Inside AMIT Fall 2020

September 2020 : Tishrei 5781

New Leadership Program Empowers Women (cover photo) AMIT Alumnus Receives Wolf Prize in Physics Educating 24/7 Therapy Programs Fill the Gap

Certainty

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

BY AUDREY AXELROD TRACHTMAN

S

tory: there was a simple boy who did not know how to pray. Still, wanting to connect to God, he entered a synagogue.

He heard the people’s prayers but having no way to join them in their tefillot, he took out a whistle and began to blow it with increasing intensity. The Baal Shem Tov, the renowned Hasidic master, heard a group of people muttering about the boy’s behavior. He turned to them and said, “Stop criticizing him.

This boy has opened the gates of heaven with the sincerity and purity of his heart.”

Prayer: Unetaneh Tokef (Let us offer an accounting) is arguably the most famous and central piyut (religious poem) that we recite during the mussaf service on Rosh Hashanah. It begins by noting the cosmic importance of the day with God judging all creatures and assigning each one a fate for the coming year. The decision is based on an accounting of each person’s actions, good and bad. A list of calamities (death by fire, famine plague, harassment and sorrows of all sorts) as well as favorable outcomes (good fortune, tranquility, well-being, births) are followed by the ultimate line, “A return to God/repentance, prayer, and charity/good works can deflect the harshness of the decree.”

In certain ways, the story and the poem are very different. The Hasidic tale stresses God’s active listening to even the least knowledgeable among us so long as we approach it with a pure heart. Even small actions, if done with sincerity, can move heaven. The piyut, on the other hand, stresses the concept of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as a period of reckoning and judgement.

Although God is willing to change the severity of a decision based on an individual performing the Rabbinically mandated acts of repentance, prayer and charity, there is a minimum bar that everyone must clear.

And yet, there is something very much alike in the two tellings. Both speak of the desire for closeness to God and the individual initiative that it requires. What I think they both intrinsically appeal to is the innate power of each of us to make ourselves into better people, people both connected to our authentic selves, and reaching out to one another.

At AMIT, we have an amazing privilege and opportunity to guide and support 37,000 young people on this journey. Our values education helps each student see themself as a unique and valuable member of Israeli and Jewish society. We aim to identify the strengths of each student and enable them to flourish using their God-given talents. But we keep pushing the bar higher. The academic excellence that we encourage, and the 21st-century skills that we teach empower the students to find the means to express their full humanity, and potential through varied outlets, whether physics, film, or Jewish text.

This has been a difficult year for our students, teachers, principals and you, our supporters. Unfortunately, even as we enter a new school year and the Jewish year 5781, doubts and uncertainty surround us. But we at AMIT have been able to stay true to our mission, and continue to combine sincere belief in every child that we educate while pushing them to achieve their highest goals. The pandemic and ensuing collateral damage, have made our work that much more difficult, but that much more important.

My wish for each of you is that you have the resilience and flexibility to cope with adversity, the wisdom to know the difference between what is hard and what is simply annoying, and the heart to continue to strive to make the world a better place.

Thank you for all you do for AMIT and Shana Tovah U’metukah!

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President Audrey Axelrod Trachtman

Director General Dr. Amnon Eldar

Executive Vice President Andrew Goldsmith

Vice President, Marketing & Communications Daniela Gontownik

Director of Marketing & Communications Shelley Labiner Designer Michael Shirey

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, Jewish values and Zionist ideals. AMIT is an acronym for “Irgun Mitnadvot L’Ma’an Yisrael V’Torata” (organization of volunteers for Israel and her Torah). Visit us online at www.amitchildren.org AMIT Magazine (ISSN 1085-2891) is published biannually, fall and spring, by AMIT. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices.

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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: AMIT 49 West 37th St., New York, NY 10018

TABLE OF CONTENTS 03

President’s Message

06

Executive VP’s Impressions

08

Educators 24/7

11

A Passion for Physics

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“My Light”

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It Does Compute

20 A MIT Therapy Programs Are Filling a Gap

25

Soaring to New Heights

28

International Women

32

Art Competition Inspires & Delights

33

Dvar Torah: The Secret of Selichot

35

AMIT Highlights & Successes

39 Children. Education.

Jewish Values. Seattle.

41

Development news

Signed articles do not necessarily represent the opinion of the organization. Reproduction of any material requires permission and attribution.

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AMIT ISRAEL Petach Tikvah Office Tel: +972-3-912-3171 info@amit.org.il

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Los Angeles Tel: 310.859.4885 AMITLA@amitchildren.org

Tel: 212.477.4725 RobinR@amitchildren.org www.amitchildren.org.uk

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IMPRESSIONS

BY ANDREW GOLDSMITH

R

osh Hashanah is filled with prayers and symbols whose theme is the ushering in of a new blessed year. According to the Sephardic tradition, the Arvit (evening) prayers on this most holy night open with a beautiful liturgical poem—Ahot Ketanah. Somewhat strangely, each stanza of the Ahot Ketanah poem concludes by saying “Tikhleh Shanah V’Kileloteha—may this year and all of its curses come to an end.”

At the time of this writing there’s still not much light at the end of the COVID tunnel.

A second wave (or still the first?) is pummeling most of the United States and Israel, and the future is terribly uncertain. Adding to the genuine risk of disease we’ve added political instability, civil unrest, and seemingly impotent leadership all overlaid with tremendous anxiety for what’s next.

The AMIT family has lost great friends—either life partners to our most devoted supporters or devoted leaders themselves. Most COVID losses can be replaced—these won’t be, and our hearts ache. But even in this world mess, there’s also opportunity to be realized for kindness to others and for growth.

In the summer of 2014 David Moed, along with thousands of IDF soldiers, crossed into Gaza during Operation Protective Edge for what was known as the “summer war.” I did feel for Debbie and Sam Moed (his parents) rightly sick with worry. At the time, I thought as a parent I would empathize with them. Truth be told my feelings didn’t come close to the emotional blow felt when, at the outset of the COVID crisis, two of my medical professional daughters (a doctor and a nurse at NY hospitals) sent pictures of

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themselves outfitted in full protective gear as they cared for the sickest of the stricken. There was an intersection of terror and great pride that we as parents lived with for two months, and while I’d prefer to never visit there again, I do now understand how an Israeli parent feels when their child serves in the IDF—a lesson that will make me a better friend to those who have children and grandchildren who do serve and a better Zionist, as I more fully appreciate the emotional price Israel demands.

But the challenge is much more than personal. AMIT stood up bravely meeting the crisis squarely—”no child left behind” became our war cry as we threw out the plan (and the rule book) to ensure that lofty slogan was reality.

We did so by prioritizing the holistic health of the student over all else. Heroes emerged on both sides of the ocean as staff endangered themselves to be with our most at-risk students. Others, knowing full well that a few hours spent with a child in severe crisis would result in a two-week quarantine over Passover away from their family, did so without hesitation. AMIT leaders stepped up, providing the financial wherewithal to ensure when our staff entered homes, they didn’t do so empty-handed as unemployment (and the pain associated with it) impacted Israel.

We are all closer to Israel than we’ve ever been, despite the travel ban now viscerally connected through the forge of shared experience. Their bidud (quarantine) is ours and ours is theirs—the fear and isolation is shared along with all the angst of day to day turned upside down. We could always be empathetic to rocket fire in the south, terror alerts in the north and the Iranian threat, but for right now, we know exactly how they feel.

And our pride in Israel swelled when her first priority was and remains reopening schools.

Education is a national value and, while common sense dictates, it is also a precursor to economic recovery. Other countries, including the United States prioritize far less worthy wants.

duck and cling to the board until the wave passes over our head.

Keep in mind that after all the curses of this year, the finale of the poem is “Tahel Shanah U’Birkhoteha—may this year with all of its blessings now begin.”

So, what do we all do now?

Shana Tovah U’metukah.

The Talmud relates a life experience of one of the most famous of our leaders. Rabbi Akiva once explained how he survived a near-death experience.

His ship quite literally went down in a storm, and he was presumed lost. When asked how he survived he said: “A board from the ship presented itself to me and I took hold of it. And before every wave that came upon me I bowed my head and it passed over me.”

(Yevamot 121a) The waves are still coming—we can’t seem to control them no matter what we do. All we can control is how we respond. We can face the full fury of the wave head on and be knocked down violently, try to run away from it and have it catch us or, face it fully, time it just right,

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A 21st Century Model with Remarkable Results

unique combination of academics, job training, post-graduate preparation, recreational activities and life skills in a structured and coordinated environment. It is run in cooperation with a coalition of partners, including the Jerusalem Municipality and several government ministries.

BY GLORIA AVERBUCH

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barrage of misfortune for some students spurred the need for radical action. During a single week in the summer of 2017, in the AMIT Jerusalem schools in the Kiryat Menachem neighborhood, several serious incidents occurred, including a student sent to jail for a year-and-a-half.

In response, “Educators 24/7” was born, “a complete education model,” that began operating in September 2018. The program, which functions comprehensively and non-stop, provides a

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Educators 24/7 currently operates in four AMIT schools: · AMIT State Technological High School, Jerusalem · AMIT Nordlicht Religious Technological High School, Jerusalem · AMIT Dvir Jr. and Sr. High School, Beit Shemish · AMIT Ramle Technological High School According to Yitzhak Friedman, Director of Educators 24/7, “We have built a system for troubled students that views them from all angles, 360 degrees.

It is a “multi-network” for youth that is run by a coalition of educators.”

The focus areas of the program are dubbed “21st Century Skills.” These include critical and creative thinking, personal skills and problem-solving, digital literacy, and Israeli values—a sense of belonging and commitment to the community and Israeli society, which is developed by volunteering in the community.

“The child comes to school for knowledge,” explains Friedman, “but when that’s taken care of, what’s important is their personal development.”

He elaborates, “You can’t separate thinking skills from self-esteem and other personal qualities, because in the end, it’s all connected to personhood.”

And Friedman believes this comprehensive approach doesn’t just apply to at-risk youth. “I’d be happy if my own children wanted to take advantage of all the offerings of this program,” he says.

A Full Day The mandatory academic school day of traditional subjects ends at 2 p.m., but the education continues with a number of innovative programs that run until 8 p.m.

As Friedman explains, “By 4:00 p.m. the students finish their academic lessons and tutoring and move on to the rest of their activities until 8:00 p.m. They organize for themselves a very diverse schedule comprised of topic areas of every kind: from cyber and technology to all types of the arts— including classical art, music, theater, and photography. They can also choose from learning all about cars, “jeeping”, survival skills, off-road biking, physical fitness, and army prep—among other activities and interests.

In addition, there is a part of 24/7 called “education in recreational areas,” in which program staff spend time in area parks and other “hang out” spaces in an effort to reach out and interact with students.

While participation in the afternoon sessions and activities is optional, the majority of students choose to stay, and that means year-round. In the 24/7 program, says Friedman, “There is lots of structure and almost no vacation.” Some em-

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ployment opportunities are available during vacations. Mentors accompany the students, and the employers become part of the “educational coalition.”

In the academic area, studies are customized and done in small groups or one-on-one with the help of volunteers, including AMIT graduates and college students. In addition, Friedman explains, “When there’s a meeting about a student, it includes their teachers, counselors, parents and mentors—so everyone is connected and has the same defined mission.”

It may seem time-consuming, but the ability to work intensively with each student is what Friedman claims is the hallmark of the system. In coordinating and homing in on the students’ needs, he says, “It gives time, it doesn’t take time away—that’s what we’ve come to understand.”

Educators 24/7 is literal; it means there is always someone on staff available. Students and families can call a support hotline any hour of the day or night. “Off-hours calls are usually from worried moms who can’t locate a child,” says Friedman, who adds the issue is readily solved by on-duty staff reaching out to the student/family network.

A Measure of Remarkable Progress “The results of our program are quick and dramatic,” rightfully claims Friedman. One concrete example is the decrease in incidents of vandalism and crime in the community. Within the first yearand-a-half of the program, those incidents were reduced by 60 percent in Kiryat Menachem. Today, the number of police files on youth crime in that neighborhood stands at zero!

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What’s more, students are busy with extraordinary projects. One example, Friedman says, illustrates them all. With the voluntary mentorship of an established high-tech company in the community, a group of students has developed an app that sets large-group meetings with the touch of a button.

Friedman adds that it has the potential to earn a significant profit. This same student success can be seen in other areas, such as the opening of art galleries and art shows.

The Future This year, over 1,000 students were part of Educators 24/7. Next year, in addition to the existing four schools, Friedman plans to expand 24/7 to a number of schools in the north and south of the country. “We hope next year to reach 2,000, maybe even 2,200 students,” he says.

Many schools both within AMIT and outside have reached out to be part of the 24/7 model. “We can’t keep up with the requests,” says Friedman. “There are many places that want to do a program like this, and many students who would like to participate. We can’t get the money to fund it that quickly.”

It’s no wonder Yitzhak Friedman feels such a deep sense of purpose and pride. He notes that 24/7 has facilitated great student strides in areas such as start-ups in both high- and low-tech, the arts, and of course, excellence in studies, especially STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).

“My greatest satisfaction is in the decrease in students’ misfortunes, as well as their many achievements,” he concludes.

BY GLORIA AVERBUCH “To be a physicist is to have an enormous potential to change the world.”

