd. London NW2 7HD Phone: +44-208-438-6353 email: Karen.Am@amit.org.il AMIT FRANCE c/o Mrs. Carole Hannaux 18 rue du Conseil des XV 67000 Strasbourg, France phone: +33-611-487-314 email: carol.hannaux@gmail.com

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AMIT Switzerland c/o: Jennifer Osborn Unter Altstadt 10 6301 Zug, Switzerland Phone: + 41-41-729-0808 email: Jennifer.Osborn@ballag.ch AMIT Israel – Petach Tikva 28 HaMaccabim St. Petach Tikva 49220, Israel Phone: +972-3-912-3171 Fax: +972-3-912-3166 AMIT Israel – Jerusalem 21 King George St., 1st Floor P.O. Box 71075 Jerusalem, Israel 9171001 Phone: +972-2-673-8360 Fax: 972-2-673-8359 email: karenam@amit.org.il

FIND AMIT ON

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22

776

COLUMNS 3

:: President’s Message

6

:: Impressions

13 :: Alumni Spotlight 18 :: AMIT Annual Dinner 22 :: Dvar Torah

30

DEVELOPMENT NEWS 30 :: AMIT Ambassador’s Club 30 :: Introducing AFLI Boston 31 :: Greater Long Island Gala 32 :: Annual Southeast Gala

32

32 :: Sushi, Sake, Schmoozing 33 :: Yair Alkali Visits Boca 33 :: Thanksgiving LA Style 34 :: Israel Annual Dinner 35 :: Chicago Annual Dinner 35 :: Fifth Annual AFLI Bowl 36 :: Philly Shira Chapter Annual Gala 36 :: Tribute to Sonia Greenspon, z”l 37 :: Birah Chapter D.C. “Roots”

33

37 :: Rabbi Avinoam and Chaya Durani 38 :: Kfar Blatt Youth Choir performs in LA 39 :: Spanning AMITworld

35

39

President Debbie Moed Executive Vice President Andrew Goldsmith Vice President, Marketing and Communications Naomi Max Chair, Marketing and Communications Cara Kleiman Editor in Chief/Creative Director Robert Ephraim Sutton Design Game6Media Editor Emerita Micheline Ratzersdorfer Signed articles do not necessarily represent the opinion of the organization. Reproduction of any material requires permission and attribution.

To view us online visit www.amitchildren.org AMIT Magazine (ISSN 1085-2891) is published quarterly; Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer by AMIT. AMIT National Office: 817 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003.

1-800-989-AMIT, 212-477-4720, Fax 212-353-2312 email: info@amitchildren.org Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AMIT: 817 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003.

AMIT enables Israel’s youth to realize their potential and strengthens Israeli society by educating and nurturing children from diverse backgrounds within a framework of academic excellence, religious values and Zionist ideals. Some 70 percent of AMIT students live in development towns or other “peripheral” areas of the country. AMIT approaches each child as an individual, maximizing his or her potential, and enabling our students to become vital, productive members of Israeli society. The AMIT schools promote religious tolerance, service to the state and the recognition that every child is blessed with unique talents and abilities. Founded in 1925, AMIT operates 108 schools, youth villages, surrogate family residences and other programs, constituting Israel’s only government-recognized network of religious Jewish education incorporating academic and technological studies.

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AMIT, founded in 1925, has a proud history of service to Israel and the Jewish people.

Our name, in English, stands for “AMericans for Israel and Torah.” In Hebrew, AMIT is an acronym for “Irgun Mitnadvot l’ma’an Yisrael v’Torata” (Organization of Volunteers for Israel and Her Torah).

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IMPRESSIONS

our focus is their future success

By Andrew Goldsmith, Executive Vice President

IN THE COURSE OF TWO MONTHS, WE CELEBRATED AMIT with six major events, including the annual galas in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Florida and Israel; and we held scores of smaller events in communities across the United States and Israel. From boutiques to hat shows, from featured speakers to films to a Broadway-quality production featuring our Kfar Blatt students, many committees worked long and hard so that thousands more would enjoy a unique AMIT experience. And we were successful—our message of investment in the future of the state of Israel rang true.

So, first, thanks to those who made our shared success possible. To all those committee members, dinner and event chairs, volunteers, supporters and hard-working staff across the world—well done and Kol HaKavod.

Because of your communal efforts, we are on track to have our most successful year ever.

But what does that success signify?

In the coming year, our 32,000 students in 110 schools will receive the finest education of any network in Israel.

We’re striving to improve on our already stellar Bagrut (matriculation exam) pass rate of 84% vs. a national average more than twenty percentage points lower. The Bagrut is the key to academic, social, and professional advancement in Israeli society. Successful completion of the Bagrut offers students the opportunity to enter an elite army unit, continue their studies in university, and secure the best positions in the job market.

No matter how proud we are of what we accomplished yesterday—we look toward tomorrow. While we remain committed to our goal of ensuring the highest Bagrut pass rates, we recognize that today the Bagrut certificate alone is not enough. The focus can no longer be solely on the quantitative measures—how many students complete the Bagrut—but rather, on the quality of their Bagrut diploma.

The Ministry of Education requires a basic number of Bagrut units in core subjects such as mathematics, history, civics, English, Bible and Hebrew language. In all of these subjects, students can choose to take additional

units, deepening their knowledge and increasing the quality of their Bagrut certificate.

In the core areas of mathematics and English, as well as in sciences, five-point exams are the highest level. Success in the five-point Bagrut exams opens multiple doors for students, allowing them to explore competitive and cutting-edge fields such as engineering, bio-technology, robotics and nanotechnology. The importance of the fivepoint exams is evident to many of our partners as well.

The Ministry of Education, the Israel Defense Forces, and various institutions of higher education all recognize the importance of investing in quality Bagrut so that our students can be better prepared to contribute and impact Israeli society AMIT considers it of the upmost importance to offer these high-level opportunities not only to our students in middle-to upper-class communities, but also in the periphery and in development town communities.

So this year we will, in coordination with our partners, be introducing programming to address this concern.

Most importantly, we’ll take on this challenge while staying true to our core value of no child left behind.

AMIT children represent diverse populations and reflect all of Israel: secular and religious, Ashkenazi and Sephardic, Sabra and immigrant – significant numbers of young people of Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds, as well as Ethiopian, Russian and French immigrants. Two thirds of AMIT students come from peripheral areas of Israel where their access to a first class education has been limited. Regardless of personal circumstances or socio-economic situation, each student is provided with the resources needed to obtain an education previously unobtainable. We’ll continue to promote religious tolerance, service to the State, and the recognition that every child is blessed with unique talents and abilities.

So without fanfare, let us roll up our sleeves and work together to ensure that this year’s inspiring goals are met.  Reach Andrew Goldsmith at andrewg@amitchildren.org.

6 :: Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE

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FEATURE Students of AMIT Hammer Rehovot Pre-Army Junior College

A

ccording to a 2014 report by the institute for

So who are the young people being trained to

the Study of War, Israel’s Air Force is the best

keep the Air Force up and running at such high

in the world.

international standards? Observe AMIT Hammer

“Israel has space assets, advanced fighter jets,

Rehovot Pre-Army Junior College, which opened

hi-tech armed drones and nuclear weapons. Its

its doors in September 2014 to a class of 24 eager

air force has incredibly high entry and training

students, and now has sixty young men enrolled

standards,” the study noted.

in an intensive and unique training program

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12/27/15 4:47 PM

by Judy Lash Balint

TRAINING FOR A LIFETIME

that combines technology, Torah and preparation

Levy, Director of the Junior College. “Rabbi Maimon

for life.

made a revolution,� according to Rabbi Levy. Rabbi

The idea was the brainchild of Rabbi Rafi Maimon,

Maimon recognized that his students deserved

who took over as Principal of AMIT Rehovot Boys

to be given the opportunity to become valued

High School in 2011. At the time, the high school

members of Israeli society, enjoying both a good

had a reputation as the worst school in Rehovot

profession and a life imbued with Torah values.

with a very high dropout rate, recalls Rabbi Tzuri

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continued on page 10

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continued from page 17 Together with Rabbi Levy, a veteran educator, who was then teaching at the high school, they wrote a proposal to enable students from three target populations to continue for a further two years of study in either electronics or electrical engineering, to be followed by acceptance into the IAF (Israel Air Force) to work in their chosen field. The program was designed for graduates of religious high schools in and around Rehovot including Ashkelon, Kiryat Malachi, Ashdod and Beit Shemesh, as well as new immigrants and those from disadvantaged neighborhoods and students who graduated high school with a technology certificate.

Rabbi Maimon explains that many boys at the AMIT Hammer Rehovot Boys High School meet one or more of those criteria and are not served by the traditional post-high school options for national religious youth. “In our community, it’s common for boys to attend a preparatory program, or be part of a hesder yeshiva (combining army service with yeshiva studies)” notes Rabbi Maimon. “But most of my students are from families where that’s generally not an option that parents support. The boys need to go out to work to help support the family. These are not guys who see themselves sitting in a yeshiva, or who have the luxury of extending their army service to become officers. They are looking to learn a trade that will set them up for life.”

Through a partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Education and the Israel Air Force, the AMIT Hammer Junior College is designed to provide a comprehensive training program in electronics and electrical engineering that enables graduates to be accepted into the IAF as technicians or junior engineers. After their mandatory service, the young men are well equipped to further their careers either as permanent employees of the IAF, or in Israel’s burgeoning aviation industry. Those with the ability to further their academic studies have the opportunity to study for a degree at the Jerusalem College

of Technology’s Machon Lev, another partner of the AMIT Junior College.

