Torah Academy of Bergen County (TABC) will hold its 34th Annual Dinner on Thursday, January 12, 2017 at Factory 220 in Passaic. The Board of Directors, Dinner and Campaign Chairs and school administration look forward to greeting their geographically diverse parent body at this new central location. This year’s honorees are Gail and Terry Novetsky, Rachelle and Howard Friedman, Deniera Goldenberg and Rabbi Benjamin Skydell.
Guests of Honor Gail and Terry Novetsky have been actively involved in TABC for more than 20 years. Gail, a financial consultant, is active at Congregation Rinat Yisrael and Jewish Family Service. She has served on the TABC Board of Directors and serves as Secretary of the Executive Committee. In this capacity, Gail’s contributions to TABC are innumerable, as she is in the forefront of many key decisions and initiatives, often personally putting these plans into action. As a devoted member of the Development Committee, Gail has secured crucial financial funding ensuring that TABC meets its mission to serve the academic and spiritual needs of the entire student body. With her gracious smile, Gail has always been eager and ready to help.
Gail’s husband, Terry, an attorney and partner in King and Spalding’s Global Finance practice, has long been dedicated to superior Torah and academic scholarship. Most recently, Terry chaired the Head of School Search Committee. Terry’s commitment to TABC’s future and mission resulted in the hiring of Rabbi Asher Yablok. Chaim Book, TABC Board co-president, remarked, “Gail and Terry should be honored at two dinners—one for each of them—that’s how great their impact is. Gail’s honest voice and thoughtful feedback serve as a guide for the entire lay team. Terry’s management of the Head of School search process was both visionary and executed in an incredibly professional way. His focus on obtaining insights and feedback from all stakeholders within the TABC community gave us a clear mandate and allowed all groups to be a part of this transformative moment for TABC.” Gail and Terry are the proud parents of Yosef ’05, Michal, Rikki, Tamar and Binyamin ’17.
This year’s Community Service Awardees are Rachelle and Howard Friedman. The Friedmans have been devoted members of the parent body for the past 10 years. Howard served on the TABC Board of Directors, revamped the TABC website, solicited several successful grants for the school and volunteered to lead the Outdoors Club. Rachelle worked on several projects while on the Education Committee, including online learning, digital citizenship and the senior year and engineering curricula. Rachelle also facilitated digitizing the school’s admissions process. In their quiet and unassuming way, the Friedmans have been integral, essential and active participants in enriching TABC. Nachum Barishansky, immediate past board president remarked, “Howard’s participation on the board, in a variety of areas, particularly in upgrading TABC’s online presence and in securing grants, and Rachelle’s role in the Ed committee, are jobs that have high impact but little recognition, so I’m very pleased that they (reluctantly) allowed us to give them this well-deserved honor.” Rachelle and Howard, members of Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, are the proud parents of Binyamin ’10, Eliyahu ’11, Dan ’13, Yoni ’15 and Ezra ’18.
Deniera Goldenberg has taught at TABC for the past 13 years and will be receiving this year’s Faculty Recognition Award. Mrs. Goldenberg teaches freshman biology and is the director of the Olam HaChochma Distinguished Scholars Program, in which she has nurtured from 8 to 30 students spanning three different grades each year. Students in this honors program learn to develop ideas, conduct research and refine and communicate those ideas through long-form writing projects. Mrs. Goldenberg also serves as a mentor to junior staff members as part of the Jewish New Teachers Project. Mrs. Goldenberg has a huge impact inside and outside the classroom as a respected, personally invested and caring academic. Rabbi Yosef Adler, TABC’s Rosh Yeshiva commented, “Regardless as to which section she is teaching, Mrs. Goldenberg is one of the most challenging teachers I have ever encountered.” Mrs. Goldenberg, a member at Congregations Beth Abraham and Ohr Hatorah, is married to Avi Goldenberg. They are the proud parents of Nechama, Yaakov, A.J., Dani and Moshe.
Rabbi Benjamin Skydell, ’95 will be receiving this year’s Alumni Tribute Award. As rabbi of Congregation Orach Chaim on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Rabbi Skydell is known for his charismatic teaching, dedication and warmth. After high school, Rabbi Skydell attended Beit Midrash l’Torah (BMT) in Israel and then Yeshiva College, where he received his semicha from RIETS. Rabbi Skydell spent nine years on the rabbinic staff at Congregation Beth Shalom in Lawrence, NY and has taught adult education classes throughout NYC. He is also a long-time faculty member at the North Shore Hebrew Academy High School. As a sought-after lecturer, Rabbi Skydell has presented on many college campuses, including Yale, Penn, NYU and Columbia. Rabbi Adler observed, “Rabbi Skydell continues to have a major educational impact on a broad spectrum of Am Yisrael as a colleague in the rabbinate and as a teacher of Torah.” Rabbi Skydell is married to Shani, early childhood program director at RYNJ. They have three children: Hannah, Emmie and Zacky.
Donations to the TABC Annual Dinner Campaign provide the school with the critical funds necessary to fulfill its mission of Torah and academic excellence while instilling a love for learning and fostering personal development. With over $1 million in scholarships awarded each year, donations ensure that these opportunities are accessible to all. Please support our mission by paying tribute to these well-deserving honorees and by contributing generously. For more information about TABC and our Annual Campaign, please visit www.tabc.org/dinner or contact Sharon Rifkind, Director of Development at [email protected].
By Rochel Leah Glatter
