MESSAGES | The Moriah School 55th Annual Dinner

Head of School's Message

Parshat Teruma begins with a command to collect materials for building the Beit Hamikdash דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה

Rashi comments on the word “lee” that this means “lishmi- for me.” All donations to the Beit Hamikdash were to be given for

Hashem. What does this mean? Rav Hirsch explains that we generally assume the principle that mitzvot are positive even when done for ulterior motives. Our expectation is that mitzvot done for ulterior motives are often a stepping stone towards fulfillment of mitzvot for the right motives. Donations to the Beit Hamikdash were the exception to this rule. All donations needed to be given from the outset “lishma,”- for Hashem. No ulterior motives were allowed. The honorees we celebrate tonight have all given of themselves to our school in a selfless fashion, with no ulterior motives. Their purity of giving represents a model for all of us. Tonight we celebrate their altruistic giving for the sake of our school, our community and most importantly, our students.

When I first came to Moriah, Evan Borenstein was Chairman of the Board. This allowed me to see firsthand, the quality of character of both Evan and Cheryl. They exude a sense of classiness in all that they do. Avoiding attention or accolades, they serve the community simply because it is the right thing to do. Evan and Cheryl have continuously looked out for the good of the school, ensuring Moriah’s continued success. On a personal level, Evan was always there to support me in my role as Head of School, whether I needed advice, partnership or support. His wisdom, guidance and care for anyone with whom he interacts is laudable. Evan and Cheryl represent the best of Moriah.

The Rosen and Lichtiger names are synonymous with commitment to Jewish education. This is the environment from which Brian and Ayelet have developed their values. Ayelet involves herself in virtually every important communal institution, and Moriah is at the forefront of her passion and volunteerism. Ayelet’s positive energy, always happy demeanour and spirit, and Brian’s comfortable, calm and caring attitude towards everyone with whom he interacts set a tone for every interaction they are involved with. Their selfless devotion to Moriah is inspirational.

Rachel Tkatch stands out as one of our most proactive parent volunteers. She is always there to help us when needed. Even more importantly, she is always looking to find ways to strengthen our school and bring programs or ideas to us that enrich the educational experience for our children. Rachel is not one to bring an idea to us and place it in our lap. When she has a great idea she volunteers to execute every aspect of it, staying involved in the project to make sure that it thrives and achieves our goals. Rachel is creative, is a team player who involves others and listens to all, and is a master problem solver. Her humility and grace allows her to collaborate with others and bring them together in productive fashions. We are truly fortunate to count Rachel as one of our most important volunteers.

“I learned that in Morah Sarah’s class.” This is a refrain you will hear from students in third grade, but more surprisingly, from students who were in her class many years ago. Morah Sarah, Sharon Weiskopf, celebrates her 26 year teaching at Moriah. She has inculcated hundreds of her talmidim and talmidot with Torah values and a strong foundation of skills that allow them to flourish for years in the limudei kodesh classes. She is a dedicated and reliable teacher who sets the standard for ensuring that students excel in talmud torah and tefillah. Her dedication to our students is inspirational and the love that they show for her is well deserved. She also boasts 3 children who are Moriah alumni, of whom we all take great pride.

Robin Fishman is a teacher’s teacher. Having taught at Moriah for 28 years, she presently plays a role as mentor and guide to many of our younger teachers. As our curriculum coordinator, she holds expertise, not just in pedagogy, but also in cutting edge curricula and the latest research on educational excellence. But Mrs. Fishman is not one to rest on her laurels. She is a role model to all of us for her constant thirst for knowledge, always learning, evaluating, reevaluating and growing in her pedagogical knowledge. Mrs. Fishman’s areas of expertise are not just theoretical. She spends much time in the classroom every day, educating and inspiring her students. Her keen sense of humor endears her to the hundreds of students she has taught in Moriah and we are truly grateful for her devotion to each and every one of them.
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to ensure that this year’s dinner would be a success. Moriah is a special place because of the devotion and dedication of all of its stakeholders.

