Bergenfield—When discussing the contributions this year’s honorees have made to Congregation Beth Abraham, what they have given to the shul goes beyond physical contributions. “The honorees exemplify everything the shul hopes to find in their members,” said shul president Elie Konigsberg. “They always volunteer, and do so with a smile on their face; they approach the shul with the attitude of ‘how can we help?’ and they expect nothing in return.”
This year, Congregation Beth Abraham will honor Tzippy and Ari Gellman as their guests of honor, and present Aryeh and Mirlana Morris with the Max and Magda Sternbach Midor L’Dor Community Service Award. “These are all people who have given so much,” said Konigsberg.
“Tzippy and Ari have been actively involved with our shul since they moved to Bergenfield 15 years ago,” the leadership said while announcing the upcoming dinner. Tzippy’s involvement spans the range of volunteer activities within the shul. She is a member of the shul sisterhood and has been the force behind multiple activities, including the annual shul barbecue, “meet the members” events, Israeli dance with Jodi Senter and the shul carnival.
“Tzippi and Ari live the many messages of our shul,” said Mara D’asra Rav Yaakov Neuberger. “Supremely involved in raising their lovely children, Ari learns many a night in our beis midrash, has creatively led our shul in many capacities as well as being president, always with a sensitive ear to everyone and a clear vision to what has to be accomplished, while Tzippy has shared her grace and goodness and vigor running many programs all geared to opening up the warmth of the shul to all who wish to come and daven with us.”
Ari’s commitment and dedication to the shul has been extensive as well. He has been an active volunteer—as the journal chair for the shul dinner, board member, vice president and president. Gellman also thinks outside of his own world and community, and in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, when Bergenfield was fortunate to be spared major trauma, he reached out to other shuls and communities and mobilized groups to help clean out areas that were hit by the storm. “This is representative of who Ari is and what he has brought to our shul,” explained Konigsberg. “He saw a need and led it.”
Ari and Tzippy do not limit their efforts to Beth Abraham. They are also involved in activities throughout the community. They both donate their time and efforts to RYNJ and TABC, the schools their children attend. “This well-deserved honor is merely a small token of the deep appreciation we truly have for all that they have done and continue to do on our behalf,” said Konigsberg.
The Gellmans are also known to open their homes, whether to guests, or for a new member kiddush, or even a shul melave malka. “They model for us all how one family can substantially strengthen the bonds of friendship and community,” Konigsberg said. The Gellman family, with their four children Avraham, Shlomo, Paya and Yoel, have tremendous hakarat hatov to the shul. “We have benefited so much from being a part of Beth Abraham. Our children from a very young age have come to shul either in the youth programming or in the regular minyanim and have learned the importance of tefilla and being part of a tzibur,” Gellman remarked.
“Although we have put a lot of time and effort toward the shul we have always felt that we have gotten back just as much if not more in return,” said Ari and Tzippy, “including a sense of fulfillment and connection to the community at large, and a special relationship with our beloved rav and rebbetzin,” they said.
“Tzippy and I have benefited from the minyanim, adult education programming and the wisdom and guidance of Rabbi Neuburger and Rav Cohen. Of course, over the years we have made wonderful friends and forged everlasting relationships from being part of such a warm and wonderful community.”
This year, following the passing of Magda Sternbach, the Max Sternbach Award was renamed the Max and Magda Sternbach Midor L’Dor Community Service Award. As Konigsberg explained, “The phrase midor l’dor (from generation to generation) was added at the suggestion of Rebbetzin Neuburger, as a recognition of what the Sternbachs built—literally from nothing—and what the recipients continue to uphold.” The recipients of the award are Aryeh and Mirlana Morris. For the past 10 years Aryeh Morris served as the shul’s youth director. “Mirlana and Aryeh took a fledgling youth program, galvanized a staff with skilled training and nurturing oversight and built a multi-tiered and many-faceted program of activities, all geared to connect our children with our kehilla with pride and joy and with the appreciation of the yiras shamayim that must be part of the shul,” said Rav Neuburger.
His role became so much more than just the standard “Shabbos groups” people may assume. He trained youth leaders, innovated and led creative programs, and opened the doors of the shul to be one where the future of the Jewish people are involved in shul on many levels. Besides Shabbos groups, he runs programs on vacation days, pre-Yom Tov events to enhance the chag for the children of the shul, and ensures that all age levels have programming that befits their abilities. “The youth department has really expanded and grown so much under Aryeh’s dedication,” Konigsberg said. “In his role he has helped nurture the growth of hundreds of our collective children.” Continued Rav Neuburger, “As a result, so many of our children are indeed super regulars at shul and readily and generously involve themselves in the shul.”
