(Courtesy of Congregation Netivot Shalom) Congregation Netivot Shalom will be holding its annual dinner at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center on February 22, 2020. This year, Netivot will be honoring their rabbi and spiritual leader, Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot and his wife Rachel Brenner, with the Sema Heller Memorial Award. The dinner marks Rabbi Helfgot and Ms. Brenner’s ten-year anniversary at Netivot Shalom. This year’s Service Award will go to Doni Moskovits and his wife Shoshana Chanales for the amazing volunteer work they do for the congregation.

“Rachel and I are deeply humbled and overwhelmed by the honor that the Netivot Shalom community is bestowing on us this year. We have been blessed for over a decade to serve and live in an amazing, welcoming, inclusive and thoughtful Modern Orthodox community where our own children have grown and thrived. It has been a privilege to serve as spiritual leader to this kehillah and help guide its phenomenal growth in numbers and engagement. We are deeply moved to be the recipients of this year’s Sema Heller z”l Memorial Award,” said Rabbi Helfgot. “We are especially pleased that we are sharing the spotlight this year with our dear friends and congregants, Doni Moskovits and Shoshana Chanales, whom we have known for many decades. They are an outstanding example of those who work on behalf of the community with humility and quiet dignity without fanfare or desire for recognition. Shoshana and Doni are worthy recipients of this year’s Service Award.”

Rabbi Helfgot also serves as chair of the Department of Torah Shebaal Peh at SAR High School in NYC. He is coordinator of the annual community Yemei Iyun on Bible and Jewish Thought sponsored by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School, now in its 18th year. Rav Nati has published widely in English and Hebrew in areas of Bible, Jewish law and ethics, Jewish philosophy and contemporary events. He has served as editor of several journals including currently as associate editor of the Meorot Journal. He is currently president of the International Rabbinic Fellowship, is a member of the

Rabbinical Council of Bergen County and Beit Hillel in Israel and has served on the executive committee of the Rabbinical Council of America. Rachel Brenner runs the women’s kriah, teaches women’s kallah classes, serves as gabbait and has chaired many programs at Netivot Shalom including coordinating Yachad shabbatons in the area. This year she has enjoyed getting involved with She’arit HaPLate. Rachel’s warm and open personality has become an integral factor in the shul’s growth over the past decade.

Doni Moskovits has devoted years of service to the community by leading the Membership Committee. His dedication to showing hospitality to new and potential members has ensured the growth of Netivot Shalom. Doni has been working at David’s Cookies for ten years, serving as the director of international sales. Shoshana has been a high school Tanach and Machshevet Yisrael teacher as well as student dean at Yeshivat Frisch and a community speaker in the New York/New Jersey area. Shoshana shares her deep knowledge and love of Torah through her inspiring divrei Torah and facilitation of numerous learning programs for the kehillah.

For more information about the dinner or to make a donation, visit netivotshalomnj.org/dinner.