The JESC Breakfast  will take place Sunday, April 21st , 9:30 a.m. at Congregation Keter Torah 600 Roemer Avenue, Teaneck, NJ 07666

Chani and Laurent Bensimon will be honored. They are members of the Separdic minyan at Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood. Chani grew up in Riverdale, NY, graduating from Frisch, and earning a degree in communications from NYU. Laurent, born and raised in Silver Spring, MD, completed a degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and is currently employed in the financial services industry.

The Bensimons have three children, Leora 8, and twins, Avi and Shlomo, just 6. The twins attend Ben Porat Yosef. Both the Laurents are actively involved with the school, Chani sitting on the the Chesed Committee and the Talmidanu program which, significantly, allows children with special needs to integrate into a “typical” classroom several times a year. Laurent has been on the board for six years, having held the position of treasurer and, currently, president.

Leora has a rare chromosomal micro deletion called Smith Magenis Syndrome. Due to her need for various services and therapies which are not provided in yeshivas, Leora has been in public school. That is where JESC has helped to fill a void!

Neighbors and fellow congregants told the Bensimons about the important role JESC had played in their children’s lives and Leora’s parents came to believe that was what they had been longing for: a way to satisfy Leora’s thirst to learn Torah and all things Jewish in a structured, professional environment. Thus, Leora, a proud and exuberant student at JESC since early 2010, eagerly runs out of the car every Sunday morning, greeting almost everyone by name and being greeted by them in return. What Leora learns and creates on Sunday mornings is then shared and enjoyed by her family who are so appreciative of her exposure to and absorption of Jewish life and ways. She is one of many students enjoying a “typical” religious experience available to children across a wide spectrum of special needs.

Mr. Bensimon goes on to say “One of the motivations for accepting this honor was to help spread the mission of JESC and raise awareness about this asset so that others will find this program for their child, relative or friend”.

The four alumni who are being honored are: Meir Boruch Levi, Baruch Lunzer, Tamar Schlanger, and Avi Tsadok. There will be an opportunity to find out how their experiences at JESC had a positive impact on their lives and what they are doing now.

JESC – Jewish Education for Special Children – where no child is turned away due to financial need or religious affiliation

Please  visit www.Jescnj.org

For reservations or to make a donation: Phone: 201 – 262 – 1090, Fax: 201 – 262 – 1083

2012 Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vynbQe-B_Y