The College is also supported by the city of Rehovot, which is known for its emphasis on technology development.

There are other technical training programs in Israel, but what is unique to the AMIT Junior College is the added emphasis on integrating a Torah lifestyle with state-of-the-art technical studies.

Both Rabbi Maimon and Rabbi Levy relate that before they created the Junior College, they were disturbed by the hemorrhaging of AMIT High School graduates to non-religious training programs in the area. “It didn’t take long for those boys to take off their kippot and adopt a secular lifestyle,” notes Rabbi Maimon.

Emblazoned on the wall of the Beit Midrash of the Junior College is the visionary mission statement that sets the atmosphere for students and teachers alike. It states, “The college envisions its graduates to become family men with a profession, dedicated to the traditions of the Jewish people, connected to his people and his land, possessing the ability to contribute on a meaningful level, and demonstrating caring and concern for society and the community around him.”

It’s a message that’s taken to heart by the students. Yochanan, a graduate of AMIT’s Bet Ashdod High School, learned about the Junior College from a teacher, and explains, “It’s very important to

me to be in a religious environment. I know observant guys who went to the IDF without this kind of framework and without knowing what they were going to do there, and they ended up losing their religious identity.”

That’s exactly what Rabbi Levy strives to prevent. He stresses that his goal is “not to turn out rabbis, but professionals who love Torah and will lead a traditional lifestyle.”

One way to accomplish that, according to Rabbi Levy, is “to emphasize attention to the individual needs of every student, because we’re not just providing them with the technical education and religious values. We are also focusing on teaching life skills—things like how to make a successful family budget, how to build a successful marital relationship, strengthening self-confidence,” he said. The main aim of the College is to empower students with the skills necessary to provide them with the personal drive and fortitude to deal with the challenges of life and to be upstanding members of Israeli society.

For most students at the College it’s a struggle to meet the demands of the program as well as to deal with the realities of their sometimes difficult home backgrounds. “It makes for a long and demanding day,” says Oriel, a freshman at the college, with a bit of a smile. After morning prayers and breakfast, he relates, the day’s schedule is packed with lectures in basic academic

Yehuda Sharafi, lecturer in electronic engineering.

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Rabbi Tzuri Levy with students: Nir, Yochanan, Yossi and Oriel. subjects, instruction in computer studies, lab time in electronics, at least two study periods in the Beit Midrash, and individual personal counseling several times per week.

But it’s not all hard slog in the classroom. A key element of the twoyear program, according to Rabbi Levy, are the field trips that take students to different parts of the country. Informal education plays an important role in a program where students may be struggling with economic or social difficulties at home. Several times during the school year, students get to spend two or three days on a field seminar, together with a rabbi and a counselor who are on hand to help foster personal relationships and team-building.

Another type of field trip takes the students to IAF bases, where they are introduced to the environment they’ll be working in after graduation.

Because of difficult home circumstances or distance from home, almost a third of the Junior College students are housed in the nearby Yeshiva Moreshet Yaakov. Room and board is free, but almost all the boys in the Junior College program have outside after-school jobs to help their families. Dr. Amnon Eldar, Director

General of the AMIT Network, says that, when the Junior College first opened, AMIT got feedback from parents who were concerned that the length of the program was keeping their sons from earning a living for too long. “Once they understood the long-term value of the education their boys would be gaining, it was a different story.” Dr. Eldar adds that maintaining the College as an integral part of the AMIT Rehovot Boys High School campus is an important component of the program for AMIT. “It’s good for the College students to see the younger kids look up to them, and for the younger ones to see that they too can aspire to post-high school studies and the prospect of a good job.” The idea of combining vocational training with religious studies and values education is a key part of AMIT’s philosophy, says Dr. Eldar.

As the head of the Junior College, Rabbi Tzuri Levy is a role model for his students, as is obvious from the way he interacts with the boys in the halls as well as in the Beit Midrash. A native of Bat Yam, Rabbi Levy has a Masters degree in Talmud and taught for 14 years at the AMIT Yavneh High School before joining the staff at Rehovot. As a captain in the Home Front Command, he served

for 50 days during the 2014 Gaza War, arriving home the day after the first day of the school year. Nir, a second-year College student, says he appreciates the values and principles he’s learning from Rabbi Levy and the Jewish Studies team and adds, “My family is really happy I’m here—they see a change in me; they can see, and so can I, that I’ve grown in my attitude toward study.”

On the technical side, students are required to complete a final project in order to graduate from the Junior College program and gain their certificates in engineering. A select group of outstanding Junior College students (four out of the 23 senior students) is permitted to actually implement their projects within the framework of the IAF and work offcampus under supervision of an IAF captain. Rabbi Levy notes that some of the students are involved in classified projects already. Others will be working on operating and maintaining the critical Iron Dome defense system that saved many lives in the 2014 Gaza War. “Our graduates will be the backbone of the IAF,” Rabbi Levy proudly explains. “Pilots have to take off with complete confidence that their planes are fully operational, without a shred of doubt about the work of the technicians and engineers who serviced them,” he says. In the four labs of the Junior College, groups of students learn how to work with the complex equipment used by the IAF. Downstairs, in the modest but modern Beit Midrash, another group is immersed in a lively discussion about the halachic precept to pay workers on time. Both fit into the motto of the AMIT Pre-Army Junior College Program that comes from a verse in Kings 2, Chapter 12, that describes those who worked on the repairs of the Temple: “They dealt faithfully. There were faithful workmen, and faithful overseers of the work.” Judy Lash Balint is a Jerusalem based awardwinning freelance writer. She is author of Jerusalem Diaries: In Tense Times and blogs at jerusalemdiaries.blogspot.com. Find her on Twitter @judyinjerusalem.

Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 11

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Alumni Spotlight showcases success stories of AMIT graduates who succeed in all walks of life, perform chesed and reflect the best of AMIT and the Zionist spirit.

ITAMAR HASON

Graduate of AMIT Ginsburg Bar Ilan Gush Dan High School

A

t the age of 17, Itamar Hason won a gold medal at the International Physics Olympiad.

Today he is completing his doctorate in Itamar and former Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar physics. His dream is to contribute to society through industry and the military in Israel.

It would be trite to gripe about the fact that if Itamar Hason’s gold medal had been in judo, for example, we would all be very familiar with his name. Trite, but true. The international gold medal Hason won when he was still in high school was only in physics. So who remembers? Hason, 23, from Tel Aviv, is still serving in the army and is now completing his doctorate in physics at Tel Aviv University. In third grade, he skipped a grade and began participating in a mathematics program for gifted children. He cleared the mathematics matriculation hurdle when he was only in the ninth grade, when he was a student at AMIT Ginsburg Bar Ilan Gush Dan High School in Ramat Gan, and completed his matriculation exams in English and physics easily as well.

He earned his bachelor’s degree with high honors at Bar Ilan University when he was a senior in high school. Since Hason had skipped a grade, he had a year between high school graduation and enlistment in the army. He used this year well and started a Ph.D. program in physics.

In 2009 at the age of 17, Itamar Hason participated in two competitions. The first, the Physics Olympiad for competitors from Asian countries, and was considered preparation for the global competition. Hason arrived at the second competition, in July of that year, with high expectations; everyone had realized that he had a pretty good chance at winning the coveted gold medal. The competition was held in Merida, Mexico. He easily overtook his Chinese competitors, who are always considered favorites, and won the gold medal for Israel. Israel had only

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once before won a gold medal in this competition, in 1999. Upon his return from Mexico, Itamar was personally congratulated by Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar congratulating him.

Since then, Hason has continued mentoring and leading the Israeli team at the Physics Olympiad. He has traveled with the Israeli delegation to global competitions held in Kazakhstan and India. In 2011, the Asian Physics Olympiad was held in Israel under the auspices of Tel Aviv University, and Hason was very involved in formulating questions, setting up the laboratory examinations and ranking the competitors. However, Hason still thinks there is reason for concern with regard to science studies in high schools in Israel. The level of learning is not high enough, he says, and there are not enough students who are truly willing to really invest time and effort in this subject.

Hason is doing his doctorate in the field of highenergy physics, an area that focuses on the fundamental structure of the universe. Research in this field is supported by the experimental particle accelerator at CERN and by theoretical research on issues such as quantum field theories and quantum gravity.

Rabbi Yoni Berlin, principal of AMIT Ginsburg Bar Ilan Gush Dan High School, says Hason stood out from the moment he started attending the school. ‘’We still ask him to come and talk to our young students who are capable of completing a university degree during their high school years. We want to show them it’s possible, and show them what it means to their future, in the army and in academia,” said Rabbi Berlin.

Itamar Hason’s mother Yael says that Itamar is one of four children who are all gifted and studied in university while still in high school. “In spite of everything, everyone also found time for Bnei Akiva youth movement, extracurricular activities and even sang in choirs. Itamar also played the piano,” said Yael.

Hason hopes to find a way to combine academia, the military and industry, and to contribute in these areas. And we, of course, will not stand in his way. 

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FEATURE

ENGINEER TO EDUCATOR

BY HELGA ABRAHAM

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PARACHUTED FROM THE WORLD OF HIGH TECH, NEW PRINCIPAL GUY DEKEL IS BRINGING A FRESH APPROACH TO AMIT KARMIEL TORAH AND SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL By xxxxxxxxxxx

It is not every day that a high flyer from the world of start-ups and the armaments industry gives up everything to take over the helm of a small high school in a distant development town.

