(Courtesy of Yeshivat Frisch) The annual Yeshivat Frisch Dinner will take place on Motzei Shabbat, Feb. 8, 2020, at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe. The theme for the 2020 dinner, “Looking Forward,” celebrates Frisch’s community of support that allows the school to constantly aim for new educational innovations and to excel in implementing its exciting and innovative vision for the future.
The 2020 Frisch Dinner honorees are outstanding role models both within the Frisch family and throughout the wider Jewish community. Ilana and Stuart Goldberg will be the guests of honor, Allison Adler will receive the Nedivat Lev Award, Benjamin (Ben) Breda will receive the Alumni Recognition Award and Barbara and Barry Kessler will accept the Rav Shlomo Kahn, z’’l, Memorial Award.
The Goldbergs have been extensively involved with the Frisch community, including serving on the school board’s Israel Advocacy Committee and volunteering with the Frisch Parents Association. They are the parents of four Frisch students and graduates: Ethan ’13, Jason ’15, Aliza ’17 and Isabel ’20. Stuart, a graduate of Yeshiva University, worked for the past 12 years as a partner at Marathon Asset Management. After a 31-year career on Wall Street, Stuart left Marathon to start his own investment company. Ilana attended New York University School of Law and practiced as a commercial real estate attorney for 14 years at Schulte Roth & Zabel.
Ethan spent his gap year at Yeshivat Orayta, earned an undergraduate degree from the NYU Stern School of Business, and is currently an investment banking analyst at Morgan Stanley. In 2018 he married his high school sweetheart, Lea (née Braun), a Frisch alumna. Jason spent a year at Netiv Aryeh, and is now majoring in marketing and economics at Baruch College while simultaneously working as a real estate management analyst. Aliza spent a year at Midreshet Harova and then continued her learning with a shana bet year at Machon Alte seminary in Tzfat. She is now studying behavioral economics and computer science at NYU. Isabel is a senior at Frisch and looks forward to spending next year at seminary in Israel before attending college.
The Goldbergs live in Englewood, are members of Congregation Ahavath Torah and the East Hill Synagogue, and are involved in various communal and charitable organizations. Ilana served as president of her local Shalva Chai Amit chapter and works with Ahavath Torah’s Bikur Cholim, while Stuart is on the board of The Met Council and has received the Star of David Award from Israel Bonds.
Allison Adler, the recipient of the Nedivat Lev Award, always wanted to be the kind of parent who gave back to her children’s school, and has worked behind the scenes of Yeshivat Frisch for nearly a decade. She has been a member of the FPA since 2011 when her eldest child, Jessica ’15, entered Frisch. As co-president of the Frisch Parents Association from 2015 to 2018, she was instrumental in creating and running the Cougar Store, enhancing the annual Purim Chagiga and making sure that numerous events, such as the annual Yom Ha’atzmaut BBQ, Freshman Brunch and Sports BBQ, all ran smoothly. She has also given numerous school tours to prospective families, and truly loves showcasing the amazing things going on in the yeshiva every day. She also feels privileged to have served as a chaperone for Frisch senior visits to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Adler holds a master’s degree in graphic communications from New York University and is married to Elliott Adler, an executive director in IT at JP Morgan Chase.
The Adlers’ children all attended Frisch. Jessica ’15 earned her B.S. in human development from Binghamton University after a year at Midreshet HaRova, and she is now attending Wurzweiler School of Social Work. She is married to Josh Eagle ’15, whom she met during their sophomore year at Frisch. Judah ’17 attended Yeshivat HaKotel after high school and is now a student in the University of Maryland’s honors computer engineering program. Rebecca, the Adlers’ youngest, is slated to graduate in 2020. The family lives in Teaneck and is a member of Keter Torah, where Adler formerly served as president of the shul sisterhood, Atara.
Breda ’99, who will receive the Alumni Recognition Award, came to Frisch’s Mechina Program from public school. Like hundreds of other students who went through the Mechina Program, Breda was positively impacted by Rabbi Shlomo Kahn, z”l, and the program’s other educators. Breda, who grew up in River Edge, became very involved in student life at Frisch. He served as school president, ran the Chesed Society, and was on the softball, track and wrestling teams. His extensive volunteer work in high school earned him scholarships from the U.S. president and from the Knicks.
After Frisch, Breda graduated with honors from Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, with a dual major in accounting and finance. He started his career at Ernst & Young and earned his CPA, then switched to Blackstone’s Hedge Fund Solutions Unit, where he has been for the last 14 years. He is now a senior vice president of financial planning and analysis at the company. Breda and his wife, Aviva—whom he met while a student at Frisch—are now Frisch parents. Their eldest child, Caleb, is a sophomore at Frisch, while Charlie (12) and Ruby (7) attend Yeshivat Noam. Both Breda and Aviva have volunteered their time and expertise to the school; Breda serves on the school’s Middle States Planning Committee, while Aviva is vice president of the Frisch Parents Association.
Last year, Breda came in to speak with Frisch’s Mechina class to talk about what he gave up leaving public school, what he gained coming to Frisch and what he learned from Frisch’s dual curriculum. Breda and his family live in Teaneck and attend Congregation Bnai Yeshurun.
The Kesslers will receive this year’s Rav Shlomo Kahn, z”l, Memorial Award. The husband-and-wife team is part of the backbone of Yeshivat Frisch. Barbara has helped keep the institution running smoothly for 20 years, formerly as an administrative assistant and, for the past 15 years, through serving as the school’s registrar and helping with the admissions process. Barry joined Frisch’s indispensable security team 18 years ago, and is known for warmly greeting every single person who walks through Frisch’s front doors. The Kesslers live in Paramus—their son, Jamin, resides in Japan—and both say that the school is home to them. The two are one of the first known husband-and-wife pairs to work at Frisch and appreciate tremendously the time they get to spend together. They have not missed a single Frisch Drama Society production in the past 20 years, and can honestly say they have never met a student at Frisch they didn’t like.
To RSVP for the Frisch Dinner, please visit www.frischdinner.com.
