MAYHS event honors chesed and service to community
By Seth Mandel
Feb. 29, 2008

Usually, the Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School Annual Dinner features four awardees in three categories. But the school's focus on chesed and community service has churned out students, teachers, and parents who share those values, leading to a unique program at this year's event, according to school officials.

The school will honor seven couples with a Spirit of Community Service award, induct four graduates into its new Chesed Society, as well as recognize a teacher of the year at the March 9 event.

"These are people who are not only dedicated to MAYHS, but to their own community, and really take the whole concept of community and chesed very, very seriously," Dinner Coordinator Melissa Kohn Rosen said of the Community Service honorees. "They're wonderful models for their children, they're wonderful models for their community, and they really represent what MAYHS stands for; chesed and community are a very important part of the school's culture. So we thought that it was time to change the format a little bit and do this."

Rosen said the school hasn't decided to make this a permanent awards program at the Annual Dinner, but that school officials felt it was a good time to honor parents from the many different Jewish communities of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York that are served by MAYHS.

The Spirit of Community Service awardees are: Susan and Yaakov Bagley of Cherry Hill, Phyllis and Elliot Denenberg of East Brunswick, Pearl and Alan Haarburger of Manalapan, Nora and Arthur Horn of East Windsor, Melinda and Allen Lempel of Lakewood, Shayna and Craig Prupis of Highland Park, and Laura and Sid Stadler of Staten Island.

Rosen said the dinner will formally inaugurate the first members of the school's new Chesed Society; though the four inductees are graduates of MAYHS, Rosen said the society is open to students as well.

"These are people who have gone above and beyond the actual requirements for the society," Rosen said. "Because these four alumni have shown such dedication to their community, we decided this would be a wonderful way to kick off the society."

Rosen said the school has a graduation requirement of 30 hours of chesed work per year each student is at MAYHS. Many of the students, she said, go above and beyond their requirements, and those students will now become members of the Chesed Society.

This year's inductees, Rosen said, not only went above and beyond what they were asked as students, but continue to show outstanding dedication to chesed.

"They do the most unique things, and they've been involved with such varied activities all to help the community in different ways," Rosen said. "So they internalize that environment at MAYHS and the lessons that MAYHS provided them with, and realized that it wasn't just an obligation so that you can graduate, but a way of life. And that's why we've chosen those four alumni."

The four inductees are: Dovid Wildman, class of 2001; Sharon Shmuel Golubchik, class of 2003; Jenny Blain, class of 2005; and Alex Pudles, class of 2005.

Although the school usually awards a teacher of the year, Rosen said that this year's recipient, Rabbi Avraham Krawiec, is an appropriate choice for a ceremony that is celebrating chesed and community service.

"It works out beautifully, because he really is such an incredible dugmah, an incredible role model, for students doing chesed work," Rosen said. "He really dedicates himself in so many ways to bettering the community and the wonderful relationships he's formed with students."

Aside from his academic work, Krawiec makes himself available to students who need advice or just someone to talk to, Rosen said.

"He's just wonderful," she said.

The school is expecting more than 300 people to attend the dinner, which will take place Sunday, March 9 at Shadowbrook in Shrewsbury. The buffet dinner begins at 6 p.m., and tickets are still available, at $136 each. Rosen said anyone looking to put an ad in the dinner journal may still do so up to March 7, by contacting her at (732) 613-7460, or by email at adjournal@mayhs.org.

Marcie and Bernie Leff are the event's chairs.

The following offer some background of the dinner's honorees:

The Spirit of Community Service

Yaakov and Susan Bagley have lived in Cherry Hill for 18 years and have been active members of the Jewish community. They have been involved in various activities including adult education, Jewish Federation, Jewish Geriatric Home, Mikvah Association, and Politz Day School. The Bagleys have three sons, Avi, Dani, and Ilan. All attended the Politz Day School in Cherry Hill, and Avi and Dani are currently students at MAYHS. Avi will be graduating this June, and plans to study in Israel next year.

Phyllis and Elliot Denenberg live in East Brunswick. Phyllis is the director of the JCC of North and South Brunswick Nursery School and Day Camp. Phyllis has taught Jewish preschool and religious school children ages 2-5 for more than 15 years. Elliot is the owner of iConverted Video and Audio in Highland Park and was the manager of PC computer support for 15 years at Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick. He was a board member at Young Israel of East Brunswick for 10 years and is past president and past vice president. Phyllis and Elliot have lived in East Brunswick for over 22 years and have 4 children; Ariana is a senior at Stern College, Michael is a sophomore at the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University (graduated MAYHS class of 2006), Bryan is a junior at MAYHS, and Josh is a freshman at Rabbi Tietz Mesivta Academy.

