(Courtesy of RCA) Last evening the RCA held its annual gala at the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey, as 800 supporters celebrated the RCA’s glorious past and shared its exciting vision of the future.

“The growth of the RCA programs is exciting. All of our academic programs are oversubscribed and we are ready to take the next quantum leap forward with a campus expansion project,” said Rabbi Mendy Herson, associate dean of the College.

Distinguished honoree Zygi Wilf, owner of the Minnesota Vikings and principal of Garden Homes, shared with the audience his commitment to giving back to the community to ensure Jewish continuity, “‘L’dor v’dor,’ Hebrew for ‘from generation to generation,’ is the core Jewish value of ensuring that we properly transmit one generation’s values to the next, and that is my personal commitment.”

Rabbi Moshe Herson, dean, stated: “The friendship of the Wilf family for close to 50 years has been something special to me and to the entire RCA family. Zygi, Mark and Lenny, you are following in your parents’ and uncles’ footsteps and doing so much for the community, for Israel and for society.”

Distinguished honoree, New Jersey’s first lady, Tammy Snyder Murphy, reflected about her deep personal connection with the Jewish community and the special significance of receiving an honorary degree from the Rabbinical College of America. “This is an award I do not take lightly and will forever cherish. My late father was Jewish and would be very proud.”

A special tribute—A Story of Jewish Triumph—was led by Erwin Fisch, Holocaust survivor, chairman of the board of the RCA and Zygi’s uncle. “After enduring the unspeakable horror of the Holocaust, Harry and Joe Wilf’s respective families are fueling Jewish identity, Jewish community, and Jewish continuity all across the globe. We’re doing it right here, right now!”

The evening ended on a triumphant and celebratory note with a comedy performance by renowned comedian Modi.