“Feynman’s Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life” by Leonard Mlodinow

I

t was a Saturday evening phone call that changed life for Rafi Bistritzer. The voice on the end of the line informed him that he was a recipient of the Wolf Prize in Physics 2020, a prestigious international award often a precursor to the Nobel Prize. “It was a huge surprise to me,” he says with understatement. “I was extremely happy.”

Perhaps it would not have been so surprising to the 10th grade boy who fell in love with physics as a student at AMIT Ginsburg Bar Ilan Gush Dan High School for Boys, where a passion was born that propelled Bistritzer to the top of his field.

Revolutionary Research The Wolf Prize, currently in its 42nd year and given annually in Israel, is widely considered the most prestigious award in physics outside of the Nobel Prize. The Wolf Prize is given to top scientists and artists from around the world for “their significant

contribution[s] to humankind.” The 2020 prize went to nine laureates from six countries.

The team of Bistritzer, Allan H. MacDonald and Pablo Jarillo-Herrero won the physics award “For pioneering theoretical and experimental work on twisted bilayer graphene.

Graphene is a flat sheet of carbon atoms that form a lattice with a honeycomb pattern. Stacked at precisely 1.1 degrees, called “the magic angle”, the two-layer (bilayer) structure allows for remarkable phenomena—such as superconductivity. It was during Bistritzer’s postdoctoral research with Professor MacDonald at the University of Texas at Austin that they predicted this “magic angle” physics.

Bistritzer explains, “Strongly interacting electronic systems host some of the most fascinating physical phenomena. We found that by twisting two graphene sheets by precisely 1.1 degrees, the electrons are considerably slowed down, and the bilayer system enters a strongly interacting regime.

Experiments done by Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and his group in MIT found that this system can superconduct. This relatively simple system will allow us to explore superconductivity and other strongly correlated phases of matter. The hope is that with a more profound understanding of the underlying

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first physics teacher there, Dr. Haim Danino. “He was excellent,” remembers Bistritzer. “He was strict but very professional. He didn’t just teach us physics; he showed us the beauty of it, the ability to predict elements of nature just by doing calculations.”

At the 40th anniversary celebration of the school held two years ago, Bistritzer sought out Danino to thank him. “You changed my life,” he gratefully told his former teacher. mechanism behind these phenomena, we will be able to engineer room temperature superconductors—one of the “holy grails” of modern physics – a discovery that will change our daily lives.”

The prediction of Bistritzer and MacDonald, verified and expanded by the experimental research of Pablo Jarillo-Herrero of MIT, has led to a revolution in the advancing area of study now known as “twistronics.” In summary, their findings offer extraordinary promise to “lead to an energy revolution,” according to the Wolf Foundation.

Beginnings Rafi Bistritzer comes from a family of physicians.

This includes his father, brother, uncle, and three cousins. It seemed a foregone conclusion then that he would be one as well. “I even enrolled in medical school, so it was a surprise I became a physicist,” he says.

It was AMIT Ginsburg Bar Ilan Gush Dan High School that changed his mind—specifically, his

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Bistritzer appreciates his overall AMIT experience. “The school was very good for me. I really enjoyed it. It was a very open-minded place with an informal atmosphere, but yet with a seriousness that comes from being located right within the university, which it was at the time.” Among the exceptional staff, he mentions the late computer teacher Moshe Ben Zion, and Gideon Sapir, a past candidate for the Israeli Supreme Court and currently a law professor at Bar-Ilan University.

He also appreciates his counselor Tzipi Spiegel, whom he calls “exceptional, a very lively person with a contagious energy.”

A Push of the Button The 2011 trip to Texas began with a series of emails. Bistritzer, a graduate of the University of Tel Aviv and the Weizmann Institute, was struggling against his doubts to pursue postdoctoral research under the tutelage of Professor MacDonald at the University of Texas in Austin. It didn’t seem wise. At the time, Bistritzer and his wife Anat, a computer scientist, already had their

three children, the youngest of whom was a year old. “I very much hesitated. Postdoctoral salary is bad. My children were in Jewish schools,” he explains. Anat, whom Bistritzer calls “my most important influence,” encouraged him. “You have to do it,” she said.

The family ended up loving the entire experience in Texas, including the congregation they frequented. But mostly, Bistritzer effuses about the mentorship of MacDonald. He explains that the research life in physics is extremely competitive, but that MacDonald is different. “Aside from being a brilliant physicist, Allan is a true mensch. People all around the globe are eager to collaborate with him. The years with Allan gave me a lot, much beyond physics.”

A Complete Education It wasn’t just academia that engaged Bistritzer at AMIT. “The volleyball team was the most unique experience I had in high school,” he says. His four years saw the team rise to Israel’s League A national team. He credits his dedicated coach, Yehuda Spitzer. “He put his life into the team,” he states. So much did Bistritzer love the sport, which he continued to play into adulthood, that it surpassed even what became his profession. When forced to choose between taking a university course in physics as a 10th grader and his five-day-a-week practice, he opted for volleyball.

Bistritzer’s sports experience illustrates the “complete education” he received at AMIT. Numerous studies document that in addition to physical health, youth sports promote academic success.

Research has shown that youth athletes have 23 percent higher GPAs, and as the number of sports teams increases, so does the GPA. On that note, in addition to the volleyball team, Bistritzer’s basketball team also won the AMIT all-school championships in his junior and senior years.

“ The school was very good for me. I really enjoyed it. It was a very open-minded place with an informal atmosphere, but yet with a seriousness that comes from being located right within the university.”

considering a return to part-time physics research at an Israeli university.

Today, his 21-year-old daughter, Nitzan, is serving in the Army, and his younger daughter, Topaz, recently finished high school (completing several academic physics courses while also playing basketball). And the legacy of AMIT lives on: Bistritzer’s youngest child, son Yotam, just completed the 8th grade at his father’s alma mater.

Since 2016, Bistritzer has been an algorithm group manager at Applied Materials, working with machine learning and computer vision algorithms. While he expresses enjoyment of his job, since winning the Wolf Prize, he is also

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“My Light”

Empowering and Inspiring At-Risk Young Women

BY GLORIA AVERBUCH

W

hen the group of students at the new AMIT Leadership Training Program for Young Women chose an inspirational name for the inaugural class, they set the tone for success. They called the program Mechinat Ori, the word “Ori” means “my light.” The name encapsulates the Mechina’s central focus: teaching each participant to find and develop her own strengths and abilities.

The 20 students, who come from a background of poverty and narrow horizons, named the program for its aspirational possibilities. And they came to exemplify the program’s goals of success and

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self-reliance. In addition, they exhibited the character development that includes involvement in the community, as well as giving back to others. Thus, these students are a shining example as the first class of Mechinat Ori, part of the AMIT Gloria and Henry I. Zeisel and Family Junior College, located at AMIT Kfar Blatt Youth Village in Petach Tikvah.

Like those in 70 percent of AMIT schools, these students have much to overcome. Forty percent of the first-year graduates are from the adjacent AMIT Kfar Blatt Youth Village; another 30 percent are graduates of AMIT’s Technological High School in Ramle. These are programs in areas which further AMIT’s mission to address underserved areas and their populations.

“ Throughout all our years at the Youth Village, we were educated about the importance of giving back to the community, and so it was only natural for us to feel that it was our duty to finish our period at the Village with an act of giving.”

Personalized Guidance The Mechinat Ori program is comprised of focused career and lifestyle components. A portion of the students’ day is spent studying an in-demand profession—either legal administration, in a one-year program, or industrial management, in a two-year program. The remainder of their day, they participate in a range of classes and enrichment activities that teach them valuable life skills.

Mentorship is provided by a young couple on staff, a rabbi and rebbetzin, who serve as role models.

They conduct classes in Jewish texts and values, empowerment, and sexual health and forming healthy relationships. The couple get to know the students on a personal level and serve as a source of advice and support.

The students learn about personal finance and budgeting and are engaged in a physical fitness program. Drama therapy classes teach them to explore and express their feelings, while also imparting skills for speaking in front of groups and in job interviews.

As part of the program, trips are held frequently, with the twin goals of deepening the participants’ knowledge of the Land of Israel and its history as well as developing their physical fitness, navigational skills, and organizational abilities.

The program combines a study of technology to earn a professional certificate with a preparation program (mechina) for life and significant national service. Continuing their education at the Junior College prior to their national or IDF service is a significant step towards a brighter future, as the technological studies give the young women a viable professional skill while the lifestyle component fosters important personal development.

Outside the Classroom

Fostering independence is one of the program’s hallmarks, and the concept is built into the Mechina’s daily format. The young women live in three on-campus apartments, where they are responsible for cooking breakfast and dinner daily, while eating lunch in the communal dining room. They are given a budget to purchase food and supplies and learn to deal with the responsibilities of running their homes.

The head of Mechinat Ori, Pri-el Dahan, sums up the program’s first year, “Over the past eight months, besides the technical certificate they

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earned, our students have acquired significant life skills. These include dealing with difficulties, fitness training and navigating.”

Giving Back In addition to the self-development that is at the heart of the program, the values and guidance students acquire also foster a sense of nedivoot (generosity).

The young women of the program volunteer with the younger students at Kfar Blatt, work with special needs students, and run holiday activities for the village. They advise the younger students, help motivate them with their studies, and oversee the planning of activities. This year, three students in their second year at the Junior College served as counselors to the first-year students. In exchange for a scholarship towards their studies and a small stipend, these counselors worked with the program staff to ensure the smooth running of the Mechina.

A Homemade Bat Mitzvah A true test of educational success is how students independently actualize what they have learned.

This was clearly illustrated by the first-year class.

Set to celebrate graduation when the second wave of COVID-19 struck in June, the students decid-

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ed on their own to create an alternative. With the endorsement of the staff, they organized a full Bat Mitzvah event for a young girl whose parents were unable to create a celebration for her.

The resourceful group raised funds; decorated the space; purchased, cooked and served the food; and created an artistic program—all while adhering to strict coronavirus restrictions, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.

Mechinat Ori graduate Ortal Dahan expresses the altruism and generosity that epitomize the AMIT education philosophy. She explains, “Throughout all our years at the Youth Village, we were educated about the importance of giving back to the community, and so it was only natural for us to feel that it was our duty to finish our period at the Village with an act of giving.”

Overcoming their challenging backgrounds and benefitting from the educational and emotional support they received in their AMIT high schools and at the Mechina, these students have a promising future. Thanks to Mechinat Ori, they are poised to enter the adult world as educated, empowered young women who are ready and able to create fulfilling lives as individuals and productive members of Israeli society.

It Does Compute Professor Esther David Credits AMIT with Her Success

BY HEIDI MAE BRATT

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ometimes it takes the encouragement of just one person who believes in you and helps you envision your big and bright future to take your life from one place to another—a grand and spectacular vista.

Professor Dr. Esther David, an AMIT alumna, is the Deputy Director of the Department of Computer Science at Ashkelon Academic College. She has accomplished an enormous amount in her life thus far. At 48, she holds a prestigious academic position, has three advanced degrees—a bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, and has completed a post-doctorate, all in computer science—is a mother of eight children, and a new grandmother.

And, as a Torah-observant Jew, she has done it all while working five-and-a-half days a week.

dren and responsibilities, everything becomes much, much harder. Now, when students are free of these responsibilities, is the time for them to work and to put in the effort for their future.”

Dr. David got her first opportunity when she was 14 years old.

Growing up on Moshav Yad Rambam, located near Ramle, one of five children of parents who came to Israel from Morocco, Dr. David couldn’t have imagined the direction and trajectory of her life. Upon entering AMIT Ramle Lod High School, which no longer exists, she took an entrance exam and scored impressively high, especially in math, which was always a subject that she enjoyed.

But when asked, Dr. David, in her modest way, says that she simply made the most of her time and opportunities, and as a professor in a college located in Israel’s periphery, she tries to encourage her students to do the same.

“I always loved math and was very good in it,” she said. “I found it easy, although it wasn’t hard to be the best in the class in our area,” she said self-effacingly. “We had our entrance exams. The school had a new principal, David Kab. He was from Petach Tikvah. He called my parents to tell them that my score was very high on the exams, and that they should encourage me to go to a special program.”

“Life is not easy,” Dr. David told AMIT magazine.

“When you become an adult and you have chil-

“My father said, ‘Okay. I am happy, but where is the program?’ “

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The program was at Bar-Ilan University, close to Petach Tikvah but distant from Ramle.

But Kab was confident that David’s parents would assent. “Esther comes from a very loving and supportive family. I know her parents well; their devotion to their children is outstanding,” he said.

“So, my principal volunteered to take me and three other students to the University. It was on his way back to Petach Tikvah. He actually exposed us to this program,” said David.

Explained Kab, “Towards the end of her time in middle school, I noticed that Esther was blessed with mathematical talent. I thought it would be a pity if she would need to wait and waste precious time in order to fulfill her potential. I knew there was a program for gifted students in Bar-Ilan, and I referred her there.”

There were 80 students who began the high school math enrichment program during their 9th grade year in high school. At Bar-Ilan, they took classes in pure algebra. The two years of preparation enabled them during their last years of high school, 11th and 12 grades, to take university-level courses.

From the 80 students who began the program, Dr. David was among the six who completed it. What’s more, she was nearly halfway to getting her bachelor’s degree in computer science before she even graduated from high school.

Principal Kab, and his personal interest and effort, made all the difference for Dr. David.

