Last Sunday, on Pesach Sheni, Torah Academy of Bergen County hosted over 200 alumni, parents, faculty and donors for the annual TABC Scholarship Breakfast. The breakfast supports the Bruce Ritholtz z”l Scholarship fund, in memory of a beloved alumni parent and community member. The scholarship fund was named after Ritholtz in 2015, in honor of his devotion to TABC and to the Teaneck community during the latter part of his life, and adds to his legacy of supporting Jewish education. Bruce, as well as his wife, Michelle, devoted much time, effort and resources in support of TABC, especially in the TABC Capital Campaign, helping to fund TABC’s new campus in 2013. The scholarship fund supports families who otherwise would not be able to pay full tuition to TABC. The scholarship fund gave over $1 million this year in need-based scholarships.
The breakfast honored two of TABC’s most devoted contributors: Dr. Naomi Knoller and Mrs. Irene Stein.
Knoller, a practicing optometrist in Westchester, has been on the TABC Board for the past seven years. Together with her husband, Marc, she plays an integral role in many funding campaigns, notably the TABC Scholarship Campaign, and is an active member on the Education and Building committees. She formerly served on the boards of Yeshivat Noam and the Moriah Day School.
Knoller chairs the TABC Shavuot Afternoon Learning Program, organizing with TABC rebbeim to give shiurim in a variety of Teaneck and Bergenfield shuls during Shavuot. Her two sons, Shmuel (’13), and Yair ’16), both attended TABC. She is an avid supporter of TABC’s athletic teams, notably the TABC hockey team.
Stein, a mathematics instructor for 41 years, is retiring from TABC after teaching calculus at TABC for nine years. She taught in the Fair Lawn Public School system for the previous 30 years. She will be sorely missed at TABC.
Mrs. Stein is lauded for her students’ performance in the New Jersey Math League competition, as TABC consistently places first among yeshiva high schools. Stein, when not teaching calculus, devoted her free time at TABC to her students, often holding small sessions with students answering questions about calculus.
Mr. Nachum Barishansky, President of the TABC Board, opened the program by thanking the honorees for their hard work, and the scholarship fund donors for their generosity.
Rabbi Yosef Adler, Rosh HaYeshiva, spoke about the importance of Pesach Sheni, the second opportunity to give the Passover offering. Rabbi Adler remarked that the Passover offering, unlike other offerings, “demonstrates one’s devotion and marks one’s destiny with the Jewish people.” When thanking Dr. Knoller, Rabbi Adler said, “Dr. Knoller associates herself with the Jewish people, and the people of TABC, with her dedication towards helping TABC and its students.”
Subsequently, Dr. Knoller was presented with a TABC hockey jersey with the name, “Hockey Mom” on the back, and a beautiful inscribed siddur as a token of appreciation for her hard work.
Dr. Knoller credited her involvement in Jewish Education to her family. Her father, Dr. Stanley Rudoff z”l, was involved in the Jewish community, notably as a ba’al tefillah in his shul, and helped with many community events in Brooklyn. She said, “The education of TABC was consistent with [Dr. Rudoff’s] values.” Knoller said that her mother, a retired fifth-grade teacher at the Yeshiva of Flatbush in Brooklyn, “is constantly impressed with the wealth of knowledge of TABC’s teachers and students.” Knoller concluded her speech by thanking the TABC faculty for their expertise and their humility, especially to her fellow honoree, Mrs. Stein.
Mr. Arthur Poleyeff, principal of TABC (and a former calculus teacher himself), recounts the time when Mrs. Stein was being considered by TABC to teach calculus after retiring from the Fair Lawn public school system. The principal of the school told [Poleyeff] about her excellence in teaching mathematics, calculus in particular, and was told that he, “Should hire [Stein] right away… She is of par excellence.” Mr. Poleyeff praised Mrs. Stein for her love and dedication towards her students.
When presented with her award, Mrs. Stein received a standing ovation, as students, parents and faculty alike gave tribute to Mrs. Stein in appreciation of her illustrious career.
Mrs. Stein spoke about how her life has been enhanced by the students of TABC and was impacted by her students’ love for Israel and for the Jewish people. Mrs. Stein was even inspired to go to Israel for her first time, as thanks to her students, she became aware of the importance of a Jewish state.
Mrs. Stein thanked the students and faculty for their warmth and support throughout her time in TABC, and said, “I particularly enjoyed going to mock trial meets, hockey games and especially Yankee games with Rabbi [Joel] Grossman and the students.”
The TABC Scholarship Breakfast was a tremendous success, and the Bruce Ritholtz z”l Scholarship Fund continues to raise money for need-based scholarships for future years. For more information about the Bruce Ritholtz z”l Scholarship and of the honorees, or to donate to TABC, log on to tabc.org/scholarshipbreakfast.
By Dovid Mirsky
Dovid Mirsky is a TABC work-study intern at The Jewish Link.