Pearl and Alan Haarburger have resided in Manalapan for the past 16 years. The Haarburgers believe that their most important role in life has been to raise their children with a love of God and Torah, and with a deep respect for their fellow man. Toward that end, the Haarburger family became involved in the Jewish Community of Manalapan, where Alan and Pearl became active members of their Shul, Congregation Sons of Israel. In keeping with this theme, Alan became one the first members of the community to become active in the Kollel of Manalapan upon its arrival in 1997. Most recently, seeing the growth of the Jewish Community, Pearl and Alan became active at the Jewish Learning Community Synagogue, where Alan has served as the Chair of the Eruv Committee. Their eldest son, Robert, graduated from MAYHS this past June. Presently, he is spending his freshman year of college studying at Yeshivat Sha'arei Mevaseret Zion in Israel. Thereafter, Robert will plans on attending Touro College-Lander College for Men in Kew Gardens Hills, N.Y. Their youngest son, Scott, is presently a sophomore at MAYHS.

Arthur and Nora Horn have been pillars of the Twin Rivers Jewish community for the past 25 years. They have been active of members of Congregation Toras Emes, the community shul. Arthur served the shul in a number of roles including president, vice-president, board member, and newsletter editor. Nora has been involved in education for the past 30 years. Aside from teaching English at MAYHS, she has also taught at the college and elementary school levels as well. She is currently the General Studies principal at Shalom Torah Academy, a feeder school to MAYHS. The Horns have four children; their youngest, Aaron, currently a senior at Yeshiva University, is a 2003 graduate of MAYHS. Their son and daughter-in-law, Rabbi Jesse and Mrs. Tara Horn, live in the Old City in Jerusalem with their two children, Moshe and Eliana. Their daughter and son-in-law, Judy and Barry Goldgrab, live in West Hempstead, N.Y., with their two children, Ahava and Abba Tzvi. Their daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Jason Cyrulnik live in Riverdale with their little boy Micah.

Melinda and Allen Lempel have been part of MAYHS for the past four years. In 1985, when it was time to enroll their oldest child in school, Melinda and Allen decided to move to Lakewood where Allen set up his Internal Medicine practice, developing a special interest in Geriatrics, Hospice, and Palliative Medicine. The family has since become an integral part of the Lakewood community and involved members of the Congregation Sons of Israel where Allen has served as president. Jared, their eldest son, is married to Tammy and living in Kew Garden Hills; daughter Steffie is married to Yossi and living in Teaneck with their adorable baby girl, Moriel. Matthew, their youngest son, attends MAYHS and is a vital part of the senior class.

Shayna and Craig Prupis have lived in the Edison/Highland Park community since 1977. They are members of Congregation Ohav Emeth in Highland Park and Congregation Ohr Torah in Edison. In 2007, Shayna was RPRY's co-chair for the Israeli Day Parade. She has been involved for years with the local Bikur Cholim chapter, doing their bi-monthly mailings, and has been on the board of the Highland Park/Edison Mikvah for years, serving presently as the recording secretary. Shayna had served on the board of MAYHS last year as recording secretary. Craig has been a blood drive captain at the Bank of New York, Cub Scout liaison for Ohav Emeth, Edison and Highland Park little league coach, manager of the Ohav Emeth/Ohr Torah men's softball team, and co-commissioner of the Jewish Federation of Greater Middlesex County softball league. He has also been on the Board of Directors at RPRY and an officer at Ohav Emeth. Recently, Craig has become politically active in Edison, and had served three terms as a committeeman. They have five children. Asher, 26, had been living in Israel for the past six years in Tzfat, Efrat, and Jerusalem. Hinda, 24, recently married to Tzvi Friedman this past July, teaches 7th grade limudei kodesh at Bnos Bracha in Passaic. Yaacov, 22, has been living in Israel for the past four years. He was learning, and through a hesder program, served in the Israeli IDF. At HASC, this past summer, he met his bashert, Hila Cassel, and they were married in January. Ruchail, 19, is a 2007 graduate of MAYHS, where she was involved in various sports teams. She is currently in Israel at Midreshet Yeud, hoping to attend college in the fall. Binyamin, 11, is in sixth grade in Yeshiva Sha'arei Tzion. He has been a regular at Saturday night mishmar at RPRY, and most recently at Avos U'Banim at the Agudah in Highland Park.

Sid and Laura Stadler are the proud parents of Chezky, their "ben zekunim" and current sophomore at MAYHS, the Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School. In addition, they have four married children, including Mrs. Sarah Solomont, also an alum of MAYHS, who currently resides in Israel with her husband, Yehuda. Both Sid and Laura hail originally from Brooklyn; Laura from old East Flatbush, and Sid from Brownsville -- a place and time which has special meaning to him. They have called Staten Island their home since 1973. In 1975 they became founders of the Young Israel of Eltingville -- the cornerstone of Eltingville's Jewish communal life. Sid has been president of the shul for many years. Over the years, Sid and Laura have brought a number of young people into their home who either felt the brunt of a broken family life or who experienced personal hardship and needed a source of guidance and care. If Sid is the community's leader, Laura is everyone's mom. Having their grandchildren nearby is a tremendous source of nachas and they play highly active roles in the lives of their Einiklach.