“I remember Esther as a very good student academically. She also showed her good nature when interacting with her friends and teachers,” said Kab. Explained David, “All the kids who live in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, or in the center of the country have many more opportunities than the other kids around the county. This is one example. He was from Petach Tikvah and he knew about the program, so

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he exposed me to it. Otherwise, I would have never known about it because I was from the periphery.”

When Dr. David graduated high school, she returned to Ramle Lod High School to volunteer there as her national service. Initially, she was set to tutor students, but wound up doing administrative work with her principal, helping with analysis for Bagrut and other logistical and technical work that was needed at the school. At the same time, she continued her studies at Bar-Ilan University.

After high school was dismissed, she took three buses to get to Bar-Ilan. It was during this period that she completed her bachelor’s degree by the time her two years of national service was done.

She was ready for her master’s degree and continued at Bar-Ilan for both her master’s and doctorate.

“ All the kids who live in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, or in the center of the country have many more opportunities than the other kids around the county. The principal was from Petach Tikvah and knew about the program; otherwise, I would have never known about it because I was from the periphery.”

Dr. David also moved ahead on the personal front. She got married to Shlomo David, an accountant, and they began having a family.

“My husband was the one who encouraged me to get a master’s degree and a Ph.D.,” she said.

Her learning and advancement in computer science didn’t stop there.

Dr. David was offered a post-doctorate as a senior research fellow at the University of Southampton in England. With five young children in tow, she and her husband moved to England for three years, from 2003 to 2006, where she did research for her post-doctorate. At the time, her husband became a tremendous support, taking care of the children while she worked a 9-to-5-day with an additional two hours tacked on for commuting.

“When I went to the post-doc position in the UK, Shlomo left his work to stay home and take care of the children. He left accounting and is now learning in Kollel (advanced Torah studies). He got semicha (a rabbinical degree) and is now a rav.”

Their children include six daughters and two sons: Mevaseret, 24; Ahavatya, 22; Kitov, 21; Iska, 20; Aviya, 18; Tzofiya, 15; Oriya, 11; Pinhas, 9.

Five of their daughters are pursuing computer science or are already working in the field.

Is it genetic? Or is Dr. David just a great role model to her daughters?

“I think they are very determined and dedicated, work hard, and don’t give up,” she said.

Today, Dr. David is trying to pay it forward.

She began a program at her college to encourage high school students to take computer science and other classes at the college while still in high school. The effort has been challenging.

Her largest recruitment was a group of seven students, and her daughter was among them.

“I try to tell the students, now is a great time,” she said. “You are so smart. Begin your academic studies now, before you even get into the Army.

That way, when you go into the Army, you will have more opportunity and experience, and you will be qualified for a higher level position.”

She is not discouraged or giving up, even though the students are not rushing to take advantage of pushing their academic careers forward.

“Now, I am going to target the parents,” she said.

“I am going to convince them to convince the students.”

As with computer science and math, Dr. David is committed to finding the right answer.

It was 34 years ago that a principal from an AMIT school took students from the periphery and gave them an opportunity that would determine their future. Today, AMIT does the same, bringing opportunities to students who live in the periphery. AMIT is still leveling the playing field.

Said school principal David Kab, “I enjoy keeping in touch with my former students who have become lovely grownups. I am proud of my students and what they have become, just like Esther David.”

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AMIT Sc

Programs

BY GLORIA AVERBUCH

W

here hurdles to education once dominated, links of the chain that separated students from potential success have now been joined. And AMIT schools are leading the way. Based on research, innovation and a passion for education—these schools are meeting the academic and psychological needs of their students, families, and communities.

Below are two examples of AMIT schools that have instituted programs with levels of success that reflect the creativity and dedication of their leadership and staff.

AMIT Hammer: Part of Something Bigger Examples of these innovative schools are AMIT Hammer Junior and Senior High School for Boys in Rehovot and AMIT Atidim Or Akiva. These schools represent an even wider effort of all AMIT schools, of which at least 70 percent serve low socioeconomic areas.

When he joined the staff in early 2019, AMIT Hammer school principal Ofer Eren realized there was a disconnect between the school and the students’ parents. “We weren’t speaking the same language,” he says metaphorically. Ethiopian Israelis represent 40 percent of the population of Rehovot, a

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chool Therapy

s Are Filling a Gap town with the fourth largest population of Ethiopians in Israel. Many of these families struggle both economically and socially.

AMIT Hammer’s “Connection Center” was created in early 2019 to serve the community by engaging and assisting students’ parents through organized on-site counseling. It is well-documented that parents of low-income or minority children are less likely to be involved in their children’s education. Additionally, widely accepted research confirms the strong tie between school achievement and parental involvement. Clearly, the Center addresses a specific and vital need.

The Center exemplifies the overall philosophy that principal Eren continually stresses in combining three main areas of educational connection. He calls it the triangle: school, students, and parents. The goal is to meaningfully integrate all three of them.

Bringing together the teachers, counselors (including a licensed family counselor), students, and parents creates the three sides of Eren’s triangle. A specific focus is counseling for the parents (Eren calls the Center the “school for parents”)—mostly in groups but also individually and done inside the school. Through these sessions, and their inclusion in the educational process, the staff and parents interact, with parents gaining a greater understanding and consequently learning how to support their children.

“In essence, ours is a change of educational philosophy. Where we find this problem of parent involvement, we can manage it. We can help,” states Eren.

According to Eren, the results of the Center’s work are readily evident. “It is very interesting to see the change in the parents—their reaction, how they approach and relate to their children and better understand their children’s world.” In turn, Eren knows it undoubtedly affects how the students relate to their parents.

It’s not just what Eren and his staff see; the numbers speak to the concrete progress of his program. “We have about 90 percent of our students doing Bagrut and 100 percent going into the Army,” he says.

In addition, Eren explains that the counseling groups serve another important role. They bring together the Ethiopian population with other Israelis in the community—creating a bond, mutual respect, and understanding. “They learn from each other,” says Eren, and together “they can become “equals among equals.” We believe in the power of the group,” he concludes.

As he further explains, “The way we function overall, we are strengthening the bond between the school and the community. The school does not stand alone. We are part of something bigger.”

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Currently, in a school of about 600 students, approximately 25 percent of families participate in this relatively new program, but Eren says that number is rapidly growing. “My hope for the future is that we can improve our numbers—including more students doing Bagrut.”

As the principal of AMIT Atidim Or Akiva for the past 12 years, Laredo is leading with this philosophy. With about 1,000 students who feed into the school from five elementary schools, providing such comprehensive nurturing is truly an achievement.

Parent apathy is a universal problem, believes Eren.

“I think the worst thing that can happen is when any parent drives their child to school in the morning, closes the car door and believes in their heart, “That’s it; he’s not mine; take care of him.”

As an extension of her philosophy, and with the support of AMIT and the Ministry of Education, since 2019 the conditions for establishing her dream have ripened. Laredo started a special program after her team renovated and esthetically-designed a six-room therapy space and an additional large area for student group therapy and for mentoring teacher-therapists.

Ofer Eren’s abiding mission is to change that—”to make parents an integral part of the education process of their child.” So far, so good.

AMIT Atidim Or Akiva: Building a Garden At the heart of Etti Laredo’s passion for education is the personal development of her students. “While school may be a place to teach, I see it as having a much bigger role—a place to empower and strengthen the child; to develop their motivation and help them believe in their ability.” She says that with this approach, in essence, every child can learn.

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In this space, a pilot counseling program she calls “The Center of Emotional Education” includes teacher support, and when necessary, personal coaching and traditional psychological counseling, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Counseling is conducted either in groups or one-on-one, according to the pupils’ needs.

Laredo’s team includes the oversight and mentorship of Dr. Einav Vered, a social worker specializ-

“ It is very interesting to see the change in the parents—their reaction, how they approach and relate to their children and better understand their children’s world.”

ing in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders and learning disabilities and in communications and sociology, and founder and manager of the “Einav Center of Treatment of ADHD.” Vered is fully connected to Laredo’s approach. Similar to AMIT Hammer, the emphasis is on doing everything within the school. Bringing everything “in-house,” and including all teachers in therapy programs, says Laredo “strengthens the bonds.” The result is that the staff intimately knows the students, and what they need. As a result, teachers have a combined job description—both classroom teaching and partially providing therapy hours.

students holistically to creating a garden. “You don’t grow a garden if you don’t prepare it first. You have to take care of the ground, cultivate it well, so it will easily absorb the water, which is the education we provide. As a result, teaching becomes the easy part of the process.” This approach also explains the high Bagrut results of the school’s students.

In order to succeed educationally, Laredo believes the students’ well-being must be cultivated and nurtured. She compares her mission to prepare

Facts back her up. AMIT Atidim is one of the crowning jewels of the AMIT system, designated an outstanding school in several areas by the

In preparing her “garden” for so many years, it has clearly bloomed. Laredo claims the difference is stark. “When I got to the school, the violence was terrible. It felt like we were at war. Now, we are one of the best schools.”

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“ While school may be a place to teach, I see it as having a much bigger role—a place to empower and strengthen the child; to develop their motivation and help them believe in their ability.”

Ministry of Education. Perhaps the greatest measure of its success, though, is the satisfaction the school staff receives from its efforts. In particular, Laredo praises her teachers, who provide extra time for the program voluntarily. Says Laredo with pride, “The teachers give with all their heart.

They fight for every child as if they were their own child. In return, the students and parents give us back tons of love.”

In addition to the support of AMIT, she also attributes the school’s success to the cooperation of the municipality and the Ministry of Education. However, more than awards and academic achievements, Laredo ultimately defines success as the ability to reach one’s potential. “This means that the staff does their maximum and measured also by how much the students have progressed to their maximum capability,” she explains.

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Based on her educational philosophy, Laredo has also created other innovative programs that engage students and further connect the school with the community, such as a volunteer program in which soldiers assist in the 10th and 11th grades.

Building on the success of the first year of the therapy program, Etti Laredo’s goal is to increase the budget in order to expand her Center, which she would like to see function “non-stop.” She explains, “I want it to be something that lives fulltime in the school.”

Currently, participation in the pilot program is limited. Laredo explains her goal in the following way, “I want to make the program available not just for those in priority need, but for all the students, because everyone can benefit from it.” In addition, she hopes the program can grow to function proactively—“not just to solve problems, but to avoid them, to enhance our children’s resilience and self-efficacy,” she concludes.

AMIT Atidim is a shining example of the city of Or Akiva’s, AMIT’s and the State of Israel’s logo, which is inscribed with a Biblical verse from Job 8:7: “Your beginnings will be humble, so prosperous will your future be.”

Etti Laredo invites anyone interested in visiting her school program.

Contact her at etti.laredo@gmail.com

Soaring to New Heights From Humble Beginnings

BY HEIDI MAE BRATT

P

otential. When it’s untapped it remains like an unplanted seed or a bud with no flower.

Potential that is nurtured and given the right ingredients—encouragement, opportunity, nourishment, direction, love—can grow into the tallest, strongest tree, the most fecund blossom, or in the case of a young boy, a confident, successful, contributing young man serving his nation in a high-level IDF post with a wide vista of a bright future ahead.

Helping a young person realize his or her potential is one of the most gratifying things an educator can do, and AMIT teachers do that every day.

Haviv C., 26, had more than humble beginnings when he grew up in Be’er Sheva. His father, whose roots are Moroccan, had a full disability even before he was born. His mother, whose family originated in Tunis, was at home for many years. While there always was delicious Sephardic food at home, money was scarce, and there was very little for any extras.

But Haviv had vision and ambition to work hard.

He also had AMIT.

He heard about AMIT Wasserman Jr. & Sr. High School—the school from which he graduated—from friends at his elementary school, and set his sights on going there qualifying through an entrance exam.

Today, Haviv is in the elite 8200 unit of the IDF, one of the nation’s top tiers of its armed services, is married, and is very grateful for how AMIT gave him the rungs on the ladder for his ascent into a life of limitless potential.

“Before I began studying at AMIT Wasserman, I heard that there was a math teacher named Gadi, who gave tons of homework,” Haviv recalled. “I was worried about it and discussed it with my mother. She said, ‘How much can it be? One hundred problems to solve? That’s not possible.

Don’t worry, it will be fine.”

“I got to my first class with Gadi and was very impressed with him, his personality and teaching style. When I got home that day, I said to my mother, You won’t believe it. You said there is no way he would give us 100 problems for homework. Well, he gave us 450 problems to solve over the next three days!“ “I had no way of knowing at the time, but Gadi ended up being a very important influence on me,” Haviv said.

During his second year with Gadi, when he was in 8th grade, the math teacher challenged his students with “Skanavi Math Problems,” very difficult prob-

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lems that were used on the entrance exams in the former U.S.S.R. Most other students hired tutors to pass the tests, but that wasn’t possible for Haviv’s family. He wound up failing two tests and thus would possibly have to drop to a lower-level math.

Gadi demonstrated his faith in Haviv.

At the end of the school year at a parent-teacher conference, Gadi told Haviv’s mother that while he liked him, and he was a good student, according to the rules he was supposed to drop him down a level in math for the coming year. Haviv asked for another chance to prove himself.

believed in me, and I wasn’t going to disappoint him,” said Haviv who sometimes spent six hours on one math problem.

“As the year went on, Gadi gave me a lot of extra help. He challenged me with extra questions and more difficult material. I ended up getting a 99 percent average in math in high school, and I did the 5-point math Bagrut. My ‘math muscle’ remains very strong and got me through my university studies. It is also because Gadi was such a great teacher, and most importantly, he believed in me, and that gave me the strength to believe in myself.”

