Shomrei Torah Officers

Our honorees, Beverly and Allen Bloom, Bette and Yossi Herbert and Juliana and Elie Addi, have given our Shomrei Torah family contributions we can all be proud of. !eir ladder of life has included Shabbat and Yom Tov as well as the beauty of everyday life. !e health care of young and old and connections to teaching and "nance have rounded out their support to Shomrei Torah. From the fun and romance to the mystical realm we wish them all a deserved Mazel Tov and thank them for all their hard work. Jeff and Kathi Packard and family Rabbi Benjamin Yudin Rabbinic Assistant Andrew Markowitz Shomrei Torah Officers President Michael Glass Executive Vice President Oren Hiller Administrative Vice President Barry Gore Fundraising Vice President Milty Frank Financial Vice President Jay Tepp Financial Secretary Ed Kutin Corresponding Secretary Rizi Harris Recording Secretary Yair Oppenheim Dinner Committee Dinner Co-Chairs Dena Heller Lillie Mentzel Solicitation Chairman Norman Beckoff Solicitation Committee Mendy Aron David Heiser Yair Oppenheim Roy Barth William Hochman Joel Pogolowitz Michael Bodner Steve Kern Bernie Rothwachs Michael Breban Jerry Kranson Marc Schoenbrun Milty Frank Jeff Lebowitz David Schwartz Sid Goldschmidt Zvi Loewy Peter Weissmann Barry Gore Stu Mentzel Paul Wertman Michael Gottlieb Jack Nussbaum Michael Zimbalist Treasurer Michele Blatt Arrangements Chairpeople: Sylvia Boussi, Doris Eis, Reina Wertman RSVP: Ruth Lerner Committee: Honny Aron, Marilyn Barth, Claire Hirschhorn, Patrice Schoenbrun, Shevi Yudin Tribute Journal Chairperson: Oren Hiller Committee: Ann Brodsky, Naomi Cohen, Claire Hirschhorn, Deena Jarashow, Ruth Lerner, Nehama Zofan, Enon Avital Cover Artwork Publicity Jeffrey Packard Esther Silvestri Video Maury Heller Photography Roy Barth Gil Irwin Honorees Guests of Honor Beverly and Allen Bloom David I. Goldberg Ohr Hachesed Award Bette and Yossi Herbert Young Leadership Award Juliana and Elie Addi Rabbi Yudin’s Message Beverly and Allen Bloom Guests of Honor It is interesting to note that regarding As $owers decorate a room, and the forthcoming Yom Tov of Shavuos, create a brighter and more cheerful there are no speci"c biblical mitzvos environment, so too have Beverly and such as sukkah, shofar or matzah. Allen been the “blooms” of our However, this holiday is replete with Shomrei To r a h f a m i l y a n d minhagim--customs. One of the community, always charming and customs that the Rama O.C. (494:3) enhancing our environment. Allen, brings is that of decorating the through his vocation, is most helpful synagogue and home with greens and in working towards beauti"cation of $owers on Shavuos. !e primary our Shul, and takes great pride in reason given is to remember that always extending a helping hand. He Hashem bedecked the mountain with and Beverly are literally "like a good greens, as the Torah stipulated that neighbor”--they are there! they were to cordon off Mount Sinai at the time of the revelation, Moreover, everyone enjoys $owers, as preventing the animals from grazing they were put in this world to at the time of the actual revelation. beautify it, through their beauty and scent. Similarly, Beverly and Allan, On a deeper level, the $owers through their optimism, warmth, blooming represent the encouraging genuine concern and openness, message of the prophet Isaiah (51:3) possess the characteristics to be "for Hashem will comfort Zion, He admired by all. shall comfort all her ruins, He shall make a wilderness like Eden and May Hashem bless them and their her wasteland like a garden of wonderful family with this radiance Hashem.” With Torah, a wasteland and ability to inspire others for many can be transformed into a garden; years to come. without Torah, an Eden can become a wilderness. Rabbi Yudin’s Message Bette and Yossi Herbert David I. Goldberg Ohr Hachesed Award Among the minhagim that are Hachesed honorees. Yossi and Bette prevalent on Shavuos is the minhag to each in their respective realm of the stay awake all night and study Torah. medical profession bring honor and !e origin of this practice is not only dignity to their speci"c careers. !e to show our excitement and amazing thing is that so many turn anticipation for this upcoming event, to them for advice and counsel in to relive revelation, but to perhaps realms outside of neurology and neo- rectify the past, when our ancestors natalogy. !ey are always available did sleep on the night prior to the with patience and sage counsel. !ey giving of the Torah. Tshuvah can personify what we recite daily in the undo one’s personal misdeeds, and Psukei D'zimra, Psalm (147:3): "He is according to Yuma (86B), accidental the healer of the broken-hearted, and sins can be transformed to virtuous