River Edge–Last week, students in the girls middle school at the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey joined members of the extended Flatow family to dedicate the middle school wing in loving memory of Alisa M. Flatow, z’l, killed in 1995 at the age of 20 in a terror attack in Israel. The dedication was a gift of Adam and Francine Mermelstein.
Words of Torah relevant to the Yom Tovim were shared. “The key construction aspect of the Sukkah is that it’s not a permanent fixture,” said Stephen Flatow, Alisa’s father. “The walls must shake in the wind, and you must be able to hear the schach rustle in the breeze. To me, that shaking in the wind symbolizes the fragility, the tenderness, the softness of life itself.”
Flatow noted that the temporary nature of the Sukkah is the opposite of the permanent fixture being celebrated at RYNJ, saying the wing is designated specifically for the education of girls. “I often say that when you educate a boy, you educate a man, but when you educate a girl, you are effectively educating a future family. This was the case in our family, when Alisa started kindergarten, and she began to bring home what she learned. This wing is the result of the strength of a Jewish education,” Flatow said.
Flatow, since his daughter’s death, has become a worldwide advocate on behalf of Israel. As a lawyer, he successfully sued the country of Iran in 1998 for damages and has continued to successfully pursue the financial institutions who contributed to terrorist financial transactions. He has written and spoken widely on anti-terrorism initiatives in the press and around the world.
In addition to the short address by Flatow, RYNJ principal Rabbi Daniel Price also gave a brief inspiring speech to those gathered.
“Like a tree and its many branches, I would argue that life refers to its far-reaching impact that one has on their community and their surroundings,” said Price. “Alisa Flatow was known for her love of Israel, her passion for Torah learning, and her shining personality. She internalized everything that she learned and was instrumental in spearheading her family’s spiritual growth from a young age, from the time of nursery.
“These are the branches from her tree of life. These are the characteristics that define the impact that she had on the world around her. Her branches have stretched out to touch the entire world. And today, I am proud that they stretch to a special branch–to River Edge–to the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey. These characteristics highlight our hopes and dreams for you girls,” said Price.
Flatow added that Alisa took six trips to Israel in the course of her 20 years, and that she was a charismatic person. “She was an A student. She was captain of the Frisch baseball team. But the most important thing to her was her friends.”
He told the story of how Alisa had written an essay in which she indicated that she always sought to have friends who were more religious than she was, so she could learn by their example, and friends who were less religious that she was, in order to teach them by example. But she never lectured anyone and never told anyone what to do or how to do it.
“She wanted to live her life in a way that would prove to everyone that being a religious Jew does not mean you have to cut yourself off from the rest of the world. She was the opposite. She believed you could be religious–very Jewish–and you could still be in touch with the world. And I hope that is something that will be absorbed from the learning and the teaching you receive in the Alisa Flatow wing,” said Flatow. “We strive to accomplish what she did in her short life, in our longer lives,” he said.
A wall mural commissioned by the family was unveiled, which celebrates strong Jewish women throughout history. It was created by muralist Leah Chamish, a local artist from Rockland County. Chamish explained that the colorful seven foot by eight foot acrylic on latex work of art, was conceived by Morah Cindy Zucker together with RYNJ executive board member Rachelle Mandelbaum and Alisa’s sister Francine Mermelstein. The mural, which also has wood applique, is visible to all those who enter the wing from the third floor bridge.
The Alisa M. Flatow Girls Middle School Wing has 12 classrooms, and an administrative office. It houses the sixth, seventh and eighth grades, as well as two of the three fifth grade sections.
By Elizabeth Kratz
