(Courtesy of Ben Porat Yosef) Ben Porat Yosef (BPY) will hold its Annual Dinner on Saturday, February 23, at 8:00 p.m. at Montammy Country Club, Alpine, New Jersey. This year’s Annual Dinner celebrates BPY’s 18th anniversary. BPY is proud to honor five individuals who have served as pillars of the BPY community, positively impacting our students and their families every day: Jessica Kohn, Liz and Alan Mitrani, Cheryl Weiner Rosenberg and Ilana Tachauer.
Jessica Kohn, affectionately known to the BPY family as “Morah Jessica,” is the early childhood director, associate principal and founding educator of BPY. Morah Jessica joined BPY in 2000 to create a child-centered, one-of-a-kind early childhood program. She has spent the last 18+ years building and growing the school. Morah Jessica has put her heart and soul into every detail of BPY. Her warmth, creativity and personal touch can be felt throughout the school. Morah Jessica takes pride in building meaningful and lasting relationships with children, parents, teachers and co-workers. She is an active member of every teaching team and looks forward to her weekly storytime visits with each class. Morah Jessica’s warm “Boker Tov!” each morning as she stands outside to greet all the students, rain or shine, is a hallmark of BPY and the highlight of her day. Students know that they are “ready for a great day!” after being greeted cheerfully by Morah Jessica each day. In addition to creating an early childhood program rich in literary experiences, Morah Jessica serves as a faculty member at Stern College and enjoys passing on her expertise and inspiring the next generation of Jewish early childhood educators. Morah Jessica is married to Yehuda Kohn, and they are the proud parents of Leora (20), Zachary (18), Joshua (14) and Benjamin (12). Leora currently serves in the IDF, Zachary is studying at Mechinat Keshet Yehuda, Joshua is a freshman at Yeshivat Frisch and Benjamin is in seventh grade at BPY. The Kohns live in Teaneck and are proud members of Congregation Rinat Yisrael. BPY is privileged to be recognizing Morah Jessica’s outstanding service as an educator, and for her many years of dedicated service to our school.
Liz and Alan Mitrani are proud BPY parents and community leaders. They spearhead the Shlichim Welcome Committee, spending countless hours making sure the shlichim are comfortable, their transition to America is smooth and their shlichut experience is memorable. Liz and Alan found in BPY a school that complemented their Sephardic traditions and culture while integrating their children into the greater community. Liz and Alan love the small-school feeling at BPY even as it continues to grow, and the school’s focus on Eretz Yisrael, Am Yisrael and Torah Yisrael. The Mitranis are active members of the Benaroya Sephardic Center at Congregation Ahavath Torah. Liz is a dentist in private practice in New York City and serves on the Youth Planning and Sephardic Group Committees at Ahavath Torah. Alan is the managing partner of Sylvan Lake Asset Management LLC, an active member of the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades and a dedicated volunteer at Ahavath Torah, where he serves on the board of trustees, Israel Engagement Committee and Scholar-in-Residence Committee. Liz and Alan live in Englewood and are the proud parents of Benjamin (10), Pearl (8), Jacob (6) and Elias (4). BPY is thrilled to be honoring the Mitranis for their dedicated service to our school.
Cheryl Weiner Rosenberg considers BPY a second home, and her BPY friends are like family. Cheryl has been actively involved as a BPY leader for many years. She has served as raffle chair, dinner co-chair, dinner campaign chair, board member, secretary and president of the board of trustees. Cheryl is passionate about her support for BPY. She is committed to its growth in order to provide children with the opportunity to learn the values she and her family hold dear for many years to come. Beyond BPY, Cheryl carries her passion for Jewish education to her role as the senior director of marketing and communications for Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, as well as to her positions on the executive committee of Teach NJS and the leadership council of the Jewish New Teacher Project. Cheryl recently completed the Berrie Fellows Leadership Program and serves as an Englewood city council member. Cheryl and her children live in Englewood, and primarily attend Kehilat Kesher Synagogue. Cheryl is a proud parent of Asher (12), Caleb (11), Siona (10) and Shai (6). BPY is delighted to be recognizing Cheryl for her many years of service and dedication.
Ilana Tachauer has been a teacher at BPY for the past 13 years. In addition to her role as an early childhood Hebrew teacher, Ilana also serves as a coordinator for Jewish and Israeli holiday events in early childhood. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Maale Adumim, Ilana views BPY as her family in America. Ilana loves everything BPY, and feels privileged to interact with her students, cultivate their love of learning and immerse them in the Hebrew language. She loves the way BPY students learn and pray in both the Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions, and that BPY offers a superior education and a strong dual-language curriculum. Ilana cherishes being a part of BPY’s beautiful community, and feels a strong sense of pride from its Am Echad and Ahavat Yisrael culture. Ilana does everything possible to get involved in BPY activities, functions and initiatives such as volunteering at school events and playing an active role in the PTO. Ilana has been a member and Early Childhood Group director at Congregation Ahavath Torah for over a decade and serves as a division head at Moshava Ba’ir. Ilana is married to Leon Tachauer, and is proud to be raising her children, Anna (12), Lea (9) and Maya (6) at BPY. BPY is proud to be recognizing Ilana’s outstanding service as an educator for our students.
The Ben Porat Yosef Annual Dinner is a critical part of BPY’s yearly fundraising efforts, ensuring that our school is able to deliver excellence in yeshiva education while providing an accessible education, regardless of financial circumstance. BPY strives each day to develop each child’s ahavat Hashem and yirat Hashem; inspire, challenge and engage each learner; celebrate and transmit our Sephardic and Ashkenazic identity and love of Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael; empower and connect students through Hebrew-language fluency; and build a warm, caring and devoted community dedicated to nurturing empathic, happy and self-fulfilled human beings. For more information about our annual dinner, please visit www.bpydinner.org or contact Gabrielle Altman, director of development, at [email protected].