One who binds up their wounds.” acts. !us, on the national historical First, God addresses the individual perspective we can alter the past. and their dignity, and then the speci"c medical challenge. Bette and !e Torah that we study is called in Yossi ful"ll the 611th commandment the "Aishes Chayel" Toras chesed. !e of walking in the ways of Hashem, Talmud Sukkah (49B) asks, is there a and emulating His characteristics. Torah of chesed and one devoid of chesed? !e answer given is that a I pray that in good health they Torah shared is a Torah of chesed, continue to serve as friends and and one that is kept to oneself is a con"dants to so many, and in keeping Torah without chesed. with the maxim of Midah K'neged Midah, as they extend themselves We are honored to celebrate tonight sel$essly on behalf of so many, may with Dr. Yossi and Bette Herbert, this they derive much nachas from their year's David I. Goldberg Ohr wonderful family for many years to come. Rabbi Yudin’s Message Juliana and Elie Addi Young Leadership Award !e holiday of Shavuos i s !e Addis are a representation of characterized and charged by the Shavuos all year long. Elie is always to excitement that was implanted by our be found with his volume of Talmud. ancestors, when they responded to Despite his busy schedule at home Hashem with Naaseh V'Nishma - we and on the basketball court, he keeps will do and we will listen. At "rst up with the Daf Ha-Yomi. Juliana is glance, this is most difficult to the personi"cation of Naaseh V'nishma understand. Every parent will recall excitement and enthusiasm. !ey reprimanding their child by saying, showcase the community by hosting "Why don't you listen before you many new visiting families to act?” If so, what could Bnei Yisroel Shomrei Torah, and give them a have meant with their commitment to warm taste of Fair Lawn. !ey do prior to listening? network to ensure that young families that move to our community are well- !e Bais Halevi understands this to integrated and introduced to all. mean that of course one has to know what to do "rst. Here, however, the As Moshe told Pharaoh (Shemos, Jewish nation was pledging to study 10:9), "With our youngsters and our Torah Lishma, for the sake of elders shall we go to serve Hashem." studying Torah. Naaseh--we will do-- With young and old together, Juliana implies they will have studied the and Elie have beautifully merged both particulars of the mitzvah to perform segments of our congregation and for it. Subsequently, there is still the this we salute them tonight. mitzvah of Nishmah, to study that mitzvah for the sake of studying Torah. Assistant Rabbi !is upcoming Shabbat we will read about the counting of the Jewish people in the desert. !is counting was performed based on the encampment of the Jewish people in the Midbar represented by their $ags. Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky observes that this setting up of the camps was done in the second month of the second year. Why wasn't this done immediately after they left Egypt? Rav Yaakov explains that in principle creating the Degalim ($ags) was a dangerous. By dividing up a group of people with each one having their own banner and distinct place could naturally lead to separation amongst the Tribes. However, if all of the groups have the same goal, and each contributes to the cause in its own unique way, this danger doesn't exist. !is way various groups can work together towards their mutual goal. !e Mishkan was only put up in Nissan of the second year. Hashem wanted to wait until the Mishkan was built and became the focal point of life in the Midbar. Only then was it safe to give a clear identity to each Shevet, once the Mishkan became the center of the lives and hearts of the young Jewish nation. When the Klal realizes that they are all working for something bigger Message Cont’d than any one individual, then and only then can there be a unity and completeness in the Jewish people. !is evening, we honor Beverly and Allan Bloom for their countless years of commitment, dedication, and devotion to making our Beit HaKnesset the centerpiece of our community. We pay tribute to Dr. Yossi and Bette Herbert with the David I. Goldberg Ohr Hachesed Award for their support and involvement in making our shul such a special and unique Mikdash Me’at. We honor Juliana and Elie Addi with the Young Couple Leadership Award for their vision, thoughtfulness, and creativity in making the Shul a place where we all could feel at home. Like the encampment of Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar there are many others “$ags” that dedicate their time, efforts, and ingenuity into making Shomrei Torah a thriving and growing community.

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