Gadi wasn’t the only teacher who lifted Haviv up.

“I’ll never forget what he said, ‘Haviv, I believe in you, and there is no way I will drop you out of this math class.’…It was clear to me that I had been given an opportunity, and there was no way that I was going to pass it up. My teacher

His 9th grade homeroom teacher, Nachama, took a very strong interest in Haviv. She was close to his family and when he would come into school early without breakfast, she would get a sandwich for him and made sure that he ate. She also knew what a strong academic student he was. While shy, she observed untapped potential in the social and activism sphere. She wanted to bolster those skills for Haviv so recommended him for Kav Hazinuk (The Starting Line), a national 10-year leadership program for people 15 to 25. He was one of 20 students in the south, a big deal.

“That program was very important to me and helped me develop a social consciousness,” Haviv said.

Through Kav Hazinuk he worked on an ecological project about the polluting effect of plastic bags, and AMIT Wasserman stood behind him in terms of support. They allowed him to lecture to the junior high school students and gave him time to pursue the projects.

“The school didn’t just recommend me for the program and say, ‘You’re on your own.’ Rather, it helped me succeed,” he said.

The school also emphasized volunteerism for students to earn their social Bagrut. Haviv volunteered with students on the autism spectrum at a neighboring school, Urim, and worked with a young boy who had

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“ I’ll never forget what my teacher said, ‘Haviv, I believe in you, and there is no way I will drop you out of this math class.’ After receiving so much assistance from my school, it is a real honor for me to be able to serve my country in a significant position.” trouble communicating. Trust was forged, as was a friendship. It wasn’t just Haviv who reached out to the school and the student. His math teacher, Gadi, taught that boy math. As a result, the boy was able to complete a Bagrut, something that was not seen as possible. Likewise, Haviv’s computer teacher, Ze’ev, created a class for Urim students to learn graphic design. What started as a club, is now a regular activity for the special needs students who have created exhibitions to display their work.

“Volunteerism is not just lip service that our school has us do for the social Bagrut,” Haviv said proudly. The school puts its money where its mouth is.

While in high school, there was much encouragement to push yourself to greater heights. “I ended up studying six majors for the Bagrut exams,” said Haviv, “including two computer majors, physics, a special project-based physics, chemistry, and literature.” Additionally, he did a level 5 in math and English.

To accelerate in physics, Haviv’s physics teacher, Victor, gave a summer course at the Ilan Ramon Center at Ben-Gurion University, which encouraged him to pursue high-level physics. In addition to extra learning with Victor, who introduced his students to advanced physics education, there were trips to the labs at Ben-Gurion University and the Weitzmann Institute.

Ambition, desire and hard work were paying off for Haviv, who took the opportunity in 11th grade to start his bachelor’s degree taking math courses at Ben-Gurion University in a special program introduced to him by Gadi.. The 100 Project was very intensive and required the maintenance of

high grades in the program in addition to his high school work and exams. AMIT helped pay for the tuition, and Haviv decided to pursue another degree. He also studied computers and participated in the Olympiads.

The school also supported him financially, helping him out with the cost of schoolbooks and even finding funds for him to take the 12th grade Poland Heritage Trip with his classmates.

He also stays in touch with his 7th grade homeroom teacher, Yehudit, who gave him much support and understanding during the middle school years.

All the hard work and encouragement came to a fulcrum when Haviv was accepted into Technion, where he got his bachelor’s degree with honors in computer engineering.

“I am sure I was able to be successful there because I was so well prepared by my high school.

Gadi’s pushing me, teaching me how to work very hard, all the extras I was given including university courses in high school and my informal education,” he said. At Technion he studied chemistry and physics.

Today, in addition to his high-level IDF service, Haviv is pursuing a master’s degree at Technion in computer programming.

“What I can say is that AMIT Wasserman really stressed the value of serving our country,” he said. “It was a familiar subject for conversation, and alumni who were serving in the IDF or National Service were always on campus, for holiday celebrations, ceremonies, and to talk to us about what the army was like.”

It seems natural for him to be of service—and proudly. “After receiving so much assistance from my school, it is a real honor for me to be able to serve my country in a significant position,” he said.

This is a true success story of realizing a student’s potential.

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INTER N AT I O N A L

WOMEN To mark International Women’s Day (March 8), students from AMIT schools across Israel were treated to a day of ‘female empowerment’ and the chance to hear from young Israeli women who have reached the top of the ladder as hi-tech professionals or entrepreneurs.

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BY HELGA ABRAHAM

A

ppropriately, AMIT’s women’s day event took place in Herzliya, the coastal town that has become in recent years a hub of hi-tech companies and start-ups. The theme of the event was “inspiration.” “The aim was to inspire young girls to think outside the box and dream big,” said marketing coordinator Danelle Rubin. Already, as early as grade 7, AMIT students, girls as much as boys, become familiar with advanced technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship through elective courses in their own schools or via AMIT’s Academy of Entrepreneurship and Innovation which opened two years ago in Ra’anana.

But the Herzliya event was a rare opportunity for girls from different schools to mix together, exchange ideas and hear directly from women who work in the top ranks of hi-tech or run their own companies. One hundred students from six schools (AMIT Renanim Science and Technology High School for Girls, Ra’anana; AMIT Kiryat Malachi High School; AMIT Ashdod Arts & Sciences High School; AMIT Wasserman Torah, Arts & Sciences High School for

Girls, Maaleh Adumim; Ulpanat AMIT Lehava, Kedumim; and AMIT Anna Teich Ulpana, Haifa) took part in the event. “This was an occasion” said Galia Kedmi Fragman, Director of the Academy and organizer of the event, “for our students to meet innovative Israeli women who are breaking barriers and who have a story to share.”

A high-flyer herself, Kedmi Fragman partially left the world of hi-tech to devote herself to education, “I first became interested in education when my oldest son began school. He was often bored, and I realized the system was using old-fashioned methodologies that needed changing. I wanted to see students become passionate about learning.” So Kedmi Fragman started volunteering in AMIT schools, teaching computer science and then developing a three-year entrepreneurship course for AMIT students that became the basis of the Academy.

After enjoying coffee and snacks, the girls settled down excitedly to hear the first speaker, Kedmi Fragman. Instead of emphasizing the need for academic knowledge and qualifications, she re-

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counted a turning point in her career. In her late 20s, she was asked by the Israeli company she worked for to go to London and open the company’s first overseas branch. She was terrified. She knew no one in London and, having just met the man who would become her future husband, she was reluctant to leave Israel. Nonetheless, she accepted. Totally on her own in a strange city, she set about the task of opening a new branch. She told her young audience that this period in her life was an important learning experience: “I was alone a lot and this helped me to discover my strengths and my weaknesses. I also developed a network of close friends, and I discovered a whole new cultural world.” She stressed that, while it is important to recognize our fears, fear should not prevent us from moving forward. “Don’t be afraid,” she counseled, citing the words of fearless heroine Pippi Longstocking (known as Bilby in Israel): “I have never tried that before so I’m sure I’ll be able to do it just fine.”

Coming from a totally different world, business woman Chedva Kleinhandler described the steps that slowly led her to establishing her own company and becoming one of the first female entrepreneurs in the ultra-orthodox world. After marrying at the age of 18 and becoming a mother, she decided she wanted to study. “I never liked technology and never thought I would have my own start-up,” she recounted, “but I liked language and words, so I became a translator. Then I started a lifestyle blog which became a highly successful design outlet, then a marketing agency which led to consulting jobs with clients around the world and finally, in 2017, I launched my own start-up.” Kleinhandler’s company, Emerj, is a platform that uses mentoring to improve conditions in a workplace. Throughout her career, she told her young audience, “I always made a point of learning from others.”

During the break, I talked to 9th graders from Maaleh Adumim, a small town on the periphery of Jerusalem, who are studying an innovative course at school entitled “Architecture and Entrepreneurship.” “In the first stage, we learn all kinds of skills,” explained Eden L., “technical skills like 3D printing and laser cutting and entrepreneurial skills such

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“ This was an occasion for our students to meet innovative Israeli women who are breaking barriers and who have a story to share.”

as development, presentation and marketing a product.” The students then focus on a particular architectural site and have to transform it from 3D to 2D. While Eden chose a Japanese temple, Talia V. chose Athens University. “I have always liked Greek architecture,” she said, “and I wanted a building that is not too well known.” She said that she drew an important piece of advice from Kleinhandler’s story: “I learned that I don’t have to do everything in one go, and it is best to move ahead in stages.”

Panel speaker Meiran Benita, a mentor at the Academy and also a successful entrepreneur, recounted that her family’s experience running a small company inspired her to establish Helpfulpro, a company that provides staff for small independent companies who cannot afford full-time employees. “Don’t give up on your dreams,” she told the girls, “but always cross-check with yourselves that the path you have chosen is right for you.”

A group of 9th graders from Ra’anana, who are completing their second year in the Academy’s entrepreneurship course, explained that they were chosen for the course not because they were good in math but because of skills such as creativity and the ability to think for themselves. In the first year of the course, they learned programming, how to develop an app, identify problems and find solutions. In the second year, they focused on a specific project. “We conceived and built a company to mediate between NGOs and businesses that want to contribute to society,” explained Hadas A. who designed the logo for the company. But after a year’s development work, the girls came up against a major hitch. As often happens in the business

world, they discovered that someone else had already come up with the same idea, and a similar company already existed. Quandary! It looks like the girls will have to go back to the drawing board.

The audience then heard from top cyber expert, Meital Arik, who was in charge of the entire cyber security system of the last Israeli elections. Arik recounted how a dull army posting, which she did not like and was considered a dead end, ultimately proved vital to her career and led to top management positions. “I looked around me and saw that I could learn a lot from that posting. Appreciate the gifts you receive,” she told the girls, “even if they may seem at first to be negative or useless.”

Arik and her fellow speakers epitomize the changing face of Israeli society. More and more talented young women are breaking the “glass ceiling” in Israel and assuming top positions in the business and hi-tech world. It is estimated that, today, women fill one third of all industry positions, 22 percent in technology positions and 18 percent in technology management positions. Full of enthusiasm, the girls attending the event were in no doubt about women’s capabilities. Eden L. declared firmly: “Women are more suitable to hi-tech than men because they are smarter. Men got ahead in the past because they are physically stronger. Today, you don’t have to be strong to succeed, just smart.” Tehila V. added that “women don’t just look at the big picture, they also focus on small details.”

Perhaps the most moving of the speakers at the event was 22-year-old Daniella Gigi. From a young age, Gigi worked as a volunteer helping autistic children and youth. She discovered, from this experience, that autistic youth had great difficulty being accepted into the IDF. So, at the age of 16, Gigi launched her own project to help autistic youth enter the army and succeed in their military service.

“If there is something that annoys you in society,” she told her audience, “ask yourselves what are you going to do about it and try to take action.” Talia V. found all the speakers interesting but was most impressed by Gigi. “The fact that she launched her own organization at 16 is amazing,” she said. “For me she is a role model.” Fellow student Eden L. saw

“ The aim was to inspire young girls to think outside the box and dream big.” things differently: “I don’t think 16 is too young. We can do it even younger. I would like to do something that helps weaker groups.”

A group of 7th graders from Kiryat Malachi, a development town in the south of the country, who travel once a month to study at the Academy, came away invigorated by their women’s day event. “All the speakers spoke really well,” said Eliane H. “They gave us a lot of confidence.” For her part, Hadar M. retained this important message: “Keep on trying.

If you fail, try again.”

AMIT Academy of Entrepreneurship and Innovation The Academy enables groups of students from AMIT schools across the country to acquire the fundamentals of hi-tech and entrepreneurship. In the first year, they learn basic building blocks such as programming, how to develop an app, identify a need, find a solution, and start a company. The students work in small groups and, by the end of the year, they have built the rudiments of a company. In the second year, which is called “maker space,” they work with a variety of materials to create an actual solution or product. In the third year, they learn how to put their product on the market, pitch their idea, and find investors.

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The Land of Israel

AMIT Art Competition

Inspires & Delights I

n early 2020, AMIT ran an art competition which was open to all Junior and Senior high schools throughout the Reshet. The contest idea was generated by AMIT President Audrey Axelrod Trachtman. She wanted to add an interactive component to the 95th Anniversary Mission to Israel that was scheduled for April, and that was connected to the art tracks on the trip. Unfortunately, the Mission was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the art contest still prevailed.

AMIT received 62 entries, and 18 finalists were selected for what would morph into a digital competition. The finalists’ artwork was sent to more than 20,000 AMIT supporters, and they were able to vote for their favorite work of art.

The theme was the Land of Israel, and artists could submit a painting, photography, graphic art, or sculptures.

The winning artist was Shoham, a 16-year-old who just completed the 11th grade at AMIT Florin Taman Junior and Senior High School for Boys in Tzfat. He lives in Tzfat with his parents and five siblings, of whom Shoham is the eldest.

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Shoham loves to paint and draw. He has been making art since the 8th grade. He has been in several art chuggim (extra-curricular classes), and this year he took a drawing class in school.

The inspiration behind his competition-winning painting of pomegranates came from his parents, who wanted to decorate their home with drawings of fruit. Shoham chose to paint the pomegranates, which he believes is the prettiest of the Shevat Haminim, the Seven Species of Israel listed in the Bible. He also painted a picture for his classroom that was inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night.