Morris has been a part of Congregation Beth Abraham for more years than he has lived in the area. He reflected back to his time at Yeshiva University as an out-of-towner who would spend most Shabbasim at the homes of his town friends, with Bergenfield one of his favorite stops. “The first time I walked into the shul, it felt right,” he reflected. Over the past 13 years, while living in the community and becoming an active member of the shul, Morris’ connection grew even stronger. “I have benefited tremendously from the time I have spent with Rav Neuburger. Watching how he handles some of the trickier situations has guided me in how I approach challenges.” It is not only the rav who has provided insight and inspiration to him. Many members of the kehilla help guide him and advise him, and this is part of what he loves about the shul. Of course, Morris and co-honoree Ari Gellman can reflect back to some of the early years of the youth committee. “Ari was a big driver of thinking outside of the box,” Morris explained. “He approached ideas with a fresh and different way of thinking and would try to look at things a different way than others had before. He was the beginning of a new age of leadership.”
The Morris family embraces their role in the community wholeheartedly. In addition to the youth committee, Morris is part of the Yamim Noraim shul efforts, arba minim and Simchat Torah tallit committee. He is also a ba’al tokea and goes to those who are homebound and ensure they hear shofar over Shavuot. His wife, Mirlana, is an active part of the community as well. Though a licensed nursing home administrator and social worker at CareOne professionally, she uses her knowledge of assisted living and home health services to aid community members during their stay at CareOne or affiliated locations, and helps coordinate their services as they continue to recover at home. “Mirlana is the soft and professional voice that helps many of our members through the many challenges and decisions that arise when having to turn to local health care facilities,” said Rav Neuburger. Additionally, she is a member of the Chevra Kadisha, a driver for Tomchei Shabbos and is currently active on the shul’s capital campaign committee. As Gellman said, “The time, effort and dedication that Aryeh and Mirlana have put into enhancing our youth program over the past 10 years is truly remarkable. Their efforts have single-handedly made hundreds of children excited to come to shul on Shabbos, including my own children, and for that Tzippy and I and our community as a whole are eternally grateful.”
Mirlana and Aryeh are parents of three children, Donny, Akiva and Gabriella. Aryeh recently announced that after 10 years in the role of youth director he will be stepping down from this position at the end of the summer. “We sit here as a growing shul and community on the shoulders of giants Max and Magda Sternbach,” said Konigsberg. “Both Aryeh and Mirlana exemplify the selflessness and sense of community with which Max and Magda lived their lives, and they are truly befitting recipients of this award.”
“One of the outstanding characteristics shared by the Gellmans and the Morrises is their profound personal investment in and deep concern for the youth of the kehilla,” said Rav Tanchum Cohen, assistant rabbi of Congregation Beth Abraham. “They understand the value of positive youthful impressions of a beis haknesses and how that can grow rich fruit as a young Jew matures. These families each feel a sense of responsibility for the kehilla and shul as a whole, seeking through a variety of roles to help individuals and to enhance our shul.”
It is appropriate to acknowledge these two families at the same time. Besides their obvious contributions individually, Gellman and Morris together were instrumental in enhancing the youth program, formalizing scheduling, refurbishing the youth center and implementing many new initiatives. “We thank both the Gellman and Morris children for sharing their families with us,” said Konigsberg. “Whether it is the dynamic of Aryeh circulating between the groups on Shabbos morning, or the many meetings Ari attended and how they have opened up their home and their generosity, we could not have benefited from their contributions without the cooperation of their children.”
Said rav and mashpia Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Weinberg, “It is so fitting that Tzippy and Ari as well as Mirlana and Aryeh are being recognized for their many years of dedication to our shul. They have each spent countless hours working to address and meet the needs of our kehilla, both young and old alike. These families are an outstanding model of leadership and it is a very well-deserved honor.”
Please join Congregation Beth Abraham for their 22nd annual dinner, which will take place at Congregation Keter Torah, at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21. The annual dinner is the single-largest event focused on the day-to-day operations and expenses of the synagogue. Visit http://www.bethabraham.org/dinner to sign up.
By Jenny Gans