Teacher of the Year

More than 10 years ago, when Rabbi Avraham Krawiec saw a sign posted in the Lakewood Yeshiva asking for those interested in working for Project Hemshech, the idea intrigued him. Learning and working with students has always been Rabbi Krawiec's dream. After working for three years as a teacher and mentor for Project Hemshech, Rabbi Krawiec was brought on staff at MAYHS. His hiring had an immediate impact on the students of Moshe Aaron. Rabbi Krawiec's love for each and every one of his students along with his total dedication to the success of his talmidim has earned him this year's Teacher of the Year Award. Rabbi Krawiec's work goes well beyond the classroom. Having students at his home for Shabbos, encouraging his talmidim to attend Yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel and building relationships with his students that continue to last until this day are just some of the attributes that have earned Rabbi Krawiec such recognition. Rabbi Krawiec attended Yeshiva Torah Temima, Teshiva gedolah of Passaic, Yeshivas Brisk of Yerushalayim, Beth Medrash Govoha of Lakewood and learned in the Lakewood Kollel for two years. His wife, Chanie, is a supportive partner in everything Avraham does and has gone out of her way to allow him to continue his avodas hakodesh. Chanie is a graduate of Machon Beis Yaakov high School and Seminary. They are the very proud parents of Raizy, Mendy, Tzippy, and Ephraim.

MAYHS Chesed Society-Alumni Inductees

As a student at MAYHS, being a part of the extra-curricular activities the school had to offer was something Alex Pudles always enjoyed. Whether being the goalie for the varsity hockey team, the editor for the Weekly D'var Torah Newsletter, or vice president of the SGO, he always managed to keep himself busy. But it was not only these projects in which he had the opportunity to be involved, he always did his best to take part in the chesed projects taking place around the school, whether it was the YACHAD Carnival, School Shabbaton, Goods-and-Service Auction, or the Od Yosef Chai Collection. When not in school, you could almost always find Alex running a Shabbaton or other project for the NCSY New Jersey Region, as he served in various positions from the president of the Lakewood chapter building his way up to president of the entire region. Currently, Alex is studying in Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Md., as part of a joint program with Johns Hopkins' Carey Business School. Alex continues to be involved in acts of Chesed, currently serving as the Yeshiva's Chairperson for their Annual Tzedakah Drive.

A half a decade after leaving MAYHS, Sharon (Shmuel) Golubchik has taken her MAYHS roots and continues to apply them to her life today. Sharon is married to Yosef Golubchik and recently gave birth to her son, Shlomo. They are currently living in Teaneck, where her husband serves as the NCSY Teaneck City Director. Since graduating from MAYHS, Sharon spent a year in Israel studying at Michlelet Mevaseret Yerushalayim and graduated cum laude from Stern College with a degree in English Communications: Public Relations. Immediately following graduation, Sharon started working at MWW Group, one of the top 10 public relations firms in the country, and has been working there for about a year. As a MAYHS student, Sharon was on the drama, model United Nations, and debate teams. She also participated in various chesed events including YACHAD Day at MAYHS and served as an advisor on MAYHS Shabbatons following her graduation from high school. In addition, throughout her years in high school and college, Sharon maintained a Web site to which she constantly added tehillim names. In conjunction with the website, she would send out weekly, sometimes daily, tehillim e-mails to hundreds of people.

Jenny Blain graduated from MAYHS in 2005. She then studied for almost two years in the seminary Shaalvim for Women in Jerusalem.She now lives in Israel and is studying education at the college Michlalah Yerushalayim, in addition to being a counselor at Mercaz Tiferet, a post-high school seminary for girls.In the past, she has organized Red Cross blood drives for her community, volunteered for her shul and for NCSY. Jenny now volunteers at two soup kitchens and is working on a campaign to spread brotherly love among the Jewish people and is always ready to lend a helping hand to whoever needs it.

David Raphael Wildman of Edison, graduated from both Yeshiva University with a BA in Pre-Engineering and Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences with a BS in Electrical Engineering (magna cum laude). At Yeshiva University, David was President of the Israel Club, served as a School Senator, helped lead an anti-genocide Darfur campaign, and was opinions editor of The Commentator, the YU student newspaper. During his time at Columbia, he participated in a Hurricane Katrina relief mission to New Orleans, and assisted in the design of an inexpensive, energy-efficient lantern for use in developing African nations. Prior to starting Yeshiva University, David spent two years studying at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel. There, he was involved in a program to disburse warm food to Israeli soldiers patrolling the area. David attended Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School from 1997-2001, where he served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, spearheaded the effort to create the school Web site, and was a member of the championship-winning chess, debate, and mock trial teams. He was honored at graduation with the designation of valedictorian of his senior class.