Dvar Torah

BY RABBANIT SALLY MAYER

Letting Go: The Secret of Selichot

H

ow do we pray at this challenging time in the world, when we so desperately need Hashem’s mercy? Each year during the Yamim Nora’im (Days of Awe) season, we recite the “13 attributes of mercy” many times during selichot and the tefilot of Yom Kippur: “Hashem, Hashem, God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and [He will not] clear [the guilty]…” (Shemot 34).

The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yohanan (Rosh Hashana 17b) explains that we recite these attributes so often and so fervently because Hashem promised Moshe that “Whenever the Jewish people sin, they should perform before Me this order, and I will forgive them.”

The Gemara concludes that there is a “covenant” that these 13 attributes “never return empty-handed.”

How are we meant to understand this? Is this list of attributes some kind of magic formula? Can we skip all of the much harder work of teshuva, of introspection, repentance and return, and achieve forgiveness by simply mouthing this as an incantation?

The answer to this question lies in a story that precedes this passage in the Talmud. The Gemara quotes a pasuk in Mikha (7:16) which is similar to the list of attributes in Shemot 34: “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression.” Rav explains: “For whom will Hashem pardon iniquity? For those who pass by others’ transgressions.” Rav is teaching a profound lesson: we must behave towards others the way that we wish Hashem to behave toward us. What happens when someone slights us? How do we react when someone says or does something that hurts our feelings? If we hold onto our anger and are slow to forgive, so Hashem will be with us; if we are forgiving and let things go, Hashem will do the same for us.

The Gemara continues with the story of Rav Huna, who was extremely ill, and Rav Papa who came to

visit him. Rav Papa thought Rav Huna was about to die and began preparing for his funeral, but he miraculously survived, whereupon Rav Papa was mortified for having spoken about his friend’s impending death prematurely. Rav Huna comforted his friend, saying that he was indeed near death, but he heard Hashem telling the Heavenly Court, “He is not strict about his matters; let us not be strict with him.” This story illustrates Rav’s assertion: Since Rav Huna was a person who let things go, Hashem decided to let things go for him.

Now, let’s look back at Rabbi Yohanan’s statement about the efficacy of the 13 attributes of mercy: “Whenever B’nei Yisrael sin, they should perform before me this order, and I will forgive them.” The Meshekh Chokhma notes that Rabbi Yohanan did not discuss saying this formula, but rather performing it.

The Gemara is teaching that if we want forgiveness from Hashem, we must practice these 13 attributes of mercy. We ourselves must be merciful, slow to anger and forgiving, and then, so Hashem will be with us.

At this challenging time, when we are forced to be physically distant from many of those we love, may we find within ourselves to come closer emotionally—to be more understanding of the people in our lives, to give in a little more, to let things go. As we recite the 13 middot (character traits) this year, we will insistently deliver a message to ourselves: when we emulate Hashem and treat others in an understanding and forgiving way, we merit not only a kinder society, but Hashem’s kindness towards us as well.

Rabbanit Sally Mayer serves as Rosh Midrasha at Ohr Torah Stone’s Midreshet Lindenbaum, as well as teaching Talmud and Halacha at the midrasha.

A Midreshet Lindenbaum alumna, she holds a BA from Stern College, an MA in Medieval Jewish History from Yeshiva University, and completed the Drisha Institute Scholars Circle Program. She lives in Neve Daniel with her husband and children.

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PASSINGS Anne Bernstein, z”l AMIT Children fondly remembers lifelong member Anne Bernstein, z”l, for her dedication and commitment to our students in Israel.

Anne was in Vilna and shortly after, her family emigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles in 1938 with her husband Willie, z”l. For more than 50 years they volunteered, donated, and led efforts to provide social and educational opportunities to thousands of Israeli children.

As one of the founders of AMIT’s Beit Hayeled (surrogate home) in Jerusalem, Anne and Willie made sure to visit the home often and, on many occasions, brought their family along bringing suitcases full of toys and clothes for the children.

Anne, or Bobie, as many referred to her, was a most gracious hostess and even at the age of 100, she was still cooking and serving lunches for her AMIT “ladies,” as well as opening her home to host meetings and programs.

Over the years, as a National Board member, L.A. Council Executive Board Member, L.A. Director of Special Events, just to name a few, Anne has honored and been recognized for her dedications, staunch support, and exemplary leadership of AMIT. May her memory be a blessing.

Rabbi Arnold B. Marans, z”l AMIT mourns the loss of Rabbi Arnold Marans, husband of board member Zipporah Marans. Rabbi Marans was a great supporter of AMIT and founding rabbi of the Sephardi Temple of Cedarhurst.

Rabbi Marans knew the value of words – he treasured them and used them in the service of the Jewish people. His talent went well beyond the formal speeches expected in his role of Rabbi – every conversation reflected his careful thought. If an occasion called for compassion or celebration (or both), the Rabbi knew how to relate in a way both scholarly and yet highly personal and conveyed to all who knew him that they were valued. Some thought this was a rare gift; in fact, the Rabbi worked very hard to master it.

Rabbi Arnold and Zipporah have always held AMIT very close to their hearts. They have generously donated to AMIT through the years, but their most prideful dedication was the Medical Clinic at Beit Hayeled.

In their devotion to AMIT, they were instrumental in building up the AMIT Sephardic Temple Chapter.

May his memory be a blessing and may the family be comforted among the mourners of Israel.

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HIGHLIGHTS & SUCCESSES First Class Graduates from AMIT Elaine Silver Junior College With all the pomp and circumstance that can be mustered, the first graduating class at AMIT Elaine Silver Junior College completed their studies and received their computer technician certificates.

There was a feeling of excitement, pride, and accomplishment among the class of 13 students—11 young men and two young women. The majority will begin their military service in the IDF or do National Service in the coming year.

Set on the campus of AMIT Elaine Silver Technological High School in Beersheva, the Junior College offers a two-year program in computer communications. It also is the first co-ed computer training college that helps young women enter the growing technological field.

As they will be licensed computer technicians, these young men and women will play a critical role in helping the Israeli army maintain its advanced computer systems.

AMIT Elaine Silver Junior College also offers a media design track. It is the first junior college of its kind in the south of Israel with a good majority of students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

AMIT Sutker Modi’in Boys Rank Nation’s 1st Athletes AMIT’s focus on excellence and teamwork recently resulted in students from one of the networks’ boys’ schools in Modi’in taking first place at a national physical fitness competition organized by the Education Ministry and the Israeli School Sports Association.

The students from the AMIT Mr. & Mrs. Lester Sutker Art and Sciences Jr. and Sr. High School for Boys were among 20 teams that competed in different physical fitness categories.

The AMIT team garnered the highest cumulative scores in the competition, taking the top spot nationwide.

The student-athletes impressed the judges with their teamwork and cooperation, as well as their good sportsmanship. AMIT schools recognize that everyone is an individual and plays to the strengths of all its students, encouraging the growth in their area whether it is academics or athletics. Typical of the network and its mission to give the best to its students to maximize their talents and abilities, AMIT’s holistic approach to education considers each student’s strengths and works with them to realize their fullest potential in all disciplines and subjects.

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HIGHLIGHTS & SUCCESSES Ground Breaks on New “Innovative” AMIT Sderot School Officials broke ground this spring on the new Gogya school that will be built for AMIT Gutwirth in Sderot, heralding the movement forward and endorsement of educational innovation in Israel following the health crisis.

AMIT Gutwirth Sderot State Jr. and Sr. High School is one of 15 schools (five are AMIT schools) that have been selected by the Education Ministry to receive new and innovative school buildings.

AMIT’s Gogya schools take innovative pedagogical methods and marry that with complementary, well-designed, and modern physical spaces to encourage progressive teaching and learning that is creative, experiential, student-led in some instances, and a wave of the future. Gogya is an AMIT signature that takes teaching and learning into the 21st century.

AMIT Gutwirth Sderot State Jr. and Sr. High School is a high-achieving school. The whole building will be rebuilt, so all students who learn in the building will benefit from this new and innovative school building.

There are more than 800 students at AMIT Gutwirth Sderot. The school has a 94 percent Bagrut (matriculation) pass rate and excellent scores as well. AMIT runs all the school in Sderot and as such has brought academic excellence to the city.

Outstanding AMIT Physics Students Visit CERN A delegation of 30 outstanding physics students from AMIT traveled to Geneva earlier this year to visit the world’s chief physics research center: the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, which is home to the largest and most powerful particle accelerator in the world.

The female physics students who visited the CERN accelerator in Switzerland came from eight AMIT schools, several located in the country’s periphery.

These students were given this once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity because of their academic excellence in physics. They met with scientists, toured the particle accelerator, and were exposed to cutting-edge advances in the field of physics. The students spent weeks preparing and studying ahead of their visit, and some of them even spent time tutoring their classmates to help subsidize the cost of their trip.

“We believe in academic excellence and educational leadership, two values that our students will experience on this journey when they are exposed to groundbreaking research at CERN that impacts the entire world,” said Moti Arbel, the principal of AMIT Yud Ashdod Jr. and Sr. High School.

Dr. Rachela Turgeman, who heads the physics studies at the AMIT network, said, “The message to our students is clear: excellence is a way of life, and you can be tomorrow’s scientific leaders!”

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HIGHLIGHTS & SUCCESSES AMIT Student Entrepreneurs Get Pro Tips for their Start-up Ideas They do not call Israel Start-up Nation for nothing—and AMIT schools are on board. Some 150 AMIT students who study at the network’s academy of innovation and entrepreneurship participated in a “Shark Tank”-style event where they presented their start-up ideas to a panel of high-tech experts from leading companies in Israel.

Taking those great ideas to market was another thrust for AMIT students. The students worked to develop a marketing plan for their start-up ideas with an expert in the field, Shimrit Nisenbaum, PR manager for Neopharm.

At the innovation hub, AMIT students from across the country come to learn from leading high-tech professionals and get hands-on experience in the world of entrepreneurship. They work alongside staffers from the high-tech company Razor Grip, whose offices are on-site at the academy.

AMIT students are currently working on several start-up ideas, including an app called ParkWatch, which prevents drivers from using spots meant for the disabled, and an app called COMY, a marketplace meant to forge connections between students and high-tech professionals.

At the unique pitch day, they presented their ideas to seven industry experts from different companies: including Microsoft, Jifiti, Tokabot, and Gmnuch.

Galia Kedmi Fragman said the academy’s students “acquire the skills they need to take their first steps into entrepreneurship and industry and to dream big.”

AMIT Teen Initiates Chesed Caravan for Seniors Daniel M., 15, a student at AMIT Ashdod Yeshiva, led a nationwide effort to bring seniors food and medicines, a tremendous service for the country’s most vulnerable citizens and an example of a student living AMIT values.

With the schools shut down due to COVID-19, Daniel decided not to spend his days staring at video screens, but to recruit his friends and classmates and establish a caravan designed to help seniors and other people in isolation by delivering food and medicine.

Daniel now is heading a national kindness patrol that helps isolated seniors who are alone and having difficulty getting what they need because of the closures in Israel. Daniel’s initiative took flight, and today he heads a country-wide volunteer organization with more than 200 participants that operate in various cities across Israel. Daniel receives daily requests from people in isolation and directs them to assigned volunteers in the city where the people live.

“It was clear to me that I couldn’t sit at home doing nothing, and what makes me excited is that I was able to motivate other volunteers across the country,” Daniel said. “I believe that the world is like a puzzle. Everyone does their piece of the puzzle and creates a better world in the process.”

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HIGHLIGHTS & SUCCESSES AMIT Students Win Top Spot Competition to Help Third World Countries Four students from AMIT Kamah in Yerucham won first place in the Israel Sustainable Development Goals Program (ISDG) competition, a unique program that gives students the opportunity to create solutions for Third World countries.

The winning students will continue their research, and hopefully—global health conditions permitting—present the research to a panel of experts in Rome, if travel restrictions are eased. The ISDG Program was created by the Ministry of Education, the Foreign Ministry, and the Jewish National Fund with the goal of engaging student involvement in the international effort to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030.

Involvement in the ISDG Program is very much in keeping with AMIT values, that is, helping the community, in this case the worldwide community. Students grades 7 to 13 proposed an initiative to help solve one or more of the 17 United Nations objectives in a developing country of their choice.

The four students who participated in the ISDG Program are Sarit Nitzanya Tasgal, Ayelet Hashachar Israel, Tiferet Kosef, and Oriya Cahlon. Together with their mentors, Toby Tabak and Zehava Kashi, the students researched the drought periods in Ethiopia and their effects on the prolonged periods of hunger faced by residents. They have been working on producing a protein from locusts that can be helpful to developing countries.

Beit Hayeled Awarded Jerusalem Prize for Education AMIT Frisch Beit Hayeled was honored for its decades-long work with some of Israel’s most vulnerable children. The surrogate-family home was awarded the Jerusalem Prize for education at the 17th Jerusalem Conference.

Beit Hayeled was established 40 years ago by AMIT supporters in the United States to care for Israeli children born into challenging life and family circumstances. The children live and learn at the facility, which cares for their physical, emotional, and academic needs. The institution was recognized by the Conference organizers for its decades of educational and social contributions.

Beit Hayeled is among AMIT’s most heralded and holistic education-social programs. The network prides itself on the 360-degree care given to these most vulnerable children who come to Beit Hayeled and are enveloped in a loving surrogate home. They get nurturance and top-notch education to enable them to create an independent, successful future and break from the difficult cycles from which they came.