Message from our Board of Trustees

Aristotle may have been the first to articulate the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It's a subliminal message that we have absorbed without much introspection. We incorporate this concept very naturally into many of our own Jewish practices. We are a religion that is built on community. We daven with 10 people in a minyan, our learning is enhanced by chevrusa and on Yom Kippur our prayers are felt to be more powerful because they are delivered communally. Indeed, it goes beyond our practice of religious ritual. In our first year as president and chairman, we have quickly come to understand how critical it is for our entire community to facilitate the education of our children. Each member has something to contribute. The synergistic effect of all of us working together is immeasurable and invaluable. In this, the 55th anniversary of the founding of our school, our honorees are exemplars of this philosophy. They are members of the community who intuitively understand the value of participating in the work of Moriah.

We are thrilled to recognize Cheryl and Evan Borenstein as Guests of Honor at this year’s dinner. Cheryl and Evan have been pillars of the Moriah community for nearly two decades. Cheryl has served as a Names, not Numbers mentor and has selflessly given her time on numerous Moriah-related volunteer efforts including our Shabbaton, Bnei Mitzvah, Graduation, Summer Outing and Dinner committees among others. Evan has served as Chairman of the Board, Co-Chairman of the Board of Overseers, Executive and Legal Committee member, capital campaign co-chair and member of Annual Campaign and Golf committees Cheryl and Evan are the proud parents of Lauren (‘14), Jacob (‘17) and Jordana (‘20).

Ayelet and Brian Rosen have had Moriah as a part of their lives now for over 32 years. Their childhood was spent in the same hallways that their children now run through each day. Since moving to Englewood in 2011, Ayelet and Brian immediately got involved in the Moriah community. Brian joined the Moriah Board of Trustees and assisted on the Moriah Dinner Capital campaign committee. Ayelet joined the Moriah Association of Parents Board, has been the Moriah Early Childhood Parent Liaison Chair, spearheaded the Annual Early Childhood Mother’s Chesed event and volunteers regularly in the school. All 4 of their children, David (‘20), Sam (‘22), Judah (‘26) and Joelle (‘28), attend Moriah.

From the moment Rachel Tkatch moved with her family to Englewood in 2013 she has been involved in making Moriah a better place. She is a member of the Board of Trustees and has chaired the Lower School Parent Council for the past 2 years. She oversaw the creation of the MAP Website and the Musical Theater Club. She is an active Kehillat Kesher Member and the mother of 3 girls, Ayelet (‘20), Eliana ('25) and Naomi ('26).

This year we are presenting the Rabbi J. Shelley Appelbaum z”l Service Award to longtime members of the Moriah family: Robin Fishman and Sharon Weiskopf.

Robin Fishman joined Moriah in 1994 and shortly thereafter became our first Gesher Yehuda teacher. The Gesher program flourished under her leadership, adapting readily to the changing needs of our students. Robin is a champion of continuing teacher education for all of our staff and is constantly bringing in new ideas so Moriah teachers are current on all the latest trends in education.Six years ago, Robin assumed the newly created title of Curriculum Coordinator, which includes planning programs and trips and vetting various curriculums. In addition, she is responsible for adjusting and restructuring teaching methodology and mentoring our teachers.

Sharon Weiskopf, AKA Morah Sara to her students, has taught in Moriah’s 3rd grade for over 25 years. Throughout her years at Moriah, Sharon has participated in many professional development opportunities which have enabled her to become proficient in both Tal Am and iTalam curricula, which help her to create an enriching Hebrew language environment in her classroom. Additionally, Sharon was one of the first teachers at Moriah to successfully learn and implement the Lehavin U’lehaskil Chumash skills curriculum.

The Annual Dinner will be held on Saturday night, February 29th at the Envue @ Port Imperial. Not only do we encourage you to attend and contribute, we also encourage you to get involved in the planning of the event. You can do so by contacting our wonderful committee of volunteers: Our Dinner Co-Chairs Shira Forman, Racheli Heumann, Jordanna Nadritch, Lisa Schechter, Aliza Schwalbe, Lynne Yunis and our Campaign Co-Chairs Noam Heller, Jonathan Schechter, Alex Solomon and David Ulmer. We look forward to celebrating with you as a united community.

Thank you for your support!

Steven Bleier, President

Leiah Moskowitz, Chairman