But this is exactly what 46-year-old Guy Dekel did last year, when he resigned his position as team director at Israel’s prestigious Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in order to become the new principal of AMIT Karmiel, a co-ed high school of just 256 students. After having led the team that developed Israel’s first marine USVs (unmanned service vehicles), which are now patrolling the shores of the country from north to south, Dekel is busy dealing with class schedules, curricula, teachers and students— continued on page 16

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continued from page 15 and, on the day I met him, ordering parquet flooring for a new hip-hop room he plans to create at the school.

The move, it turns out, was not quite as astonishing as it may appear.

Dekel began his career in education, gaining a teaching certificate and B.Ed. while completing a seven-year hesder yeshiva program, which included army service in the parachute corps. He went on to gain an M.A. in math and computer studies, while working in various formal and informal positions.

During this period he also served as director of the Tair Bet Midrash in Tel Aviv, which was founded in the wake of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. “The assassination revealed serious fractures in Israeli society,” recounts Dekel, “and our goal was to help bridge the gap between religious and secular, right and left. We conducted study days in schools and study evenings in cafés and cinemas, and we also operated a theater which is still active today.”

In 2000, Dekel entered the world of high tech, working in a number of start-ups before joining Rafael as a software engineer helping to develop top-security military systems. “The work was fascinating, challenging and important for Israel’s defense,” he says, “but at heart I remained an educator,

AMIT Karmiel school entrance. and I even gave Torah classes and workshops to the staff at Rafael.”

So when in 2004 Dekel received a call from Dr. Amnon Eldar, Director General of AMIT, informing him that the network was looking for a new principal at AMIT Karmiel, the call fell on receptive ears. “I was doing interesting and vital work at Rafael, but, at the same time, I felt that I was not fulfilling my social-educational aspirations. The time seemed ripe for me to make a move,” he recalls. After discussing the offer with his wife, Dekel took just one hour to respond to AMIT’s call. “I said, yes.” Following a series of interviews, Dekel was appointed to the post and had just two months to

After-school class in krav maga

prepare for his new position, a new school year and situations he had never dealt with before.

“The main challenge at AMIT Karmiel,” he says, “is that we have a wide variety of levels among the student population, and, because the school is small and cannot offer lots of streams, the staff is obliged to teach classes consisting both of excellent students and weak students. Many students here also come from a low socio-economic level, so, in addition to learning problems, we have to deal with all kinds of social and discipline issues.” Faced with this challenging situation, Dekel set himself one primary goal: “to give each student the attention he or she needs.”

With this goal in mind, he immediately set about implementing a number of new initiatives, which included expanding the after-school extra-tuition program in math and English for weak students, and creating a new information technology track for students who are unable to received a full high school matriculation. “This track,” says Dekel “will ensure that, when these students leave school, they will have a level of technological knowledge that, with the addition of a few extra courses, will enable them to find work.” Twenty-five students,

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boys and girls, are already learning in this track. Dekel also introduced a long list of after-school enrichment classes at the affordable rate of NIS 60 ($15) per month. The students can choose between theatre, languages, applications, robotics, art, soccer, hiphop and krav maga––the “combat contact” defense system developed for the Israeli army.

In the future, Dekel wants to create learning environments that have little resemblance to the traditional classroom. An enthusiast of experiential learning, he is already building a “different learning space” in the school, which will include sofas, a kitchen, and a variety of tools aimed at encouraging students to take up crafts such as carpentry, cooking and model-making, and he plans to build, adjacent to the school, a challenge park where students will be able to develop both physical and social skills such as teamwork and leadership abilities.

Guy Dekel with Karmiel students.

Tenth-grader Naama Dumen readily affirms this, “Guy is always ready to hear what we have to say.

He carries a notebook with him and writes down everything. Before our annual trip, the girls told him that we didn’t want to sleep in tents, and he immediately organized a hostel for us to stay in.

He even made sure we were given popsicles during the trip!” Her opinion was echoed by twelfth-grader Tsahala Ephraim, “Guy listens and then acts and, if he doesn’t act, he explains the reasons why.” The student group I spoke to expressed wholesale appreciation of their new principal, both on the personal and educational levels, “In his first year here,” says twelfth-grader Tarel Sulimani, “Guy reorganized the curriculum so that we could choose to study two tracks instead of just one. At the end of the year, before our computer exam, he came in to give us extra tutoring, and he drove all the way down to Eilat to

Dekel set himself one primary goal: “to give each student the attention he or she needs.”

As I visited the school and spent time in Dekel’s office, it was immediately clear, from the flow of students eager to talk to him, that Dekel is a hands-on principal who enjoys personal contact with his students. “My door is always open to the students,” he says smiling. “They know they can come to me with their problems, and I will deal personally with the problem or I will refer them to the right address.” This open approach is based on a deep sense of trust and belief in the students. “I do not believe that there is such a thing as a bad student,” says Dekel. “If you give young people attention and respect, you will get good results.”

visit us when we were on our school trip.”

I found similar enthusiasm for the school’s new principal among AMIT Karmiel’s teaching staff. Hebrew language teacher Shosh Arak, who has taught at the school since its inception in 1994 and was one of the first pioneers to settle in Karmiel, says that a new atmosphere reigns in the school since Dekel’s arrival. “The main difference is that we are working with a modest, kind man who is not afraid to admit that he does not know something and who is always prepared to learn,” said Arak. English teacher Michael Chernomorets says he would not have stayed on at the school had it not been for Dekel: “He is very supportive and open to new ideas,” says Chernomorets. “And he is dedicated to education and to the students,” interrupts English coordinator Osnat Dunem, adding that “Guy is not the type of principal who dictates to his staff. He gives every issue a lot of thought and does his best to help us.”

Special education teacher Osher Yitzhak, who has been with the school since its inception, neatly summed up the views of the staff and the students towards their new principal: “I have only one word to say about Guy—he is a mentsch!” < Winster 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 17

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AMIT’s got talent!

(l-r) Debbie Moed, Mark and Anne Wasserman, Ellen and Stanley Wasserman, Amnon Eldar, Andrew Goldsmith

O

ver 500 people gathered together on Sunday, November 8th to celebrate and honor some of AMIT’s most outstanding leaders who have helped raise funds, awareness and inspire a new generation of supporters.

Alexandra Thurm and Talia Thurm Abramson received the Young Visionary Award and were recognized for their activity on behalf of AFLI and Young Leadership. Shari and Jacob M. Safra received the Presidential Leadership Award and were honored for their work on behalf of the New Generation Board and recognized for their generous support in refurbishing an apartment at the Kfar Blatt Campus. A special tribute was held in memory of Dr. Joel Rascoff, z”l and the Rascoff family announced that a scholarship has been established in his name. Last, but certainly not least, AMIT marked the dedication of The Ellen and Stanley Wasserman Campus at Kfar Blatt.

Alan Kalter, legendary announcer of Late Night with David Letterman served as Master of Ceremonies and provided a fun feel to the evening. One of the major highlights of the evening was the beautiful performance by the very talented Kfar Blatt Youth Choir.

The evening concluded with a special musical presentation by the renowned David Broza. 

(l-r) Matthew Rascoff, Henry Rascoff, Barbara Rascoff, Debbie Moed, and Sam Rascoff

Suzanne Doft, Jacob M. and Shari Safra, Deena Shiff

Jacob M. and Shari Safra

(l-r) Sharon Gross, Francine Stein, Debbie Moed, Sondra Sokal, Daisy Berman, Norma Holzer, Jan Schechter, Evelyn Blachor, Debbie Isaac Stanley and Ellen Wasserman

David Broza

(l-r) Aiden Thurm, Jonathan and Deena Thurm, Alexandra Thurm, Talia Thurm Abramson and Michael Abramson, Noah Thurm

Kfar Blatt Youth Choir and David Broza

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(l-r) Joyce Straus, Audrey and Chaim Trachtman

(l-r) Alan Wasserman, Rivka Berger, Stanley and Ellen Wasserman, Mark and Anne Wasserman, Rebecca and Moshe Friedman

(l-r) Idit Agus, Hope Waxman, Jody and Elie Levine, David Stonehill

(l-r) Linda and Barry Eichler, Jan and Sheldon Schechter, Ina and David Tropper, Helene and Harvey Benovitz

(l-r) David Stonehill, David and Stacey Kanbar, Deena and Adam Shiff

Shira Baruch and Sherry Cohen

Halana Greenberg and Zahava Straus

Suzanne and Jacob Doft

(l-r) Randi Gellman, Joyce and Stanley Raskas

(l-r) Solomon and Sharon Merkin, Noah Kolatch and Mindy Kolatch

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$1,000,000 +

Ellen, z”l, and Meyer Koplow, NY Ethel and Lester Sutker, IL Ellen and Stanley Wasserman, NY

$250,000 - $999,999 Shari and Jacob M. Safra, NY The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc.

$100,000 - $249,999

Barbara and Jules Nordlicht, NY Dahlia Kalter Nordlicht and Mark Nordlicht, NY Joyce and Daniel Straus, NJ The Maurice and Viviene Wohl Philanthropic Foundation, NY

$75,000 - $99,999

ING

A TIME • AT

M I T • B UI LD

A

Laurie and Eli Bryk Ellen and Emanuel Kronitz, Israel

ISRA E

L

NE CHI LD •O

An Invitation To Join Me In

President’s Circle As a parent and a long time devoted AMIT donor, I know how important a good education is to the development of children.