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Children.

Education.

Jewish Values.

Seattle.

BY HEIDI MAE BRATT

T

here’s much in common between the Samis Foundation and AMIT Children.

The two organizations have forged a new partnership, one that helps forward the Foundation’s mission in Israel, and at the same time gives AMIT Frisch Beit Hayeled, home to some of the most vulnerable, at-risk children, an infusion of funds for therapies, especially critical in these pandemic days.

The Samis Foundation awarded Beit Hayeled a grant of $90,000 to benefit more than 80 children, ages seven to 14, who live and are supported in the Jerusalem surrogate home. The therapies, including art, animal, and more traditional psychotherapies, help the children overcome their traumas.

“We are so grateful to the Samis Foundation for its very generous donation to Beit Hayeled’s comprehensive therapy program,” said Shari Safra, AMIT’s vice president of Financial Resource Development.

“We also very much appreciate that the Foundation funded us immediately so we could begin the therapies to help our children who suffered from the stress of coronavirus on top of their family traumas. These much-needed funds help us accomplish what we aim to do every day at Beit Hayeled and AMIT — create a better future for our children.”

Connie Kanter, CEO of the Seattle-based Samis Foundation, said, “We are delighted that 25 years into the Foundation we have been able to make the acquaintance with AMIT in the way that we have and have the ability to make a difference with AMIT.” The award fulfills one of Samis’ categories of support in Israel to help “widows and orphans”—orphan being defined as someone “who has lost his or her provider.”

“These are youth that have been displaced from their families,” Kanter said. “They are unable to live with their families for whatever reason, whether court-ordered or whether their parents were unable to parent them properly and they’ve come to AMIT’s door.”

“When we began looking at where to direct our philanthropy, Beit Hayeled was brought to our attention. We were aware of the unbelievable reputation of AMIT and the amazing work the professionals there do for these children.”

Several trustees visited Beit Hayeled during their annual trip in February and were very impressed and moved by AMIT’s work there, Kanter said.

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While many Beit Hayeled children do, in fact, have biological parents, “These are children who can’t go to their homes,” echoed Rachel Grunbaum, Samis Foundation’s Israel consultant.

Since its inception, Samis has supported “intensive, immersive” K-12 Jewish education in Washington state, as well as several Israel initiatives. It continues to support local Jewish day schools—more than 30 percent of their school budgets are foundation funded—as well as Jewish summer camps, teen Israel experiences, youth enrichment and engagement programs.

Connie Kanter

In Israel, Samis’ projects include five broad categories: archaeology, college scholarships, immigration, widows and orphans, and wildlife conservation. Awards have benefitted scholarships for Ethiopian and Haredi communities, a women’s shelter, the Jerusalem Zoo’s new aquarium, among others. This year, the Samis Foundation hit a major philanthropic milestone. To date, it has awarded $100 million in grants.

The Foundation’s creator, Sam Israel, believed in giving back, Kanter said. Born in 1899 in the Sephardic community of Rhodes, he apprenticed as a shoemaker before immigrating to Seattle in 1919, where he founded a series of shoe repair businesses and eventually landed a contract to repair shoes for the U.S. Army during WWII. Even then, Kanter said, Sam Israel, who died in 1994, found a way to give.

“Sam Israel was the low bid and got the contract,” Kanter said. “He replaced the soles on the shoes of soldiers who came through the local Army base.

At one point, he told the Army he wanted to renegotiate his contract and dropped his price. He said, ‘I don’t need the money. The country needs the money much more to fight the war.’ Sam Israel really had a heart of gold.”

He invested in Seattle real estate and amassed a sig-

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Sam Israel

nificant portfolio valued at about $180 million. The Foundation reaps the benefits of those investments.

So, what is the Seattle connection between the Samis Foundation and AMIT? Like Sam Israel, AMIT’s founder, Bessie Gotsfeld had her beginnings in Seattle. She lived there during her first years of marriage to Mendel Gotsfeld. In Seattle, she became acquainted with the Mizrachi movement, which eventually became AMIT. In fact, one Samis trustee even knew Mendel Gotsfeld’s family because both were in the clothing business. The trustee even kept old newspaper clippings reporting the sale of Mendel’s business in 1919 and Bessie’s death in 1962.

While both Sam Israel and Bessie Gotsfeld never had children of their own, they dedicated their lives to supporting and educating Jewish children.

“I look at Sam Israel who had no children and also had no formal education after bar mitzvah,” Kanter said, “yet his area of focus was Jewish education.

Likewise, AMIT brings together both serving children and educating them.”

DEVELOPMENT

AMIT’s Mother-in-Israel Celebrates Wonder Women Past & Present While the AMIT chapters across the United States and Israel weren’t able to gather in person for our yearly Mother-in-Israel events, close to 400 supporters came together virtually on Sunday, June 14th to help support our AMIT students. Mother-in-Israel donors were treated to a special virtual tour that featured a fascinating journey through time learning about Jewish “Wonder Women” who’ve made an impact on Israel’s past and present. The first “stop” on our virtual trip was to AMIT’s Kfar Blatt campus in Petach Tikvah, where we learned about AMIT’s founder Bessie Gotsfeld and her pioneering efforts to give children in need an education and the skills required to succeed. The “tour” included stops in Tiberias, Zichron Ya’akov, Yaffo and Jerusalem to learn about historical and present-day female leaders Dona Gracia Nasi, Sara Aaronsohn, Ruth Dayan and Esther Hayut.

Our thanks to national chair Debbie Moed and the hard-working committee who represented over 30 chapters across the United States and Israel. Thanks to your support and their efforts, our Mother-in-Israel campaign raised over $150,000 which enables AMIT to continue its important mission to help build a strong and secure Israel through education that puts our students on a path to success.

Daniel Silva and Henry Winkler Captivate 600 AMIT Supporters Daniel Silva, the #1 New York Times bestselling author, wowed 600 AMIT supporters on a hot July evening. Interviewed by Emmy-award winning actor, Henry Winkler, the Zoom audience was fascinated to hear the latest escapades of art restorer and Mossad chief, Gabriel Allon. Daniel and Henry also shared their personal writing style and process.

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DEVELOPMENT

AMIT DOES A VIRTUAL 180!

The world has changed and so, too, has AMIT. When businesses shut down and people were asked to shelter at home, AMIT quickly adapted to a new reality and began offering a wide variety of virtual programs. Typically, most programs were regionally based prior to the pandemic. With the onset of the shutdown, all new programming was offered to everyone. During this time, more than 3,000 people from all over participated in various programs. To date, 70 programs were presented on many topics and genres such as Foodie, Mind & Body, Arts, Culture and Literature, Sports & Entertainment, Kids and Families, and Scholars in Residence. Here are some of the highlights:

8 Foodie Programs - We were fortunate to attract some of the most talented chefs out there.

In April, AMIT offered a cooking session with Adeena Sussman, noted chef and cookbook author of “Sababa.”

Directly from her kitchen in Israel, Adeena taught us some delicious & unique Passover recipes and provided handy cooking tips. Hundreds of people joined us for this virtual event.

30 Mind & Body Programs were presented, including Zumba, Frumba, Yoga, a Meditation series, Mindful Living, nutrition seminars and organization tips.

In June, as part of our mindful living series, nutritionist Shulamit Drazin Holzer from Teaneck, NJ, spoke about Lifetime Strategies to Lose and Keep Off the “Quarantine 15.” During this interactive session, Shulamit shared healthy eating strategies for coping with stress and anxiety, especially relevant for this critical time. Shulamit shared ideas about creating daily meal structures, discussed how stress affects your body, and talked about foods & vitamins that boost your immune system. Shulamit attracted a huge virtual gathering for this event.

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DEVELOPMENT 7 Art Excursions - Because we could not physically visit museums and galleries, we brought curated tours to you. These virtual tours brought people to NYC, Rome, Israel, and many other places that they would never have had the opportunity to visit in person.

In May, more than 60 people Zoomed in for Ronnit Vasserman’s virtual art tour. Founder of the art consulting firm Art Connect Group, the tour’s topic was “Looking at the Eishet Chayil in Art History.” A virtual exploration of iconic women, it included Gustave Klimt’s “Woman in Gold,” Sandro Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with the Pearl Earring.”

8 Literature Events - A monthly book series program with expert Bev Rosen.

In April, we launched the virtual AMIT Book Club with a bang, led by Bev Rosen who reviewed the book Unorthodox. She is a popular book, film, and theater critic. Ms. Rosen has taught in Philadelphia-area colleges and in suburban Adult Education programs and facilitates many book groups. More than 100 people attended this fascinating session that compared Deborah Feldman’s memoir, “Unorthodox: My Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots” and the Netflix TV series adaptation of her work.

6 Entertainment Programs - Reviews of recent books highlighting some favorite sports teams, a comedy show, trivia events and much more made our Entertainment series.

In August, Sara Rudoff Olshin conducted a program called “What’s It Worth?” This was a take on the popular TV series “Antique Road Show.” Sara answered questions from the point of view of an appraiser and estate manager. She comes from a long history of family involvement in AMIT. We were delighted that she shared her insights and expertise with the AMIT community.

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DEVELOPMENT Children & Family Events - We also held programs geared to younger people connected to AMIT. This included singa-longs and magic shows.

5

Since Passover, AMIT ran a very popular series of pre-school sing-a-longs. These programs were coordinated to coincide with different Jewish Holidays. Based out of Philadelphia, Morah Rivka and Morah Sara led preschoolers in fun and interactive guitar-strumming, song-singing, crafting jamborees!

6 Scholar in Residence Events - AMIT has a vast array of incredible scholars and speakers in our community. We’ve been fortunate to be able to call on some of them to learn with us.

In April, Laura Hoenig Silbermann gave an inspiring Shiur called “Sink or Swim - Pesach in Light of Corona.” Laura is originally from Teaneck, New Jersey and her family are longtime supporters of AMIT. Laura completed the Lindenbaum Educators Program and has taught at several midrashot in Yerushalayim. Laura is currently a shlicha for Mizrachi UK in Manchester alongside her husband and four children. This shiur helped participants draw strength and perspective from Yitziyat Mitzraim and Shir Hashirim.

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DEVELOPMENT

NewGen Reach

is Now Nationwide Who is AMIT NewGen? AMIT NewGen was started in 2003 by a small group of 30-something-year-olds in the Tri-State area. An inaugural mission to Israel to experience and see AMIT’s work firsthand cemented their dedication to becoming the next generation of AMIT supporters. Members of the original NewGen board have gone on to serve in the highest leadership positions in AMIT, including two National Board Presidents.

Today, AMIT NewGen has grown into a national program with dedicated NewGen staff in the TriState area, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, and Florida. Our plan is to engage more communities in the coming months and years. NewGen is a group of young men and women who are emerging philanthropically, coming of age, flourishing, and finding our voices in the Jewish community in America and Israel. Our constituents live in diverse communities and come from many professions and backgrounds across the United States. We range in age from 20s to 50s. We look to the future with energy, determination, and flair; we aspire to become the next generation of AMIT supporters and influencers and to be able to carry forward the everlasting bond between each of us and all of Israel’s children.

Pre-COVID-19, we were on a roll presenting regional programs and events, fundraising, and having fun from coast to coast. Much more was in the planning stage when we had to cancel in-person events. Since then, AMIT’s NewGen professionals have worked together with lay leaders to present virtual events with a variety of programs and diverse topics. For the kids, AMIT NewGen hosted a series of virtual Preschool Sing-Alongs and a Magic Show. In July, we had our first-ever National ‘AMIT & Greet’, where many of us met each other for the first time from around the country. In fact, out of the quarantine all these new ideas were born! If we must be separated by geography or by social distancing, we can still connect, inspire, learn, and contribute. We’re looking forward to reaching more people, growing in our own knowledge and in our capacity to help AMIT Children in Israel, and until we can meet again!

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DEVELOPMENT 1st National NewGen AMIT & Greet, July 21 For the first time in AMIT history, NewGen lay-leaders from around the USA gathered for an evening of inspiration and to meet each other. Shari Safra, one of the original members of NewGen and current VP of Financial Resource Development, shared inspirational remarks and a toast was made by Dr. Marguerite Werrin, president of the Philadelphia Council/Shira Chapter and Regional Board VP Mid-Atlantic. It was a night of unity and fun, and the NewGen energy was remarkable!

AMIT NewGen Murder Mystery “Ace in the Hole,” August 9 AMIT NewGen hosted a Murder Mystery where eight of our very own supporters were the primary “suspects” in a terrible crime! It was a night of hilarity and merriment. Sixty-eight participants from all over the country worked with the “police detective” to solve the case, interacting through clever use of technology. We reached many first-time NewGen supporters and raised vital funds for AMIT Children. Even though we couldn’t party together in-person, we are learning to have fun together in whole new ways.

Emerging Leaders Help Seniors During Pandemic Coronavirus has created a lot of challenging situations for communities all around the world.

AMIT Future Leaders Initiative (AFLI) took it upon themselves to check in with our must vulnerable AMIT community members. AMIT's emerging leaders made phone calls to more than 300 seniors across the U.S. to connect and ensure that they were safe and had access to food and essentials. AFLI knew how important it was for people to have the opportunity to connect with family and friends during this difficult time.

Since not everyone had the capability to reach out online, AFLI stepped in and spent time teaching seniors how to use Zoom to connect to their families and participate in online events. Thank you to our AFLI members for your volunteerism during these unprecedented times!

