Conventional wisdom and reports from prominent sources indicate that volunteerism is in decline and that fundraising for local community organizations is harder because of increased competition. Leave it to the Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva of Edison to defy both trends and hold a remarkably successful scholarship breakfast.
On Sunday, December 15, community members, parents, grandparents, administrators, faculty members, students and others packed all the tables in the large gymnasium to support the annual event and help celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary. The breakfast’s success can be measured in a few ways: the involvement of an active seven person organizing committee, a 34 person calling squad and the presence of New Jersey State Senator Patrick Deignan, Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin and Highland Park Mayor Gayle Brill Mittler. Hundreds of donors contributed and the event raised more than $260,000, one of the greatest amounts ever brought in by the school. A new “OneGift”’ campaign, led by past president Leslie Ostrin, attracted 25 or more donors who made donations of between $2,500 and $36,000.
The program featured remarks by event co-chairs Asaf Shmuel of Edison and Binyamin Cooper of Highland Park, both parents of children in the school. Cooper praised the breakfast’s teacher honoree, Helene Lockspeiser, noting that his son Ethan, who is currently in her class, loves it, and often accidentally calls his mom or dad “Morah Helene.”
Yonatan Abrahams, the great-grandson of school founder Rabbi Pesach Raymon and current eighth grader in the yeshiva, presented a dvar Torah and Alex Kemeny, an alum of the school and father of current student Binyamin, offered warm greetings from the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey. Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin shared a proclamation from the New Jersey State Legislature, saluting the yeshiva on reaching its 75th anniversary.
Tova Renna, president of the board of governors of the yeshiva, spoke proudly about how Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who showed decisive leadership during the deadly anti-Semitic incident in that town last week, credits his education at RPRY with shaping his principles and judgment. Citing a recent JTA article, Renna quoted Mayor Fulop: “When you study Gemara and Mishna, it talks to you about patience and fairness and justice and being a good person … that’s the foundation I took away from my time in yeshiva. Those are the things I try my best to embody in my job.”
Head of School Rabbi Daniel Loew offered a dvar Torah to highlight the impact of this year’s breakfast honoree, nursery teacher Morah Helene Lockspeiser. “In yesterday’s parsha, Yaakov is left alone and wrestles with an angel. Rashi, quoting the gemara in Chulin, explains why he was on one side of the river, with his whole family on the other. He had gone back to retrieve some pachim ketanim, some small jars, that had been left behind. Now Yaakov was a very rich man. He had accumulated tremendous wealth in the house of Lavan. So why was he going back to reclaim some small jars? It’s like Warren Buffett crossing town because he dropped a few quarters! Yaakov realized that everything that he had, everything that Hashem had seen fit to entrust in his care, had value. Even pachim ketanim.
“And in fact, we know from the story of Chanukah, that we should not underestimate one small jar. One pach katan can contain miraculous potential. Morah Helene recognizes this as well. Every student, from the youngest age, is a gift from Hashem and possesses miraculous potential.”
Morah Helene Lockspeiser received the Educator Excellence Award. She spoke about the value of stories in early education, in nurturing children in families, and in Jewish mesorah, as essential tools in conveying fundamental values and in engaging students in learning. She praised all her mentors for their support and her colleagues for their continued encouragement. “Yet, through it all,” she stated, “it’s always been about the children” and she ended her remarks with a story about Hashem talking to apple trees and showing them the beauty they had within—her goal as a teacher of small children.
Participants in the breakfast clearly felt this was a Sunday morning well spent.
“All three of my children attended RPRY and got a wonderful education,” said Lisa Goldberg of Highland Park. “I’ve always been impressed with the incredibly caring and skilled faculty, especially this year’s worthy honoree Morah Helene. This is a vital institution in the Jewish community. Even though my youngest graduated years ago, and is now married with two children, the RPRY scholarship breakfast remains a fixture on my annual calendar. How could I not be here?”
“We have a tremendous heritage that informs who we are and what our values are,” said George Blank of New Hope, Pennsylvania, a grandfather of two alumni of the school and two current students. “I’m here at the breakfast because RPRY does the work of education so well. It is a facilitator of a core education, teaching values, self-confidence, and a belief in the Almighty. That belief is what separates those who accomplish things in happiness and those who are lost in the complexities of the world.”
“Thirteen or so years ago, when I was still in training, I was a beneficiary of the scholarship and financial aid that RPRY provides for families to send their children to RPRY,” said Dr. Ethan Wasserman of East Brunswick. “Back then, I never had a doubt that RPRY was the place where I wanted my children to get their education. Now, I’m pleased to have the ability and opportunity to contribute to the scholarship fund and allow others the same opportunity.”
“Josh Caplan (RPRY’s new executive director) invited me to come to this event and it’s an honor to be here,” said Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak. “This fundraiser, to enable young people to get a strong education in their faith, is very important. We should do more of this throughout the state. I’m impressed to see hundreds of people here to show support and I think it’s a very valuable effort.”
By Harry Glazer
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