Many of the 32,000 students at AMIT in Israel do not have the advantages that our own children enjoy and which we may easily take for granted.

President’s Circle gifts provide the foundation upon which our network of schools is built. These annual gifts are sustaining funds that we rely on to support our excellent programs. In order to guarantee the continuation of programs which nurture AMIT’s children and instill within them strong values and academic excellence, we rely on our members whose annual donation ensure Israel’s future by providing these opportunities.

All successful endeavors require a strong foundation. Please join me. The circle will not be complete without you.

President - Debbie Moed Chair - Joyce Straus Honorary Chairs - Audrey and Rabbi Haskel Lookstein For further information regarding President’s Circle, please contact Susan Meyers, Director of Development, at 212-477-4730, 1-800-989-AMIT or susanm@amitchildren.org.

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$50,000 - $74,999 Debbie and Michael Alpert, NY Hadassah and Marvin Bienenfeld, NY Suzanne and Jacob Doft, NY Debbie and David Isaac, NY Leon and Gloria, Edward, Sari, and Howard Miller, NY Debbie and Samuel Moed, NJ Harriet and Heshe Seif, NJ Robyn Price Stonehill and David Stonehill, NY Adina Straus, NY

$36,000 - $49,999 Anonymous, Israel Ike, Molly and Steven Elias Foundation, NY Amy and Jimmy Haber, NY Brenda and Albert Kalter, NY Ria and Tim Levart, NJ Naomi Foundation, NY

$25,000 - $35,999 Joan and Shael Bellows, IL Blackman Foundation, CA Rosalyn and Ira Friedman, NJ Joseph and Rae Gann Foundation, MA Leelah and Joseph Gitler, Israel Mitzi Golden, NY Goldhirsh-Yellin Foundation, CA Laura and Jonathan Heller, NY Michele and Ben Jacobs, NY Kirkland & Ellis LLP, NY Micheline and Marc Ratzersdorfer, Israel Sandra and Evan Roklen, CA The Moise Y. Safra Foundation, NY Trudy and Stanley Stern, NY Zahava and Moshael Straus, NJ Shirley and Morris Trachten, z”l, Family Foundation, Israel

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Adena and Ezra Dyckman, NY Jewel and Ted Edelman, NY Miriam and Felix Glaubach, NY Pnina and Jacob Graff, CA Mildred and Alvin Hellerstein, NY Russell Jay Hendel, MD Sarah Liron and Sheldon Kahn, CA Amy and Todd Kesselman, NY Gitta and Richard Koppel, Israel Sharon and Solomon Merkin, NJ

$10,000 - $17,999

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$5,000 - $9,999

Anonymous, FL Anonymous, France Anonymous, Israel Anonymous, Israel Anonymous, MA Anonymous, NY Anonymous, Switzerland Leah and Jonathan Adler, NJ Randi Schatz Allerhand and Joseph S. Allerhand, NY Sarah and Maurice Aghion, MA Ann and Hy Arbesfeld, NY Asher Foundation, NY Lolly and Harris Bak, NY Rachel and Martin Balsam, NY Yael Balsam, NY Eli Baron, CA Lee and Louis Benjamin, NY Tamar and Ethan Benovitz, Israel Bea Berger, NJ Phyllis and Edward Berkowitz, NY Lisa and Joseph Bernstein, NY Vivian and Stanley Bernstein, NY Laurie Bilger and Eli Epstein, NY Evelyn and Isaac Blachor, NY Devorah and Melvyn Bleiberg, NY Barbara Bloom, MD Beth and Reuben Blumenthal, NY Deborah Stern Blumenthal and Michael Blumenthal, NJ Sari and Stuart Braunstein, NY Adele and Jules Brody, NY Tamar and Hillel Bryk, NY Carol and Arnold Caviar, KS Margaret and Chaim Charytan, NY Michael Cleeman, NY Trina and Paul Cleeman, NY Rosa and Isaac Cohanzad, CA Florence Cohen, z’l, NY Sherry and Neil Cohen, NY Shevi and Milton Cohen, NY Diane and Howard Cole, NY Melvin S. Cutler Foundation, MA Selma Daye, CA Sonia Diamond Family Foundation, MD Elaine and Lewis Dubroff, NY Hattie and Arthur Dubroff, NJ Susan Ederson, NY Linda and Barry Eichler, PA & NY Sherry and Aaron Eidelman, NY Vivian and Bernard Falk, NY Esther and Steven Feder, CA Iris and Stephen Feldman, NY Sheila and Kenneth Fields, NJ Ruth M. Finglass and Kevin A. Kubach, MD Gabriella and David Fridman, NY Rena and Michael Friedman, IL Marisa and Andrew Gadlin, NY

Shifra and Perry Garber, NY Adina and Lawrence Garbuz, NY Rita Geller, IL Randi and Alan Gelman, Israel Deborah and Allan Gibber, MD Deborah and Elliot Gibber, NY Abigail and Ari Glass, NY Ilana and Stuart Goldberg, NJ Paulette and Max Goldberg, NY Esther and Jack Goldman, NY Zelda and Sheldon Goldsmith, NY Anne and Sheldon Golombeck, NY Sara and Ronald Gottlieb, FL Layla and Evan Green, CA Paula Yudenfriend and Arlin Green, PA Sharon and Melvin Gross, NY Phyllis Hammer, MA Debbie and Robert Hartman, IL Debbie and Eddie Herbst, CA Bonnie and Herb Hirsch, FL Aviva and Fred, z”l, Hoschander, NY Peggy and Robert Insel, NY Sonia Bodenstein-Izenstark and Ira Izenstark, CA Elaine and Robert Jacobs, NY Talya and Rafi Jacobs, NY Barbara and Manfred Joseph, NY Connie and Alan Kadish, NJ Robin and Simon Kahn, Israel Danna and Gilad Kalter, NY Ruth and Jerome Kamerman, NY Miriam and Shopsy Kanarek, NY Stacey and David Kanbar, NY Ruth and William, z”l, Kantrowitz, NY Harriet and Joel Kaplan, NY Karen Kaplan, IL Elissa and Michael Katz, NJ Rona and Ira Kellman, NY Rochelle Stern Kevelson, NY Diane and Barry Kirschenbaum, FL Susan Alter Klaperman and Gilbert Klaperman, NY Chani and Shimi Klein, NY The Klibanoff Family, NJ Jane Klitsner, Israel Laurie and Robert Koppel, NY Madeline and Ethan Kra, NJ Evelyn and Lawrence Kraut, NJ Donna and Jeffrey Lawrence, MD Diane and David Lent, NY Kari and Joshua Levine, NY Rose and Jacob Levine, z”l, CA Sylvia and Norman Levine, FL Dorothy and Robert Lewis, NY Ruth and Robert Lewis, NY Mindy and Seymour Liebman, NY Audrey and Haskel Lookstein, NY Naomi and Carl Lopkin, MA Rita Lourie-Galena, PA & NY Meira and Solomon Max, NY Manette and Louis Mayberg, MD Benay and Ira Meisels, NY Susan and Jeffrey Meyers, NY Judy and Albert Milstein, IL

Leonard E. Minsky, ME Myra Mitzner, NY Gloria and Burton Nusbacher, NY Lynn and Samuel Pepper, NJ Bea and Irwin, z”l, Peyser, NY Hedy and Paul Peyser, MD Suzy and Paul Peyser, NY Vicki and Jerry Platt, NY Esther and Donald Press, NY Tzippi and Ira Press, NJ Judy and Jerry Pressner, NY Bethia Straus Quintas and Paul Quintas, IL Evelyn Reichenthal, TX Shelley Rindner, NY Fritzie and Sheldon, z”l, Robinson, IL Kristina and Len Rosen, Israel Vivian and Solomon Rosen, FL Miriam and Howard Rosenblum, NJ Gale and Eric Rothner, IL Jennie and Avi Rothner, IL Leah and Arnold Rotter, CA Hedda Rudoff, NY Marielle and Edmund Safra, NY Tammy and Kenny Schaum, NY Jan and Sheldon Schechter, NY Iris Schneider, NY Esther and William Schulder, NJ Michelle and Dov Schwartz, NJ Esther, z”l, and Jacques Semmelman, NJ Deanne and Leonard Shapiro, Israel Sharon and Rony Shapiro, MA Chana and Daniel Shields, NJ Mollie Siegel, NJ Sharon and Morris Silver, CA Lorraine and Mordy Sohn, NY Sara and Gabriel Solomon, MD Mahla and Hilton Soniker, NY Nancy and Benjamin Sporn, NY Francine and Aaron Stein, NJ Claire Subar, Israel Nechama and Howard Taber, NY Lilly Tempelsman, NY Deena and Jonathan Thurm, NJ Sandra and Max Thurm, NY Bertie and Fred Tryfus, NY Vicky and Michael Turek, NY Amy and Jeffrey Verschleiser, NY Audrey and Max Wagner, NY Paula and Leslie Walter, NY Anne and Mark Wasserman, NY Marion and William Weiss, NJ Roselyn and Walter, z”l, Weitzner, NY Linda and Stanley Weissbrot, IL Linda and Steven Weissman, NY Joyce and Jeremy Wertheimer, MA Booky and Jerome Wildes, NY Phyllis Wind, NY Florence Wolf, NY Stella and Samy Ymar, MD Hilde and Benjamin, z”l, Zauderer, NY Esther and Dov Zeidman, NY Gloria Zeisel, IL Tamar and Benjamin Zeltser, NY