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$1,000,000 +

$75,000-$99,999

Evan & Layla Green Family Foundation, CA

Lee and Louis, z”l, Benjamin, FL

Ellen, z”l, and Meyer Koplow, NY

Irmgard Deutsch, z”l, FL

The Lewis and Wolkoff Family Legacy, CO

Jerusalem Foundation, Israel

Sarena and David Koschitzky, Mira and Saul Koschitzky, Tamar and Eric Goldstein, and Joel Koschitzky, U.S., Canada and Israel

Leon and Gloria, Edward, Sari, and Howard Miller, NY Alice Schuster, z”l, NY

The Moise Y. Safra Foundation, NY Ellen and Stanley Wasserman, NY

$50,000-$74,999 Anonymous, NY Anonymous, NY

$250,000-$999,999 Florence, z”l, and Albert Dreisinger, z”l, NY Shari and Jacob M. Safra, NY Ethel and Lester Sutker, IL

Ann and Hy, z”l, Arbesfeld, NY Hadassah and Marvin Bienenfeld, NY Canada Foundation, Israel Joan and Norman Ciment, FL Suzanne and Jacob Doft, NY Naomi and Avery Friedman, Israel

$100,000-$249,999

Education for Giving, Israel David Goldman Charitable Trust, Israel

Gail and Martin Elsant, NY

Harvey Goodstein Foundation, PA

David Goldman Charitable Trust, Israel

Barbara Gordon, NY

Jewish National Fund, Israel

Amy, z”l, and James Haber, NY

The Barbara and Fred Kort Foundation, CA

Norma and Emanuel, z”l, Holzer, NY

Ellen and Emanuel Kronitz, Israel

The Kolatch Family Foundation, NJ

Estate of Marilyn H. Phillips, NY

Ria and Tim Levart, NJ

Joyce and Daniel Straus, NJ

Debbie and Samuel Moed, NJ

Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, MD

Ralph Nachman, z”l, PA

Pauline Zonon, z”l, NY

Barbara and Jules, z”l, Nordlicht, NY Norman and Bettina Roberts Foundation, NJ Lawrence Raphael, z”l, CA Ruth Simon, z”l, NY Robyn Price Stonehill and David Stonehill, NY Dorothy Susskind, z”l, NY Audrey Axelrod Trachtman and Chaim Trachtman, NY Youth Towns of Israel, Israel

As of August 10, 2020. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

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   T 

• O  C

$18,000 - $24,999

Anonymous, MA Anonymous, NY Joseph Abelow, Israel



$36,000 - $49,999

     I  

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AMIT • B 

•

Barbara Bloom, MD

Ruth and Robert Lewis, NY

Grace, Shua and Jacob Ballas

Raquela and Avi Adelsberg, NY

Rita Lowi, CA

Charitable Trust, Israel

Henry Ben Ezra, Israel

Zipporah and Arnold Marans, NY

Natan Ben Natan, Israel

Etella and Haim Marcovici, NY

Kol Hanearim Inc., NY

Aaron and Marie Blackman Foundation, CA

Ann and Yale Baron, NJ

Michael Cleeman, NY

Ike, Molly and Steven Elias Foundation, NY

Beate Frank, z”l, OH

Brenda and Albert, z”l, Kalter, NY

Pnina and Jacob Graff, CA

Keren Yerushalayim, Israel

Pearl & Marty Herskovitz, Israel

Kivunim Foundation, Israel

Hamifal Education Children’s Home, Israel

Sydelle and Robert Kleiman, NY Magbit, Israel Sharon and Morris Silver, CA

Keren DM (Glencor), Israel Sharon and Solomon Merkin, NJ Marilyn and Leon Moed, NY

Anonymous, MA

Nerine Trust Company, Israel

Anonymous, NY

Esther and Donald Press, NY

American Embassy, Israel

Press and Kahane Families, NJ

Rosa and Isaac Cohanzad, CA

Sandra and Evan Roklen, CA

Jewel and Ted Edelman, NY

Shemesh Foundation, Israel

Education for Giving, Israel

Renee Silverstein, z”l, NY

Gazit-Globe, Israel

Helena Inga and Marc Singer, Israel

Harwit Charitable Trust, CA Mildred, z”l, and Alvin Hellerstein, NY

Audrey and Max Wagner, NY

Russell Jay Hendel, MD

Youth Town of Israel, Israel

Kirkland & Ellis LLP, NY Kislev Tuvla Veschar, Israel Gitta and Richard Koppel, Israel

Laurie and Eli Bryk, NY

Marion Crespi, NY

Momentum Engine Growth, Israel

Maureen and Larry Eisenberg, CA

Regina Peterseil, NY

Danielle and Ronald Ellis, Israel

Lauren and Mitchell Presser, NY

Ruth and Gene Fax, MA Eve Finkelstein, Israel

Price Waterhouse Cooper/ Andrew Cristinzio, FL

Lisa Rosenbaum and Ronald Fisher, MA

Jennie and Avi Rothner, IL

Rosalyn and Ira Friedman, NJ

Shirley and Milton Sabin, FL

Judith Isaac and Walter Gadlin, NY

David Shapira Services, Israel

Marisa and Andrew Gadlin, NY

Shemesh Foundation, Israel

Gemstone Cultural Heritage, Israel

Celia and Reuven Sherwin, Israel

Leelah and Joseph Gitler, Israel

Judy and Isaac Sherman, NY

Paulette and Max, z”l, Goldberg, NY

Shibley Righton LLP, Israel

Anne and Sheldon Golombeck, NY

Chana and Daniel Shields, NJ

Paula Yudenfriend and Arlin Green, PA

Deena and Adam Shiff, NY

Shirley Liebowitz, z”l, NY

Anonymous, NY

Rose Hurwitz, z”l, MA

Matanel, Israel

Anonymous, CA

Ithaca United Jewish Community, NY

The Joan S. and Leon Meyers Foundation, NY

Trudy and Ted, z”l, Abramson, FL

Edith and Herman Itzkowitz, PA

Adar Sachar Benlleumi, Israel

Suzanne and Norman Javitt, NY

Amdocs, Israel

Minnie Kaplan, z”l, CA

Arizot Yerushalayim, Israel

Elissa and Thomas Katz, FL

Seed the Dream, PA

Max & Anna Baran, z”l, Ben & Sarah Baran and Milton Baran CA

Joia and Joshua Kazam, NY

Harriet and Heshe Seif, NJ

Debbie and Julio Berger, NY

Keren HaYesod, Israel

Zelda and Solomon Berger, NY

Kibbutz Mishmar HaEmek, Israel

Daisy Berman, z”l, NY

Ruth and Daniel Krasner, NY

Anne Bernstein, CA

Rochelle and Seymour, z”l, Kraut, NJ

Helen and Henry Bienenfeld Foundation, PA

Ruth M. Finglass and Kevin A. Kubach, MD

Barbara and Joel, z”l, Rascoff, NY Phyllis and Arthur Rosenbaum, NY

Amnon Shaashua, Israel Zahava and Moshael Straus, NJ Villar Group, Israel Laurie Latt Wolff and Richard Wolff, NY Morris Zimmerman, NJ

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Ilan Nissan/Goodwin Procter LLP NivGal Inc., Israel North American Conference of Ethiopian Jews, Israel

Michelle and Natalie Horovitz, Israel

New York City Foundation, NY

Mischcon Family Charitable Trust, Israel

Selma and Jacob Dyckman, NY

Anonymous, NY

Nancy and Josh Korff, NY

Migdal Hevra LeBituach, Israel Elana and Shami Minkove, NY

Haruach Halsraeli (The Israel Spirit), Israel

$10,000 - $17,999

Mifalai Matmanot Meuchadim, Israel Judy and Albert Milstein, IL

Howard Heller, MA

Gillian and Robert Zeldin, NJ

The Dorothy Phillips Michaud Charitable Trust, CA

Christian Friends of Yesha Communities, Israel

Adena and Ezra Dyckman, NY

Youth Villages for Advancement and Excellence, Ltd., Israel

Lisa and Leon Meyers, NY

Vanessa and Raymond Chalme, NY

Adina and Marc Dolfman, NY

Jessica Tuchinsky, NY Morris and Sylvia Trachten, z”l, Family Foundation, Israel

Ethlynne and Stephen Brickman, MA

Jone and Allen Dalezman, MA

Rita and Eugene Schwalb, FL

Laura and Jonathan Heller, NY

Max and Sunny Howard Memorial Fund, NY

Bressler/Robbins Foundation, IL

Sarah Liron and Sheldon Kahn, CA

Anonymous, FL

Haotzman Technologies, Israel

Lotte, z”l, and Ludwig Bravmann, NY

Debbie and David Isaac, NY

$25,000 - $35,999

Reginetta Haboucha, NY

Deborah Stern Blumenthal and Michael Blumenthal, NJ

Ruth and Hillel Kellerman, CA

Sally Sidman, IN Beatrice Shustko, z”l, NY Marilyn and Herbert, z”l, Smilowitz, NJ Sondra and Myron Sokal, NY Mary Spector, z”l, FL Naomi and Gary Stein, NY Trudy and Stanley Stern, NY Tishrei Transport, Israel Ina and David Tropper, NY Valium, Israel Hedya Stavisky Weiss, Israel Judy and Morry Weiss/Sapirstein Stone-Weiss Foundation, OH Yoreinu Foundation, Israel Helene and Gerald, z”l, Zisholtz, NY

As of August 10, 2020. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

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   T 

• O  C

$5,000 - $9,999

     I  

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AMIT • B 

•

Sherry and Aaron Eidelman, NY

Harriet and Joel Kaplan, NY

Karen and Roy Simon, NY

Anonymous, FL

Yaffa and Michael Eisenberg, Israel

Elissa and Michael Katz, NJ

Vivian and Solomon, z”l, Rosen, FL

Anonymous, Israel

Sheila and Kenneth Fields, NJ

Rona and Ira Kellman, NY

Gale and Eric Rothner, IL

Anonymous, Israel

Gabriella and David Fridman, NY

Keren Roi, Israel

Beth and Harry Fried, NJ

Rochelle Stern Kevelson, NY

Elizabeth and Gidon Rothstein, NY

Anonymous, NY Anonymous, MD

Lilly and Alfred, z”l, Friedman, NY

Diane and Barry Kirschenbaum, FL

Rene Rothstein Rubin and Seth Zwillenberg, PA

Anonymous, TX

Debbie and Ezra Feuer, NJ

Chani and Steven Klein, NY

Hedda Rudoff, NY

Sarah and Maurice Aghion, MA

Vanessa and Joseph Gad, NY

Nicole and Raanan Agus, NY

Shifra and Perry Garber, NY

Randi Schatz Allerhand and Joseph S. Allerhand, NY

Linda and Norman Garfield, PA

Susan Alter Klaperman, NY Asher Foundation, Israel Lolly and Harris Bak, NY Rachel, z”l, and Martin Balsam, NY Greta Bayer, z”l, CA Jodi and Zvi Benhaim, NY

Rita Geller and Ernest Bloom, IL Randi and Alan Gelman, Israel Abigail and Ari Glass, NY Miriam and Felix Glaubach, NY Shari and Maurice Gluckstadt, NY Esther and Jack Goldman, NY

Tamar and Ethan Benovitz, Israel

Nathan and Louise Goldsmith Foundation, NY

Phyllis and Edward Berkowitz, NY

Aviva and Zev Golombeck, NY

Ellen and Morris Bienenfeld, NJ

Anne and Jerry Gontownik, NJ

Andrea and Bryan Bier, NJ Evelyn and Isaac Blachor, NY

Sandra E. Goodstein and Arthur Rosenblatt, PA

Beth and Reuben Blumenthal, NY

Gorlin Family Foundation, MD

Freda and Elliot Braha, NJ

The Gottesman Fund, NY

Sari and Stuart Braunstein, NY

Sara and Ronald Gottlieb, FL

Adrianne and Leon Brum, FL

Sharon and Melvin Gross, NY

Pearl Caslow, IL

Myrna and Ernest, z”l, Haas, NJ

Margaret, z”l, and Chaim Charytan, NY

Phyllis Hammer, MA

Haim Chera, NY

Samantha and Bobby Harary, NY

Beth Chiger and Neil Sambrowsky, NY

Debbie and Robert Hartman, IL

Michelle Chrein, NY

Deborah Haynes, KS

Barbara and Melvyn Ciment, MD

Debbie and Eddie Herbst, CA

Trina and Paul, z”l, Cleeman, NY

Aviva Hoschander-Sulzberger and Vernon Sulzberger, NY

Daniel Eli Cohen, Israel Sherry and Neil Cohen, NY Shevi and Milton Cohen, NY Diane and Howard Cole, NY Karen and David Cole, NY

Shulamit and Joakim Isaacs, Israel Peggy and Robert Insel, NY Sonia Bodenstein-Izenstark and Ira Izenstark, CA

The Klibanoff Family, NJ Jane Klitsner, Israel Laurie and Robert Koppel, NY Ethan and Ruth Kra, NJ Evelyn and Lawrence Kraut, NJ Edy and Jacob Kupietzky, IL

Esther and William Schulder, NJ Seligsohn Foundation, PA Deanne and Leonard Shapiro, Israel Ruth and Irwin Shapiro, NY

