The Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva’s Annual Toby Mayer Memorial Scholarship Breakfast and Dream It Capital and Innovation Campaign Launch on Sunday December 17 brought together several hundred attendees, including community members, shul rabbis, local dignitaries and students. The breakfast not only showcased the unity and strength within the RPRY community but also raised substantial funds to support scholarships for students.
Local politicians, including the Mayors of Edison, Highland Park and East Brunswick, attended the breakfast and were joined by state senators, assemblymen and local councilmen. Their presence underscored the importance of the event.
The event’s success was not only measured by the impressive turnout but also by the generosity of attendees who contributed to the scholarship fund. The funds raised during the breakfast go directly toward the RPRY Scholarship Fund, which ensures that financial barriers do not hinder access to a quality Jewish and General education for any student. This year, RPRY will distribute more than $1 million in financial aid to families.
The crowd was welcomed by Rabbi Michael Ribalt, Head of School, who expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from the community and emphasized the school’s commitment to fostering a love of Torah, Hashem and Eretz Yisrael in a nurturing learning environment.
President of the board, Rabbi Jordan Kaplan, an alumnus of the school, spoke about how RPRY had nurtured his family’s Jewish growth. He spoke of the school’s tremendous growth in enrollment this year. Rabbi Kaplan also paid tribute to Rabbi Elisha Lowenstern, z”l, a former RPRY student who was killed in Gaza, while defending Israel, this week. Attendees heard from alumnus Rabbi Daniel Stein, the rosh yeshiva and director of the Norman and Joahnne Sternthal 4th Year Halakhah Lemaasseh Program at RIETS and holder of the Perez and Freida Friedberg Chair at Yeshiva University.
The morning’s significance did not end with the successful fundraising efforts. RPRY officially launched a capital and innovation campaign titled “Dream It” during the breakfast. Leslie Ostrin and Andrew Getraer presented the two-phase project aimed to further enhance the school’s facilities and educational programs.
In celebration of the Dream It launch there were a series of engaging activities for students and their families, all centered around supporting Israel. The activities, designed to deepen the connection to Israel, ranged from hands-on crafts to thoughtful lectures by distinguished alumni. Activities included tzitzit tying for chayalim, decorating candle holders, and making toys to be sent to Israeli children displaced by the ongoing war.
The event concluded with a school-wide siyum. This prior week, every student in the school, from early childhood through eighth grade, participated in a Chumash-a-thon, where they completed the study of the entire Chumash. This communal learning was hugely impactful on the entire student body. As the students completed the siyum shouts of “mazal tov” rang through the air and those present broke into song and dance.
Donations to the Scholarship Fund can be made at www.rpry.org
Sara Fischer is the director of Admissions and Development at the Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva in Edison. She can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 732 572 5052 ext 204.