*As of December 17, 2015

Anonymous, Israel Anonymous, NY Trudy and Ted, z”l, Abramson, FL Nicole Schreiber Agus and Raanan Agus, NY Max & Anna Baran, Ben & Sarah Baran and Milton Baran, z”l Zelda and Solomon Berger, NY Daisy Berman, NY Anne Bernstein, CA Ethlynne and Stephen Brickman, MA Lotte and Ludwig Bravmann, NY Marion Crespi, NY Jone and Allen Dalezman, MA Selma and Jacob Dyckman, NY Gail and Martin Elsant, NY Trudy and Sol Englander, NY Ruth and Gene Fax, MA Lilly and Alfred Friedman, NY Harwit Charitable Trust, CA Norma and Emanuel Holzer, NY Suzanne and Norman Javitt, NY Ilana and Mitchell Kahn, NY Ruth and Hillel Kellerman, CA The Kolatch Family Foundation, NJ Rochelle and Seymour, z”l, Kraut, NJ Ruth and Daniel Krasner, NY Aliza and Steven Major, NY Zipporah and Arnold Marans, NY Etella and Haim Marcovici, NY Joan, z”l, and Leon Meyers, NY The Dorothy Phillips Michaud Charitable Trust, CA Elana and Shami Minkove, NY Marilyn and Leon Moed, NY Nataly and Steve Neuwirth, NY Regina Peterseil, NY Lauren and Mitchell Presser, NY Jerald Ptashkin, CA Barbara and Joel, z”l, Rascoff, NY Joyce and Stanley Raskas, NY Shirley and Milton Sabin, FL Rita and Eugene Schwalb, FL Debbie and Daniel Schwartz, NY Judy and Isaac Sherman, NY Deena and Adam Shiff, NY Ronnie and William Slochowsky, NY Marilyn and Herbert, z”l, Smilowitz, NJ Sondra and Myron Sokal, NY Audrey and Chaim Trachtman, NY Ina and David Tropper, NY Judy and Morry Weiss Sapirstein-Stone-Weiss Foundation, OH

Robert Zeldin, France Helene and Gerald Zisholtz, NY

president’s circle of honor

$18,000 - $24,999

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DVAR TORAH

waves of struggle and blessing

T

here is no doubt that a promise from God will be fulfilled. His blessings come to fruition at the right time, no earlier and no later. Often in the Torah we read of a promise that Hashem makes either to an individual or a nation; usually, a significant amount of time elapses before His blessing is materialized. This lack of immediacy implies that there must be a catalyst that triggers the manifestation of a blessing besides God’s promise that it will happen—the timing must be dependent on another factor.

A look at the journey of the Jewish nation, from its birth with Abraham to the instituition of a monarchy in Jerusalem, shows that the distinguishing factor seems to be whether the recipient of the blessing has earned the

right to see the promise come to life. It appears from the texts and our history that the seeds of blessing begin to bud after a time of struggle and uncertainty.

In parashat Vayishlach, Ya’akov grapples with an angel who blesses him with the words “Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come forth from you.” (35:11) Ya’akov’s blessing is for the success of his family, yet the ensuing years render nothing but suffering with regard to his children. His only daughter is kidnapped and raped, two of his sons endanger their family by fighting a whole city, and his favorite son is thought to be dead for 22 years. At the end of his life, Ya’akov comes to Egypt where he sees his children, the fruit

22 :: Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE

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By Rabbi Avinoam Durani

Yet even when they enter the land, they must endure a 400year period of judgment before a Jewish monarchy can be established. God promised Abraham that “kings will emerge from your progeny” (Bereshit 35:11); yet the space between the promise and its manifestation is filled with uncertainty as the people of Israel are led by temporary judges even after laying down firm roots in the land. Again, their faith is tested through hardship until the monarchy is established and the promise is made a reality.

Even now, we await the fulfilment of a promise from God that the final redemption will come and Hashem “will give peace in the land” (Vayikra 26:6); and we endure yet another gap between the promise and its manifestation, which is almost by necessity filled with sorrow and uncertainty. We await anxiously the foretold blessings through varying degrees of suffering.

The thirty-day mourning period for Ezra Schwartz z”l recently ended. Ezra was an 18- year old recent graduate of Maimonides school in Boston who was tragically murdered in a terrorist attack while taking a year in Israel to study Torah. There are no words to describe the sorrow of hundreds of teenagers in mourning at Maimonides, and the tears of Ezra’s former classmates, many of whom had grown up with him and were spending their own gap year in Israel. Unfortunately, his story is not uncommon, and too often the faces of such innocent victims appear in the news. Each such tragedy is a blow to Am Yisrael, and we mourn as a family the loss of one of our own. We pray with renewed fervor for the promised peace and are often discouraged by its delay.

It is truly impossible to take comfort in the idea that there must be suffering before the blessing materializes. The tribulations of our biblical ancestors does not assuage our pain.

Rather, we must cling to the assurance from the lessons of our Torah that the trials we face do not mean that the promise will be unfulfilled. For Ya’akov and his family, the fledgling nation on their way to Israel, and the leaderless inhabitants of the land, the blessing eventually appeared. We, too, have an assurance that the time of peace will come.

of his lifelong labor, united behind Yoseph and succeeding in all they do. The blessing is finally fulfilled and is made even sweeter by his previous suffering.

In the parshiot of Shemot, the concept is demonstrated on a national level, not just a personal one. After 210 years of slavery at the hands of Pharaoh, the Jews leave Egypt, only to wander 40 years in the desert. The suffering of the fledgling nation bridges the promise God gave to Abraham saying, “I will give your offspring this land” (Bereshit 12:7) and their entry into the promised land. In the intervening time, they prove their faith in God, accept his Torah, and subject themselves entirely to his control.

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A world where there is a gap between a promise and its display demands patience. The patience called for is not inactivity and idleness. Rather, it is steeped in action, industry, and vigor. It takes into account the complexity of Hashem’s world and works towards easing the knots, one improvement at a time. While the unknown prerequisites to the fulfillment of the blessing unfold, we acknowledge that we remain on the path to redemption and must stride ahead with confidence that it will arrive in its due time. God willing we will merit to see it soon. < Rabbi Avinoam Durani is the Rabbi of The Sephardic Congregation of Newton-Beit Sasson and is a teacher at Maimonides School in Boston. He and his wife Chaya live in Newton and are proud parents of three sons and one married daughter.

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By Cheryl Shaanan and Robert E. Sutton

AMIT HIGHLIGHTS AND SUCCESSES Because of your generous donations, more than 32,000 students are being educated and nurtured within a framework of academic excellence, traditional Jewish values and Zionist ideals. Here are a few ways your gifts made a difference.

AMIT EVELYN SCHREIBER STUDENTS LEND A HAND TO SHMITAH-OBSERVING FARMER

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PHOTO: BENYAMIN NACHSHON

Students at AMIT Evelyn Schreiber Ulpana in Tzfat recently took advantage of the last days of shmitah to help pick plums in the orchard of a local shmitah-observing farmer.

Traditionally during the shmitah year, farmers in Israel suspend cultivation of their fields.

The girls, who worked enthusiastically, harvested and packed about half a ton of plums, which were then distributed to hundreds of families in Tzfat. Deborah, an ulpana student who made aliyah from India six months ago, said that she believes it is a tremendous privilege to be in the Land of Israel; she feels holiness in the air and even in the food. Rabbi Yehuda Peles, head of the AMIT Evelyn Schreiber Ulpana, said that the noble act of the farmer inspired his students to give generously of their time and effort to fulfill the mitzvah of shmitah. ď&#x20AC;ź

12/27/15 4:39 PM

REMEMBERING LT. HADAR GOLDIN, Z”L The one-year yahrzeit of Lt. Hadar Goldin, HY”D was held at AMIT Gwen Straus Science and Technology High School, Kfar Batya, Ra’anana. The ceremony began with a prayer said by Hadar Goldin’s former AMIT Gwen Straus classmates, calling for a return of the remains of Hadar’s and Oron Shaul’s bodies for burial in Israel. In his remarks, Simha Goldin, Hadar’s father, said that the IDF is the people’s army. “Every soldier understands that his mission is to protect his country and fight on its behalf. The army’s power derives from the people, and the soldier is the emissary of the people. This is the profound meaning of the people’s army,” said Goldin. “We will not be deterred by the enemy. We are committed to bringing back Hadar and Oron Shaul to be buried in Israel.”

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon attended the ceremony and spoke Defense Minister Ya’alon speaking at the at length of Hadar’s legacy of courage: “Hadar Goldin reflects memorial ceremony.

Jewish heroism, not momentary heroism but rather heroism as a way of life. This moment encapsulates military heroism, which is not a heroism of force but rather bravery of the heart and strength of spirit. Is it possible to instill heroism? I believe so. It starts in the home where responsibility is taught, at schools that instill Torah, Zionism and excellence in education as exemplified by the AMIT network of schools.” 

PHOTO: BENYAMIN NACHSHON

AMIT GWEN STRAUS STUDENTS SHOW SOLIDARITY A day after twin terror attacks took place in Ra’anana, 300 AMIT Gwen Straus Science and Technology High School students gathered near the location of the violence to sing, dance and show their solidarity with fellow citizens who experienced the traumatic events this week. Students waved flags, danced and sang Am Yisrael Chai. Mayor of Ra’anana, Zev Bielski, and his deputy, Arie Goldman, joined students and praised them for their initiative.

