JEC honors pillars of community and a 'good heart' 

By Jason Cohen

July 4, 2008

Rabbi Elazar Mayer and Mrs. Elisheva Teitz were honored at the Jewish Educational Center's 68th Annual Testimonial Dinner for 50 years of dedicated service to the community. 

The event, at which Larry Seidman also received the Lev Tov award for donating a kidney to save a young woman's life, took place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island June 25. All of the proceeds from the evening went to scholarships for students.

"I would like to thank everyone for coming here tonight and giving me the opportunity to serve you," Teitz said. "I would also like to thank my wife who wouldn't serve supper until I came home."

"I really hope that I am worthy of the things that have been said, that I haven't stepped on too many toes, and I hope to see continued growth in the community," he added.

Teitz's father, Rav Pinchas Teitz, saw the need for a yeshiva in Elizabeth when his son was born. After attending the JEC he went to Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in Brooklyn. He graduated from Telshe High School in Cleveland, after he went to Israel to study at Ponevez Yeshiva in B'nai Brak.

While in Israel he studied privately with Rav Michael Feinstein, son-in-law of the Brisker Rav, Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik. After three years of learning he received his Yoreh Yoreh Yadin smicha from Rabbi Issac Herzog, then chief rabbi of Israel. He then attended Ner Yisroel in Baltimore and concurrently obtained a master's degree in education from Loyola College. In 1958 he married Elisheva and was named associate rabbi and associate dean of the JEC. He held that position until his father passed away in 1995, at which time he became the dean of the school and Rav of the Elizabeth/Hillside Kehillah. Additionally, he also obtained his master's and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Yeshiva University.

One of the Teitzes' five children, Rabbi Eliyahu Teitz, said his parents are a conservation of personalities, but more importantly the rebbetzin isn't just a wife of a leader, she is his mother, Eliyahu said. 

He said growing up, every moment was a teaching moment.

"I used to ask my mother to fix my shirt for me or to read me a story at night and instead of doing it for me, she would show me how," Eliyahu said. "So I learned how to sew and how to do many other things because growing up my mother believed in teaching and not simply doing things for us, which I thank her for."

The Teitz family had a thing called the "drive-by dinner."

"Because family was the most important thing to my father, he would leave his office on his way home for dinner and call home, and as soon as he called my mother would get dinner ready," Eliyahu said. "Even if he was invited to another house for dinner, Shabbos, or a bar mitzvah, he would only go if all of his family could come."

The Teitzes' children blended tradition and technology as they gave their parents each a laptop and on CD ROM Bar Ilan, which includes the full text of the Bible and its principal commentaries, the Babylonian Talmud with Rashi's commentary and Tosafot, the Jerusalem Talmud, the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides, Shulchan Aruch with commentaries, Midrashim, and the Talmudic Encyclopedia, representing a period of more than 3,000 years of Jewish literary creativity.

Mrs. Teitz will be retiring this year after nearly 50 years as an educator at the JEC and its Bruriah High School for Girls. She fell into teaching by accident when a mid-year vacancy had to be filled. She had been a favorite among her students when she taught science and Judaic studies. She obtained her bachelor's degree in biology at Stern College for Women and a master's degree in Hebrew literature from New York University. In 2004, she was named Educator of the Year by the JEC.

Maddy Hoffman, of Hillside, is one of the original members of the Monday night chevrusa -- a class for women that the Mrs. Teitz started 15 years ago.

"When it started out, we would learn what we wanted and she would guide us, but as the class evolved she began to lead the class," Hoffman said. "She made me realize the depth of learning, she's amazing."

She said honoring the Teitzes was the right thing to do.

"They both deserve it and they are very special to me," Hoffman said. "Also she has always been there for me; she's a mentor and a friend."

'If you save one Jewish life ...'

Also during the evening, Rabbi Teitz presented Larry Seidman with the Lev Tov Award.

"If you save one Jewish life, then you save the whole world, and Larry you have accomplished that," Teitz said.  

On a Friday afternoon last year while reading The Jewish Press, Seidman noticed an ad for a woman that needed a kidney. It was for 27-year-old Rachaeli Yifrach of Brooklyn.

"As soon as I saw the ad I responded by calling the number listed, saying I wanted to donate my kidney," he said. "My family thought I was crazy, but I assured them it was the right thing to do."

He thought of his father, Morris, who passed away five years ago from kidney failure, and realized that if he couldn't help him he should help her.

Seidman said, "I am very thankful that I donated my kidney to her, and if I didn't do it who knows what would have happened to her."

Yifrach had kidney problems since the age of 2 and by the age of 16 had kidney transplants twice from organ donors, but she was told by doctors that her only chance to live was from a live donor.

"So after finding out that my kidney and her's were matches, we went to Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore on August 28 for an eight-hour surgery," Seidman said. "When I woke up, I asked how Rachaeli was, and they said she was doing fine, and I was so happy."

Seidman said he was never nervous because he knew he was doing the right thing.

"I am a better person for her; she taught me life is important not money or cars," Seidman said.

JEC instructors L. Goldberg and R. Maccabee said they were honored to have come there as part of a token of appreciation to Rabbi Teitz. 

Anne and Shmuel Leifer of Fair Lawn, whose five daughters attended Bruriah, said they came to honor the rabbi and the rebbetzin.

"They made wonderful contributions to Jewish education and especially to our daughters," the Leifers said. 

Immediate past president of the JEC Marty Knecht and his wife Miriam of Elizabeth said it was unlike the other past dinners because it was very personal, not too formal.

"His son's presentation blended in with the evening, but more importantly the one person who arranged it and made sure the evening would be so special and personal was Rabbi Teitz, who is the most humble person that I know, but runs away from honor," the Knechts said. 

Brenda Strashun, a resident of Hillside and board member of Adath Israel in Elizabeth, has lived in Elizabeth as long as the Teitzes have been there.

"They exemplify selfless devotion, humility, honesty, and tonight all of the community is showing their appreciation for the rabbi," Strashun said.  

Strashun said Seidman is a hero.

"I'm very happy to be honoring him and I hope he inspires other people with what he did," Strashun said.

"They are the pillars of the community and it is a thrill to share in their honor tonight," said Sandy Waldman of Elizabeth. "I am very fond of both of them and I am truly privileged to be part of their community."