Donna and Jeffrey Lawrence, MD

Jane Shiff, NJ

Diane and David Lent, NY

Mollie Siegel, NJ

Kari and Joshua Levine, NY

Sara and Gabriel Solomon, MD

Jennifer and Fred Levine, NY

Marsha and Jan Spector, GA

Sylvia and Norman Levine, FL

Nancy and Benjamin Sporn, NY

Dorothy and Robert Lewis, NY

Francine and Aaron Stein, NJ

Mindy and Seymour Liebman, NY Jennifer and Marc Lipschultz, NY Audrey and Haskel Lookstein, NY Betsy and Benjamin Lopata, NY Esther Lopata, NY Rita Lourie-Galena, PA & NY

MA Stern, Israel Adina Straus, NY Nechama and Howard Taber, NY Talpiot Religious Children’s Village, Israel Lilly Tempelsman, NY

Rita Lowi, CA

Agudat Beit Sefer Tichon, Israel

Adama Makhteshim, Israel

Marilee and Michael Tolwin, CA

Meira and Solomon, z”l, Max, NY

Sandra, z”l, and Max Thurm, NY

Manette and Louis Mayberg, MD

Bertie and Fred Tryfus, NY

Benay and Ira Meisels, NY

Audrey and Max Wagner, NY

Caroline and Marcelo Messer, NY

Marilyn and Lee Wallach, NY

Gloria and Burton Nusbacher, NY

Paula and Leslie Walter, NY

Reva and Martin Oliner, NY

Anne and Mark Wasserman, NY

Bea and Irwin, z”l, Peyser, NY

Marion and William Weiss, NJ

Hedy and Paul, z”l, Peyser, MD

Roselyn and Walter, z”l, Weitzner, NY

Suzy and Paul Peyser, NY Vicki and Jerry Platt, NY Lillian Pozefsky, z”l, NY

Malky and Bezalel Jacobs, NY

Judy and Jerry Pressner, NY

Arlene and Avrom Doft, NY

Debra Jakubovitz-Fletcher and Tim Fletcher, CA

Joyce and Stanley Raskas, NY

Renee and Harvey Douglen, Israel

Barbara and Manfred Joseph, NY

Elaine and Lewis Dubroff, NY

David Reinhard, FL

Connie and Alan Kadish, NJ

Hattie and Arthur Dubroff, NJ

Reut Foundation, Israel

Hermann Kaiser, NJ

Susan Ederson, NY

Ruth and Jerome Kamerman, NY

Fritzie and Sheldon, z”l, Robinson, IL

Linda and Barry Eichler, PA & NY

Ruth and William, z”l, Kantrowitz, NY

Dexel Factory, Israel

Jan and Sheldon Schechter, NY

Bryna and Joshua Landes, NY

Elaine and Robert Jacobs, NY

Lisa Dardashti, PA

Tammy and Kenny Schaum, NY

Evelyn Reichenthal, TX

Kristina Reiko Cooper and Len Rosen, Israel

As of August 10, 2020. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

Marguerite and Ronald Werrin, PA Joyce and Jeremy Werthheimer, MA Linda and Stanley Weissbrot, IL Linda and Steven Weissman, NY Booky and Jerome Wildes, NY Stella and Samy Ymar, MD Esther and Dov Zeidman, NY Tamar and Benjamin Zeltser, NY Nazim Zilkha/Dechert LLP, NY Eva Zilz, NY

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Chai Society members are a devoted group of donors whose yearly commitment of $1,800 to $4,999 enables AMIT to empower the next generation of Israeli children by giving them the most cutting-edge, Jewish values–based education.

Elaine and Mervin Jacobs, FL Susan Julius, CA Tirza and Sam Kahan, IL Karen Kaplan, IL Marilyn and Ed Kaplan, FL

Anonymous, FL

Sheldon and Debbie Bootin, TX

Rita and Dennis Funk, CA

Rebecca and Avi Katz, NJ

Anonymous, FL

Elana and Aryeh Bourkoff, NY

Debby and Steven Gage, NY

Laura and Daniel Kaufthal, NY

Anonymous, Israel

Ashley and Jared Brecher, NY

Kenneth Gainer, NY

Anonymous, NY

Paula and Joseph Brecher, NY

Barbara and Benjamin Geller, CO

Sally Aaron, IL

Jill and Jonathan Brickman, NJ

Barbara and Steve Geller, IL

Elizabeth and Howard Abramowitz, CA

Yardena and David Brickman, NJ

Debbi and Marc Geller, IL

Leah and Jonathan Adler, NJ

Elaine and Sy Brief, FL

Caron and Steven Gelles, NY

Myrna and Charles Alpert, NY

Esther Cardash, IL

Sharon and Seymour Gertz, IL

Beth and Brad Alter, IL

Mark Chass, Israel

Janet and Gilad Gevaryahu, PA

Ann Holstein and Edwin Altman, PA

Benjamin Cohanzad, CA

Naomi and Stanley Goldis, PA

Daniel Altshuler, CA

Michael Cohanzad, CA

Laura and Joseph Goldman, MD

Estelle and Jacob Apelberg, MD

Hedy and Morris Cohen, PA

Shira and Gadi Goldress, NY

Akiva Armon, Israel

Leora and Jason Cohen, FL

Alan Goldsmith, VA

Roberta and Alan David Aronoff, NY

Wendy and Sanford Cohen, FL

Yonina and Eric Gomberg, NY

Association of American and

Donna Dalnekoff, Israel

Daniela and Zev Gontownik, NJ

Canadians in Israel, Israel

Judy and Michael Daniels, IL

Florence Goodman, OH

Viven and Bernard Auerbach, Israel

Amy and Gary Davis, TX

Aviva and Justin Gordon, IL

Ayco Charitable Foundation, NY

Michael Diamond, NY

Rita Gordonson, NY

Yaela and Neil Baine, PA

Alan Docter, FL

Norman Green, CA

Mizrahi Tefachot Bank, Israel

Yaniv Dorani, Israel

Eudice Greenfield, IL

Sarah Leah and Nachum Barishansky, NJ

Stan Dorman, MD

Goldie and Alex Gross, Israel

Alyssa and Daniel Barzideh, NJ

Phyllis Dworsky, z”l, MD

Linda Grossman, GA

Kenneth Eckstein, NY Debbie and Richard Eisenberg, NY

Robyn Horowitz and Yehoshua Grossman, NJ

Phyllis and Joseph Eisenman, NJ

Felice and Michael Grunberger, MD

Pearl Elias, PA

Arie Halpern, z”l, NJ

Dr. Francoise Engel, MD

Marjorie and Charles Hamaoui, NY

Elliot Feinerman, Israel

Barbara and George Hanus, IL

Sherry and Mark Fessel, NY

Laurie and Bernard Hasten, IL

Naomi and Daniel Feuer, NJ

Milton Heching, NJ

Estelle Fink, z”l, Israel

Ellen and John Hellman, Israel

Jeanne Finkelstein, FL

Fred Hidary, NY

Harriet and George Blank, NJ

Fischer, Behar, Chen, Well, Orion & Co., Israel

Rivkie and Lance Hirt, NY

Sandra and Howard Blank, NJ

Sharon and Jeffrey Fishman, CA

Sara and Josh Bleier, PA

The Roseman Foundation, NC

Chanie and Barry Holzer, NY

Farrah and Moshe Blinder, NY

Michelle and Stefan Frank, NY

Roni and Yehuda Blinder, NJ

Shani and Sam Frank, NY

Lois Blumenfeld and Norman Sohn, NJ

Sharon and Michael Freudenstein, NY

Jill and David Blumenthal, NY Bnei Hachomot, Israel

David Battat, NY Henri Bengualid – Bengualid Foundation, NY Joan and Shael Bellows, IL Beatrice Berger, NJ Diane and Noah Berkowitz, NY Sylvia Berns, Israel Beth and Samuel Bernstein, NJ BGNY Management, Israel Evelyn and Saul Bienenfeld, FL

Robin and Mark Hoenig, NJ Marianna and Michael Horn, MD Chani and Jonathan Hornblass, NY

Craig Keebler, WA Judy and Abraham Keehn, NY Marjorie and Steven Kellner, NY Gloria and Sanford Kestenbaum, Israel Cherly and Albert Khodari, CA Anna and Steven Kirshblum, NJ Kivunim Foundation, Israel Sue and Jordan Klein, IL Shirley Knox, FL Beverly Kogut, TX Miriam and Louis Kolom, IL Rachel and Bryan Koplow, NH Deborah Peacock and Nate Korn, NM Susan and Saul Koss, MD Eva Kowalski, CA Shani and David Kramer, NJ Debbi and Lee Krantzow, NJ Diane Kranz, NY Rebecca and Emilio Krausz, NY Sara and Alan Kravitz, NY Mark Kristoff, CT Shelley and Stanley Kroll, IL Suri and David Kufeld, NY Rachel and Shawn Langer, NJ Cheryl and Lee Lasher, NJ Ayal Latz, Israel Carole and Manny Lax, FL Oshrat and Noam Leibovitz, Israel Helen Leiderman, NY Esther and Paul Lerer, NJ Jodi and Elie Levine, NY Joel Levine, CA Jane Levy, NY Margaret and Andrew Levy, NJ

Michael Horovitz, Israel

Aviva and Nate Lichtenstein, IL Shari and Nathan Lindenbaum, NJ

Reva and Mark Friedman, Israel

Nancy Isserman-Horwitz and Joel Horwitz, PA

Roslyn and Joel Linderman, CA

Avrohom and Renee Fruchthandler, NJ

TWINCO Inc., TX

KC and Leslie Littner, Israel

As of August 10, 2020. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

50

Julie and Richard Lobel, NJ

Miriam and Bernie Neuman, IL

Janet Sasson, CA

Elbit Systems, Israel

Naomi and Carl Lopkin, MA

Betty and Harold Neustadter, Israel

Melodie and Martin Scharf, NY

Marion Talansky, Israel

Melvin Lubin, NJ

Bernice and Oscar Novick, IL

Shirley and Matthew Schein, Israel

Hope and David Taragin, MD

Allie and Alex Luxenberg, NY

Reena and Raphael Novogrodsky, NJ

Elaine and Saul Schreiber, Israel

Susan and Robert Taub, NY

Vered Mahani, Israel

Bobbie and Jerry Nussbaum, IL

Keryn and David Schreiber, IL

Paul Tramontano, CT

Iris and Shalom Maidenbaum, NY

Sarah Okon, MA

Zelda Schuman, Israel

Sylvia and Avi Tuchman, MA

Diana and David Makkabi, CA

Alissa and Abraham Ossip, NY

Scope Metals Group, Ltd., Israel

Careena and Drew Parker, NJ

Jamie and Scott Seligsohn, PA

Joy and Michael Volk, CA

Fegi Mauer, IL Naomi Mayer, NY

Brenda and Edward Parver, NY

Ellen Werner and Elliot Shaller, MD

Pegi and Gerard Medioni, CA

Ronnie and Joshua Penn, CA

Sharon and Rony Shapiro, MA

Shoshana Quint and Jonathan

Pia and Stuart Pollack, PA

Susan Shapiro, NY

Melmed, NY

Epiphany Prayer, Israel

Keren Shlioh, Israel

Dinah and Andrew Mendes, NY

Sheila and Jack Prince, FL

Yaffi and Yoseph Shmidman, Israel

Jenny Michael, NY

Daphna and Daniel Raskas, MD

Helene and Jack Shrago, NE

Hymen Milgrom, Israel

Daphne and Joshua Rawson, NY

Aviv and Relli Siegel, CA

Debbie and Robert Miller, Israel

Shuli and Avi Rockoff, MA

Darina and Andrew Silverman, NY

Ellen Miller, Israel

Keren Roi, Israel

Henry Soussan, WA

Maxine Miller, Israel

Ilan Rom, Israel

Minoo Southgate, NY

Marcy and Sheldon Millman, NJ

Marcia and Philip Rosen, NJ

Phyllis and Mark Speiser, NY

Renee and Leonard Minsky, FL

Miriam and Howard Rosenblum, NJ

Sydelle Spero, Israel

Michelle and Mitchell Weitzner, NJ

Rhonda and Michael Mont, MD

Ellen and Eric Roskes, MD

Rena and Bruce Spinowitz, NY

Shlomzion Malka Wertman, Israel

Vera and Robert Moreen, PA

Sarah and Jeff Rosner, PA

Marilyn Stadtmauer, NY

Douglas C. Williams, CA

Miriam Muskin, OH

Leah and Arnold Rotter, CA

Elizabeth Straus, NY

Rebecca and Daniel Wolf, NJ

Jessica and Jason Muss, NY

Lena Russo, NJ

Claire and David Subar, Israel

Yephtah NPO, Israel

Judith Goldberg Ness and Seth Ness, NJ

Rhoda and Stephen Sand, PA

Naomi and Ira Sved, PA

Bibsi and David Zuckerbrot, Israel

Sylvia Sanker, z�l, NY

Esther and Henry Swieca, NY

Religious Zionists of America, NY

Tamar and Samuel Wald, MA Hindy Walfish, Israel Marilyn and Lee Wallach, NY Yael Weinreb, CA Esther and Baruch Weinstein, NY Shirley Weinstein, NY Barbara and Michael Weiss, NY Cathy and Allan Weiss, NJ Lillian and Sherwyn Weiss, FL Rita and Howard Weiss, NY Elaine and Mark Weitzman, NY

As of August 10, 2020. We apologize if your name was inadvertently left off this list.

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