The students reached out to merchants and passers-by and offered their support. Drivers going by responded positively by honking in encouragement. Nitai Auerbach, a high school senior and organizer of the event: “We have come not to demonstrate or to protest against anyone, but only to offer support, bolster morale and lift people’s spirits.” Rabbi Eran Strauss, principal of AMIT Gwen Straus, said that his students walk by the site of the terror attack every day on their way to school, and they did not want to feel overwhelmed and terrorized in the streets of their own city. Instead, they found a way to dispel their fears and help others. 

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12/28/15 7:14 PM

UNITED IN MEMORY OF YITZHAK RABIN, Z”L Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Day is marked on the 12th of Cheshvan, the Hebrew date of the assassination.

This is a national day of remembrance and mourning marked by all state institutions. On this day, Israel commemorates the life and legacy of Yitzhak Rabin and promotes protection of democratic values. In Ra’anana, a joint memorial ceremony was conducted by students of AMIT Renanim Junior and Senior High School, a religious school, and Metro West High School, a neighboring secular school. Ra’anana Mayor Ze’ev Bielski and the principals of both schools spoke at the ceremony. This shared ceremony has become a tradition over the years, and promotes dialogue and learning from each other.

The theme of the ceremony, held at Metro West High School, was “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” and Metro West and AMIT Renanim students shared readings and poetry related to tolerance and Zionism. Ofra Pe’er, the principal of AMIT Renanim, explained that the goal is to create common ground in order to bridge the gaps between students in different schools, emphasize commonalities and internalize the lessons of the murder: that we must struggle against violence and pursue tolerance. 

BAGRUT SUCCESS TRANSFORMATION AT AMIT ASHDOD YUD In 2011, 58% of students successfully matriculated (earned full Bagrut) at the AMIT Mekif Yud Ashdod Religious High School, while at other high schools in the city between 77% and 100% of students successfully matriculated.

In 2012, the AMIT Network began managing the high school, in order to help the school make a fresh start after more than a few upheavals. From the outset, the AMIT Network declared that its main goal was to raise achievement at the school.

Three years later, the principal has informed the city’s education system of his students’ accomplishment: 80% success on the 2015 summer Bagrut exams.

In a letter sent by the AMIT Yud principal Ido Aharonovitz to the education administrations in the municipality and the Network, he writes: “I am very pleased to announce that Bagrut success of AMIT Yud Ashdod, after summer examinations, is 80%. We have met the goal we set last year, after intensive work and enormous investment in students. 

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ONE HUNDRED PERCENT BRAIN POWER AT ULPANAT AMIT ANNA TEICH ULPANAT HAIFA

TWO AMIT ALUMNAE CHOSEN FOR NATIONAL ART EXHIBIT

The paintings of two alumnae from AMIT Wasserman Torah, Arts and Sciences Junior and Senior High School for Girls in Ma’ale Adumim were shown at an exhibition at University of Haifa’s Museum of Fine The Ulpanat AMIT Anna Teich Haifa administration Arts. The exhibition showcased outstanding artwork recently received good news from the Ministry of created by young people throughout Israel for their Education: The school achieved 100% Bagrut success final Bagrut art projects in high school. Marito Tasra, in the 2014-2015 school year, meaning that 100% of whose paintings depict her good friends, came to the twelfth-grade students matriculated successfully. This is grand opening in IDF uniform, straight from her army the fourth year in a row that Ulpanat Haifa has achieved base. Marito’s former classmate, Mandera Elmehu, who this exceptional feat! created paintings that depict her native Israeli-born Over the past decade, the school has been improving niece, will soon be serving in National Service. its academic level and test scores while maintaining a Mandera entitled her art project Hope. “This is my first heterogeneous student body. Rabbi Yaron Ben-Haim, niece born in Israel,” said Mandera, “and I feel there is principal of the all-girls school, explained that the a difference between someone who was born in Israel students’ success is the result of devoted teachers and those who immigrated to Israel. I accentuated who help each student, strong or struggling, reach her her eyes in my painting to show her joy of her looking potential. Principal Ben-Haim stressed that the school ahead to the future. I think her future will be better is not just committed to academic success but also to because she was born in Israel and speaks Hebrew instilling Jewish values, and the love of the People of from birth.” Marito’s paintings reflect the important Israel, the Land of Israel and the Torah of Israel.  roles her friends play. “They are an inseparable part of my daily life; they are like my sisters,” Marito said. 

VETERINARY MEDICINE STUDIES AT AMIT YUD ASHDOD Thanks to a unique collaboration between the Hebrew University Department of Veterinary Medicine and the Ashdod Municipal Department of Education, thirtytwo AMIT Yud Ashdod seventh-grade students have the opportunity to engage in a hands-on course in veterinary medicine for young people. The course is held once a week at the School of Agriculture in Rehovot, which is part of the Hebrew University. The course is taught by university students from the department and offers students an experiential way to learn about animals and veterinary medicine.

This exposure also gives students a rare glimpse inside a college campus, opens a window to the world of science, and arouses students’ curiosity about professions in the sciences. One student participating in the program said, “I understand that there is an entire world of scientific research and academia intended to create a better world.

In this case, we are learning about veterinary medicine, but by wandering around the university campus I have come to understand what university is, and I definitely want to attend when I am older.”

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FEATURE

Lester Sutker

The Mr. and Mrs. Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in School for Boys: Creating an AMIT Legacy

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ver sixty years ago, Lester Sutker was introduced to AMIT, back then known as Mizrachi Women of America. Lester’s love for education, Torah and Israel was instilled by his mother’s involvement with the Chicago chapter of MWOA. In 1961, Lester traveled to Israel and visited a number of AMIT schools.

“Walking through the schools, seeing the children learning, laughing in a beautiful setting, it made such an impression on me.”

general of the AMIT network; Itamar Haikin, principal of The Mr. and Mrs Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in School for Boys; and the mayor of Modi’in, Chaim Bibas.

This past year, Lester and Ethel Sutker decided that a satisfying way to demonstrate their devotion to AMIT would be through a significant donation. This led to their decision to confer a gift of $1 million for the AMIT Boys High School in Modi’in. AMIT has expressed its profound gratitude by naming the school The Mr. and Mrs Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in School for Boys

The Sutkers understand AMIT’s importance to the children of Israel. With this donation, they wanted to create a legacy of commitment to Israel and AMIT that their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and future generations of Sutkers will remember and cherish.

In September, the Sutkers traveled to Israel to participate in the community-wide celebration of the dedication. On hand were family, friends and students along with Amnon Eldar, director

“Today is an inspiring day at this school,” Lester Sutker said during his remarks to the audience. “Seeing these students and witnessing first-hand their wonderful enthusiasm, the quality of the education and the dedication of the teachers and the principal, Itamar Haikin, brought home, in a personal way, the significance of the work of AMIT.”

The School Band performing at the dedication.

Celebrating

Lester Sutker with Itamar Haikin The Sutker family

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Mayor Chaim Bibas Mr. and Mrs. Sutker and Dr. Amnon Eldar

Lester Sutker

Lester Sutker was born and raised in Chicago and attended Crane High

School and Hebrew Theological College. He graduated from Northwestern

University in Evanston where he swam on the school’s Big Ten swim team.

During WWII, Les was an officer in the United States Merchant Marine. He

has owned Morse Dental and Optical Labs for many years. Les is founder of Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School, and has also been active in Religious Zionists of Chicago, Hebrew Theological College, Congregation

Ezras Israel, Congregation Beth Yitzchak, Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago, and the Michiana Synagogue. He currently attends Congregation Kol Chassidim. Les has two sons, Ira and Burt, and a daughter, Nena.

Ethel Kolom Sutker Principal Itamar Haikin presenting the dedication plaque to Lester and Ethel Sutker

Ethel Kolom Sutker was born in Chicago and raised in Houston, Texas.

She reared her family on the south side of Chicago where she was also

a registered nurse at Mt. Sinai Hospital. She has four daughters in Israel: Debra, Karen, Frances, and Adina, and one son, Louis, in Lincolnwood.

Les and Ethel have been married for 18 years. Together, they have eight children, 44 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren!

AMIT Sutker Modi’in Robotics Team Meet Prime Minister Netanyahu

PHOTO:: AMOS BEN GERSHOM

L

ast summer the Mr. and Mrs. Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in School for Boys Robotics team won second place in the International FLL Robotics Competition for junior high school students which was held in South Africa. In December, the team, along with Modi’in Mayor Chaim Bibas, AMIT principal Rabbi Itamar Haikin, and the team’s robotics coaches met with Prime Minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the AMIT Sutker Modi’in Robotics Team Benjamin Netanyahu.

During the meeting, the prime minister was interested in hearing about the robotics project and asked students what they had gained from the experience. The Prime Minister congratulated the AMIT students who, he said, brought honor to the State of Israel and are a great source of pride for the entire county. “You are the future of Israel,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu. 

Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 29

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS

(l-r) Jacob M. Safra, Naftali Bennett, Shari Safra

amit amabassador’s club

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MIT proudly launched its Ambassador’s Club on Wednesday, December 2, with a cocktail reception at the home of Suzanne and Jacob Doft on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Ambassador’s Club is an elite assemblage of leaders who contribute $50,000 or more to the AMIT annual campaign. This esteemed group will join together over the course of the year for exclusive events focused on Israel issues.

The evening’s highlight for this inaugural event was the featured speaker, Minister of Education Naftali Bennett. Minister Bennett gave an “insider’s update” on the state of education and security and also talked with pride about Israel’s economic success. Minister Bennett expressed his admiration for AMIT’s leading role in education and said that AMIT is lifting the bar for the entire educational system in Israel. He said that he is looking at a way to “AMITize” the rest of the educational system because AMIT is always at the forefront of the next best thing. 

