(Courtesy of Beth Aaron) On Sunday, March 4, at its 42nd annual Journal Dinner, Congregation Beth Aaron of Teaneck will show hakarat hatov to its honorees Marianne Gorlyn and David Goldberg, to Shelly Leffel Service Awardees Sari and Michael Samuel, and to Eitan Shapiro Young Leadership Award honoree Rivka Herzfeld.
This year’s dinner honorees, Marianne Gorlyn and David Goldberg, joined Beth Aaron in 1999. As a Men’s Club board member, David brought numerous events to Beth Aaron and helped launch the various Shabbat kiddushim. David made the jump to the Beth Aaron board of directors, serving as the Men’s Club representative, and then became an executive board member, serving as second, then first vice president, and then synagogue president in 2011. Marianne is a psychologist in private practice whose commitment to Beth Aaron is focused through David’s many roles. Marianne has supported David’s work in the shul in every way possible, including, but not limited to, speechwriting, assisting with events, advising on strategy and approach and making all kinds of recommendations and suggestions, big and small, to improve the quality of life at Beth Aaron. Most of all, she encourages him to give of his time and talents to the shul.
Shelly Leffel Service Awardees Sari and Michael Samuel have been Teaneck residents since 1995, when they moved to the Terrace Circle apartments after they got married. They joined the Beth Aaron community when they bought a house in 1998 to be near good friends who were already living here. It was important to them to be part of a shul where they would be able to make a major impact within the community. Both Sari and Michael are warm and friendly individuals, always welcoming new faces to the kehillah, providing meals for people in the shul when needed, and helping anywhere and anytime they are asked.
Eitan Shapiro Young Leadership awardee Rivka Herzfeld has been a member of Beth Aaron since birth. Rivka has always loved learning Tanach, and she continued her limudei kodesh education, culminating in her earning a M.A. in Tanach. She enjoys teaching all sifrei Tanach, both formally and informally, to all age groups and levels of Judaic studies background. Several years ago, she was invited to offer a shiur at the Simchat Torah learning program for women at the shul. When approached to give a Navi shiur to women each Shabbat afternoon, she embraced the opportunity. Currently, she teaches Torah at Yavneh Academy in Paramus.
Rivka is more than an excellent teacher. She is personable, easygoing, has a terrific sense of humor and never misses an opportunity to share a pun. She enjoys engaging in conversations of any kind (never during davening, of course), especially on Torah topics.
The dinner will be held at Congregation Keter Torah, 600 Roemer Avenue in Teaneck. The buffet begins at 5 p.m. and the program at 6:15 p.m. The deadline for submitting ads for the dinner journal is February 17. To make a reservation or submit an ad, please go to www.bethaaron.org/dinner.