(l-r) Jacob Doft, Naftali Bennett, Suzanne Doft

(l-r) Mark Wasserman, Naftali Bennett , Anne Wasserman

(l-r) David Isaac, Naftali Bennett, Debbie Isaac

(l-r) David Stonehill, Naftali Bennett, Robyn Price Stonehill (l-r) Jules Nordlicht, Naftali Bennett, Barbara Nordlicht

(l-r) Deena Shiff, Suzanne Doft, Jacob Doft, David Stonehill and Robyn Price Stonehill

(l-r) Debbie Moed, Naftali Bennett, Sam Moed

introducing… afli boston!

(l-r) Midreshet AMIT Alumnae Zoey Glaubach, Emily Levine, Melissa Goldsmith, Rachel Ashe

Yovel Krasner and Ayden SopherHarelick

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Spearheaded by four Midreshet AMIT alumnae, this past fall college students came together for AFLI’s first event in the Boston area: a spin class at Wellesley CycleBar. Following the fun, upbeat class, the spinners enjoyed an array of healthy snacks. We’re looking forward to more great AFLI events in Boston!  The AMIT Spinners

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2015 greater long island gala

(l-r) Rachel Hersko, Rebecca Fries, Rachel Fries, Danielle Fries, Sarah Mendlowitz, Jessica Lampert

T

he 2015 Greater Long Island Gala took place on Tuesday evening, October 27, at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst, New York. The event paid tribute to a distinguished group of local residents for their service to AMIT, leadership in their communities, and their dedication to the State of Israel. All proceeds benefited the AMIT network of 110 schools and programs throughout Israel.

The evening also paid to tribute to the memory of past executive director Marvin Leff, zâ&#x20AC;?l. Marvin served as executive director of AMIT for 28 years, from 1977-2005. He was a devoted teacher, mentor, rabbi, and friend, who never lost sight of the importance of Jewish communal service and AMIT.

(l-r) Naomi Rosenblum, Rebbetzin Kelemer, Dorothy Ritholtz, Stacey Nathanson

Regional honorees included Ann Cohn of Plainview, Rhonda Weiss of West Hempstead, Julie David of Long Beach, Elizabeth Fries Mendlowitz and Sarah Mendlowitz of Cedarhurst, and the Sabra Chapter Book Club of the Five Towns.

The Long Island Gala was co-chaired by Debby Gage, Merrick; Rise and Harvey Kaufmann, Woodmere; Zipporah and Rabbi Arnold Marans, Cedarhurst; Barbara and Jules Nordlicht, Long Beach; Esther and Donald Press, Long Beach; Betty Atlas Rumelt and Owen Rumelt, West Hempstead; and Sami Schindelheim, Long Beach. ď&#x20AC;ź

Esther Press and Sami Schnidelheim

Honoree Rhonda Weiss and Family Sabra Book Club

Elizabeth Fries Mendlowitz and Sarah Mendlowitz (l-r) Norma Holzer, Miriam Glaubach, Selma Dyckman, Elaine Jacobs

Rabbi Michael and Deborah Leff

Honoree Ann Cohn and Family

Honoree Julie David and Family

Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 31

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(l-r) Rose and Sam Gurfinkel, Yair Alkalai

DEVELOPMENT NEWS annual southeast gala

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week before Thanksgiving, AMIT Southeast Region held its annual Gala.

Harriet Sklar, AMIT SE Region president, began the celebration by honoring our very own Arline Reinhard. Yair Alkalai, AMIT Graduate and IDF Commander, proudly represented the children of AMIT. Yair spoke about his time at AMIT Gwen Straus High School in Ra’anana, and his current position as IDF Commander in the Givati Brigade. He credited AMIT for a wonderful education, his understanding of Jewish ethics and his development into a responsible adult and true citizen of Israel. 

(l-r) Jennifer Roffman, Arline and David Reinhard, Brian Roffman

(l-r) Ya’acov Sklar and Ronald Gottlieb

(l-r) Harriet Sklar, Yair Alkalai, Debbie Moed

sushi, sake and schmoozing with amit southeast Rachael Feuer

On October 28, AMIT Southeast Region hosted a Sushi and Stir-fry cooking class at Asia Restaurant in Boca Raton. Participants were treated to appetizers and sake while they heard the latest about AMIT. Then the fun really began. Chef Gabriel shared his sushi secrets and stir-fry recipes with a very attentive and excited hands-on class. Following the demonstrations, everyone ate sushi, imbibed sake and schmoozed and schmoozed. 

(l-r) Yvette Kaweblum, Joyce Hopkins, Aviva Hopkins

Mark and Rachael Feuer

Aviva Hopkins

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E Shira cake an

(l-r) Stuart Levine, Debbie Moed, Hyla Levine, Yair Alkalai, Marissa and Dan Katz, Lori Libow

yair alkali visits boca An intimate gathering — chaired by Hyla and Stuart Levine, Marissa and Dan Katz and Lori and Alan Harris at the home of Lori and Mark Libow — had the privilege of hearing from AMIT graduate and IDF Commander Yair Alakalai. Yair engaged the whole group in both prepared remarks and one-on-one conversation. AMIT President Debbie Moed spoke of her commitment to AMIT and growing the next generation of leadership for this wonderful and effective organization.  (l-r) Lenny Levine, Yair Alkalai, Helena Levine

(l-r) Daniel Katz, Yair Alkalai, Marissa Katz

(l-r) Marissa Katz, Serge and Natalie Abecassis

PHOTOS: JOSEPH OBER

thanksgiving l.a. style

O

n November 14, AMIT members from around Los Angeles gathered to celebrate Israel and give thanks for the Jewish homeland.

Chaired by Beverly Hills residents Abigail Goldberg and Gina Raphael, the event featured a tasting of unique Shirah Wines and delectable sushi. Raffle prizes were provided by Mickey Fine Pharmacy; and, continuing their tour of the United States, the AMIT Kfar Blatt Youth Choir performance enthralled the gathering with classic Hebrew songs and original tunes written by members of the choir. 

Susan Meyers and Evan Roklen

Enjoying boutique Shirah wine, sushi and cake and celebrating the State of Israel

Naomi and Gregg Gittler

(l-r) Joy and Michael Volk, Evan Roklen

Teachers and Students from Kfar Blatt – (l-r) Or Avitan, Tomer Gotlib, Yemikir Alemie, Nahman Binyamin, Netanel Fentahon, Sarai Kalimi and Sivan Saadwy.

(l-r) Rabbi Mentz, Gina Raphael, Abigail Goldberg

(l-r) Alan Greenstone, Ted Siegel, Shimon Weiss, Devorah Brenner

Kfar Blatt Youth Choir

Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 33

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS AMIT israel celebrates 90 magical years

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n October 28, AMIT in Israel culminated its 90th anniversary celebrations with a “Sorcerer’s Night” event in Jerusalem. The evening spectacular featured the world-renowned “Sorcerer’s Night” illusionists who perform regularly to sold-out crowds in Tel Aviv. Chaired

by Stacee and Mark Hess, the event included an enchanted cocktail reception with up-close and personal magical entertainment and a dazzling stage show, followed by dessert.

(l-r) Dr. Harold and Betty Neustadter, Gala Greenspan Harvey and Renee Douglen

Bibsi Zuckerbrot and Yaffi Shmidman

(l-

F

Sondra Sokal (center) with grandson Azi and Dr. Amnon Eldar

PHOTO: SHARON ALTSHUL

Robin Kahn (center) with Adaire and Manny Klein

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(l-r) Micheline Ratzersdorfer, Sarah Smith, Reva and Mark Friedman

Debbie Moed and Dr. Amnon Eldar

Stacee Hess (center) with her sons and daughters-in-law

(l-r) Rabbi Michael and Chai Shmidman, Yoseph and Yaffi Shmidman, Leonard and Deanne Shapiro

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Lester and Ethel Sutker

chicago annual dinner

O

n Tuesday, November 11, 2015, AMIT Chicago hosted its annual gala chaired by Debbi Geller, Shelly Kroll, and Miriam Kolom. AMIT paid tribute to Lester and Ethel Sutker and announced the dedication of the Mr. and Mrs. Lester Sutker AMIT Modi’in High School for Boys. Also honored, was Melissa Shabat who was presented with the NewGen award.

(top row) Yair Alkali, Melissa and DJ Shabat (seated) Ethel and Lester Sutker

The guests had the honor of hearing AMIT graduate and IDF Commander, Yair Alkali speak about his education and current activity in the IDF. 

Yair Alkali addressing the guests.

Sutker family

(l-r) Miriam Kolom, Shelly Kroll, Yair, Debbi Geller, Sandra Berg, Beth Alter (seated) Lester, and Ethel Sutker

(l-r) Debbi Geller, Yair Alkali, Fritzie Robinson

The Winning Team: Olive & Tuesday

(right) Melissa Shabat receiving NewGen Award from Beth Alter

fifth annual afli bowl

A little rain couldn’t stop the fifth Annual AFLI Bowl! This October, nearly 150 college students gathered at Chelsea Park for the popular flag football tournament. AFLI members’ hard work, together with event sponsorships from Successories, ParaDocs and Coffee Bean, guaranteed another fun and successful tournament. 

LWA Allstars

(l-r) Emily Levine, Brooke Levine, Mollie Zanger, Rebecca Jedwab

ar

The 48ers vs. Travelers Choice

Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 35

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Jeff and Sarah Rosner (l-r) Linda Segman, Amy Erlbaum, Sara Bleier

philadelphia council/ shira chapter annual gala

T

his past November, AMIT Philadelphia Council/Shira Chapter gathered for an Evening of Inspiration honoring Naomi and Ira Sved and Young Leadership Honorees, Yedida Goldman and Nadav Schwartz. Naomi Sved spoke passionately about her visit to Beit Hayeled this past summer and how she was moved by the compassion and dedication of the staff and the impact their love and devotion have on the children.

Yedida Goldman described her gap year experience in Israel and how the connections she made at Beit Hayeled helped form her lifelong commitment to AMIT. The evening concluded with the exciting announcement of a $50,000 matching grant toward the chapter’s original pledge to dedicate a children’s bedroom and living room for the Beit Hayeled Renovation Campaign. 

(l-r) Joan Betesh, Debbie Moed, Andrew Goldsmith

(l-r) Nadav Schwartz, Ma’ayan Schwartz, Yedida Goldman

Linda Segman and Amy Erlbaum

(l-r) Mati Sved, Jenny Sved, Annabelle Sved, Jordan Sved, Naomi Sved, Ira Sved, Betty Sved, Amber Schwarz, Joey Schwarz, Aryeh Stiefel

honoring the memory of sonia greenspon, z”l

T

his past fall, AMIT Sarah Ribakow/Tikvah Chapter gathered to honor the memory of Sonia Greenspon, z”l.

Many of Sonia’s family and friends came to pay their respects and to celebrate Sonia’s life as a community leader and wonderful mother and grandmother. Ellen Singer spoke movingly about her mother’s dedication to the Jewish people and the State of Israel. Rosalyn Cohen presented—remotely from Ra’anana—a slideshow depicting Sonia’s life. Yonah Singer shared anecdotes and fond memories of his grandmother, and Saul Singer, Sonia’s son-in-law, gave us a timely keynote address about preserving our Jewish history. 

Yonah Singer

Ellen Singer

Front Row: Saul Singer and Ellen Singer, Ruth Leibowitz , Middle Row: Francoise Engel, Isabel Levinson, Sandy Willner, Gail Gerstman, Adele Taube, Cheryl Mitnick, Back Row: William Benjamin and Miriam Benjamin, Marci Langbaum, Yonah Singer, Nurite Notarius-Rosen, Sidney Rankin

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Eth

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sharing their immigrant experience

A

MIT Birah Chapter of Greater Washington, D.C. gathered together at the home of Rachel Pinchot for their annual Membership Event, Roots: Immigrant Experiences of Our Neighbors and Our Children in Israel.

Denise Behar spoke passionately about her life in Chile and her embrace of religious Judaism. In moving detail, Esther Goldfeiz told about her journey from Turkey. Esther Kaplan shared experiences of anti-Semitism in Moldova and the search for religious freedom in America. Rita Shukur shared about life in Iraq, and Laila Soltz presented slides to illustrate her experience in Syria. The crowd enjoyed delicious homemade delicacies from each of the speakers’ countries of origin. 

Esther Goldfeiz and Rita Shukur

Esther Kaplan and Miriam Friedman

Cory Aghion

Lizette Young and Laila Soltz (l-r) Solomon Barayev, Odeya Durani Barayev, Nevo Durani, Chaya Durani, Rabbi Avinoam Durani, Uriya Durani

(l-r) Sharona Nahoumi, Chaya Durani, Sarah Aghion, Ethlynne Brickman

honoring rabbi avinoam and chaya durani

AMIT New England Council/Ra’anana Chapter paid tribute to Rabbi Avinoam and Chaya Durani. Friends and family listened attentively as IDF Commander Yair Alkali talked about his time as a student at AMIT Gwen Straus Junior and Senior High School. Then Yair, with visible emotion, recounted his experience attempting to rescue his friend, Hadar Goldin, z”l, during Operation Protective Edge. Rabbi Durani closed the evening with an eloquent and powerful speech about the importance and necessity of AMIT to the future of Am Yisrael.  (l-r) Yair Alkali, Rabbi Avinoam Durani, Chaya Durani

(l-r) Naomi Lopkin, Ethlynne Brickman, Laura Eisenberg, Renee Bellin, Cheryl Sisel, Sarah Okon, Francine Godfrey

r

(l-r) Sam Moed, Yair Alkali, Debbie Moed, Ethlynne Brickman

(l-r) Simon Levy, Ralph Philosophe, Avi Hoffman, Joe Naggar, Rabbi Avinoam Durani, Abe Golshirazian, Benny Shamash, Micha Avramovich, Yair Alkali, Ashky Hedvat, David Nahoumi

(l-r) Sylvia Tuchman, Sarah Okon, Sarah Aghion, Naomi Lopkin, Debbie Moed, Ethlynne Brickman, Yair Alkali, Beverly Bavly, Laura Eisenberg, Robbie Pearlstein, Ruthie Philosophe, Renee Bellin, Cheryl Sisel

Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE :: 37

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DEVELOPMENT NEWS

(l-r) Arlene Sweets, Norman Green, Michal Taviv-Margolese, Anthony Khavarani

kfar blatt sings in l.a.

Layla and Evan Green were the hosts at the Bocca Steakhouse where over fifty people were introduced to the workings of AMIT and, specifically, the Kfar Blatt Renovation Campaign. A special performance of the Kfar Blatt Youth Choir was the highlight of the evening. Layla and Evan spoke passionately and inspired everyone in the room to contribute to the campaign. Members of the choir spoke of the warm embrace they received at Kfar Blatt and the many opportunities for self-expression, learning and self-improvement that they gained at the Kfar. They also praised the AMIT teachers and surrogate parents for being such wonderful models of what a family dynamic should be.ď&#x20AC;ź The Kfar Blatt Youth Choir

PHOTOS: JOSEPH OBER PHOTOGRAPHY

Hosts Layla and Evan Green with the Kfar Blatt Youth Choir

Lauren Green, Paula Ross, Itay Turgeman, Bart Buchalter, Dr. Gary Alter Evan Green, Doug Williams, Ellen and Gary Brennglass

Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1. Title of publication: AMIT Magazine. 2. Publication No. 594020. 3. Date of Filing: 10-1-2015. 4. Frequency of issue: Quarterly-Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. 5. No. of issues published annually: 4. 6. Annual subscription price: $1.50 included in annual membership dues. 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-4761. 8. Complete mailing address of the headquarters or general business offices or publisher: 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-4761. 9. Full names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor and managing editor: Publisher: AMIT, 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-4761. Managing Editor: Robert E. Sutton, 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-4761. 10. Owner: AMIT, 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-4761. 11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities: None. 12. The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for Federal income tax purposes, has not changed during the preceding 12 months. 13. Publication title: AMIT Magazine. 14. Issue date for circulation data below: Fall 2015. 15.

Extent and nature of circulation: in each set of figures below, the first refers to average no. of copies of each issue during preceding 12 months, and the second refers to actual no. of copies of the single issue published nearest to filing date: a. Total no. of copies: 50,250; 50,873. b. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside mail): (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 50,250; 50,873. (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions: None; None. (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: None; None. (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: None; None. c. Total Paid Distribution: 50,250; 50,873. d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: (1)Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 1,500; 1,500. (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: None; None. (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: none; none (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means): 500; 500. e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 2,000; 2,000 f. Total Distribution: 50,250; 50,873 g. Copies Not Distributed: None; None. h. Total: 50,250; 50,873. i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: 94.8%; 94.8%. 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Required: winter 2016. 17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Robert E. Sutton, Managing Editor.

38 :: Winter 2016 :: AMIT MAGAZINE

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spanning AMIT world Annual Harvest Luncheon In spite of the daily stabbing attacks in Jerusalem that kept many fearful residents at home, Chug Ayelet members showed up in record numbers to honor three AMIT nonagenarians—Shoshana Dolgin-Be’er, Nan Farkas and Ada Hausman—at the Annual Harvest Luncheon held in Jerusalem. Annette Jotkowitz, Marsha Witkin and Marcia Gardner chaired the event. 

Bess Krivitsky Celebrates 100 Years On a lovely September afternoon, members of the AMIT Sarah Ribakow/Tikvah Chapter gathered to celebrate the 100th birthday of their beloved Honorary President, Bess Krivitsky, with a beautiful presentation, Capturing Those Special Memories. Fond recollections and photos were shared about the history and relationships that have grown through the years with AMIT. 

Everyone Loves a Parade On June 5, AMIT marched in the Annual Celebrate Israel Parade. Tens of thousands of onlookers lined Fifth Avenue to support the State of Israel.

Flags waved high, singers and dancers performed with enthusiasm, and pride filled the streets of Manhattan on this rainy day. AMIT professional staff and volunteers handed out T-shirts, canvas bags, and magnets toward outstretched arms. 

The Art of Midreshet AMIT This past September, the AMIT conference room was abuzz as Midreshet AMIT Alumnae from the last three years came together for a mini-reunion. The girls had a great time as they ate sushi and created works of art while being guided, step by step, by Nikki Fuchs Sausen of PAINT WITH ME! 

Yair’s Visit to New England Shaloh School in Brighton, MA was privileged to be the first to welcome AMIT graduate and IDF Commander Yair Alkali to New England. Rabbi Dan Rodkin welcomed Yair on behalf of his students.

The class and Yair had a lively exchange of ideas on a wide range of topics and concluded their memorable experience by sharing a delicious Israeli lunch together. 

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